Seasonal raise in sugar intake may lead to depression

High sugar consumption, which is common during the holiday season, may trigger depression, according to a study which suggests that people prone to mental illness should control their year-round sugar intake.

Along with dwindling light in wintertime, and corresponding changes in sleep patterns, high sugar consumption may lead to a perfect storm that adversely affects mental health, the researchers said.

For many people, reduced sunlight exposure during the winter will throw off circadian rhythms, disrupting healthy sleep and pushing five to 10 percent of the population into a full-blown episode of clinical depression, said study co-author Stephen Ilardi, who is also KU associate professor of clinical psychology.

Sweet craving in winters can be a sign of depression

The study noted that these symptoms of winter-onset depression could prompt people to consume more sweets.

One common characteristic of winter-onset depression is craving sugar, he said.

So, we've got up to 30 percent of the population suffering from at least some symptoms of winter-onset depression, causing them to crave carbs and now they're constantly confronted with holiday sweets, he added.

Side effect of avoidance of added dietary sugar

According to the researchers, avoidance of added dietary sugar might be particularly challenging as sugar provides an initial mood boost, leading some with depressive illness to seek it for its temporary emotional lift.

They have an immediate mood-elevating effect, but in high doses, they can also have a paradoxical, pernicious longer-term consequence of making mood worse, reducing well-being, elevating inflammation and causing weight gain, the researcher said.

He added that when it comes to depression, people who optimize their diet should provide all the nutrients with the brain needs, and mostly avoid these potential toxins.

The study also revealed that inflammation is the most important physiological effect of dietary sugar related to mental health and depressive disorder.

A large subset of people with depression has high levels of systemic inflammation, he said.

"We also know that inflammatory hormones can directly push the brain into a state of severe depression. So, an inflamed brain is typically a depressed brain. And added sugars have a pro-inflammatory effect on the body and brain," he added.

The researchers also identified sugar's impact on the community of bacteria living in the human intestines, or the microbiome, as a potential contributor to depression.

Our bodies host over 10 trillion microbes and many of them know how to hack into the brain, he said.

The KU scientist said the beneficial microbes hack the brain to enhance our well-being.

But he added that there are also some opportunistic microbes that have a near parasitic relationship with their human hosts.

"Many of those parasitic microbes thrive on added sugars, and they can produce chemicals that push the brain in a state of anxiety and stress and depression. They are also highly inflammatory," Ilardi cautioned.

The study recommends a minimally processed diet, rich in plant-based foods and Omega-3 fatty acids, for optimal psychological benefit.

He explained this diet is recommended not just during the holidays, but year-round.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to predicting exactly how any person's body will react to any given food at any given dose, he said.

The researchers said there could be some risk associated with high-dose sugar intake -- probably anything above 25 grams of added sugars per day.

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Many parents have trouble differentiating between teen angst and depressive symptoms

Being able to differentiate between normal mood swings and something serious remains the top challenges faced by parents in identifying youth depression, suggests a recent study.

Though the majority of parents say they are confident they would recognise depression in their middle or high school-aged child, two-thirds acknowledge barriers to spotting specific signs and symptoms, according to the doctors.

Forty per cent of parents struggle to differentiate between normal mood swings and signs of depression, while 30% say their child is good at hiding feelings, according to a new poll.

"In many families, the preteen and teen years bring dramatic changes both in youth behaviour and in the dynamic between parents and children," said a new poll co-director.

"These transitions can make it particularly challenging to get a read on children's emotional state and whether there is possible depression," she added.

Still, a third of parents polled said nothing would interfere with their ability to recognise signs of depression in their child.

"Some parents may be overestimating their ability to recognize depression in the mood and behavior of their own child," she said. "An overconfident parent may fail to pick up on the subtle signals that something is amiss."

The poll also suggests that the topic of depression is all too familiar for middle and high school students. One in four parents say their child knows a peer or classmate with depression, and 1 in 10 says their child knows a peer or classmate who has died by suicide.

Indeed, rates of youth suicide continue to rise. Among people ages 10 to 24 years old, the suicide rate climbed 56% between 2007 and 2017, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Our report reinforces that depression is not an abstract concept for today's teens and preteens or their parents," she said.

Compared to the ratings of their own ability, parents polled were also less confident that their preteens or teens would recognise depression in themselves.

The researcher said parents should stay vigilant in spotting any signs of potential depression in kids, which may vary from sadness and isolation to anger, irritability and acting out.

Parents might also talk with their preteen or teen about identifying a "go-to" adult who can be a trusted source if they are feeling blue, she said.

Most parents also believe schools should play a role in identifying potential depression, with seven in 10 supporting depression screening starting in middle school.

"The good news is that parents view schools as a valuable partner in recognising youth depression," she said. The bad news is that too few schools have adequate resources to screen students for depression, and to offer counselling to students who need it."

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Neurotrophin-3 identified as key factor in anxiety disorder.

A recent study has revealed that boosting a molecule named neurotrophin-3 in the brain can change ' dispositional anxiety". Researchers found that neurotrpphin - 3 can trigger neurons to grow and make new connections.

The study provides hope for new strategies focused on intervening early in life to treat people at risk for anxiety disorders, depression and related substance abuse.

There are millions of people worldwide who suffer from debilitating anxiety and depressive disorders, said an Asst. Prof. of psychology.

Anxiety disorders often emerge around adolescence and can continue to affect people for most of their lives. Currently, researchers can identify who display an extreme anxious or inhibited temperament these young people are at risk to develop stress-related psychopathologies as they transition to adulthood.

