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Time to face facts: You're not gonna finish all those shows.

There are a few things you can count on every spring: baseball, barbecues, a Drake album, and people telling you something about how you should do some spring cleaning. It's generally a good idea. Cleaning up can do a lot to make you feel more productive and cheer you up some, and it's a good way to welcome the wider world back into your life after a long winter hibernationgiven, of course, that you live somewhere that has a winter. But let me make a case for another kind of spring cleaning: one for your Netflix queue, that pile of books you've been meaning to get to, or those video games still in the shrink wrap.

Almost all cleaning is a solution to the same problem: too much stuff. Accumulate stuff, and that stuff is bound to get out of hand, thanks to, like, entropy and shit. Because of the internet and Netflix and all manner of smart, connected devices and apps, there is so much stuff to entertain ourselves with. Way too much. Getting to it all can feel like a chore, and well, that kind of defeats the purpose of entertainment, doesn't it?

So let mesomeone whose job it is to consume an unhealthy amount of entertainmenthelp you out with a few handy tips of tidying up your entertainment diet, a few things to help you sift through what's great and what's not, and generally come to terms with the notion thatas Linda Holmes wrote in this essential 2011 NPR essayyou're going to miss out on most things, and that's okay.

You will never be caught up with all your friends. Here is a fact of existence, one that holds true in your work life, social life, and even romantic life: Someone is going to try and bully you into watching a TV show. Before you let them, think long and hard about how big a part of your life this person is, and how much you value their happiness. Outside of a very small circle of people, the answer will probably be "not that much," and you can feel free to ignore their recommendations. This is just simple survival math. Let's say people actively watch between one and five shows at a time, and you've got maybe four people tops that you really want to actively talk shop with. There's enough TV out there that all of these people can have an entirely different lineup of shows, and none of them are ones you watch. You can't keep up with all that and still have time for what you want. Y'feel?

So make acquiescing to a friend's recommendation the lavish, special occasion that it is, and make sure they know how highly you think of them when you agree to check out something they tell you about. They will probably tell you to stop being such a diva about it. But tough noogies. Netflix isn't going to watch itself.

If it's been a month, it's time to move on. It's easy to spend a lot of time thinking you like something when... you might actually not. Ask yourself: If it's TV, how long has it been since you last dropped in on a show that you made an effort to follow, or watch all of? More than a month? You're probably better looking for something you like more.

I'm not saying that the only shows worth your time are the ones that make you immediately clamor for more, where resisting a binge becomes a test of willpower. But if you enjoy something, it ought to linger. It doesn't have to be in some profound or obsessive way that has you scouring the internet for easter eggs or drafting your own fan theories. It can be simple as, Hey, this silly sitcom makes me feel good. I want to see these people tell jokes and make ill-advised decisions again sometime soon.

If you can't remember the character's names, put the show on notice. It doesn't have to be bad news if you don't know the names of the main charactersas shows have become more sprawling and ambitious, it can be hard to get a bunch of names down while you're trying to orient yourself in a show's sprawling world. But if you don't actually know what any of the characters are named, you should be able to articulate something specific that you do like instead. If you don't, think about ditching it. Or making it what I call a "laundry show," something to put on while I'm doing laundry or assembling furniture. Everyone needs a good two or three laundry shows.

Do you have a favorite episode, or at least, remember one specific episode? In the streaming era, people making TV shows have all figured out what "good" TV is supposed to look and feel like: usually quite serious and cinematically shot, with an arty and catchy opening credits sequence. But sometimes, "Good TV" and actual good TV are kind of hard to distinguish.

I'm not saying that the only shows worth your time are the ones that make you immediately clamor for more, where resisting a binge becomes a test of willpower. But if you enjoy something, it ought to linger.

A litmus test: Try to tell someone you know about one specific episode. It can be a favorite, or it can just be memorable, but a TV show is made up of episodes, and the episodes should matter somehow, and have some kind of point, however small or silly it may be. Otherwise, you're stuck with what I call the House of Cards problem, wherein hours of television go down smooth but largely consist of empty calories, with the only truly important stuff happening at the first and final few minutes of every episode.

