Why? What’s the problem?

A good dose of caffeine stimulates your adrenal glands to pump out adrenaline. Adrenaline is a stress hormone that primes us for “fight or flight” from an external threat. Even if you’re sitting at a desk working.

When you drink coffee throughout the day the adrenal glands, and the stress response, are continually triggered.

So What?

I’ve enjoyed 4 espressos today, and coffee is a big part of my life, so this news is hard. After all, a good cup of coffee feels like instant therapy. Unfortunately for people like me with a mood disorder drinking too much coffee can be a real problem.

After drinking coffee the caffeine initially clears your head and makes you alert. As the adrenalin hormone kicks in your muscles tense, your breathing and heart rates increase, and your blood sugar level elevates. Insulin is released, pushing your blood sugar right down. A normal response is to grab another coffee or something sweet to compensate. This can give you a sugar roller-coaster over the day, which obviously affects your mood.

This is the basic, very simplified cycle. If it continues over the long term then the adrenal gland can get exhausted, and health problems can arise. These include chronic fatigue, irritability and headaches, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance. Sleep problems are often due to drinking coffee late in the day, and lack of sleep is one of the very common triggers for a depressive, or even manic, episode. Lots of coffee can quickly cause lots of problems.

There is sort of a consensus in the depression literature that 2 cups of coffee in the morning should be OK for someone with depression. Obviously it varies between individuals. Definitely nothing after 4pm!

So what do you do?

If you’re like me, it’s tough. I’m not going near coffee substitutes.

• There is some nice coffee around that has been decaffeinated using the Swiss water method. If you source it fresh and grind it yourself you may be surprised. Beware of the chemical based method of decaffeinating (most common method). It’s done with something akin to dry cleaning fluid!

• Try to source coffee that is naturally low in caffeine, not decaffeinated. We have growers in Australia that produce low caffeine coffee, and I believe there is a small industry of growers in South America.

• Only drink 2 cups before noon!

As a herbal product, garlic is the 4th best selling supplement in the U.S. A stunning amount of garlic is being consumed for its health benefits.

Garlic has long been considered a “wonder food”. Numerous studies have shown that its properties help to keep the cardiovascular system healthy. It is especially effective against the cholesterol type that can damage the arteries and heart.

So is eating garlic beneficial for mental health? Maybe, but then maybe not. Some people think that garlic is a cure-all. For the rest of us, the jury is out.

During a recent study on the effects of garlic on cholesterol, German researchers found that participants experienced an elevation in their moods. Another study found that garlic eaters experienced less fatigue, anxiety and irritability, and had a greater sense of well-being.

It’s not an abundance of evidence by any stretch of the imagination. Does it matter? With the other health benefits on offer it makes sense to start, or increase, your consumption of garlic.

Lacking energy? Feeling lethargic? Is it one of depression’s symptoms, or might you be dehydrated?

Water makes up 75% of the body and 85% of the brain. When you stop to think about it this is a staggering amount, and it is clear that water intake is vital to good health. Yet according to American experts, some 75% of the U.S. population is chronically dehydrated.

The body uses water in many ways; to transport nutrients, hormones and waste, as a solvent, and as an essential component in maintaining cell structure. Chronic dehydration is recognized as contributing to a wide range of debilitating conditions. With respect to depression there may also be a link. The important amino acid tryptophan is required by the brain to produce the neurotransmitter serotonin. When more serotonin is present, nerves in the brain function more normally. Dehydration can prevent the needed amount of water being available to transport tryptophan to the brain, causing less serotonin to be produced. As you probably know, serotonin plays an important part in the regulation of mood.

Try this exercise. Tally up the amount of fluids you normally consume in a day, then subtract any caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, cola) or alcohol. These have to be excluded because they act as diuretics; they dehydrate you by making you urinate rather than retain the water. If your tally is less than 8 glasses then it is likely that you are dehydrated. Of course, 8 cups is a very rough minimum, for an average person. Your own requirement will vary with things like exercise, amount of perspiration, health and weight.

If you are chronically dehydrated then it may take you a while to build the habit of drinking more water. Gradually switch your drinks to water, while restricting caffeinated and alcoholic drinks. Start aiming for at least 8 glasses of water a day. As a guide, if you are drinking sufficient water your urine should be clear or light colored by lunch time (it will normally be darker first thing in the morning).

I have a lot of trouble drinking enough water each day, partly because I’m forgetful and partly because I’m downright lazy. But when I am fully hydrated I feel refreshed and my mood is lifted. If you’re forgetful like me, you could try drinking a glass of water before you eat anything, at any time during the day. I figure that I eat things about 10 times a day, including snacks. Another idea is to replace one of your hot drinks during the day with a mug of hot, boiled water. It will give you the same benefit as cold water, and it actually doesn’t taste too bad!

Popular reading:
YOUR BODY’S MANY CRIES FOR WATER
by F. Batmanhhelidj, M.D.