The Ultimate Drug For Treating Depression
By Dr. Joseph Mercola, Thu Dec 8th
More and more researchers and physicians are coming to theconclusion that exercise can be as effective as antidepressantsin reducing the symptoms of major depression. Group or Solitary Both Work Many studies have shown that exercise in a group setting ishighly effective, and new research is beginning to suggest thatsolitary exercise, such as workouts at the gym or a daily jog,can be equally helpful.
Better Than Zoloft Research on the subject has demonstrated that: - 10 monthsof regular, moderate exercise outperformed a leadingantidepressant (Zoloft) in easing symptoms in youngadults
- 30-minute aerobic workouts done three to fivetimes a week cut depressive symptoms by 50 percent in youngadults
Boosts Energy One probable cause is that exercise affects key brain chemicalslike serotonin and dopamine, but physical activity may alsotrigger positive changes in other areas, such as by boostingenergy. A more intense exercise regimen may be the mosteffective for that purpose. As depressed individuals may have trouble breaking into anexercise routine, however, starting on a small scale andbuilding up may be the key to success. Yahoo News November 6, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:Over 20 million Americans suffer fromdepression. The World Health Organization identified majordepression as the fourth leading cause of disease worldwide,causing more disability than heart attacks or strokes. If you start to feel depressed, especially with the decreasingsunlight of winter in the northern hemisphere or the comingholidays, I would encourage you to review my signs and symptomsof page to help you understand if you suffer fromthis disease. Fortunately, there has been an increasing acceptance inconventional medicine that there are better, safer and healthieralternatives to treating than prescribing anantidepressant. More and more evidence is accumulating that for most peopleexercise is more powerful than drugs in treating depression.Forexercise, though, it needs to be used like a drug and must beprescribed very carefully. Going out for a simple walk afterdinner will not likely provide as much benefit as acomprehensive exercise strategy. It has been my experience that most Americans have a seriousexercise debt. I've found patients need to move toward 90minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day during thetreatment phase to repay this exercise debt. Of course when youare feeling depressed the last thing you want to do is exerciseintensely for 90 minutes, so you need to move gradually and asfast as your body will allow you to progress. The key, as thearticle states,is to get started in some way, nomatter how small. Fortunately, I have plenty of free tools tohelp you get started, including a comprehensive exercise guideand an exercise table you can use to monitor your progress. It is also important to make sure you have a regular supply ofeither fish or cod liver oil, as the animal-based omega-3 fatsof DHA and EPA are probably the single most important nutrientto battling depression. Avoiding sugar and grains will helpnormalize insulin and leptin levels, which is also anotherpowerful tool in addressing depression. Bright light exposure is crucial to prevent SAD (seasonalaffective disorder), and the use of full-spectrum lights in thewinter is a vital tool in helping solve the mystery.We will be offering some of the best and least expensivefull-spectrum bulbs in the next few weeks for this purpose. I also encourage you to review the strategies Paul Chek and Dr.Ben Lerner share with readers every week in my 'eHealthy NewsYou Can Use' newsletter.
About the author:This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 mostvisited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For alimited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test"to help you learn the right foods for your particular body typeso you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go tohttp://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take thisquick test!
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