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A Diet for a Manic Depressive

Sep 7, 2010 | By Erin Beck
A Diet for a Manic Depressive
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A balanced diet is essential for normal brain function. Bipolar disorder, sometimes referred to as manic-depressive illness, is a mental disorder characterized by mood changes that impair normal functioning. For those with bipolar disorder, certain foods or supplements may be useful for augmenting current treatments. "These are not going to work by themselves in most people," Andrew L. Stoll, M.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard, wrote in Psychology Today, "but they are adjuncts to medicines."

Significance

Cognitive function is associated with intake of various nutrients in food, according to a 2001 study published by Peter J. Rogers in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. Inadequate nutritional intake is a risk factor for some mental disorders. The most common nutritional deficiencies found in patients with mental disorders include omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, minerals and amino acids that are precursors to neurotransmitters.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation may reduce symptoms of depression but not mania in people with bipolar disorder, according to a 2008 review published by Paul Montgomery and Alexandra J. Richardson in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. More research needs to be done to determine if an association exists. To get omega-3 fatty acids from food, eat fish, including salmon, tuna, and halibut, other seafood such as algae and krill, nut oils, walnuts, butternuts, flax seed, soybeans, tofu, peppers, onions, spinach, eggs and fontina and Roquefort cheese. Eat fish twice a week to get enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

Folic Acid

When used as a supplement to the medication sodium valproate, folic acid helps treat the acute phase of mania in people with bipolar disorder, according to a 2009 study published by A.H. Behzadi and colleagues in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. It may also be useful as a supplement to lithium, according to a 1986 study published by A. Coppen and colleagues in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Folate is found in yeast, liver, chickpeas, beans, lentils, edamame, peas, peanuts, sunflower seeds and peppers. Folic acid is the man-made form of folate that is added to foods and used as a supplement. It's found in fortified cereals and other grain products. Add broccoli and avocado to a spinach salad for three good sources of folate.

Magnesium

Depending on further research, the drug Magnesiocard, a magnesium preparation, may work as a preventative treatment of manic-depressive illness, according to a 1990 study published by Guy Chouinard and colleagues in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. In the study, nine severe rapid-cycling manic-depressive patients were treated with Magnesiocard for 32 weeks. Magnesium is found in rice bran, wheat bran, seaweed, nuts, seeds, some spices, fortified cereals, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers and bulgur. Try snacking on nuts to get more magnesium in your diet.

Mineral Supplementation

Nutritional supplementation may be helpful in treating symptoms of bipolar disorder, according to a 2001 study published by Bonnie J. Kaplan and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. The supplement consisted of 36 ingredients, primarily chelated trace minerals. The participants took 32 capsules per day. The only side effect reported was nausea. The researchers suggested that further research was needed to understand how the supplement worked to manage bipolar disorder. Trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium. To get enough minerals, consume a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, nuts, legumes and whole grains.

References

Article reviewed by BudK Last updated on: Sep 7, 2010

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