Ray Griffiths

Depression and Anxiety: Self Help Tips

Aired on September 18th, 2020

Episode Description

It is estimated that 350 million people worldwide are currently suffering from depression and that one in six people will be affected by a depressive disorder in their lifetime. During a depressive episode, the hippocampus actually shrinks in size. Stress, poor diet and lifestyle can all accelerate this shrinkage. However, unusually for the brain, the hippocampus has the ability to regenerate itself–and to be able to regenerate the hippocampus, one has to eat healthy food, exercise and maintain rewarding social and environmental connections. Ray Griffiths discusses his book Depression: The Mind-Body Diet and Lifestyle Connection and will tell how to regenerate the hippocampus and minimize symptoms of depression and anxiety

Ray Griffiths

Book

Depression: the Mind Body Diet and Lifestyle Connection

KEY POINTS

  • Depression is a whole body experience
  • It is important that the structure of the brain is good
  • We need to nurture our selves and brain
  • We need the best quality diet and people in our lives

BACKGROUND

  • Over 350 million people worldwide are currently suffering from depression in their life time
  • One in six of us will be affected by a depressive disorder in our lifetime
  • People with depression are four times as likely to have a heart attack
  • Those with depression with a past heart attack have an increased chance for future heart attacks
  • Depressed people are more likely to use alcohol and drugs
  • The brain and body interact
  • The gut and brain have strong connections

Why he wrote this book

  • When he worked with Parkinson’s disease he recognized the role of mitochondria
  • He had his own issues fatigue and head injuries made him curious how the nervous system worked in various conditions
  • He was intrigued that one could help the hippocampus can grow through neurogenesis

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO DEPRESSION

  • Biochemical
  • Physical
  • Poor Sleep     
    • Studies show that in identical twins, the twin with poor has 2.5 times risk for depression
    • Yet a symptom of depression is poor sleep
  • Overactive immune system
  • Hormonal
  • The microbiome/ gut
  • Mitochondria
  • Poor sleep
  • It is like a complex symphony that everything is interactive
  • All these factors in addition to inflammation, blood sugar, toxins interact

THE AMYGDALA

  • Part of the brain heavily involved in emotion
  • Works closely with hippocampus
  • Gives context and emotional charge to memory
  • The more emotional attachment we have to a memory is, the stronger it remains in our memory

THE HIPPOCAMPUS

The hippocampus is involved with short term memory

  • The hippocampus is shaped like a seahorse (a seahorse is on the cover of his recent book
  • The hippocampus works with memory and emotion both of which are important in depression
    • One needs to work with memories and to put new experiences into the cortex
  • memory
    • associated with memory and temporary information storage
    • like a shelf, new memories are temporarily placed in the hippocampus
      • this is the reason, people with Alzheimer’s disease might ask the same questions several times in a row
      • Is like jotting down yellow postal notes during the day which at the end of the day will be archived into the cortex of the brain
      • The cortex is like a leather-bound journal
    • It works with long term memory
  • emotion
    • It works with the amygdala in emotions
  • If the hippocampus shrinks
    • Smaller hippocampus is one of the first signs on a scan of a progression towards Alzheimer’s Disease
    • If the hippocampus shrinks, we cannot have all this control over our memory and moods leading to depressive disorders

HIPPOCAMPUS, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY

  • The hippocampus shrinks during depressive disorders
    • If these cells do not regenerate, this can deepen the depression
    • There is a hypothesis that shrinking hippocampus causes depression
  • Neurogenesis
    • How we can feed the hippocampus
      • From food, diet, life style

INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND BODY

  • The brain weighs 3 pounds and uses 20 % of the body’s energy has a lot of mitochondria
    • The mitochondria (the small “Duracell batteries that supply energy) needs to provide 20 – 25 % of the nervous system
    • The brain takes 20 – 25 % of our oxygen and energy supply

