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Factors that may increase your risk of seasonal affective disorder include:
-Being female. SAD is diagnosed more often in women than in men, but men may have more-severe symptoms.
-Age. Young people have a higher risk of winter SAD, and winter SAD is less likely to occur in older adults.
-Family history. People with SAD may be more likely to have blood relatives with SAD or another form of depression.
-Having clinical depression or bipolar disorder. Symptoms of depression may worsen seasonally if you have one of these conditions.
-Living far from the equator. SAD appears to be more common among people who live far north or south of the equator.
It was previously assumed that less exposure to sunlight during the dark winter months was directly to blame. This worked out well for those pushing this belief whilst selling vitamin D supplements and lamps, but there is a lot more to it according to a new study.
Although Vitamin D deficiency which is known to cause fatigue and irritable mood may contribute, researchers at the University of Copenhagen have announced the true cause. The exact neuro-chemical cause of the SAD phenomenon is no longer a mystery to the scientific community.
The team recently announced to their peers at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Congress in Berlin, Germany:
“We believe that we have found the dial the brain turns when it has to adjust serotonin to the changing seasons,” lead researcher Brenda Mc Mahon said in a statement.
“The serotonin transporter (SERT) carries serotonin back into the nerve cells where it is not active, so the higher the SERT activity the lower the activity of serotonin,” she explained. “Sunlight keeps this setting naturally low, but when the nights grow longer during the autumn, the SERT levels increase, resulting in diminishing active serotonin levels. Many individuals are not really affected by SAD, and we have found that these people don’t have this increase in SERT activity, so their active serotonin levels remain high throughout the winter.”
How This Helps the SAD Community
Scientists have known for some time that Melatonin can modulate and regulate SERT activity. Therefore the increase in SERT activity in those who suffer from SAD can be inhibited using Melatonin. Supplementing with Vitamin D has its benefits but it will not solely treat SAD. Fortunately melatonin is safe, inexpensive, and can be boosted through nutrition.
8 Foods That Naturally Increase Melatonin
Many people report great results improving their mood and quality of sleep by supplementing with melatonin capsules, however if you are the type that prefers using natural foods instead of supplements here’s what you should eat more of:
-Pineapples
-Bananas
-Oranges
-Oats
-Sweet corn
-Rice
-Tomatoes
-Barley
If you suffer from IBS or a similar gastrointestinal disorder you should consult your GI specialist for proper melatonin dosage. Melatonin has proven very successful in the treatment of IBS however SERT and Melatonin both play a vital role in your gut and if you suffer from SAD and a GI disorder it is wise to consult a specialist for patient specific dosage.
Sources Include:
http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/9879/20141026/seasonal-depression-understanding-chemical-cause.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/risk-factors/con-20021047
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20210852
http://www.pubfacts.com/detail/20210852/Melatonin-inhibits-serotonin-transporter-activity-in-intestinal-epithelial-cells
http://naturalsociety.com/8-foods-naturally-increase-melatonin-sleep/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3949259/
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