Raw Foods Can Cure Depression..

[Toxie]

Hi all

A positive post from me for a change. I've recently watched a few health food documentaries and its turned into a bit of a research obsession. Anyway the reason I'm sharing it here is because you can CURE depression WITHOUT MEDICATION. Sounds amazing.

So here is what I've found out so far:

Raw foods (fruit veg, nuts, seeds etc) have more nutrients, protein, minerals and vitamins. So eating more raw foods in your diet will help cure malnutrition which almost everyone is suffering from these days.

High doses of Vitamin B3 can cure depression. This isnt new information, its been around since the 1940s!! One specific case I can think of right now was the guy who founded Alcoholics Anonymous. He had depression and took Niacin (Vitamin B3) I believe it was around 1000mgs a day, it cured his depression and he recommended it to others in the AA programme. The the medical world got its paws on AA and for some reason poo-pooed the theory even though the results were right in front of them.

I'm trying not to write too much here as I hope people read it. Its a bit of a conspiracy theory as well to be honest. All this information is out there and its covered up my the medical industries because theres no profit in vitamin, minerals and natural unprocessed foods. Medical doctors go to medical school and prescribe medicine. Not nutrients and apparently nutrients are all we need. 2 hand fulls of cashew nuts have the same affect as a dose of Prozac.

If you can hold your attention to a documentary or two I recommend:

Foodmatters

Food Inc

Forks over Knives

Sick, fat and nearly dead

We should educate ourselves and make our own decision on how we want to be cured.

Also interesting is Gerson Therapy. Nutrition that not only CURES but REVERSES cancer.

On Friday I'm going to buy a juicer and start a detox. I've already started taking a vitamin B complex supplement and have so much more energy.

My mind has been blown in a very very good way. And now I have a healthy goal, get off Meds and get truly healthy

Thoughts anyone?

xx

[OrangeLamp]

Hope it goes well, but my inner-chemist really disputes any of these without proper peer reviewed research literature

Eating healthily is good I get that, but the vitamin problem is one thnig that can cause depression, not 'the' thing from what I've read...medicine doesn't really know what causes it, but that seratonin plays a part and there is definately some other mechanism

I've never come across anything other than red wine which contains a chemical to mitigate cancer, chemists are researching it now.

There is profit in vitamins, what they do is take it, either put it into a cocktail or change it to make it more effective/pure and then patent it. Damned evil drug companies, agree with you there.

But hey, I dunno...just a bit skeptical, I'd LOVE depression to be cured by vitamins, and a good diet is something we all need.

[angelk01]

Hello Toxie, Thank you for this thread its really good to know this

and that since you started taking the vitamin b complex your energy has

inproved so much. I found reading this post quite inspiring as i believe that

natural remedies are the best instead of pharmaceutical drugs prescribed

by a practicioner so i am very grateful to you. Its good to hear your experiences about

how this has helped you detoxify your system. . xxx

[Toxie]

OrangeLamp, I understand your scepticism & I'm still a bit like "wow thats amazing...but...really?" but if you could just even watch "Foodmatters" and see the proof...

I think the whole theory is that if someone is truly healthy, and not deficient in vitamins, minerals and nutrients then they will not contract any disease or disorder of the body or mind. its just a question of how feasable it is for people to be that healthy. According to Gerson therapy it is easy. Its pretty much putting people on a natural plant based diet. It does work and it does cure cancer, the studies and evidence are there. It also cures diabetes (type 2 but also lowers the amount of insulin needed for type 1) They argue the only 2 options cancer patients are given are chemo or surgery neither of which sures cancer, because If it did the tumour could not come back...but it does. WHen they have treated patients nutritionally, the cancer is reversed and doesnt come back.

Anyway I'm not sure of the cancer thing but I know that would be my first choice if (god forbid) anything like that ever happened to me. I'm just so fascinated by all of this, why has this info been hidden from everyone?? Weird and awesome lol

...just realised how funny this is coming from someone named Toxie...heh

[OrangeLamp]

curing cancer? With plants? Maybe a type of cancer, but the rest is probability, the body has in built faults

Their arguments just don't make any sense, at all.

I'd say the reason when a patient is treated nutritionally the cancer was gone...because they were dead :P

[lou99]

i studied nutrition recently and in the past i was a cancer scientist which was sooo depressing.

now i always take a B-vitamin complex pill for energy every day and an omega-3 one - 2 wks after starting the omega it was like a light being switched on in my head, i'd prob always been deficient in it before as i was anorexic, really couldn't believe the difference it made.

and i take an acai berry supplement too - 1 of these babies has 40 times the amount of anti-oxidants a glass of red wine has

the prob with cancer is that people will opt for traditional treatment first as there are no stats on "food cures" so they will only enter clinical trials for new cancer treatments as a last resort when all else has failed, so they are likely to die anyway, whereas if they were on a "food cure" from much earlier on, who knows... prevention is better than cure tho but of course it's hard to get stats from that too!!