PARASYMPATHETIC AND SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEMS

  • Sympathetic –  flight or fight
    • Damages the nervous system
  • Parasympathetic involved in recovery
    • We need to relax and nourish our brains beyond just food
    • Vagus nerve (from word “wanderer”
      • is all over the body
      • Connects the gut with the brain in two way communication
        • 80 % is from the gut to the brain
        • 20 % is from the brain to the gut
        • Inflammation in either can affect inflammation in the other
      • When we relax (mindfulness, yoga, walking, being with people we love), the Vagus nerve releases healing compounds
      • Beneficial bacteria in the gut such as lactobacillus and biffida bacteria
      • A balance microbiota sends a positive signal to the brain which helps produce BDNF which helps the hippocampus
      • If the gut microbiota are not balanced, the hippocampus can shrink
      • If the Vagus nerve is blocked going to the brain, the hippocampus shrinks

INFLAMMATION AND THE BRAIN

  • Inflammation underlies most chronic diseases
  • Immune cells, Microglia are good a mopping up mild injury and inflammation
  • When microglia are overactivated (thru poor diet, injury, emotional stress) and are inflamed can
    • Inhibit Neurogenesis – hippocampal renewal
    • Inhibit Mitochondrial energy production
    • Open up the blood brain barrier allowing toxins to enter the brain
    • Need to prevent microglial activation
    • Need to reduce microglial activation once activated. (very difficult)

BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER

  • A barrier that rotects brain from entering toxins that could cause inflammation and microglia activation
  • Many health conditions from depression to neurodegeneration conditions have blood brain barrier issues
  • Events that open the Blood brain Barrier
    • Gut
    • Toxins
    • Glyphosate
      • Also, a chelator which can grab aluminum and carry it into the brain
    • Electromagnetic fields
    • Aluminum
  • Coffee/ caffeine helps close the blood brain barrier
    • Studies show fast metabolizers benefit from coffee and this is less clear for slow metabolizers

NEUROGENESIS

  • The generation of new nerves and new nerve connections          
  • We have 700 new nerves each day that if nourished can become fully working neurons
  • Need energy from the mitochondria for these neurons develop and function

INCREASING NEUROGENESIS

  • BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) nervous system nourishing
    • Helps nourish brain
    • Neurogenesis depend on these neurotrophins (nervous system nourishers)
    • Helps brain grow, regenerate, create nerve connectivity
  • What increases BDNF
    • Parasympathetic state – a relaxed nervous system
    • Yoga, meditation, mindfulness
    • Dance
    • Music
    • Sun
    • Good diet- Mediterranean Diet
      • Pomegranate, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, walnut
      • Omega 3
      • bactobacillus
    • Exercise
    • Being in country, by the sea
    • Social enrichment -Laughing , being with good friends
    • Environmental enrichment
    • Crying
    • SSRI medications have been found to increase BDNF
      • St John’s Wart
  • What interferes with the production of  BDNF
    • Inflammation. Blocks ability to make BDNF
    • Stress
    • Lack of exercise
    • Not being around people we care about
    • Living a life we don’t care about
    • Junk food diet
      • Inflammation in brain  and body can be tripled with a junk food diet compared to a Mediterranean diet
    • Saturated fat
    • Sugar
    • Type II diabetes
    • hypertension
    • Alcohol dependent
    • A brain injury
    • Air pollution

HOW STRESS AFFECTS MENTAL HEALTH

  • Stress affects every disease
  • Stress destroys mitochondria so they cannot supply energy for neuron development
  • mitochondria need to work for neurogenesis  by day four otherwise neurons will not fully develop and function
  • Stress causes breakdown of mitochondria; this cell breakdown causes inflammation which activates the microglia which causes further damage to the hippocampus
  • Stress increases cortisol which increases
    • Inflammation
    • Oxidative Stress
    • insulin resistance which further increases inflammation
  • Some people believe a little stress is OK for its hermetic effects