Don't get hung up on endings. You don't have to see how everything ends. Conversely, the time you spent with an entertainment property isn't invalid or a waste if you never make it to the end either. This last point is something well worth keeping in mind when it comes to lots of video games and most superhero comics books, which are sprawling and long and don't always have proper endings anyway. But if you do like endings and find the journey to get to them insurmountable, Wikis are your best friend.

Don't worry so much about missing things. Here's a secret: Even plot-heavy, weighty shows like The Americans still use "previously on" montages to catch you up on just the things that you need to know for the episode you're about to watch. Also, if a show's any good, an individual episode will also still be a satisfying, complete hour or half-hour of television, and the confusing parts you can sort out later whenever you do go back and watch what you've missed, if it's a show you truly love. Don't let a couple missed episodes weigh you down and turn something you love into something that makes you feel guilty.

This also works really well with a lot of comic books and serialized works, especially if they're published monthlyimportant plot points are often repeated, recap pages usually catch you up to speed. I wouldn't recommend skipping a boring chapter in most novels, but if you're reading a nonfiction book for pleasure? Skip away.

Binge/read/watch/play for the moment. "I'm catching up," is often a default opener for a lot of conversations about pop culture, and homie, it's not a race. Don't let entertainment feel like a to-do list. So what if someone says you need to plow through all the Marvel movies before the next one comes out? If you don't feel like watching one, don't watch it. All these things are here for youto make you laugh, think, puzzle, cry, dance or just forget about all the other shit you have to do for a little bit. Don't let anyone take that from you.

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How to Clean Up Your Entertainment Diet - GQ Magazine

Removing amino acids serine and glycine from one's diet could slow the development of lymphoma and intestinal cancer, according to research from the University of Glasgow and Beatson Institute.

Scientists also found that the specialized diet "made some cancer cells more susceptible to chemicals called reactive oxygen species" when tested in mice.

Now, researchers want to set up clinical trials with cancer patients to test the safety and efficacy of the treatment.

"Our findings suggest that restricting specific amino acids through a controlled diet plan could be an additional part of treatment for some cancer patients in future, helping to make other treatments more effective," said Dr. Oliver Maddocks, a scientist at the University of Glasgow.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy increase levels of glycine and serine in mice, so a diet restricting the two amino acids could make cancer treatments more effective.

"This is a really interesting look at how cutting off the supply of nutrients essential to cancer cell growth and division could help restrain tumors," said Dr. Emma Smith, science communication manager at the Beatson Institute. "The next steps are clinical trials in people to see if giving a specialized diet that lacks these amino acids is safe and helps slow tumor growth as seen in mice."

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Removing 2 amino acids from diet may help fight cancer - WPTZ

Carbs are an important energy source in our diets, but can having too many be bad for our health?

It depends on the type. In general, carbohydrates get a very bad reputation, Dr. Nuha El Sayed, a staff physician at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, told Fox News. Carbohydrates are not all the same, and theyre not all bad. And eating too many carbs wont, for instance, lead to diabetes, she said.

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Lauri Wright, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fox News that generally speaking, about half of your daily calories ought to come from carbohydrates. Still, she noted, too many simple carbs like sugars and sweets can actually act as an inflammatory agent, causing damage to the linings of the arteries and affecting our heart health.

But given that carbs are an essential nutrient (they give us energy, after all), how can we incorporate them healthfully into our diet? Fox News spoke to Wright and El Sayed for their tips:

1. Reach for whole grains. All carbs are not created equally, Wright said. Reach for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as brown rice, she said, which are packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

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2. Avoid simple sugars. Try to cut back on simple sugars like sodas, candies, and white breads, which often lack important nutrients and antioxidants that you can find in whole grains and fruits, Wright said. For example, try a whole grain cereal with berries for breakfast, rather than coffee and a donut, she suggested.

