Mental Hygiene

There is massive evidence for the involvement of amino acids in psychiatry (1-7). This includes alcoholism, where homocysteine has been implicated. There is a possibility that different amino acids may be involved in different mental diseases (8). Glutamate has been suspected in depression (8). Ref. 10 supports the glutamate theory in bipolar disorder.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan metabolism has been reported to be abnormal in schizophrenia (11, 12).

Drugs

There is evidence that drug studies are fudged (14, 15, 16, 19). The trails are rigged.

Orthomolecular Psychiatry

Orthomolecular psychiatry has been described by Hoffer (20, 21). This approach is cheaper and safer than drugs.

Metabolic Treatment

This is my own invention (22-26). It has similarities to orthomolecular treatment, but it is a diet rather than megavitamins. The emphasis is more on amino acids, which are villains. The Associated Content articles (22-26) are available free full text at that website. The theory is that amino acids, particularly tryptophan, are flooding the brain cells in the various forms of mental disease. This causes a disastrous slowing of brain gloucose metabolism, which is vital for the production of enough ATP (energy).

Conclusions

Regarding the drugs, it would be better if the govenment funded the drug trials. Then it would be harder for the drug companies to rig the results. What they do now is fail to publish results that make the drug look bad.

The government could save massive amounts of money if they recognized orthomolecular treatment and metabolic treatment. In metabolic treatment my theory is that there is a brain allergy. The brain is allergic to amino acids, particularly tryptophan.

Diets are used to treat hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and even mental retardation. Why can't a diet be used for mental health? There are chemical imbalances that need to be corrected. I feel that certain supplements, including fiber, are useful. We don't eat as much fiber as the cavemen did. Foods are now highly processed. Examples are sugar and flour. The processing sometimes gets rid of the good stuff.

It doesn't hurt to take vitamin supplements too. I take them. I buy my food from Whole Foods. They have more of a selection of meat substitutes than Trader Joe's. However, Trader Joe's is better than a lot of supermarkets.

References

1. Meal ingestion, amino acids and brain neurotransmitters: effects of dietary protein source on serotonin and catecholamine synthesis rates.

Choi S, Disilvio B, Fernstrom MH, Fernstrom JD.

Physiol Behav. 2009 Aug 4;98(1-2):156-62. Epub 2009 May 18.

2. Homocysteine, alcoholism and its molecular networks.

Bleich S, Hillemacher T.

Pharmacopsychiatry. 2009 May;42 Suppl 1:S102-9. Epub 2009 May 11. Review.

3. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2004 May;28(3):453-64. Links
Homocysteine as a neurotoxin in chronic alcoholism.Bleich S, Degner D, Sperling W, Bönsch D, Thürauf N, Kornhuber J.

4. Alcohol Alcohol. 2000 Jul-Aug;35(4):351-4. Links
Elevated homocysteine levels in alcohol withdrawal.Bleich S, Degner D, Wiltfang J, Maler JM, Niedmann P, Cohrs S, Mangholz A, Porzig J, Sprung R, Rüther E, Kornhuber J.

5. Bleich, S., Degner, D., Porzig, J., Poser, W., Rüther, E. and Kornhuber, J. (1999) Homocysteine in alcohol withdrawal. AGNP Symposium. Pharmacopsychiatry32, 172A.

6. Cravo, M. L., Glória, L. M., Selhub, J., Nadeau, M. R., Camilo, M. E., Resende, M. P., Cardoso, J. N., Leitao, C. N. and Mira, F. C. (1996) Hyperhomocysteinemia in chronic alcoholism: correlation with folate, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-6 status. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition63, 220-224.

7. [Does diet affect our mood? The significance of folic acid and homocysteine]

Karakuła H, Opolska A, Kowal A, Domański M, Płotka A, Perzyński J.

Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2009 Feb;26(152):136-41. Review. Polish.

8. Targeting glial physiology and glutamate cycling in the treatment of depression.

Valentine GW, Sanacora G.

Biochem Pharmacol. 2009 Sep 1;78(5):431-9. Epub 2009 Apr 17.

9. Creatine abnormalities in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Ongür D, Prescot AP, Jensen JE, Cohen BM, Renshaw PF.

Psychiatry Res. 2009 Apr 30;172(1):44-8. Epub 2009 Feb 23.

10. Elevated metabolites within dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

Michael N, Erfurth A, Pfleiderer B.

Psychiatry Res. 2009 Apr 30;172(1):78-81. Epub 2009 Feb 23.

11. Altered interactions of tryptophan metabolites in first-episode neuroleptic-naive patients with schizophrenia.

Yao JK, Dougherty GG Jr, Reddy RD, Keshavan MS, Montrose DM, Matson WR, Rozen S, Krishnan RR, McEvoy J, Kaddurah-Daouk R.

Mol Psychiatry. 2009 Apr 28. [Epub ahead of print]

12. Cytokine changes and tryptophan metabolites in medication-naïve and medication-free schizophrenic patients.

Kim YK, Myint AM, Verkerk R, Scharpe S, Steinbusch H, Leonard B.

Neuropsychobiology. 2009;59(2):123-9. Epub 2009 Apr 22.

13. Tryptophan degradation in irritable bowel syndrome: evidence of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activation in a male cohort.

Clarke G, Fitzgerald P, Cryan JF, Cassidy EM, Quigley EM, Dinan TG.

BMC Gastroenterol. 2009 Jan 20;9:6.

14. Drug studies skewed toward study sponsors. Industry-funded research often favors patent-holders, study finds. Vedantam S. The Washington Post, April 11, 2006. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12275329/from/RS.5/

15. Heres S, Davis J , Maino K, et al. Why Olanzapine Beats Risperidone, Risperidone Beats Quetiapine, and Quetiapine Beats Olanzapine: An Exploratory Analysis of Head-to-Head Comparison Studies of Second-Generation Antipsychotics. Am J Psychiatry 163:185-194, February 2006. http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/163/2/185

16. Angell M. The Truth about the Drug Companies. NY: Random House, 2004.

17. Stroup TS, Lieberman JA, McEvoy JP et al. Effectiveness of olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone in patients with chronic schizophrenia following discontinuation of a previous atypical antipsychotic. Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Apr;163(4):611-22.

18. Stroup TS, McEvoy JP, Swartz MS et al. The National Institute of Mental Health Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) project: schizophrenia trial design and protocol development. Schizophr Bull. 2003;29(1):15-31.

19. Angell M. Is academic medicine for sale? N Engl J Med. 2000 May 18;342(20):1516-8.

20. Hoffer A. Healing Schizophrenia. Complementary Vitamin & Drug Treatments. Ontario: CCNM Press (2004). ISBN-10: 1897025084; ISBN-13: 978-1897025086.

21. Vitamin B-3 and Schizophrenia: Discovery, Recovery, Controversy, by Abram Hoffer, MD. Quarry Press, Kingston, Ontario Canada (1998) ISBN 1-55082-079-6.

22. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1919042/side_effects_of_organic_treatments.html

23. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1903696/super_psychiatrists_dr_uranova.html

24. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1900228/the_giants_of_science_psychiatry.html

25. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1885884/top_nutrition_doctors_the_giants_of.html

26. www.associatedcontent.com/article/1878963/integrative_medicine_and_psychiatry.html