Feet -- or brain -- to the fire

Anyone under a lot of stress should ask themselves something.  Am I sad, angry, or experiencing pain very easily?  Is this happening often or chronically?  It may just be that your brain is on fire.

Depression may be an inflammatory process.

The inflammatory response is a natural consequence to bodily harm, and it happens in the brain too.  When it happens too much, researchers theorize, it can make you depressed.  A recent study from the University of California – San Diego, shows that depression could very well be a multi-level biological phenomenon, chronic depression, especially. The inflammatory response has been linked to a great many other things, including obesity. Logically, perhaps, one should expect weight changes when someone is depressed – and this does happen.  Unusually though, it is not always weight gain that is the problem.  Included in the UC-San Diego release is that more research ought to be performed.

Some research has been done that is pertinent to what UC-San Diego discovered.  A simple nutritional supplement that has many benefits has been shown to be effective for depressive episodes in people suffering from one of the most difficult of mood disorders – bipolar disorder.  N-Acetyl Cysteine, or NAC, may soon be considered an effective adjunct therapy for depression in bipolar people, because a small study suggests that it helps. Cocaine cravings may also be treated with this nutrient; as well as gambling issues; pathological hair pulling and other compulsions (like OCD); and even problems in your lungs.  NAC is available over the counter as a supplement, however, it is also available in prescription form because of its delivery method to treat bronchial disorders.

The brain on fire: could depression and obesity be an inflammatory process?

The mechanism of action in NAC seems to be its antioxidant effect.  It reduces inflammation, in other words.  The link with addiction is an interesting one, and should probably also be further explored. Scientists think NAC controls levels of the most powerful antioxidant in the brain called glutathione, and also helps the body regulate levels of glutamate, the main excititory neurotransmitter that neurons use to communicate.  An interesting gene study just came out that points to abnormal glutamate metabolism as the major cause of simple migraine. It could be that NAC might serve as a prophylactic treatment for simple migraine – to prevent one of the worst forms of pain following child birth and a heart attack.

NAC takes a while to work, and the dose should be increased gradually, according to experts.  This blogger suggests consulting a physician before trying NAC, because its effect on the lungs may complicate asthma and other illnesses.  Also, this blogger is NOT a doctor, and none of this should be construed as medical advice.  Before you get NAC for depression, addiction, or bipolar disorder – ask your primary care doctor to help you put out the flames.