January 14, 2016 general

Winter blues are more than the letdown of going back to normal life after the excitement of the holidays. We know that the shorter days and less sunshine lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder with the convenient abbreviation SAD. Because we make vitamin D from sun exposure and vitamin D insufficiency is linked to depression, it makes sense to seek out the sun, take supplements or at the very least get tested to make sure you are in the optimum range.

SAD is also the acronym for the Standard American Diet. I’m pretty sure the two are connected. Our holiday eating binge may well have put a kink in our chemistry and here are a couple of examples regarding the diet mood connection:

• Four weeks of supplementation with a multivitamin resulted in significantly improved mood when compared to subjects on a placebo pill. STUDY
• A review of other studies revealed interest in green tea, cocoa, omega 3 fats, resveratrol and B-vitamins as an alternative to medication for depression. The abstract noted of course that more study is needed, but also that the prescription drugs for the condition are often not completely effective and have serious side effects. STUDY

For garden variety blues, what could it hurt to eat better, drink green tea and supplement with a multivitamin, vitamin D and fish oil while they continue the research?