Effects of nutritional supplements on aggression, rule breaking, and psychopathology among young adult prisoners. Abstract: In an earlier study, improvement of dietary status with food supplements led to a reduction in antisocial behavior among prisoners. Based on these earlier findings, a study of the effects of food supplements on aggression,...

Multivitamin use and telomere length in women. Abstract: “BACKGROUND: Telomere length may be a marker of biological aging. Multivitamin supplements represent a major source of micronutrients, which may affect telomere length by modulating oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine whether multivitamin...

Efficacy of vitamin B-6 in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome: systematic review. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of vitamin B-6 in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. DESIGN: Systematic review of published and unpublished randomised placebo controlled trials of the effectiveness of vitamin B-6 in the management of...

Magnesium supplementation alleviates premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention. Abstract: We investigated the effect of a daily supplement of 200 mg of magnesium (as MgO) for two menstrual cycles on the severity of premenstrual symptoms in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. A daily supplement of 200 mg of Mg (as MgO) or...

A randomized double-blind comparison of fluoxetine augmentation by high and low dosage folic acid in patients with depressive episodes. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Though encouraging evidence exists for the use of folic acid as an augmenting agent to antidepressants, evidence regarding its optimal dosage is lacking. METHODS: Forty-two female out-patients...

Community Nutrition Mapping Project. Accessed January 1, 2017 Abstract: The Community Nutrition Mapping Project (CNMap) is an application that combines and aggregates food and nutrition indicators at geographic levels.  CNMap was created to provide a snapshot of these indicators at the state and national level. CNMap is divided into five major...

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial investigating the behavioral effects of vitamin, mineral and n-3 fatty acid supplementation in typically developing adolescent schoolchildren. Abstract: Nutrient deficiencies have been implicated in anti-social behaviour in schoolchildren; hence, correcting them may improve sociability. We...

Vitamin B12 supplementation in treating major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. “BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVE: Recent literature has identified links between vitamin B12 deficiency and depression. We compared the clinical response of SSRI-monotherapy with that of B12-augmentation in a sample of depressed patients with low normal...

Influence of thiamin supplementation on the health and general well-being of an elderly Irish population with marginal thiamine deficiency. Abstract: The effect of thiamin supplementation on the health and general well-being of 80 randomly selected healthy elderly Irish women, from a population with marginal thiamin deficiency, was studied. Key...

Serum zinc level in depressed patients during zinc supplementation of imipramine treatment. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Recurrent major depression is associated with decreased blood zinc concentrations that may be increased by effective antidepressant therapy. Some clinical investigations point to alterations of the zinc level in blood as a potential...

Zinc Supplementation augments efficacy of imipramine in treatment resistant patients: a double blind, placebo-controlled study. Abstract: “BACKGROUND: One of the main problems in the therapy of depression is the limited efficacy of antidepressants and the limited utility of augmentation strategies. Zinc, a non competitive NMDA receptor...

Systematic review of safety and tolerability of a complex micronutrient formula used in mental health. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Theoretically, consumption of complex, multinutrient formulations of vitamins and minerals should be safe, as most preparations contain primarily the nutrients that have been in the human diet for millennia, and at safe...

Psychological burden in the era of HAART: impact of selenium therapy. Abstract: Several different vitamins and minerals appear to be effective augmenting agents for mood-modifying drugs, but are not potent monotherapies in themselves for treating psychiatric disorders. In contrast, broad-spectrum micronutrient interventions appear in early trials...

Oxidative damage and mitochondrial decay in aging. Abstract: We argue for the critical role of oxidative damage in causing the mitochondrial dysfunction of aging. Oxidants generated by mitochondria appear to be the major source of the oxidative lesions that accumulate with age. Several mitochondrial functions decline with age. The contributing...

Association of obesity and inflammatory marker levels on treatment outcome: results from a double-blind, randomized study of adjunctive L-methylfolate calcium in patients with MDD who are inadequate responders to SSRIs. Abstract: “OBJECTIVE: Adjunctive treatment with L-methylfolate calcium significantly improved treatment outcomes in patients...

Folic acid supplementation for prevention of mood disorders in young people at familial risk: a randomised, double blind placebo controlled trial. Abstract: “BACKGROUND: Clinical mood disorders often become clinically manifest in the later teenage years and early twenties and can be associated with a poor long-term prognosis. The primary...

The effect of randomized vitamin-mineral supplementation on violent and non-violent antisocial behavior among incarcerated juveniles. Abstract: In a randomized controlled double-blind trial, the effects of vitamin±mineral supplementation on violence and other serious antisocial behavior were studied for 3 months on 62 con®ned delinquents aged 13...

The effect of vitamin-mineral supplementation on juvenile delinquency among American schoolchildren: a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Abstract: CONTEXT: Numerous studies conducted in juvenile correctional institutions have reported that violence and serious antisocial behavior have been cut almost in half after implementing...

