Depression
Guest post: The scoop on fish oils
25/Nov/11 05:27 PM
Guest post originally published by Negin Misaghi, ND
I’m not much into miracles especially where medicine is concerned. Fish oils however, are without question today’s miracle medicine! I should clarify however that fish oil is a miracle in the sense that it’s a very potent healer, and not a miracle as far as the definition of this word is concerned - with regards to it being supernatural or incomprehensible. Far from it! In fact, the mechanism of action of fish oils with regards to its therapeutic effects are very well understood.
Everything in our lifestyle from our standard diet to our hectic stress-filled day-to-day living, to our sedentary city life of drive-through’s and desk jobs, and machines of all functionalities has made us ‘inflammatory’ – in every sense of the word!
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, our inflammatory and stress-filled lifestyle causes damage to the liver. Once the liver has reached its capacity, damages begin to affect the heart and kidneys also. Chinese Medicine among many traditional medical beliefs (like Ayurveda and others) links each organ system to an emotion. The liver when pathological causes feelings of anger - hence, inflammation in every sense of the word! When damages reach the heart, depression and anxiety set in, and once the kidneys begin to take the grunt of the insult and are damaged, fears and insecurities begin to surface (just to show how entwined our body systems are where an imbalance of one system puts pressure on others and if chronic, can upset the harmony of the whole body).
This is where fish oils can have a great impact on the health of an individual both physically as well as mentally and emotionally. Fish oils have demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory properties for conditions that are inflammatory in nature (arthritis, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and insulin insensitivity (diabetes)). As well, fish oils have been found to be effective for the treatment of depression (recent research has linked depression to chronic inflammation).
Although fish oils benefit almost every health condition of today as most result from chronic inflammation, it should also be noted that if there’s still gas feeding the fire of inflammation (i.e. the root cause of inflammation has not been removed), fish oils would only be a band-aid solution. To learn more about how inflammation can be controlled at its root, seek the advice of a licensed naturopathic doctor. In the meantime, consider supplementation with fish oils to keep inflammation in check!
I should also mention that the EPA component of fish oil is responsible for its anti-inflammatory properties and NO vegetarian source of Omega 3’s contains EPA.
To be discussed in a later post: Why animal sources of omega 3′s are superior to vegetarian sources, why dietary sources of fish oils are not sufficient for some, and best(safe) fish to consume for their omega 3 content!
Comments
Antidepressants during pregnancy
04/Oct/11 05:58 PM
by Kate Whimster, BCom, MIFHI, ND
I just read this great blog called Effexor Babies by Tracy Malone at Wellpath Clinic and I had to share it!
She shares her own experiences with patients and a link to this article on the CBC website that highlights the potential adverse effects of taking antidepressants during pregnancy. As far back as 2004, the FDA and Wyeth issued a release warning of potential complications arising from taking Effexor during the third trimester. Please check out this blog and share it with anyone you know who could benefit.
Antidepressants are incredibly common and have many adverse effects, besides the fact that they are not long-term effective for most people taking them. There are so many naturopathic and other non-pharmaceutical treatments for depression that can improve your response to medication or reduce your need for it. These treatments are safe and effective, so please seek out the right treatment for you.
I just read this great blog called Effexor Babies by Tracy Malone at Wellpath Clinic and I had to share it!
She shares her own experiences with patients and a link to this article on the CBC website that highlights the potential adverse effects of taking antidepressants during pregnancy. As far back as 2004, the FDA and Wyeth issued a release warning of potential complications arising from taking Effexor during the third trimester. Please check out this blog and share it with anyone you know who could benefit.
Antidepressants are incredibly common and have many adverse effects, besides the fact that they are not long-term effective for most people taking them. There are so many naturopathic and other non-pharmaceutical treatments for depression that can improve your response to medication or reduce your need for it. These treatments are safe and effective, so please seek out the right treatment for you.