3. Watch the portions. Carbohydrates pack a lot of energy, so always watch your portions, Wright said. That means one cup of pasta versus a whole plate full, or sticking to one breadstick rather than three or four, she said.

4. Be careful about what you add to your carbs. Also be careful about the sauces and spreads you add to your carbs, which could pack a lot of calories, Wright said. For a bagel, try a tablespoon of peanut butter versus a whole smear of cream cheese, or for pasta, go for marinara sauce rather than Alfredo sauce, Wright recommended.

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5. Focus on fiber. If you eat more fiber-rich carbohydrates, like fruits and vegetables, youll feel full faster and avoid the surge in blood sugar that you get from simpler carbohydrates, El Sayed said.

6. Above all, strive for a balanced diet. In the end, its all about a balanced diet, El Sayed said. Its not about limiting one food or another. Because when you go for a balanced diet, youre unlikely to overdo it on one particular macronutrient or another.

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6 tips for making carbs a healthy part of your diet - Fox News

Dear Doctor: Do I really need to take a multivitamin? My sisters are convinced that you cant get all the nutrients that you need without one, but it seems to me that as long youre eating right, youre covered.

Dear Reader: Multivitamins are the most widely used supplements in the United States. It is estimated that between one-third and one-half of all Americans take a multivitamin each day. As a result, your question is one that comes up often in our practices. And while we cant offer specific advice, we can share and explain the information we give to our patients.

The short answer is that for most patients, we believe that if youre eating a balanced diet, one that includes whole grains, a variety of vegetables and fruits, adequate lean protein and dairy products, there is no need for a multivitamin. However, when a patients diet isnt ideal, then a multivitamin can offer insurance for the deficient vitamins and/or minerals.

Of course, there are exceptions. Pregnant women and women who are trying to become pregnant need at least 400 micrograms of folate per day, a B vitamin that helps to prevent neural tube defects. For these women, a prenatal vitamin or a daily folic acid supplement is recommended. Nursing women have unique nutritional needs that may call for supplementation. Some elderly adults whose appetites have diminished and who therefore dont eat a balanced diet may benefit from adding a multivitamin.

Someone on a restricted diet, such as a vegan, typically needs a B12 supplement. A strict vegetarian may require additional zinc, iron or calcium. And for individuals with chronic conditions such as iron deficiency anemia, B12 deficiency or malabsorption, or a history of gastric bypass surgery, then supplemental vitamins and minerals are necessary to maintaining good health.

So what are vitamins, exactly? Theyre nutrients that we need in small quantities to maintain various metabolic functions that, when taken in total, add up to good health. Vitamins help the body to produce energy, ward off cell damage, facilitate in the absorption and utilization of minerals, and play varying roles in the regulation of cell and tissue growth.

Vitamins must be taken in food because the body either doesnt produce them in adequate quantities, or doesnt produce them at all. Vitamin D is a bit of an outlier. Its an essential nutrient that does not naturally appear in food in adequate quantities, but is produced when our skin is exposed to the ultraviolet B rays in sunlight. It is also available in fortified foods like milk, fish and mushrooms.

Take an honest look at your diet. If you find some nutritional holes, our advice is to adjust and improve your eating habits. If you do decide to make a multivitamin part of your daily regimen, keep in mind that it cannot take the place of a balanced and healthy diet. Not only do fruits, vegetables, whole grains and leafy greens contain vitamins, they also provide fiber, which is important to good health. Whole foods also contain trace nutrients and other useful compounds that no pill or supplement can re-create.

(Eve Glazier, M.D., MBA, is an internist and assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health. Elizabeth Ko, M.D., is an internist and primary care physician at UCLA Health.)

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Multivitamins can't replace a healthy, balanced diet - NRToday.com

CJ Letter 11:21 a.m. ET April 20, 2017

Plant-based diet(Photo: yulka3ice, Getty Images/iStockphoto)

As thousands across the U.S. get ready to protest environmental budgetcuts, each of us can also help with our driving, our recycling, and ourdiet.

