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Study: Fish Oil Contains Natural Ingredients That Help Treat Depression

By John McKenzie
Aug. 19, 2003 — For years, researchers have been searching the seas, collecting rare sponges, coral and algae in the hope that the chemicals they contain might become potent medications. Now some researchers say they’ve found an effective antidepressant below the waves: Fish, or more specifically, fish oil containing so-called omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids had the same effect on the brain as the antidepressant Prozac: They raised levels of a critical neurotransmitter, Serotonin.

“We’ve been very impressed by the response rates we’ve observed,” said Dr. David Mischoulon, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital who has overseen an omega-3 clinical trial. “We believe there is definitely something to these treatments.”

Scientists first became interested when they noticed that countries with the highest fish consumption had the lowest rates of depression. They also observed that mothers in England who ate very little fish during pregnancy doubled their risk of developing postpartum depression compared to women who ate fish regularly. So scientists began a series of studies to see why.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Found to Have Same Effect
“After only 18 days, those animals that were fed the enriched formula had double the level of Serotonin in their frontal cortex, in the part of the brain that regulates depression and impulsivity,” said Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a senior clinical investigator at the National Institutes of Health.

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated oils that cannot be made by the body and are derived primarily from seafood. The fatty acid with most direct influence on brain development and function is DHA.

“The DHA is highly concentrated in the brain,” Hibbeln told ABCNEWS, “and it’s concentrated in the brain right where the neurons communicate with each other and all the signals pass back and forth.”

The DHA from omega-3 makes up the walls of neurons, Hibbeln said. “The body cannot manufacture DHA so it has to get it from our diet.”

At Sheffield University in England, Dr. Malcolm Peet gave omega-3 fatty acids to 70 depressed patients who had not been helped by drugs such as Prozac. After 12 weeks, 69 percent of the patients showed marked improvement compared with 25 percent given placebos.

Trial Participant Accounts Significant Improvement
Jim LaBonte of Boston took part in another omega-3 study. LaBonte, who was diagnosed with depression four years ago, had tried Prozac but didn’t like the way it made him feel. He complained the drug left him with no emotions, and so he stopped taking it. Then he enrolled in a clinical trial at Massachusetts General Hospital.

LaBonte took the omega-3 fatty acid DHA each day. Within three weeks, he said, he noticed a significant improvement. He has now been taking DHA for eight months. “I’m fine today. Not only do I not feel as blue, but when they [depressed feelings] do come I am able to handle it,” he said.

“We’re confident that the results he had were positive,” said Mischoulon. “We’ve also observed similar responses in other people. So it’s pretty clear in our minds that these treatments work.”

Preliminary studies suggest 1 gram a day of omega-3 fatty acids can be an effective treatment, whether in the form of a nutritional supplement available at most health-food stores or simply by eating fish — especially salmon, sardines or tuna — several times a week.

Researchers say much larger studies are now needed to follow up on the initial success of omega-3 trials, not only against depression but also in treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and violent behavior.

Alzheimer’s Cases in U.S. May Top 13 Million by 2050
Unless ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease are discovered, the number of Americans suffering with the condition will increase nearly three fold in the next half century, new statistics suggests. In 2000, 4.5 million people in the US had Alzheimer’s. By 2050, this figure will balloon to 13.2 million if no inroads are made in preventing or treating the disease.

“If left unchecked, it is no exaggeration to say that Alzheimer’s disease will destroy the health care system and bankrupt Medicare and Medicaid,” Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, said in a statement.

As people live longer, they become more susceptible to diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer’s. The 85-plus population is expected to increase from 4 million people today to 19 million in 2050, she said. As a result, the number of Alzheimer’s cases is expected to grow from 4.5 million today to between 11.2 million and 16 million in 2050.

And those are just people with full-blown Alzheimer’s. An even larger number of older people are likely to develop a condition known as mild cognitive impairment, which causes short-term memory problems but is less debilitating than Alzheimer’s, said Piero Antuono, a professor of neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Costs of Care
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that Medicare spending on Alzheimer’s will increase 54%, to $49.3 billion, in 2010, and that Medicaid spending will increase 80%, to $33 billion.

But Medicare generally pays only for doctor visits. And while Medicaid may cover nursing home costs, coverage doesn’t kick in until the patient’s assets have been reduced to about $2,000.

So families often incur the biggest costs, according to advocates for seniors. Nursing home costs for an Alzheimer’s patient can run $4,000 to $5,000 a month.

