Nutritional approach to mental issues like Bipolar Disorder
(manic-depressive illness), Schizophrenia, Attention-Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) & Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour
In recent years I have been convinced that all of these mental health issues have their root cause in
Ortho-Molecular Medicine & Science. I have witnessed too many people improve mentally with high
dose supplementation and read too many studies, that I believe this approach should at least be
experimented with by anyone who cares enough not to want just a drug approach. The drug approach
often is helpful, but they can come with many side effects that can be worse than the illness itself. Often,
improvements don't even outweigh the negative side effects, so a natural approach would perhaps have
a better treatment result, overall, if your looking for a more holistic outcome. Unfortunately, since these
compounds I will discuss are natural and cannot be patented as drugs for a huge profit, I doubt seriously
whether anyone will ever do a big enough study to convince the global scientific community at large, but
perhaps it may convince you.
First, lets look at some recent studies and then I will make some conclusions and comments at the end.
Remember to always run this information by your Doctor and see if he will work with you on any
implementation or find one that will, or understand that you are taking your health in your own hands, which
is your constitutional right, but I will not accept any liability. It has to be your decision and I believe you
should take charge of your own health, when ever you are not satisfied with the results you getting with
conventional medicine. DISCLAIMER
Fish oils and manic-depressive illness
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Manic-depressive illness (bipolar disorder) is a common, severe mental illness involving
repeated episodes of depression, mania (rapid mood changes, hyperactivity, and excessive cheerfulness) or both. It is
usually treated with drugs such as lithium carbonate or valproate. Unfortunately, these drugs are not very effective and
recurrence rates are high. It is generally believed that bipolar disorder involves an overactivity in the neuronal signal
pathways. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to dampen this overactivity and the hypothesis has been advanced that they
may be useful in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Medical scientists have now confirmed this in a landmark study just
completed at the Harvard Medical School. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 30 patients (men and
women 18 to 65 years of age) who had all been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Half the patients were given seven
fish oil capsules twice a day while the placebo group were given seven olive oil capsules twice a day. Each fish oil
capsule contained 440 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 240 mg of docosahexaenoic acid. All of the participants except
four in the fish oil group and four in the placebo group also continued to receive a standard mood-stabilizing drug
prescribed previously. The mental state of the participants was measured using four scales (Clinical Global
Impression Scale, Global Assessment Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for
Depression) at the start of the study and after two, four, six, eight, twelve and sixteen weeks. Twelve of the 14
participants in the fish oil group completed the four-month study without major episodes of mania or depression as
compared to only six out of 16 participants in the placebo group. Also, while nine of the placebo group members
experienced worsening depression none of the fish oil group members did. The four patients in the fish oil group who
had not been prescribed mood-stabilizing drugs all completed the study without major episodes, but only one member
in the placebo group not on mood-stabilizing drugs did. The average decline in depression rating on the Hamilton
Scale was almost 50 per cent in the fish oil group as compared to an increase of 25 per cent in the control group. The
Harvard researchers urge further trials of fish oils in the treatment of depression and manic-depressive illness.
Stoll, Andrew L., et al. Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 56, May 1999, pp. 407-12 and pp.
415-16 (commentary)
Calabrese, Joseph R., et al. Fish oils and bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 56, May 1999, pp. 413-14 (commentary)
Depression and amalgam fillings
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO. There is some evidence that people with dental amalgam fillings are more likely to suffer
from depression than are people without such fillings. Now researchers at the Rocky Mountain Research Institute
report that removal of amalgam fillings can markedly improve the symptoms of manic- depressive illness (bipolar
disorder). Their study involved 20 patients who had been diagnosed with manic-depressive illness. All the patients had
amalgam fillings (an average of 10 fillings each). The concentration of mercury in the mouth was measured at the start
of the study and was found to increase almost 300 per cent after chewing gum for 10 minutes. Other research has
shown that 75 per cent or more of the mercury vapor released by chewing is inhaled into the lungs where it enters the
blood stream and subsequently passes into the brain. Eleven of the patients were assigned to have all their mercury
fillings removed and were also given multi-vitamins and antioxidants to help chelate and remove the mercury released
during the dental work. The remaining nine patients had a sealant placed over their fillings and were told that this
sealant would prevent mercury from being released from their fillings. In actual fact there was no evidence that it would
do so. The control group patients were given a supplemental vitamin and mineral tablet. The patients all completed
various questionnaires designed to evaluate their mental health before and six to eight months after treatment. It was
very clear that the patients who had had their amalgam fillings removed had improved very significantly in such
important parameters as anxiety, depression, paranoia, hostility, and obsessive compulsive behaviour. Some of the
patients were able to discontinue their lithium medication after amalgam removal. The researchers caution that their
study was relatively small and urge large scale clinical trials to validate their findings.