Yes, our diet. A 2010 United Nations report blames animal agriculturefor 70 percent of global freshwater use, 38 percent of land use, and 19 percent of greenhousegas emissions.

Carbon dioxide is emitted by burning forests to create animal pasturesand by fossil fuel combustion to operate farm machinery, trucks, factoryfarms, and slaughterhouses. The more damaging methane and nitrous oxideare released from digestive tracts of cattle and from animal wastecesspools, respectively.

Moreover, meat and dairy production dump more animal waste, cropdebris, fertilizers, pesticides, and other pollutants into our waterwaysthan all other human activities combined. It is the driving force inwildlife habitat destruction.

In an environmentally sustainable world, meat and dairy products in ourdiet must be replaced by vegetables, fruits, and grains, just as fossilfuels are replaced by wind, solar, and other pollution-free energysources.

On this Earth Day and every day, lets cherish our environment with eco-friendly plant-based eating. Our next trip to the supermarket is a great starting point.

Lyle Rutter Louisville40203

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Controlled amino acid diet 'could help cancer treatment' BBC News A controlled diet that restricts certain amino acids could be used as an additional treatment for some cancer patients, according to Cancer Research UK. Researchers found that removing two non-essential amino acids, serine and glycine, from the diet of ... Amino acids in diet could be key to starving cancerScience Daily Diet Therapy Could Slow Cancer by Cutting Certain Amino AcidsGenetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (press release) Bowel cancer news: THIS specific diet plan to SHRINK tumours could be future treatmentExpress.co.uk Glasgow Evening Times all 20 news articles »

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Controlled amino acid diet 'could help cancer treatment' - BBC News

The study sheds light only on an association, as the researchers were unable to determine an actual cause-and-effect relationship between sipping artificially sweetened drinks and an increased risk for stroke and dementia. Therefore, some experts caution that the findings should be interpreted carefully.

No connection was found between those health risks and other sugary beverages, such as sugar-sweetened sodas, fruit juice and fruit drinks.

"We have little data on the health effects of diet drinks and this is problematic because diet drinks are popular amongst the general population," said Matthew Pase, a senior research fellow in the department of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and lead author of the new study.

"More research is needed to study the health effects of diet drinks so that consumers can make informed choices concerning their health," he said.

In the older-than-45 group, the researchers measured for stroke and in the older-than-60 group, they measured for dementia.

"The sample sizes are different because we studied people of different ages," Pase said. "Dementia is rare in people under the age of 60 and so we focused only on those aged over 60 years for dementia. Similarly, stroke is rare in people aged under 45 and so we focused on people older than age 45 for stroke."

The researchers analyzed how many sugary beverages and artificially sweetened soft drinks each person in the two different age groups drank, at different time points, between 1991 and 2001. Then, they compared that with how many people suffered stroke or dementia over the next 10 years.

Compared to never drinking artificially sweetened soft drinks, those who drank one a day were almost three times as likely to have an ischemic stroke, caused by blocked blood vessels, the researchers found.

They also found that those who drank one a day were nearly three times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Those who drank one to six artificially sweetened beverages a week were 2.6 times as likely to experience an ischemic stroke but were no more likely to develop dementia, Pase said.

"So, it was not surprising to see that diet soda intake was associated with stroke and dementia. I was surprised that sugary beverage intake was not associated with either the risks of stroke or dementia because sugary beverages are known to be unhealthy," Pase said.

In response, Lauren Kane, a spokeswoman for the American Beverage Association, issued a statement from the group that said low-calorie sweeteners found in beverages have been proven safe by worldwide government safety authorities.

"The FDA, World Health Organization, European Food Safety Authority and others have extensively reviewed low-calorie sweeteners and have all reached the same conclusion -- they are safe for consumption," the statement said.

