The first scientifically documented discovery to relate mental illness to diet occurred when it was found that pellagra (with its depression, diarrhoea and dementia) could be cured with niacin. After that, it was shown that supplementation with the whole B complex produced greater benefits than niacin alone. Evidence of biochemical causes for mental disturbances continues to mount.
Experiments have shown that symptoms of mental illness can be switched off and on by altering vitamin levels in the body. Dr R. Shulman, reporting in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that forty-eight out of fifty-nine psychiatric patients had folic-acid deficiencies. Other research has shown that the majority of the mentally and emotionally ill are deficient in one or more of the B-complex vitamins or Vitamin C. Even normal, happy people have been found to become depressed and experience other symptoms of emotional disturbance when made niacin or folic acid deficient.At California's Stanford University, Nobel Laureate Dr Linus Pauling conducted a series of tests to determine individual vitamin needs. As part of the series, he administered massive doses of Vitamin C (as much as 4Og) to schizophrenics and discovered that little or none of it was discarded in the urine. since the body expels what it does not need of the water-soluble vitamins, the test clearly indicated that the mentally ill needed more Vitamin C - more than one thousand times the RDA - than the rest of us.
The following vitamins and minerals have in many cases been found to be effective in the treatment of depression and anxiety –
Vitamin B1(thiamine) - large amounts appear to energise depressed people and tranquilise anxious ones
Vitamin B6(pyridoxine) - important for the function of the adrenal cortex
pantothenic acid - has a tension-relieving effect
Vitamin C(Ascorbic Acid) - essential for combating stress
Vitamin E(alpha-tocopherol) - aids brain cells in getting their needed oxygen
Zinc - oversees body processes and aids in brain function
Magnesium - necessary for nerve functioning, known as the anti stress mineral
Calcium - makes you less jumpy, more relaxed
Alcohol is a nerve depressant. lf you take tranquillisers and a drink, the combination of the two can cause a severe depression - or even death. lf you take Darvon with a tranquilliser, you might fmd yourself experiencing tremors and mental confusion. The same can happen if you combine a sedative with an antihistamine (such as any found in over-the-counter cold preparations). Oral contraceptives deplete the body of B6, B 12, folic acid and Vitamin C. lf you're on the pill and depressed, it is not suprising. Your need for B2, necessary for normal trytophan metabolism, is fifty to a hundred times a non-pill-user's requirement.
Adrenocorticoids, baclofen, beta-blockers, antihistamines, oestrogens, anti-arthritis medicines, potassium supplements, procainamide, troposphere, any sex hormones, trimethobezamide steroids.