Siblerud, Robert L., et al. Psychometric evidence that dental amalgam mercury may be an etiological factor in manic depression.
Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, Vol. 13, No. 1, First Quarter 1998, pp. 31-40
NEWSBRIEF - Ritalin conference produces no consensus. A panel of experts met recently in Washington, DC to discuss
the massive surge in the use of Ritalin to treat children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is estimated that four million children in the United States are now taking Ritalin;
in Britain the number of Ritalin prescriptions is doubling every year. Proponents of the drug say it helps calm unruly
children and allows them to learn better; however, a recent study found that Ritalin-users show almost no improvement
in academic achievement and skills. Critics say that Ritalin simply makes children more docile while creating the
danger of long term damage to brain chemistry.
New Scientist, November 28, 1998, p. 3 & 24
Fish oils: A cure for depression?
WASHINGTON, DC. On a worldwide basis more working days are lost to depression than to any other illness. The
incidence of depression is growing with people born within the last 50 years being twice as likely to suffer from it than
were their parents. Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health believes that the reason for the increase in
depression can be directly attributed to a major shift in dietary patterns, specifically fat intake. He points out that the vast
increase in the use of soy, corn, palm and cottonseed oils in the last 100 years has totally changed the traditional ratio
of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. Soy oil consumption in the US, for example, has increased thousand-fold
in the last 100 years helping to skew the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio from about 1:1 to today's 16:1. This, Dr. Hibbeln
believes, spells trouble. The brain consists pretty well entirely of fat so clearly one's fat intake could affect one's brain
composition, particularly the ion channels which channel signals in and out of the brain. There is also evidence that low
levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with low levels of the mood hormone serotonin. Dr. Hibbeln's hypothesis is
supported by the fact that the incidence of depression is considerably lower in countries with a high fish consumption.
Fish, particularly fatty ocean fish, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and its frequent consumption would help
to nudge the ratio back towards the optimum 1:1. At least three clinical trials have observed a marked improvement in
depressed patients given relatively high doses of fish oils. This has spurred other scientists to look closer at the
potential benefits of fish oil supplementation. At the moment there are at least 10 clinical trials underway evaluating fish
oils in the treatment of depression, attention deficit disorder, and schizophrenia.
Small, Meredith F. The happy fat. New Scientist, August 24, 2002, pp. 34-37
Fish oils and manic-depressive illness
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. Manic-depressive illness (bipolar disorder) is a common, severe mental illness involving
repeated episodes of depression, mania (rapid mood changes, hyperactivity, and excessive cheerfulness) or both. It is
usually treated with drugs such as lithium carbonate or valproate. Unfortunately, these drugs are not very effective and
recurrence rates are high. It is generally believed that bipolar disorder involves an overactivity in the neuronal signal
pathways. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to dampen this overactivity and the hypothesis has been advanced that they
may be useful in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Medical scientists have now confirmed this in a landmark study just
completed at the Harvard Medical School. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 30 patients (men and
women 18 to 65 years of age) who had all been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Half the patients were given seven
fish oil capsules twice a day while the placebo group were given seven olive oil capsules twice a day. Each fish oil
capsule contained 440 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 240 mg of docosahexaenoic acid. All of the participants except
four in the fish oil group and four in the placebo group also continued to receive a standard mood-stabilizing drug
prescribed previously. The mental state of the participants was measured using four scales (Clinical Global
Impression Scale, Global Assessment Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and the Hamilton Rating Scale for
Depression) at the start of the study and after two, four, six, eight, twelve and sixteen weeks. Twelve of the 14
participants in the fish oil group completed the four-month study without major episodes of mania or depression as
compared to only six out of 16 participants in the placebo group. Also, while nine of the placebo group members
experienced worsening depression none of the fish oil group members did. The four patients in the fish oil group who
had not been prescribed mood-stabilizing drugs all completed the study without major episodes, but only one member
in the placebo group not on mood-stabilizing drugs did. The average decline in depression rating on the Hamilton
Scale was almost 50 per cent in the fish oil group as compared to an increase of 25 per cent in the control group. The
Harvard researchers urge further trials of fish oils in the treatment of depression and manic-depressive illness.