AFFECTS OF DIET ON MENTAL HEALTH

  • Most studied diet is the Mediterranean diet
    • Olive oil, fruits and vegetables
    • A little wine
    • Has sociability benefits in preparing and dining
  • Eat organic
  • Eat grass fed and pasteurized animals
    • Fewer herbicides used
    • Higher in omega threes
    • Higher in vitamin K which
      • supports the mitochondria,
      • is anti-inflammatory in the brain,
      • supports the gut brain axis
      • mitochondria use vitamin K to support Co Q 10 a powerful antioxidant
  • Low glycemic diet
    • Allows sugar to flow into hippocampus as too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance in the brain which can lead to depression per guest
    • Sugar
      • is addictive
      • can desensitize receptors
      • uses up a lot of minerals such as magnesium
      • can dysregulate the appetite regulators such as leptin
      • sugar can adversely affect women’s mental health
        • sugar interact with hormones
          • insulin resistance can interfere with estrogen which can affect depression
        • it affect the menstrual cycle, growth through puberty, preclampsia in pregnancy, hypertension
  • Western diet
    • Inflammatory
    • Junk food starts to inflame brain cells
  • Gluten and dairy products are challenging for some people
    • Gluten damages the intestinal barrier leading to blood brain permeability
    • Triggers zonulin which can make the intestinal and also brain barriers more permeable
    • Measuring the gliadin antibodies is not sufficient as gluten contains at least even other components
    • One gluten component is gluteomorphin which acts as morphine
    • According to Tom O’Bryan,
      • We are all affected by gluten
        • we don’t have sufficient enzymes to fully digest it meaning undigested food enter the blood stream leading to an autoimmune condition through molecular mimicry
          • For example gluten ataxia is poor balance resulting from gluten antibodies attacking the Purkinje (balance ) cells in the brain
          • Gluten antibodies can lead to LADA or diabetes 1.5 because they attack the islet cells in the pancreas
        • We can have gluten sensitivity and no symptoms
        • In the US wheat is sprayed with glyphosate (the active component in roundup used for GMO crops) preharvest to dry the wheat out more quickly

SOCIAL ENRICHMENT

  • Oxytocin – the bonding hormone
    • we make it when we are own people we care love or who care about us           
    • we and our dog make it when we gaze into each others’ eyes
    • it activates the Vagus nerve which releases BDNF and anti-inflammatory compounds into the Central Nervous system, the heart, and every part of the body        
  • Heart Rate Variability
    • The more variable the heart rate is the more we are into the healing parasympathetic systems which works through the Vagus nerve which is healing for the brain

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Good diet,
    • A diet we enjoy and enjoy in eating with others
    • A variety of organic fruit and vegetables
      • Polyphenols can lock into receptors in the brain to trigger brain growth
      • It is not the amount of vegetables we eat, it is the variety
    • grass fed animals, wild fish
  • Exercise
    • Increases energy to the brain
    • Reduces inflammation
    • Increases sense of well being
  • Gut-Brain axis
    • Ensure there are good and diverse bacteria in the brain
  • Get out into the sun
    • Green prescription -make sure we get out to the countryside around plants
    • Blue prescription -get near the sea, waterfalls, beaches
  • Reduce inflammation
    • Avoid stressful or aggressive people
    • People who disturb us can increase inflammation
  • Get good sleep
  • Handle stress the best you can
  • Helpful Supplements
    • Lion’s mayne mushrooms
      • Triggers neurotrophins
    • Omega-three
    • Turmeric
    • Resveratrol
    • Taurine
    • Alpha Lipoic Acid
    • Acetylcholine
      • Helps make neuro connections
      • Helps mitochondria
    • Nucleotides –
      • components of proteins
      • help drive synaptic growth
    • Mitochrondria supporters
      • B Complex, vitamin B 12
      • Folate
  • Healthy fats
    • Need lots of good fats such as phospholipids, free fatty acids
      • Fats are an important component of cell walls and in the brain
    • Need EPA and DHA
      • These are not sufficient in Western diets
      • DHA important in keeping synapses healthy and in making more synaptic connections
      • Important in keeping the mitochondria working
    • Extra Virgin oil
      • Contains good polyphenols
  • Unhealthy fats
    • include vegetable oils, rapeseed (canola) oil which are heavily processed
    • Are plentiful in Western diet
    • Avoid omega six oils especially the processed oils
      • These contain damaged fats and lipid peroxides which damage the good fats in our brains
    • Rapeseed oil (canola oil) is highly processed
  • All these
    • increase energy,
    • decrease inflammation
    • Drive synaptic formation ( nerve connections)