Advances in Medical Science

This is a broad topic, so I will specialize a bit. My main interest is in mental health, but the treatments have effects on physical health. Therefore both the mind and the body will be discussed. You can't separate the mind from the body.

Peer Support

There is a peer support alternative in Boston in the South End at the following address:

Solomon Carter Fuller MHC Ground Floor

85 East Newton Street

Boston, MA 02118

Telephone: (617) 305-9976

This group is called the Transformation Center. It is also sometimes called the Boston Resource Center. The idea may be to create multiple Transformation Centers across the state.

There is also a Peer Education Recovery Center (PERC) in Jamaica Plain. See the references (5 & 6).

Carotenoids

The carotenoids include alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin. There could be carotenoids that have not yet been discovered. These are healthy to the eye as well as the fact that beta-carotene is considered to fight cancer.

Dietary Fiber

These fibers are also very beneficial. They fight obesity because they have no calories. They also fight cholesterol and cancer. They slow the rapid rise of blood sugar after eating. This is important both in diabetes mellitus and in hypoglycemia.

Lignin and pectin are beneficial fibers.

Flavonoids

These are vitamin-like components. At one time they were called "vitamin P". Then it became clear that there were a lot of different flavonoids. Examples are anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavones, etc. The cancer rates are lower in Japan, where they consume more isoflavones than in the US. This includes breast cancer rates. Isoflavones are in soybeans, which are consumer more in Japan.

My own theory is that flavonoids may also benefit mental illness. The rationale for this is complex, and is explained in my previous articles (see the references).

Beer does have flavonols, but not that much of them. Green tea leaves have much more. Green tea is also high in flavan-3-ols. It also has flavones, but not that much.

Anthocyanidins are in red wine. White wine has very little.

Chocolate has flavan-3-ols. However, I do not recommend chocolate because it has caffeine.

Buckwheat has flavonols.

Fruit juices and fruits have flavonoids. The fruits themselves have more.

Orthomolecular Psychiatry

The following organization is outstanding:

Orthomolecular Development

3100 N. Hillside,

Wichita, KS 67219

Phone

316-682-3100

Email

support@orthomolecular.org

Amino Acids

One of the sources I have used on amino acids is the book "Vitamins, Herbs, Minerals, & Supplements: The Complete Guide" by H. Winter Griffith, M.D. This book was published in 1998.

I have been interested in the food composition of amino acids because of my theories on mental health. One of my theories is that amino acids are flooding the brain cells in the various forms of mental illness including Alzheimer's disease. This means that it may be useful to cut back on amino acids in the diet.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is in barley, brown rice, cottage cheese, fish, shellfish, crab, meats, milk, peanuts, soybeans, etc. For the normal person, tryptophan is healthy. However, if your brain is allergic to it, it becomes a problem. This is true of almost any amino acid.

Tyrosine

Tyrosine is in canned beans, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, ice cream, lima beans, meat, miso, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, shellfish, soybeans, etc. Miso is made from soybeans. It is a Japanese soup.

Conclusions

The general rule on amino acids is that they are found in higher concentrations in animal products except for butter. My theory is that the various forms of mental illness, including Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, schizophrenia, depression, etc. are all errors in amino acid metabolism. The brain must be fine tuned by nutrition. More information on this is given in the references.

Organizations

1. National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association. 730 N. Franklin, Suite 501, Chicago, IL 60610-7204. (800) 826-3632 or (312) 642-7243. http://www.ndmda.org.

2. National Foundation for Depressive Illness, Inc. PO Box 2257, New York, NY 10016. (212) 268-4260 or (800) 239-1265.

References

1. "Depression." World of Scientific Discovery. Ed. Kimberley A. McGrath and Bridget Travers. Online. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. Science Resource Center. Gale. 28 December 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=CV1648500178.

2. "Depressive disorders." World of Health. Ed. Brigham Narins. Online. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. Science Resource Center. Gale. 29 December 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=CV2191500352

3. Papolos, Demitri, and Janice Papolos. Overcoming Depression, 3rd ed. New York: Guilford Press, 1997.

4. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1292687/healing_schizophrenia.html

5. www.transformation-center.org.

6. www.metrobostonrlc.org

7. "The molecular neurobiology of depression.(INSIGHT REVIEW)(Clinical report)." Nature, Oct 16, 2008 v455 i7215 p894(9). Science Resource Center. Gale. 29 December 2008

8. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1281818/the_biochemistry_of_mental_diseases.html

9. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1282022/fight_diseases_with_food.html

10. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1292397/in_defense_of_the_medical_model_for.html

11. "Corporate self interest and Vagus Nerve Stimulation for depression: an American corporation has pressured the FDA and psychiatric organizations, researchers, clinicians, and patients to use its expensive arid unproven Vagus Nerve Stimulation device for serious depression. This advocacy compromises scientific and medical integrity.(Questionable Medical Treatments)." Skeptical Inquirer, Sept-Oct 2008 v32 i5 p35(6). Science Resource Center. Gale. 29 December 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A183859094

12. "Association between folate intake and the risk of depressive episodes.(Nutrition & Health)." Nutrition Research Newsletter, August 2008 v27 i8 p3(2). Science Resource Center. Gale. 29 December 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A185330873

13. "Increased omega-3 fatty acid consumption lowers depression in the elderly.(Diet & Geriatrics)." Nutrition Research Newsletter, June 2008 v27 i6 p15(2). Science Resource Center. Gale. 29 December 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A180861187

14. "Don't talk down antidepressants.(Mindfields)." New Scientist, March 8, 2008 v197 i2646 p49(1). Science Resource Center. Gale. 29 December 2008 http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/SciRC?ste=1&docNum=A176690052

15. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1288595/new_hope_for_the_terrible_diseases.html

16.Sildenafil as treatment for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction.

Harinstein L.

JAMA. 2008 Nov 26;300(20):2365; author reply 2365-6.

17.Check your vitamin D intake to avoid multiple health consequences. Three 2008 studies link low vitamin D levels to depression, hip fractures, and increased risk of death.

[No authors listed]

Health News. 2008 Nov;14(11):9-10.

18.Statin-associated psychiatric adverse events: a case/non-case evaluation of an italian database of spontaneous adverse drug reaction reporting.

Tuccori M, Lapi F, Testi A, Coli D, Moretti U, Vannacci A, Motola D, Salvo F, Rivolta AL, Blandizzi C, Mugelli A, Del Tacca M.

Drug Saf. 2008;31(12):1115-23. doi: 10.2165/0002018-200831120-00007.