Prevention and Treatment
Alzheimer’s probably starts 10 to 20 years before a person is diagnosed. Alzheimer’s Disease, is more common in Western societies, both because of longer life expectancy and, probably, because of the western diet. Several studies suggest that this degenerative disease is linked to a diet characterised by excessive dietary intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates and animal products (with high content of saturated fats), and decreased intake of unrefined seeds, cereals, legumes, and other vegetables (with high content of fiber, vitamins, phytoestrogens polyphenols and other antioxidant substances) and, in several populations, of sea food (rich in n-3 fatty acids).

Alzheimer’s Disease, therefore, could theoretically be prevented (or delayed) by relatively simple dietary measures aimed at increasing insulin sensitivity (through reduction of refined sugars and saturated fats from meat and dairy products), the ratio between n-3 and n-6 fatty acids (e.g. from fish and respectively seed oils), antioxidant vitamins, folic acid, vitamin B6, phytoestrogens (vegetables, whole cereals, and legumes, including soy products), vitamin B12, and Chromium, Potassium, Magnesium and Silicea salts.

SOURCES: Archives of Neurology, August 2003; Epidemiol Prev. 2002 May-Jun;26(3):107-15.

Two new studies published in the May 2, 2003, issue of The Lancet, provide evidence that a high-fibre diet contributes to a substantial lowering in the risk of colon cancer. This has previously been a controversial area of research, as some recent studies have suggested no association between increased fibre intake and a reduced risk of colorectal cancer.

 
The first study was a randomized controlled trial designed to investigate methods for early detection of cancer. In our analysis, we compared fiber intake of 33,971 participants. High intakes of dietary fiber were associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer, after adjustment for potential dietary and non-dietary risk factors. Participants who had the highest dietary fiber intake had a 27% lower risk of cancer than those who ate the lowest amount of fiber. The most protective fiber sources were grains, cereals and fruits. Vegetables, which contain lesser amounts of fiber had the least benefit. (Source: Lancet 2003; 361: 1491-95)

 
The second study examined the association between dietary fiber intake and incidence of colorectal cancer in 519,978 individuals aged 25-70 years. The risk of developing colorectal cancer for the group that ate the highest amount of fiber was 58% lower than the group that ate the lowest amount of. The authors conclude that “In populations with low average intake of dietary fiber, an approximate doubling of total fiber intake from foods could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 40%. (Source: Lancet 2003; 361: 1496-501)

 
An earlier study by researchers in Italy revealed that a diet containing little alcohol, but rich in the B-Vitamin Folic acid, from sources like green leafy vegetables, fruits and whole grains may help lower the risk for colorectal cancer. In the study comparing 1,953 patients with colorectal cancer to more than 4,000 disease-free patients, Italian researchers found an association between the amount of folate in the diet and the risk of cancer. (Source: International Journal of Cancer 2002;102:545-547)
Dr. Carlo La Vecchia, the study’s lead author, said the incidence of the disease was 40% higher for patients who were heavy drinkers and had diets deficient in folate and the essential amino acid methionine. “The results are not surprising,” La Vecchia said, “and in broad agreement with other findings from North America.”

 
Patients with colorectal cancer tended to eat less folate and methionine rich foods, and drink heavier amounts of alcohol than patients who were cancer free. Light drinking meant less than one glass of wine daily, while heavy drinking was equivalent to at least two 12-ounce beers a day.
The main sources of folate in the Italian diets were green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and liver. Orange juice, beans and peas are also good folic acid sources.

 
Methionine levels were studied because the amino acid plays a key role in regulating the availability of folic acid in the body. Previous studies have shown that high levels of methionine reduce colon cancer risk in people with a family history of the disease. Fish, beans, eggs, garlic and sunflower seeds are all good natural sources of methionine.

 
In the same study, the researchers noted that low levels of methionine were slightly associated with colorectal cancer, but the combination of low methionine and low folate had an even stronger association with cancer risk.

 
Other studies have looked at the impact of eating fruits and vegetables on polyp development and proliferation. Polyps are intestinal growths that can eventually develop into colon cancer. Researchers suspect that folate may protect against certain cancers, such as breast and colon, due to the nutrient’s role in DNA synthesis and repair.

 
La Vecchia said the main public health message from this study is that people should “avoid drinking more than one or two drinks of alcoholic beverages a day,” exercise regularly, and eat a balanced diet with “lots of fruits and vegetables.”

