[Paleopsych] inner judges on the rampage

[Premise Checker]

I thought Tryptophan was pulled by the FDA a couple of decades ago, just 
because one batch was contaminated. Is it finally available over the 
counter again? More Americans have died because of regulatory lag on the 
part of the FDA than in all our wars!

Frank

On 2004-12-16, Steve Hovland opined [message unchanged below]:

> I do take essential fatty acids on the form of flaxseed oil,
> and find it has an immediate calming effect.
>
> I tried SAMe for awhile.  After a few days I was spouting
> witticisms non-stop so I gave it up :-)
>
> My seasonal effects go from depression at the winter solstice
> to a somewhat manic state at spring solstice.  I've fiddled with
> this for a number of years and now I think that in the spring and
> summer I will take extra Tryptophan and during fall and winter
> go the Phenyl/Tyrosine route.
>
> Steve Hovland
> www.stevehovland.net
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Lynn D. Johnson, Ph.D. [SMTP:ljohnson at solution-consulting.com]
> Sent:	Thursday, December 16, 2004 7:09 AM
> To:	The new improved paleopsych list
> Subject:	Re: [Paleopsych] inner judges on the rampage
>
> Howard,
> Your comment reminded me of the studies suggesting that the hippocampus
> atrophies secondary to long depression. Thus the depressed person cannot
> recall good experiences and is unable to make decisions. Psychotherapy
> or anti-depressants will prevent that atrophy.
>
> Also, there is substantial evidence that fish oil, likely the EPA in
> fish oil, is a preventative of depression. Population studies (Iceland,
> Japan) show very low levels of depression among those who eat fish. The
> EPA seems to prevent inflammation, so clearly the body is attacking
> itself during depression.
>
> DHEA is converted by the body from pregnenalone, but so is cortisol.
> Parasympathetic arousal produces DHEA, while sympathetic arousal
> produces cortisol. Cortisol is elevated in depressed persons and may be
> the agent causing the hippocampus artophy. Long-term cortisol elevation
> is damaging to the body. 90 mgs q day of DHEA was shown to reverse
> depression.
>
> SAMe seems to treat depression well and there are some studies about it
> also helps slow arthritis, so the inflammation / self-attack notion
> seems to hold up there. If I were prone to depression, I would take it.
> Since I have osteoarthritis and a family history of heart attacks, I
> take fish oil and flax seed / walnuts, and they seem to help. I am
> planning on adding SAMe to keep my knees working until I am 70.
>
> Ross' idea about two depressions is intriguing, and I would like to
> learn more about that.
>
> Lynn