THE DOCTOR'S CORNER
Now That's Depressing!
by Dr. Timothy Grondin

More and more studies are coming to light showing that the use of antidepressants for mild to moderate depression is of questionable value. It’s my opinion that the reason for this is that the cause of depression has been oversimplified.

There are a lot of things that can trigger depression, but the overwhelming opinion for the last 30 years is that stress causes depression. And the simple fact of the matter is that antidepressants are used to treat stress! If you’re stressed out than the drugs might help you.

Well what if you don’t feel stressed out? What if you’re depressed but not stressed? It’s unlikely the drugs are going to work for you. More than likely you’ll just feel doped up and tired. So what do you do if you’ve tried a course of antidepressants and they didn’t really help? Or the side effects weren’t worth the benefit of taking the drug. Or you’d rather avoid the drugs altogether. Well, you’ve got options.

Look to the field of clinical nutrition for possible solutions. It’s been my longstanding opinion that the majority of health problems in the world are caused by poor nutrition. It’s just one man’s opinion but I’ve had 30 years of experience taking care of people and I can tell you, those people who eat right are much better off than those who don’t.

Here are a few helpful tips that I’ve seen work many times over the years.

Start by cleaning up your diet. There are strong links between high sugar consumption and depression. Sugar lowers an important hormone called BDNF. It affects your nervous system. All patients with depression have low BDNF. Also, high sugar intake causes inflammation throughout the body, and inflammation is linked to depression.

Now folks, you know what I mean when I say eat right. But I’ll spell it out. Eat lots of veggies and good quality animal proteins if you’re not a vegetarian. Not hamburger! Chicken and fish are quality animal proteins. A little beef once in awhile.

A group of researchers found that when EPA and DHA rose in the diet, depressive symptoms dropped! These omega 3 fats in your diet will actually elevate your serotonin and dopamine levels in the blood. (These are your “feel good” hormones.) Eat more fish and supplement your diet with omega 3’s.

Food additives, colorants and preservatives can also affect behavior in a negative way. Eat a lot less food from a box.

A few considerations that I’ve seen help others include fixing a low thyroid condition that went undiagnosed because the lab work came back normal; fixing a chronic B vitamin deficiency, especially in teenagers; and simply encouraging exercise. Correcting one or more of these conditions will almost always make you feel better.

Yours in Health,
Dr. Grondin

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If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, feel free to e-mail Dr. Grondin at docgrondin@advnet.net, or call his office at 810-984-3344.

Dr. Timothy Grondin started his career as a medic (corpsman) in the Navy where he examined, diagnosed and treated people for minor illnesses under the direction of an M.D. When Grondin left the military, he became a nurse and worked on the medical/surgical ward at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital for a number of years. Though he began taking pre-med courses at Oakland University, Grondin changed his mind, choosing to become a Chiropractor instead. Grondin graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988, and has been in practice in Port Huron since 1989.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here is intended for educational purposes only. It is not meant to either directly or indirectly diagnose, give medical advice or prescribe treatment. Please consult with your physician or other licensed healthcare professional for medical diagnosis and treatment.