Dr. Hansen’s Recommendations
I echo the recommendation of Dr. Lavecchia, but would take it a bit further. Eating a balanced diet is way too vague. We need to increase whole grains, fruits and vegetables and avoid alcohol altogether. To prevent heart disease and cancer you need to make sure you get 2-3 servings of fruit per day, 3-5 servings of fresh vegetables, 6-11 servings of whole grains, eat fish 1-2 times per week and eat red meat, sugar, fats and dairy products sparingly.

 
Meat lovers who eat beef, pork or lamb every day are 2 ½ times as likely to get colon cancer as those who shun red meat, according to a 1990 study of 88,751 women. Processed meats and liver were also significantly associated with increased risk, whereas fish and chicken without skin were related to decreased risk. No association was found for vegetable fat. (Source: N Engl J Med. 1990 Dec 13;323(24):1664-72).

In addition to eating a healthy diet, I believe that everyone should take a high potency multi-vitamin containing at least 800 mcg of Folic Acid daily. That’s the amount contained in Peak Advantage Multi-Vita/Min, so if you are already taking 2 Capsules 3 times daily you are already there.

A new bill called the “Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003” (S.722) has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. Despite its title, it would allow no more consumer protection than current law – the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) – provides. It would, however, significantly undermine many of the freedoms that American consumers of dietary supplements hold dear.
Following is a statement by Project: Freedom of Access to Nutritional Supplements on the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003: WASHINGTON, July 22, 2003 /U.S. Newswire/ –

”Once again, Washington lawmakers are torn between making the U.S. the nanny-state or the victim-state. With the introduction of S.722 by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), which is co-sponsored by none other than Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), they may have the best of both worlds,” stated Beth Clay, director of Project: Freedom of Access to Nutritional Supplements (Project: FANS). ”At the heart of this legislation is the belief that the federal bureaucracy knows better than the consumer what is best for their health, and seeks to impose this belief on all Americans, stymieing their freedom of health care choice.”

The bill, known as the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003 ostensibly aims to eliminate harmful products from the marketplace. ”This bill is not about safety, and the effort is completely unnecessary. Clear, well-researched and comprehensive laws already exist to properly regulate the supplement industry and its products. The reasons cited in S.722 for further government restrictions are, in fact, proof that DSHEA is doing its job,” continued Ms. Clay. In 1994, Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) led the way to the passage of the bi-partisan Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) clear and adequate authority to appropriately regulate dietary supplements. According to Ms. Clay, ”The proposed new law would install a system more complex and costly than the current $800-million process required of the prescription drug industry by the FDA. Durbin’s bill would hold long-used nutritional supplements, from calcium to Flintstone vitamins, to a higher reporting standard than is currently set for many prescription drugs.

”All this bill will do, should it become law, is limit, if not eliminate, the availability of many safe and highly effective vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements currently available. It would also needlessly drive up the cost of whatever products remain in the marketplace. In the end, Durbin’s legislation hits the average American consumer hard-both in the pocketbook and in their own ability to maintain their health,” Ms. Clay said. As always, the cost of bigger government includes more than just higher product costs. Ms. Clay explained, ”As if the financial burden this legislation brings to manufacturers and consumers weren’t already enough, the final straw is that this bill will also mean higher taxes for all Americans.”

Project: FANS is mobilizing a grassroots effort throughout the country to make clear to Capitol Hill that Americans do not want this burdensome legislation passed. ”We have a simple message for Washington: if it isn’t broken, stop wasting our tax dollars trying to fix it,” concluded Ms. Clay.

Oppose this Legislation!

The Food and Drug Administration must not be granted new and unprecedented authority to subject safe and beneficial products to additional and unnecessary scrutiny.

This bill would subject nearly all vitamins, minerals, herbal products and other supplements to a level of scrutiny that exceeds even that of drugs. It is both unwarranted and unnecessary. Products that have been used safely for hundreds – and in some cases, thousands – of years would be subject to clinical evaluation using standards that are at the complete discretion of the FDA.

The government must not be allowed to limit the freedom of choice of American consumers when it comes to their health.
By questioning the safety of any dietary supplement that receives even one complaint, hundreds of products that have been safely and beneficially used could be removed from the marketplace. Under this new legislation, the FDA has complete discretion to make this determination, regardless of whether the product was used under conditions cautioned against by the manufacturer on the label.

