Make light of dark days (From Bournemouth Echo)

Make light of dark days

8:40pm Tuesday 12th January 2010 in

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DARK evenings, dark mornings, and grey days when the sun never emerges from the clouds can conspire to make even the most positive person feel a bit gloomy in the winter.

But about one in 50 people in the UK suffer from a recognised form of depression called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

The most common form is also called “winter depression”, with symptoms tending to start from around September and worsening during the short days of December, January and February. SAD is most prevalent in the 18-30 age group and twice as many women are affected as men.

By spring time, the lengthening days bring improvement to most people with SAD, and symptoms usually disappear. The further from the equator you get, the more common SAD is.

Vicky Willan, senior dietitian at Dorset HealthCare NHS Trust explained: “SAD is thought to be caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain which controls mood, appetite, sleep, temperature and sex drive.

“When light enters the eye, it stimulates nerve impulses to travel to the hypothalamus, where serotonin is produced, via tryptophan, found in foods.

“Serotonin is an important brain chemical that affects mood. Higher levels of serotonin are associated with positive mood. If less light enters the eye, hypothalamus activity is affected; serotonin levels drop, and there is a negative effect on the functions it controls.”

Common symptoms of SAD are:

• Sleep problems – usually oversleeping and difficulty staying awake but, in some cases, disturbed sleep and early-morning waking.

• Lethargy.

• Overeating and a craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods, which usually lead to weight gain.

• Depression – feeling sad, low and weepy, a failure; sometimes hopeless and despairing.

• Loss of motivation and ability to concentrate.

• Irritability, withdrawal from social situations and not wanting to see friends.

• Feeling tense, anxious and unable to cope with stress.

• Loss of interest in activities you usually enjoy.

• Loss of libido.

• Weakened immune system.

• Mood changes: some people have bursts of over-activity and cheerfulness (known as hypomania) in spring and autumn.

“Like any type of depression, SAD can be a difficult condition to live with,” said Vicky. “However, there are a number of things you can do that have proved to be very effective in reducing SAD symptoms, such as light therapy, antidepressants during the darker months, exercise and a good diet. You can effectively boost your levels of serotonin by eating tryptophan-rich foods.

“The best natural sources are tuna, salmon, turkey, chicken, kidney beans, oats, lentils, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, bananas, milk, eggs, baked potatoes in their skins, chickpeas, nuts and avocados.”

Vicky also recommends having a good breakfast such as wholegrain cereal and milk, and eating regular meals throughout the day to maintain blood-sugar and energy levels.

“If you feel hungry or lacking in energy between meals include extra snacks such as fresh or dried fruit and/or a few nuts,” she advised. “Make sure you include some protein at every meal and include some non-refined carbohydrate-rich foods to help improve protein absorption.

“Even slight dehydration may affect your mood, so aim for six to eight glasses of fluid (1.5 to 2 litres) a day.

And eating five portions of fruit and vegetables each day is important, as they are a good source of minerals, vitamins and fibre known to improve some of the symptoms of SAD. Where possible, eat the skin of fruits and vegetables.”

Finally, Vicky recommends trying to avoid refined sugars, exercising for 30 minutes a day, and going outdoors, even on cloudy days, to be exposed to natural light.