"While we respect the mission of these organizations to help prevent conditions like stroke and dementia, the authors of this study acknowledge that their conclusions do not -- and cannot -- prove cause and effect. And according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), many risk factors can increase an individual's likelihood of developing stroke and dementia including age, hypertension, diabetes and genetics. NIH does not mention zero calorie sweeteners as a risk factor," the statement said. "America's beverage companies support and encourage balanced lifestyles by providing people with a range of beverage choices with and without calories and sugar so they can choose the beverage that is right for them."

"This article provides further evidence though on artificially sweetened beverages and their possible effects on vascular health, including stroke and dementia," said Dr. Ralph Sacco, professor and chair of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, about the new study.

"We believe the pathways of which artificially sweetened beverages would affect the brain are probably through vascular mechanisms," Sacco said.

"When the authors controlled for hypertension and diabetes and obesity the effects diminish, which implies that some of the effects of artificially sweetened beverages could still be going through a vascular pathway," he said about the new study. "Many strokes are caused by hardening of arteries; and the risk of dementia is also increased by the hardening of arteries in large and small vessels. So, I believe the mechanisms may be through vascular disease, though we can't prove it."

Heather Snyder, senior director of medical and scientific operations at the Alzheimer's Association, called the new study "a piece of a larger puzzle" when it comes to better understanding how your diet and behaviors impact your brain.

"It's actually really more of your overall diet and overall lifestyle that is linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk, and we do know that heart disease and diabetes are linked to an increased risk of dementia," said Snyder, who was not involved in the new study.

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Diet sodas may be tied to stroke, dementia risk - CNN

ITSno state secret, regularly downing a full-fat Coke is not the healthiest of life choices.

Armed with the info, chances are you will save a Coca Colafor treat day and opt for the diet stuff day-to-day.

Butwhen it comes to potential health complicationsboth full-sugar and diet versions of most fizzy drinkscome with a helping of risks, according to the science.

And thats why health experts and dietitians recommend drinking plenty of water to quench your thirst, reserving a can of pop for the odd day when you deserve a little something naughty.

Countless studies have examined the health pros and cons of sugary and diet versions.

Researchers digging into the full-sugar varieties have found links with decreased brain function and memory, increased risk of diabetes and heart attack.

While their colleagues focusing on the diet alternatives have, perhaps more surprisingly, found similar concerns.

Diet fizzy drinks, which are artificially sweetened, have been linked to increased risk of heart attack and even excessive weight gain.

And most recently a US team found that those who drink just one can of diet pop a day such as Diet Coke were at three times the risk of suffering a stroke as well as developing dementia.

But if this isnt enough to make you put down the pop for good, here is a run down of Coca Cola versus Diet Coke, according to the scientific findings.

In a standard 330ml can of regular full-fatCoke, there are 35g of sugar, which is around seven teaspoons.

To put that into perspective, that is the recommended daily intake of sugar for an adult in just one can.

That sugar is taken into our body as calories and, if it is not burnt off, gets converted into fat and sits snugly on our waistlines.

That alone should be enough to cause concern.

Obesity greatly increases your risk of potentially life-threatening conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some types of caner and stroke, according to the NHS.

But it is not just an expanding tummy you need to look out for.

A 2002 study published in the journal Neuroscience found that high levels of refined sugar, such as those found in Coke, actually deprived the brain of a chemical necessary for learning and memory.

Rats who were kept on a diet packed with sugary drinks showed a decreased ability in theirhippocampus part of the brain that controls memory and learning after several months.

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Another study, conducted in 2012, found just one can of fizzy drink increased the risk of heart attack by 20 per cent compared to those who drank no soda.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, looked at the drinks intake of more than 42,000 men and discovered there were almost 4,000 cases of heart disease over a 22-year period in men who drank more soda.

The researchers attributed this to an adverse change in fat in the body and inflammation caused by the drink, both of which can damage the heart.

Still need convincing?

In 2015 an infographic, based on research by health writer Wade Meredith, was released explaining how Coke contains so much sugar your body should vomit but the phosphoric acid cuts the flavour and helps keep it down.