Stoll, Andrew L., et al. Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 56, May 1999, pp. 407-12 and pp.
415-16 (commentary)
Calabrese, Joseph R., et al. Fish oils and bipolar disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 56, May 1999, pp. 413-14 (commentary)
Your brain needs DHA
NEW YORK, NY. Dr. Barbara Levine, Professor of Nutrition in Medicine at Cornell University, sounds the alarm
concerning a totally inadequate intake of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) by most Americans. DHA is the building block of
human brain tissue and is particularly abundant in the grey matter of the brain and the retina. Low levels of DHA have
recently been associated with depression, memory loss, dementia, and visual problems. DHA is particularly important
for fetuses and infants; the DHA content of the infant's brain triples during the first three months of life. Optimal levels of
DHA are therefore crucial for pregnant and lactating mothers. Unfortunately, the average DHA content of breast milk in
the United States is the lowest in the world, most likely because Americans eat comparatively little fish. Making matters
worse is the fact that the United States is the only country in the world where infant formulas are not fortified with DHA.
This despite a 1995 recommendation by the World Health Organization that all baby formulas should provide 40 mg of
DHA per kilogram of infant body weight. Dr. Levine believes that postpartum depression, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), and low IQs are all linked to the dismally low DHA intake common in the United States. Dr. Levine
also points out that low DHA levels have been linked to low brain serotonin levels which again are connected to an
increased tendency to depression, suicide, and violence. DHA is abundant in marine phytoplankton and cold-water fish
and nutritionists now recommend that people consume two to three servings of fish every week to maintain DHA levels.
If this is not possible, Dr. Levine suggests supplementing with 100 mg/day of DHA.
Levine, Barbara S. Most frequently asked questions about DHA. Nutrition Today, Vol. 32, November/December 1997, pp. 248-49
Comments: I believe EPA / DHA derived from fish oils are one of the biggest issues
here. Particularly the DHA portion of the Omega 3's. I also know that zinc plays a
critical role in mental health as dose B-Complex, especially Niacin (B-3) which when
low enough in street alcoholics, causes them to talk to and see people or things that
don't exist and to have episodes of depression, violence, anger, paranoia etc.
Here would be a sample program that might be considered.
Orthomolecular Formulations - ADHD SUPPORT - This formula contains ingredients
which target metabolism and neuronal activity thought to be helpful in supporting
those with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Mega EFA - 2 with breakfast and 2 with dinner.
EDTA - Detoxification of heavy metal accumulation in the body - 1 capsule with
breakfast and 1 with dinner.
NSI Vitamin B3 (Niacin) - 500 mg - Should be added for Schizophrenia - 1 with
breakfast and 1 with dinner. It will cause a flush, which is uncomfortable but will
taper with time. It is not dangerous, but has had great results.
Change the diet by removing all wheat and sugar, adopt The Ideal Diet and look into
the possibility of removing amalgam fillings with a holistic dentist.
For depression and mood improvement try this stand alone product...
Orthomolecular Formulations - Great Mood
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent the medical conditions or diseases highlighted on this page. They are only intended as a
nutritional support. Always check with your health care professional before starting a supplemental program.