Effect of zinc supplementation on mood states in young women: a pilot study. Abstract: The relation of zinc (Zn) nutriture to brain development and function has been elucidated. The purpose of this study is to examine whether Zn supplementation improves mood states in young women. The study used a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled...

Adjunctive nutraceuticals for depression: a systematic review and meta-analyses. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: There is burgeoning interest in augmentation strategies for improving inadequate response to antidepressants. The adjunctive use of standardized pharmaceutical-grade nutrients, known as nutraceuticals, has the potential to modulate several...

Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry. Abstract: Psychiatry is at an important juncture, with the current pharmacologically focused model having achieved modest benefits in addressing the burden of poor mental health worldwide. Although the determinants of mental health are complex, the emerging and compelling evidence for nutrition as a...

Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption and the risk of depression. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Whereas the relationship between some components of diet, such as n-3 fatty acids and B-vitamins, and depression risk has been extensively studied, the role of fast-food or processed pastries consumption has received little attention. DESIGN:...

Association of the Mediterranean dietary pattern with the incidence of depression: the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra/ University of Navarra follow-up (SUN) cohort. Abstract: CONTEXT: Adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) is thought to reduce inflammatory, vascular, and metabolic processes that may be involved in the risk of...

Vitamin D insufficiency in psychiatric inpatients Abstract: “OBJECTIVE: The extraskeletal effects of vitamin D have gained increasing attention with the discovery of receptors in a variety of organ systems. Previous work has identified associations between vitamin D insufficiency and a variety of mental illnesses, including affective,...

Vitamin-mineral treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults: double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Abstract: BACKGROUND: The role of nutrition in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is gaining international attention; however, treatments have generally focused only on diet restriction or...

Shaken but unstirred? Effects of Micronutrients on stress and trauma after an earthquake: RCT evidence comparing formulas and doses. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To compare two micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) formulas (Berocca™ and CNE™) and assess their impact on emotions and stress related to the 6.3 earthquake on February 22(nd) 2011 in...

Database analysis of children and adolescents with bipolar disorder consuming a micronutrient formula. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Eleven previous reports have shown potential benefit of a 36-ingredient micronutrient formula (known as EMPowerplus) for the treatment of psychiatric symptoms. The current study asked whether children (7-18 years) with...

Broad-spectrum micronutrient formulas for the treatment fo psychiatric symptoms: a systematic review. Abstract: Ingesting minerals and vitamins in combination makes physiological sense, and research on the use of broad-spectrum formulations for psychiatric symptoms is increasing rapidly. This review covers formulas consisting of at least four...

Efficacy and cost of micronutrient treatment of childhood psychosis. Abstract: Psychosis is difficult to treat effectively with conventional pharmaceuticals, many of which have adverse long-term health consequences. In contrast, there are promising reports from several research groups of micronutrient treatment (vitamins, minerals, amino acids and...

Antioxidants prevent health-promoting effects of physical exercise in humans. Abstract: Exercise promotes longevity and ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. However, exercise also increases mitochondrial formation of presumably harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidants are widely used as supplements but whether...

Effect of folic acid combined with fluoxetine in patients with major depression on plasma homocysteine and vitamin B12, and serotonin levels in lymphocytes. Abstract: OBJECTIVE(S): Folic acid, a micronutrient supporting the natural defense system, may elevate antidepressant responses, although the lymphocyte serotonergic system has not been...

Impact of selenium on mood and quality of life: a randomized, controlled trial. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Selenium is known to be important to the brain. Three small, published studies have suggested an effect of selenium supplementation or deprivation on mood in healthy volunteers. We investigated these findings on a much larger scale. METHODS: In...

Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: a literature review. Abstract: Mood disorders are a major public health problem and are associated with considerable burden of disease, suicides, physical comorbidities, high economic costs, and poor quality of life. Approximately 30%-40% of patients with major depression have only a...

Single-micronutrient and broad-spectrum micronutrient approaches for treating mood disorders in youth and adults Abstract: Several different vitamins and minerals appear to be effective augmenting agents for mood-modifying drugs, but are not potent monotherapies in themselves for treating psychiatric disorders. In contrast, broad-spectrum...

Efficacy of vitamin B6 and magnesium in the treatment of autism: a methodology review and summary of outcomes Abstract: Pauling’s orthomolecular hypothesis appeared in 1968, stating that some forms of mental illness and disease are related to biochemical errors in the body. Vitamin therapy is believed to be a means of compensating for such...

Orthomolecular Psychiatry: Varying the concentrations of substances normally present in the human body may control mental disease Abstract: The functioning of the brain is affected by the molecular concentrations of many substances that are normally present in the brain. The optimum concentrations of these substances for a person may differ greatly...