SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder

This disorder affects many people, particularly during the winter months or when there is not enough daylight. People who do not normally sufferer with any mental ill health can, particularly during December and January, suddenly feel very low and somewhat depressed. For those people who already have mental health issues, the winter months can sometimes cause a deepening of their symptoms.

What causes one to feel SAD ?

A lack of natural, full spectrum light, which reduces the amount of Melatonin secreted by the Pineal Gland.

The Pineal gland (part of the endocrine (hormonal) system) is a small cone shaped organ which sits in the centre of the brain (mystics call this the third eye). It converts incoming nerve impulses received as bio-electrical messages about the outside environment (full spectrum light) into outgoing hormones in the blood stream (vascular system).

During daylight the Pineal Gland , which is highly responsive to the amount of light to which we are exposed, releases very little melatonin but at night melatonin secretion triples to help regulate our circadium rhythms (internal clock, sleeping and waking cycles).

As melatonin rises and is secreted you begin to experience a hypnotic-like state which helps to bring sleep on. In the morning when daylight returns melatonin decreases again.

When you get lots of bright sunlight during the day Melatonin is secreted in the hours of darkness. When not enough full spectrum light is available during the day there will not be enough melatonin to be secreted. This will cause SAD and/or chronic depression.

There is always more to SAD than the above as one must take into consideration the whole of the person, their lifestyle, medical history, family history, childhood, career, stress and most importantly diet.

I would work on the principle that the person who has SAD will have some form of depression, linked to a hormonal issue and/or any of the above. More women than men suffer with this problem, or so we think, as men do not often admit to having any problems and this can sometimes be linked to Mothers who spend a lot of time indoors with their children during winter.

A good diet is essential, using wholefoods, preferably organic or better still biodynamic. These foods should be of the season so typically wintertime roots, leaves, stems, nuts, seeds.

Anyone, particularly with depression or SAD will require regular mealtimes and snacks to keep the blood sugar levels balanced and therefore energy at its peak.

The following is a list of vitamins and minerals specifically required and which foods they are available from.

B Vitamins found in the following foods listed in order of importance in my opinion, preferring more of the first 7 points as these are less taxing on the digestive system and unless the others are organic they can add to the load of not just digestion but the liver and immunity.

• Pulses (beans) lentils, chick peas
• Wholegrains (rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat etc), Wheatgerm
• Vegetables such as dark green leaves, mushrooms, cauliflower, tomatoes, avocado, squash, celery
• Spirulina and other sea vegetables (*see note below for vegan’s)
• Nuts and seeds
• Soya products
• Strawberries, bananas, dried fruits
• Fish
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Meat and poultry
• Organ meats

A note on B12 for Vegans

Vegans using adequate amounts of fortified foods or B12 supplements are much less likely to suffer from B12 deficiency than the typical meat eater. The Institute of Medicine, in setting the US recommended intakes for B12 makes this very clear. “Because 10 to 30 percent of older people may be unable to absorb naturally occurring vitamin B12, it is advisable for those older than 50 years to meet their RDA mainly by consuming foods fortified with vitamin B12 or a vitamin B12-containing supplement.”  B12 need never be a problem for well-informed vegans.

*Spirulina – The vegetarian Society says this:

The only reliable unfortified sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy products and eggs. There has been considerable research into possible plant food sources of B12. Fermented soya products, seaweeds and algae have all been proposed as possible sources of B12. However, analysis of fermented soya products, including tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari, found no significant B12.

Spirulina, an algae available as a dietary supplement in tablet form, and nori, a seaweed, have both appeared to contain significant amounts of B12 after analysis. However, it is thought that this is due to the presence of compounds structurally similar to B12, known as B12 analogues. These cannot be utilised to satisfy dietary needs. Assay methods used to detect B12 are unable to differentiate between B12 and it’s analogues, Analysis of possible B12 sources may give false positive results due to the presence of these analogues.

All these tests are, as yet, inconclusive, as are many tests for many reasons but it is worth being as sure as you possibly can and maybe it woulod be a good idea to have a blood test although it is said that a blood B12 level measurement is unreliable test for vegans, particularly vegans using any form of algae such as spirulina and some other plant foods containing B12-analogues (false B12) that can imitate true B12 in blood tests while actually interfering with B12 metabolism. Blood counts are also unreliable as high folate intakes suppress the anaemia symptoms of B12 deficiency that can be detected by blood counts. Blood homocysteine testing is more reliable, with levels less than 10 mmol/litre being desirable. The most specific test for B12 status is methylmalonic acid (MMA) testing. If this is in the normal range in blood (<370 nmol/L) or urine (less than 4 mg /mg creatinine) then your body has enough B12. Many doctors still rely on blood B12 levels and blood counts. These are not adequate, especially in vegans.

Other minerals

Magnesium

• From the food groups listed above

Chromium

• As above but particularly including root vegetables and green peppers

On top of this a good all round range of foods which are in season, ripened naturally, locally grown will enhance mood as will the colour of foods we see influence what we eat, this will be affected by the hormone system which is inextricably linked to SAD.

There are many reasons that people find they have this disorder. If you feel you have SAD, but are unsure, complete the online profile so that I can detect anything else that may be causing your symptoms and then offer a solution.