Posts Tagged ‘conjugated linoleic acid’

Depression can be stopped in its tracks. Pharmaceuticals aren’t the only or best way to reduce depression. Administrating drugs for what many times is a lifestyle condition is the wrong approach. High potency drugs can cause more problems then they solve. The numbers and variety of legal drugs are increasingly suspected of causing this problem. Some common drugs that are known to cause depression are: barbiturates, amphetamines, pain killers, beta-blockers, high blood pressure medications, heart medications and psychotropic drugs.

Depression Solutions

A good diet has many benefits that help with mood disorders, ADHD, cognitive function, and depression. The biggest barrier to brain health is a poor diet. After decades of of looking at mental disorders as separate from overall health, the tide is turning. There is a relationship between what you eat, how much you exercise, and what you think.

Essential Fatty Acids

Two-thirds of the brain is composed of specific kinds of fats. The two kinds of fatty acids that your body can’t manufacture and needs from food sources are the ones the brain depends on. These are the essential fatty acids (EPAs): Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) the foundation of the ”omega-3″ group of fatty acids, and Liolic acid (LA) the foundation of the “omega-6″ group of fatty acids.

These are the building blocks of brain cells. Food sources of Omega-3 (ALA) are flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, sea vegetables, green leafy vegetables, salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout, olive oil, grass fed beef and dairy. Linolic acid (LA) is found in expelled cold pressed oils, like sesame, primrose, flax, and others. The other sources are pumpkin seeds, avocados, poultry, cashews, acai berry, and spirulina. Many of the foods that have omega 3 contain Linoleic acid.

The brain makes docosehexaenoic acid (DHA) from (ALA) and (LA). Scientist at the National Institutes of Health has associated the increase in depression in North America with the decline of DHA. This is the most important fat for all cognitive functions.

B Vitamins

The B-complex vitamins are essential to both mental and emotional health. The B vitamins can’t be stored they depend on our daily consumption of them. They are destroyed by alcohol, refined sugar, nicotine, caffeine, and stress.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is used by the brain to help convert glucose into fuel, it is the primary source of energy for the brain. Deficiencies can lead to fatigue, depression, irritability anxiety, and insomnia. Simple carbohydrates such as sugar drains the supply of all B complex vitamins.

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) aids is the processing of amino acids. the building blogs of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine. These are know as the happy hormones.

Vitamin  B12 is important in preventing Anemia, which can cause mood swings, paranoia, irritability, confusion, dementia, and depression.. Folic Acid is need for DNA sysnthesis.

Lifestyle 

With our modern lifestyle many people shouldn’t be a stranger to depression. Depression is more than genetics. This condition is more than minor worries; it is the collapse of our agriculture system. The quality of our food supply is dismal. As our nutritional foundation is giving way our mental illnesses will sky rocket. Just by looking at the rates of autism, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and bi-polar disorders you can see the hair-curling trend. This is unprecedented and is setting the stage for a boon in prescription medications.

The paleo diet is also referred to as the caveman diet, Paleolithic diet, Stone Age diet, and hunter-gatherer diet. It is based on what we presume our very distant ancestors consumed.

Paleo Diet 101

A paleo diet is based on plants and animal protein. This diet consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots and nuts. It excludes grains, legumes, refined sugar, and processed oils. The paleo diet is a meat eaters paradise. A diet where you eat and get healthier.

The paleo diet 101 is the basic blueprint for a life free of chronic disease. All the press has been on the dangers eating too much meat. Now, lets bust that myth. We balance the bad press with the news that there is less to fear from animal protein, than from a diet of contrived food.

Low-Fat Diet

The current fad of low-fat diets has the American public suffering from more degenerative diseases than ever before. The dangers of low-fat foods is from the high sugar content and the lack of good fats.

The epidemic of degenerative diseases is on the increase, and so is the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acid. The ratio is anywhere from 20:1 to 30:1, when it should be 3:1 or less. Omega-6s that have dominated our foods for the last 50 years.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids are not manufactured by the body and must be consumed in foods. Processed food and unnatural oils has changed the ratio and quality of the oils we consume. Manufactured food is high in Omega-6 fats. The modern diet is short on Omega-3 fatty acids. When the Omega-3 in the diet went down the heart disease and cancer rate went up. Omega 3’s best source are fatty fish and beef. Nuts, seeds, vegetables have some Omega-3, but are not the same as the long-chain Omega-3’s found in fatty fish and grass-fed-beef.

Grain-Fed Beef 

Grain-fed beef has an Omega 6:3 ratio of 20:1. This is the reason that meat is implicated in many of the diseases that are so prevalent today. The ideal ratio of Omega 3:1 equal to fish without mercury is found in grass-fed beef. People on the paleo diet consume grass-fed beef. Free roaming animals were the food of our distant ancestors.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid  

One of the big benefits of grass-fed beef and lamb is the presence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). This is an essential fatty acid. CLA fights cancer, combats clogged arteries, and may prevent or delay diabetes. It is responsible for lowering cholesterol, lowers LDL, lower triglycerides and improves the cholesterol/HDL ratio. We can’t produce CLA and must get it from our diets.

CLA is also known for its ability to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass. There are many clinical studies that have been published on the effect of CLA on weight management. Conjugated linoleic acid reduces fat and increases lean muscle mass.

Modern Diet

Today’s diet is high in manufactured food. Our modern diet supplies a high amount of Omega 6s in the form of processed wheat, corn rice, and oils, such as safflower, corn, soybean, etc. Grain-fed cattle consume all of these.

A low-fat diet is high in all of these processed foods that contain high amounts of Omega-6s, also known as the inflammatory diet.

Diet Paleo

Studies on mice and rats show that CLA hinders the growth of tumors in mammary, skin, and colon tissues. It has been shown that CLA can up-regulate the tumor suppressor gene PTPRG.

Studies have shown that CLA usage has a positive effect on the improvement of lean muscles, and reduced fat.

To diet paleo style seems to be a wise choice. We seem to be programmed for this, remember the margarine fiasco. The low fat diet, has one great draw back it depends on pre-packaged faux foods. The paleo diet is a whole foods diet that makes sense.