[OrangeLamp]

definately worth giving it a go then if its that common, but all this evidence seems anecdotal. That's just my concern.

Only thing I've heard of reliably mitigating cancer is that compound in red wine which I can't remember the name of

[MeMyself&I]

I will try anything, so will try Vit B3 - but, I am a sceptic, but desperate enough to try anything (also type 1 diabetic)

I am no longer allowed to take any antidepressants and am feeling terrible, and have been for so long now.

wish me luck! :masked:

[carlylight1]

I will try anything, so will try Vit B3 - but, I am a sceptic, but desperate enough to try anything (also type 1 diabetic)

I am no longer allowed to take any antidepressants and am feeling terrible, and have been for so long now.

wish me luck!

hi, i would suggest researching it first. although supplements are natural they can be inappropriate for people with certain conditions. for some reason it sticks in my mind vit b3 is good for high cholesterol but may be bad for diabetics. i could be wrong but would urge you to have a good look into these things first. theres lots of natural supplements which are meant to be very beneficial for depression, including fish oil, etc. and i hope you find ones that are suitable for you.

best wishes x

[bena.baby]

I don't doubt that a good diet helps a lot, but I am not sure it cures depression as such. Also, I'm never sure about taking vitamin tablets, they never seem to make the difference that just eating healthily makes for me.

So much of my depression is a result of my bpd. So it doesn't matter what I take, it won't help because my behaviour and thinking is the problem, rather than any chemical imbalance.

If it works for you though, go for it.

[aurorablues]

Whilst i agree eating healthily can make our mood better and make us healthier, for some with certain Mental Disorders, i don't think it could be an all out cure.

Watching what you eat is a good thing though, especially when it comes to all the nasties they put in convenience foods that the modern world loves so much. Read labels, familiarise yourself with ingredients by researching them, try not to eat things with too many E numbers and preservitives, also try and stay away from things like Aspartame and other synthetic sweeteners, High fructose corn syrups, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) and anything that is GM (Gentically Modified). Also try and reduce your sugar intake.

I would also like to remind anyone before taking high doses of Vitamin tablets unless advised by a Doctor becuase of a deficiency, that you can cause yourself some extra health problems if you take too much and also some of these over the counter vitamin tablets have more crap in them as fillers then some convenience foods. Do your research on daily limits and what problems they can cause if you take to much of a high dose on a daily basis and read the labels and familiarise yourself with the ingredients they add in as fillers.

My advice would be is to research the vitamin, nutrient and mineral contents in foods and natural herbs and spices so you can get most of your daily vitamins from good foods rather than taking extremely high doses of over the counter supplements.

Aurora :)

[Data]

Like OrangeLamp, I have some quibbles with this post - its anecdotal evidence. One success story isn't proof; what might work for one person might not work for another. My grandfather used to smoke like a chimney and he lived until his 80s but that does not mean smoking is good for you! Also, you don't know if the change is due to the food; it could have just got better anyway or for other reasons.

It is possible to have a deficiency of something, and that will cause symptoms in the body; some of those might possibly include or look like depression. I once met someone who had a vitamin B deficiency and it caused anxiety and insomnia, and he was initially sent to see a psychiatrist. However, I think its a minority of people who have vitamin or mineral deficiencies... for most people, if you have a reasonably varied diet, you should be ok. Also, just because a lack of X causes Y, it does not mean that if you are suffering from Y then it must be due to a lack of X, or that extra doses of X can cure Y. A good example of this is the old myth that eating carrots helps you see in the dark. The truth is that if you suffer from night blindness (nyctalopia), this can be due to a lack of vitamin A, or other causes. But someone who has normal vision won't have it improved by eating loads of carrots (raw or otherwise).

You also mentioned Gerson therapy. Wikipedia has a well-referenced article on it: http://en.wikipedia....#Gerson_Therapy. Apparently, Gerson therapy has not been scientifically proven to cure cancer, and indeed it has caused the death of more than one person. Having substances squirted up your bottom for long periods isn't necessarily a good idea.

Finally... I am glad that you are feeling more positive, Toxie. You are obviously enthusiastic about your new lifestyle and I hope it does bring some benefits to you. Eating healthily is something I should do myself; I don't believe it will cure my mental health problems but it might help my body to be more healthy.

You are keen to stop taking your medication, but please do that gradually. You should taper the dose down slowly over a period of several weeks, don't just suddenly stop or you may have problems.