The roots of the study come from research done by the group about8 years ago in preadolescent rhesus macaques ( species of monkeys) when researchers got their first glimpse of molecular alterations in the dorsal amygdala, a brain region important in emotional responses.

The researchers used an altered virus to boost levels of neurotrophin-3 in the dorsal amygdala of juvenile rhesus macaques. They found that the increase of neurotrophin 1-3 in the dorsal amygala leads to a decrease in anxiety-related behaviours, particularly behaviours associated with inhibition, a core feature of the early-life risk for developing anxiety disorders in human. Subsequent brain imaging studies of these animals found that neurotrophin-3 changed activity throughout the disturbed brain regions that contribute to anxiety.

 

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Menopause symptoms ---may increase cardiovascular disease risk

Menopause, associated with frequent and severe symptoms such as sleep disturbance, hot flashes and depression, may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), a study says. The study found that menopause transition is marked with a number of adverse health effects, including hot flashes and depression to vascular aging, which is typically seen as artery stiffening and endothelial dysfunction.

In this study, the frequency, but not severity, of hot flashes was specifically associated with greater arterial stiffening and reduced endothelial function.

“Perimenopausal and early menopausal women are more vulnerable to increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” said a researcher.

“With fluctuating and then declining estrogen during the menopause transition, it is important to monitor mood, blood pressure, lipids, blood sugars, and body composition because of the increased risk of abdominal fat.

“Healthy eating and exercise are encouraged, with individualised discussion about benefits and risks of hormone therapy,” the Dr. added.

For the findings, published in the journal, the team examined 138 menopausal women for the association of mood, symptoms, and quality of life measures with the key markers of vascular aging, a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease.

In addition, across the stages of menopause, arterial stiffening and vascular dysfunction were associated with more frequent and severe menopause symptoms and a lower quality of life.
No association, however, was found with depressive symptoms.

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Scientists discover new target to treat depression

Researchers  have discovered a new target for treating major depressive disorder.
The research shows that individuals with high levels of an enigmatic receptor called GPR158 may be more susceptible to depression following chronic stress.
"The next step in this process is to come up with a drug that can target this receptor," said senior author of the study.
The researchers zeroed in on GPR158 as a player in depression after discovering that the protein is elevated in people with major depressive disorder. 
To better understand GPR158's role, the scientists studied male and female mice with and without GPR158 receptors.
Behavioural tests revealed that both male and female mice with elevated GPR158 show signs of depression following chronic stress. On the flip side, suppression of GPR158 protects mice from developing depressive-like behaviours and make them resilient to stress.
For the study, published in the journal, the researchers also examined why GPR158 has these effects on depression. 
The team demonstrated that GPR158 affects key signaling pathways involved in mood regulation in the region of the brain called prefrontal cortex, though the researchers emphasised that the exact mechanisms remain to be established.
The researchers explained that GPR158 is a so-called "orphan receptor" -- which gets its name because its binding partner/partners are unknown -- with a poorly understood biology and mechanism of action. 
GPR158 appears to work downstream from other important brain systems, such as the GABA, a major player in the brain's inhibitory control and adrenergic system involved in stress effects.

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All you need to know about mental disorders

This day marks the sufferings of victims with mental disorders, several psychologists and the well-wishers have made back-breaking efforts to raise them up in life. Even in today's modern society mental illness is not considered as serious as physical ailments. In many cases, they are frowned upon and neglected.

The theme of this year's World Mental Health Day, observed on 10 October, covers "psychological first aid". Efforts in support of the day will focus on basic pragmatic psychological support by people who will be playing a helping role whether they be health staff, teachers, firemen, community workers, or police officers.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO), there are five key barriers which need to be overcome to address mental health issues more efficiently. These are:

• The absence of mental health from the public health agenda and the implications for funding

• The current organisation of mental health services

• Lack of integration within primary care

• Inadequate human resources for mental health

• Lack of public mental health leadership 
•  Here are five essential facts about mental illness everyone needs to know:1. About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14.
  2. Around 20 per cent of children and adolescents experience mental disorders.
  3. War and social trauma have been the most common reasons behind mental illness.
  4. Mental illness can increase the risk of getting affected by other diseases such as cardiac problems, diabetes and gastric issues.
  5. In most cases of mental disorder, family members itself neglect the victim's illness.
  
  Let us look at five common mental disorders of the modern world:
  1. Anti-social disorder: People experiencing this disease are often seen overreacting to a particular situation with anger. They often behave in a way that is harmful to others.
  
  2. Amnesia: This is a common phenomenon and a sign of brain damage where the victim experiences persistent loss of memory. The major factors leading up to this disease are overdose of sedatives and psychological trauma.
  3. Asperger's Syndrome: Signs of this disease involve difficulty and reluctance towards social interaction, verbal communication, physical clumsiness and repetitive pattern of behaviour. This is one of the most common mental disorders of the modern era.
  4. Major depressive disorder: The term 'depression' has lost its value due to inappropriate use. The medical explanation of the term reveals that major depressive illness is a serious mental disorder that includes low self-esteem, reluctance towards enjoyable activities, high pessimism, avoiding social gatherings and morbid thoughts. This illness is perhaps the most underrated medical situation as it can often lead to suicidal tendencies, if not cured properly.
  5. Obsessive-compulsive disorder: Obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD is a mental disorder where the victim feels a constant need to check things right and do a particular chore repeatedly. Most common instances have been washing hands, counting things, taking shower, cleaning household and checking if the doors are locked. The illness is a kind of anxiety disorder that may lead to suicidal tendencies. 
    
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