Within 40 minutes of gulping the drink your blood sugar has spiked, your pupils have dilated, your blood pressure rises and your body produces more of the happy chemical dopamine, which is the same way heroin works on your system.

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Youd be forgiven for reaching for a cold can of Diet Coke thinking it is a healthier option, the clue is the name or so you thought.

But all may not be as it seems.

Diet Coke, like many other diet drinks, contains high levels of artificial sweeteners, which are not immune fromcontroversy.

Diet Coke, specifically, contains aspartame.

Earlier this year a study claimed there was noevidence artificially-sweetened beverages such as Diet Coke are better for staying trim or slimming than sugar-filled versions.

They said diet drinks do not cut the risk of developing obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

Experts warn they may even cause weight gain, by stimulating peoples sweet tooth and causing them to eat more.

Sugar

Sugar is a natural ingredient that is cultivated from sugar cane.

They are carbohydrates that provide energy for the body and its most common form is glucose.

Some are also found naturally in foods like fruit, vegetables and milk.

The body does not distinguish between the different types of sugar and breaks them down in exactly the same way.

But just because it is naturally occurring doesnt mean it is without health risks.

Too much sugar can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Aspartme

Aspartme is an artificial sweetener used instead of sugar to make food taste sweeter.

It is low in calories and up to 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Aspartame is used all over the world as a sugar substitute in thousands of foods and drinks, including cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, low-calorie soft drinks and table-top sweeteners, according to the NHS.

But it has been subject to more scare stories than any other sweetener.

There have been reports it is linked to an increased chance of brain tumours, cancer, premature birth, liver damage and allergies.

However theEuropean Food Safety Authority conducted a comprehensive review into the evidence in 2013 and concluded it was safe for human consumption.

Another theory is sweeteners alter gut bugs, making it harder for the body to use sugar.

Artificial sweeteners have also been linked to increased levels of hunger by trickingthe brain into thinking it is getting a sugary, high-calorie treat.

Speaking of weight gain, there is even a theory that those who drink diet drinks eat more during the day because they think they are entitled to more calories.

It has also been linked to an increased risk of diabetes thats without the excess sugar in normal coke.

Experts warned that just a couple of glasses of sugary or diet pop such as Diet Coke a day more than doubles their risk of the disease.

One theory is sweetened beverages can affect how the body uses insulin.

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Even more worrying is the effect it is thought to have on those trying for a baby.

Diet drinks may reduce a womans chance of getting pregnant during IVF and it is all to do with the artificial sweeteners in the beverages.

Those who supped low-calorie pop or put sweeteners in coffee produced poorer eggs and embryos, a Brazilian study found.

The study concluded: Patients should be advised about the adverse effect of sugar and mainly artificial sweeteners on the success of assisted reproduction.

And that isnt all!

A study from the University of Miami linked diet drinks to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke results that have been similar in studies on full fat soft drinks suggesting that diet drinks are in fact no better for us.

More than 2,000 people were asked to keep a diary of what they ate and drank for the study, which found those who drank diet soda were 48 per cent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke.

Yesterday a US study revealed those who drank one can of diet soda a day were at three times the risk of a stroke and also likely to develop dementia.

The team from Boston University School of Medicine looked at ten years worth of data from more than 4,300 people.

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Based on the evidence above, it is fair to say that neither option is a good option.

The popular drinks have both been linked to increased risks of obesity which can lead to type two diabetes, some cancers, heart attack and stroke.

Separately they have also been linked to a greater risk of heart attack and stroke without obesity being factored in.

So, if you want to be health conscious next time youre feeling parched your best option is a glass of water.

As tempting as a cold can of coke might be, it just doesnt seem worth it for your health.

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Depression affects more than 150 million people worldwide, making it a leading cause of losing healthy years of life as a result of disability. By 2020, depression may be second only to heart disease as the leading cause of healthy years of life lost. Why is depression so common? Well its said, Nothing in Biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. But why would we evolve to get depressed?