[SusieQ]

I used to think about this a lot, but then I read the book 'Bad Science' by Ben Goldacre and got quite skeptical.

I think there are a lot of things going on when you start to get into nutrition. Not only are you more drawn to helthy food, but also you start to cut out a lot of the crap like sugar that just causes your moods to yo-yo. You are also making a positive step, and creating a sense of ritual in your life, so the placebo effect could be kicking in a bit too.

That said no-one I know has ever gone downhill from eating more veg. I've got a friend who is doing the alkaline diet to help her get through her treatment of breast cancer. I've swallowed my skepticism because it seems to be helping her.

[Toxie]

This was supposed to be about depression, I guess its just the emotional attachment to cancer thats put all the focus on that. I'm not even going to defend any of the theories ive shared, not because I cant but because sceptics are sceptics and if none of you will take the time to review the evidence I am speaking of then whats the pint. its like telling Christians we came form apes lol.

Anyway, thanks for replying

I will add that vitamins and minerals do NOT give you extra health problems!!, its ridiculous to think that chemical medications are better than vitamins. These medications are manufactured just to make you better enough so that you need the drug. Vitamins and minerals are things our body NEEDS. Ugh why cant i resist getting caught up in these arguments?!

[Data]

I will add that vitamins and minerals do NOT give you extra health problems!!

I dispute that... vitamin/mineral supplements are a form of medication and they can have side-effects like any other: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_poisoning.

[aurorablues]

Hi Toxie,

If you research and familiarise yourself with the ingredients they add to most over the counter vitamins and minerals, some have a lot of rubbish in them. I've found Boots to be the best for no added rubbish, like artificial colours, preservitives and sweeteners such as Aspartame. But they are still just synthetic supplements.

It is true that taking too many synthetic supplements unless you do have a deficiency diagnosed by your doctor can cause you added problems, you can actually OD on too many vitamin supplements causing numurous issues. There are daily limits on them for a reason. Believe me i've researched these things myself over a period of many years because of extra added health problems aswell as mental health issues.

The best way to get your vitamins is from nutritious foods, this is the natural order of things. Also, remember these vitamins and minerals in shops are made by the same pharmaceutical companies that make most of these chemical medications you speak of.

Just be careful with the amounts you take.

Also, i think it is a dangerous telling people on a mental health forum that they should be taking certain amounts of something to alleviate their mental health problems. Have you not thought that some peope may not look into this properly, stop their medications and try and do what you've said.

Take MeMyself&i for example, this member has stated that they have type 1 Diabetes and are sceptic, but they have said they will give what you mentioned a go. But did you know that too much Vitamin B3 can elevate blood sugar levels, which could be incredibly dangerous for a Diabetic? Thats a Fact. Look into it.

Aurora :)

[lou99]

obv people should check out their info and what may or may not be relevant to their own health needs.

have u looked on pubmed i.e. at articles published by scientists?

one article i found, out of many, states that "The literature shows that omega-3 fatty acids provide numerous health benefits and that changes in their concentration in organisms are connected to a variety of psychiatric symptoms and disorders, including stress, anxiety, cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and schizophrenia."

[aurorablues]

I don't dispute that Omega 3 Fatty acids and other vitamins and minerals provide numourous health benefits. But why instead of buying a tub of supplemnets that are full of unnatural fillers and are often synthetic, can people not research the foods that contain these things and eat them instead.

Aurora :)

[lou99]

personally i am a vegetarian so i can't eat oily fish & it is v hard for me to get enough omega-3 & certain B-vitamins naturally.

also i know a lot of people with eating disorders who would not be able to eat enough "good food" naturally so supplements may be the only way they can ingest them.

[aurorablues]

It's good you are supplementing yourself being a vegetarian, if you didn't you would become deficient as you obviously know. But there are foods (seeds and nuts) and certain oils (flax oil) and some others that could give you enough omega 3 fatty acids other than oily fish. As there are with B vitamins http://www.netdoctor...als/vitamin.htm (scroll down to Vitamin B complex). I'm not saying you should stop your supplements, just pointing out that there are other alternatives. B12 is one of the biggest concerns with being vegetarian so you should always make sure you are getting the right amount of that daily.

With eating disorders, they will likely have deficiencies, so would need to take supplements definitely.

But, what of someone who is not Vegetarian/Vegan, or doesn't have an eating disorder?

They don't need 1000's of mg's of certain vitamin supplements daily to be healthy, in fact taking too higher dose daily as i've stated before can give you some nasty adverse effects as with all medications (as Data stated). They can get all they need from foods, and if people want to take a small amount of extra supplements on top of that, then that's their choice. But the amounts some people take or believe they need to take are quite often unnecessary.

