Fat sand rats

Ok, I don't have SAD, but I needed to include this for the sole reason that they're doing research on "fat sand rats." I love it.

"Saying goodbye to summer can be difficult for everybody. In some people the onset of winter triggers Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a mood disorder in which sufferers experience symptoms of depression. Happily, a special kind of gerbil exhibits remarkably similar reactions to SAD treatments as humans, opening a promising new channel for study and treatment of the common complaint."

Vitamin D and those lamps are proven to be good for folks with SAD. I started taking the vitamin D in a multi-vitamin and hope it'll be good for the depression.

Vitamins make you strong?

I went out to find that vitamin D and decided on a multivitamin instead. It has all the vitamin D, and B, which is also used in depression. It seems taking a multivitamin might be better overall.

"When a person suffers from depression, tiredness and anxiety he often is asked to take a dose of multi vitamin. Each vitamin member has its own specific effect if they are taken singularly the effect too is specific. Taking multiple doses has an overall effect. Doctors have observed that multi vitamin effects are far better with combination with other medication on patients than singular vitamins."

It's also good for mental health because the body needs all those vitamins to work properly.

"The brain is a chemical factory that produces serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and other brain chemicals 24 hours a day. The only raw materials for their syntheses are nutrients, namely, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. If the brain receives improper amounts of these nutrient building blocks, we can expect serious problems with our neurotransmitters."

It's also got foliate and iron, which are really good for blood flow and muscle development, which will be instrumental in my completing marathons next year.

"Iron: You need this nutrient to deliver oxygen to your cells. If you have an iron-poor diet, you'll feel weak and fatigued, especially when you run."

Let's hope the vitamins will help the fatigue and the depression, too.

Vitamin D makes the blues go away

My therapist suggested that I start taking vitamin D for depression, especially in winter. I don't have seasonal affective disorder, I just get sad all the time anyway. But vitamin D does a lot for your system.

"Researchers are discovering that D also promotes normal cell growth and differentiation throughout the body, working as a key factor in maintaining hormonal balance and a healthy immune system....What’s more, evidence from studies tracking the prevalence of disease by geography and nationality shows clear links between vitamin D deficiency and obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, certain cancers, and depression."

People all seem to have a vitamin D deficiency. Maybe it explains a lot of things like the diseases listed above. So should I start taking vitamin D? It is a hormone, not a vitamin, so will it interfere with the other drugs I'm taking? Will it do me any good? My therapist says you can tell a difference right away. I suppose I might as well give it a shot.