The government must not be allowed to single-out dietary supplements.
By almost every measure, and by a wide margin, dietary supplements can be used more safely than conventional foods and OTC drugs. Yet this legislation exempts foods in these product categories from being classified as stimulants. Specifically, the bill unfairly excludes the most common “stimulant” ingredient in foods – caffeine.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

This bill could be added to existing Senate legislation at any time. We need you to take two vital steps to immediately let your Senators know you oppose this bill.

E-mail your Senators now. Simply click on the link below and enter your ZIP code in the to locate your senators and representatives, make any changes you feel necessary to the sample letter, and click “submit.” A copy of your letter will be sent to the two U.S. Senators from your state. A copy of the letter will also be sent to you confirming which Senators received the letter.

Call your Senators now.To reach your Senators’ offices, call them either through the Capitol Hill switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or directly at their Washington, D.C. or local offices. To find contact information for your elected officials, simply click on the link above. When you reach your Senator’s office, ask to speak with the staff member in charge of health-related issues and give them this simple message:

I STRONGLY oppose S. 722 (the “Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2003″), which will limit my freedom to make my own health care choices with the responsible use of dietary supplements.

S. 722 unnecessarily expands the authority of the Food and Drug Administration, while offering no more protection for consumers than is already granted under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.

Please vote AGAINST S. 722.

Don’t delay – this bill has the potential to radically amend one of this country’s most important and beneficial laws, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994.

In August 2003, scientists announced the discovery of a way to boost the principal “anti-aging” enzyme in living cells. A study involving a class of enzymes known as sirtuins (pronounced sir-TOO-ins) have been shown enhance cell survival during times of stress and extend life. Resveratrol, an ingredient in the skin of red grapes, which has also been credited with red wine’s ability to lower the risk of heart disease and cancer, has been found to be the most potent anti-aging booster ever discovered.

“It’s looking like these sirtuins serve as guardians of the cell,” said Harvard Medical School researcher David Sinclair, who led the new work published in the journal Nature. “These enzymes allow cells to survive damage and delay cell death.”

For years researchers have known that life span can be extended by 50 percent or more in many kinds of creatures, including flies, worms and mice, if the animal is fed a diet that is nutritious but contains about 30 percent fewer calories than usual. Recently scientists found that the life-extending benefits of calorie restriction do not occur if the animal has been genetically altered to lack sirtuins, indicating these enzymes are crucial to this process.

Now scientists are coming to understand sirtuins’ role in that life-extending response. In people, they seem to halt the normal cellular cycle that ends with old cells committing suicide and instead help rejuvenate them by beefing up their DNA repair processes and stimulating production of protective antioxidants.  
   
The new report from Sinclair’s team is the first to show that it is indeed possible to tweak the sirtuin pathway. The group screened a large number of biologically active chemicals and found that Resveretrol from grape skins increases sirtuin activity more than two-fold. Resveretrol extended the life span of yeast cells by up to 80 percent.

Human cells seemed to benefit, too. Those treated with Resveretrol enjoyed long lives in laboratory dishes even after being exposed to ionizing radiation, which damages DNA and usually shortens a cell’s lifespan.

“We think we know why these plants make these molecules. We think it’s part of their own defense response, and we also believe that animals and fungi that live on the plants can pick up on these clues,” Sincliar said.

To illustrate that theory, Sinclair noted that red wines from regions with harsher growing conditions — Spain, Chile, Argentina and Australia — contain more Resveratrol than those produced where grapes are not highly stressed or dehydrated.

“What we think is that if a cell is at a point of deciding whether to live or die, these sirtuins push toward the survival mode and let the cell try a little harder and longer to fix itself,” said Sinclair.

Leonard Guarente, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, says “We’re very keen on the idea that this is it” – that sirtuins are the central regulator of the aging process.” Guarente is a founder of Elixir Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, Mass., which, like Sinclair and BIOMOL, hopes to capitalize on chemicals that can boost sirtuin activity.

The immediate goal in people would be to slow the progression of diseases of aging such as Alzheimer’s, because a more generic slowing of the aging process could take decades to prove.

Dr. Hansen’s Note:
If you are taking GSE Ultra 110 you are way ahead of the curve. You are already getting 150ppm Resveretrol in every capsule. GSE Ultra 110 contains 110mg of Grape SEED Extract and 110 mg of Grape SKIN Extract, plus 250 mg of Vitamin C. Resveretrol is concentrated in the skin of the grapes and not found in the seeds. It has been found to have significant and unique anti-cancer and heart protective benefits all its own. Now you know why we call it GSE Ultra 110. So, keep taking your GSE Ultra 110 and keep getting younger.