Depression presents a baffling evolutionary puzzle. Despite its negative effects, it remains common and heritable, meaning a large part of the risk is passed through our genes. Presumably, there must be some kind of adaptive benefit or it would have been naturally selected against. Could depression be an evolutionary strategy to provide a defense against infection?

Infection has been the leading cause of mortality throughout human history, making it a critical force in natural selection. Indeed, because of infections, our average life expectancy before the industrial period was only 25 years, and it was not uncommon for half of our children to die without reaching adulthood.

When we become infected, there is a surge of inflammation as our body mounts a counter attack. Our body responds by feeling lousy, sick, weak, tired, and slow. We dont want to socialize. The only thing we do want to do is sleep. These symptoms are similar to the ones we experience during depression and are great for fighting infection. Slowing down not only helps us conserve energy to put up a good fight, it also reduces social contact so we dont infect others. We see this protective phenomenon in other social animals, like honeybees and mole rats, who feel compelled to crawl off and die alone to reduce the risk of infecting the rest of their community. Humans have even evolved to think poop and decaying flesh dont smell good to keep us safe from infection.

To explore the relationship between inflammation and mental health, we have to look back to 1887, when this connection was first noted by Dr. Julius Wagner-Jauregg, the only psychiatrist to ever win the Nobel Prize. What evidence have we accumulated in the past century that inflammation causes depression? We know that people who are depressed have raised inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein and that inflammatory illnesses are associated with greater rates of major depression. Indeed, we find depression in even more benign inflammatory conditions such as asthma and allergies. This is important as it suggests that the mood symptoms may be directly tied to the inflammation and are not simply the result of feeling bad about having a terrible disease.

We also know that you can induce depression by inducing inflammation. For example, when we give interferon for certain cancers or chronic infection, up to 50 percent of people go on to suffer major depression. Even just giving a vaccine can cause enough inflammation to trigger depressive symptoms. Taken together, these studies are strongly suggestive of inflammation being a causative factor of mood symptoms.

Can an anti-inflammatory diet help prevent depression? We didnt know until researchers followed the diets of about 43,000 women without depression for approximately 12 years. Those who ate a more inflammatory diet, characterized by more soda, refined grains and meat, became depressed. This finding suggests that chronic inflammation may underlie the association between diet and depression.

Normally, we think of omega-3s as anti-inflammatory, but researchers found fish to be pro-inflammatory, associated with increased C-reactive protein levels. This is consistent with recent findings that omega-3s dont seem to help with either depression or inflammation. As I discuss in my video,the most anti-inflammatory diet is a plant-based diet, which is capable of cutting C-reactive protein levels by an impressive 30 percent within two weeks, perhaps because of the anti-inflammatory properties of the antioxidants found in plants.

When free radicals cause oxidative damage, it may cause an autoimmune response in the body by changing the chemical structures of otherwise ubiquitous molecules to generate new structures that the body attacks as foreign. For example, when LDL cholesterol gets oxidized, our body creates antibodies against it that attack it. Likewise, clinical depression can be accompanied by increased oxidative stress and the autoimmune inflammatory responses it creates. Free radicals may thus lead to autoimmune inflammation.

In health,

Michael Greger, M.D.

PS: If you havent yet, you can subscribe to my free videoshereand watch my live, year-in-review presentations2015: Food as Medicine: Preventing and Treating the Most Dreaded Diseases with Diet, and my latest, 2016:How Not to Die: The Role of Diet in Preventing, Arresting, and Reversing Our Top 15 Killers.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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Can an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Help Depression? - Care2.com

Diet can protect against type 1 diabetes Nature.com Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease with a strong genetic basis, but a progressive rise in its incidence indicates that environmental factors also contribute to the disease. Now, Mario et al. report that mice fed diets that release high ...

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Diet can protect against type 1 diabetes - Nature.com

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