Aurora :)

[MrGreySky]

I've seen some of the documentaries discussed here, and I'd have to agree. they're very eye opening. I would suggest at least watching them to get an idea of what's being discussed. there's a lot of ill health that can be cured and avoided by only eating raw plants and seeds.

[carlylight1]

I don't dispute that Omega 3 Fatty acids and other vitamins and minerals provide numourous health benefits. But why instead of buying a tub of supplemnets that are full of unnatural fillers and are often synthetic, can people not research the foods that contain these things and eat them instead.

Aurora

actually, many types of fish because of ocean pollution and farming methods tends to be high in mercury. these types of contaminants are generally filtered out in most of the better quality fish oil supplements. to eat as much fish required to significantly raise omega 3 levels would mean ingesting more mercury :)

[lou99]

i was not saying that supplements should replace a nutritious diet; of course it is much better for you to get nutrients from food.

I was only thinking that people with mental health problems are more likely to neglect themselves & their diet - it takes a lot to produce made-from-fresh, nutritious, healthy meals 3 times a day - and that in a MH population supplementation might be a good way to obtain beneficial things like omega-3 & B vitamins when diet is neglected.

[aurorablues]

I don't dispute that Omega 3 Fatty acids and other vitamins and minerals provide numourous health benefits. But why instead of buying a tub of supplemnets that are full of unnatural fillers and are often synthetic, can people not research the foods that contain these things and eat them instead.

Aurora

actually, many types of fish because of ocean pollution and farming methods tends to be high in mercury. these types of contaminants are generally filtered out in most of the better quality fish oil supplements. to eat as much fish required to significantly raise omega 3 levels would mean ingesting more mercury

That is indeed true. But there are other alternatives to oily fish. Also, even some high quality supplements have unnatural fillers in them that are likely not very good for you.

i was not saying that supplements should replace a nutritious diet; of course it is much better for you to get nutrients from food.

I was only thinking that people with mental health problems are more likely to neglect themselves & their diet - it takes a lot to produce made-from-fresh, nutritious, healthy meals 3 times a day - and that in a MH population supplementation might be a good way to obtain beneficial things like omega-3 & B vitamins when diet is neglected.

I totally understand what your saying. But my original debate was mainly to do with people taking way more supplements then they are supposed to, when you can get most from foods. You don't have to cook fresh nutritious meals 3 times a day to get the right amount of vitamins. It doesn't take hardly any time to make up a salad, cook veg, cook a piece of meat, some potatoes, eggs, eat cereal, eat nuts and seeds, make some toast or a healthy sandwich, eat some fruit, drink some non concentarted orange juice or a glass of milk. A lot of food these days are fortified with vitamins aswell.

Also, you must remember if someone is in such a bad state mentally to not be able to make themselves even the simplest of meals, then are they going to be mentally capable to remember to take thier supplement every day also?

I'm not saying supplements are all bad, they can be very beneficial for some. But taking extremely high amounts of certains types daily is definitely bad and could lead to toxicity.

I was also trying to say that not all supplements are good. Have a look at some of the labels of yours and research some of the fillers they put in them. Some of these ingredients can be just as bad for you, especially in high amounts.

I'll give you a personal example. I suffer from an inflammatory skin condition called Hidradenitis Suppurativa, not a fun condition i can tell you. I was told the only thing i could take to keep it at bay, was long term Antibiotics. I didn't want to do this, so i researched. I found out that Turmeric is an anti inflammatory, so i went along to Holland and Barratt. A chain that claims to be natural and bought some turmeric capsules. After the second day, i couldn't get off the toilet. I researched the fillers that are added in with the capsules and found out that they are not very good for you. So i went out and bought turmeric in powder form the supermarkert, mixed it with milk and drank it. No issues at all, and has made a significant improvement on my condition.

I decided to buy myself some multi-vits from Tescos. First the expensive brand ones, then Tescos own, then i went to Superdrug, then Sainsburys and Holland and Barratt. They all made me feel ill and weird. I researched the fillers, alot of them contained many artificial preservitives, E numbers, colourings, aspartame etc. When i went to Boots and bought their brand, i felt fine on them. I'm obviously sensitive to some of these ingredients they put into some of these supplements. Not everyone is the same though. But there are a lot of people out there with the same sensitivities.

It's good to research what you are putting into your body, whether it be food or supplements. Especially if we are unwell physically or mentally.

Aurora :)

[MeMyself&I]

Not to worry guys, I always research before taking anything. A product being natural does not make them ultimately safe, and certainly does not mean they can have a positive effect.