Most mental and psychological problems

Different psychological and mental problems, same causes

Symptoms of psychological and mental problems

Consequences of psychological and mental problems

Causes of psychological and mental problems

Risk factors for psychological and mental problems

Prevention / remedies / treatment / recovery from psychological and mental problems

References

Different psychological and mental problems, same causes

Most of these mental and psychological problems have similar causes and risk factors:

• ADHD, ADD. Hyperactive, difficulty paying attention, inappropriately acting on impulse.
• Anger and violent behaviour.
• Bipolar disorder.
• Dementia such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
• Depression. Depression can vary from a slight and temporary feeling of low mood, through to major depressive disorder (MDD). MDD is also known as clinical depression, major depression, recurrent depressive disorder, unipolar depression, or unipolar disorder.
  Clinical depression is a mental disorder that can seem all-encompassing to the sufferer. It is a disabling condition that adversely affects personal relationships and family, social, work or school life, sleeping and eating habits, and general health and wellbeing.
  8-12% of people worldwide suffer from major depression at some time in their lives. This ranges from a low of 3% in Japan to a high of 12% in the USA. (15)
  Major depression is about twice as common in women as in men.
  The most common age of onset of depression is 20-30, with a peak between 30-40.
• Epilepsy.
• Migraines.
• Multiple sclerosis. MS is often caused by a vitamin D deficiency. (102, 103)
  Note: a severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency can cause symptoms similar to MS, so if suffering from multiple sclerosis-like symptoms it is worth checking for vitamin B1 sufficiency to rule out this simple cause.
• Psychoses.
• Schizophrenia.
• ... and many other brain-related illnesses (neuropathies).

Symptoms of psychological and mental problems

• Depression. Most people have occasional low moods, but with depression these moods persist for weeks or years, and may be due to something trivial or no logical reasons at all. A depressed person is often preoccupied with thoughts of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt or regret, helplessness, hopelessness or self-hatred. Feeling low, sad, melancholy, hopeless, discouraged. They may have suicidal thoughts.
• Dementia - early signs as much as ten years before onset. Sensory decreases, particularly a decreased sense of smell. Other senses may also reduce, such as taste, vision and touch.
• Children. Young children may be particularly clingy, demanding, dependent or insecure. School aged children may be irritable, lose interest in school, and show declining academic performance. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also occur.
• Sleep problems. Insomnia affects over 80% of depressed people. Excessive sleeping is also a symptom.
• Isolation and withdrawal from normal social life and activities.
• Lack of enthusiasm for anything, including formerly pleasurable activities.
• Anxiety. About half of those who have clinical depression also suffer from lifetime anxiety. (1)
• Low confidence or low self-esteem.
• Inability to make any decisions.
• Finding it hard to concentrate.
• Frequent crying spells.
• Feeling weak, feeling of low energy, feeling of pain in joints or muscles.
• Loss of sex drive / Low libido.
• Memory worsens, is forgetful.
• Tremors in hands, arms, legs, jaw or head.
• Slowed movement with stiff muscles. Extended muscle contraction.
• Freezing. The person stops and goes blank, has no facial expression, like a mask, for seconds or longer.
• Impaired coordination and balance. Increased risk of falls.
• Changes in appetite. Loss of weight is most common, but sometimes weight gain.
• May report fatigue, headaches, digestive problems, aches and pains.
• May appear either agitated or lethargic to friends and family.
• In severe cases psychosis (loss of contact with reality).

Consequences of psychological and mental problems

• Reduced functionality affecting relationships, work, and the ability to live independently. Compromised happiness and success in life.
• Reduced life expectancy because of high risk of suicide and many other illnesses (14). Increased risk of cardiovascular disease (3) and other degenerative diseases.
• Hospitalisation may also be necessary in cases with serious self-neglect or a significant risk of harm to self or others.

Causes of psychological and mental problems

1. Psychological stressors. Prolonged exposure to mental stresses that exceed the ability to cope, such as social or business rejection, an abusive spouse, boss or family member, or any other repeated or ongoing stress. Over-reaction or not reacting appropriately to life's stresses such as bereavement, loss of job or not getting what you had hoped for. (30)
   
   Recurrent negative thinking leading to obsessive-compulsive thoughts or overreaction to trauma, pain (2) or other negative and stressful life events (10), and the lack of skills, resilience or assistance to cope. If the negative thinking continues for weeks or longer, it can become self-sustaining, manifesting as obsessive-compulsive behaviour (obsessive compulsive disorder). Continual thinking in a particular way reinforces itself and physically changes the brain (research shows that the brain is highly plastic).
   
   Suppressed anger often leads to depression.
   
   Mentally healthy people can cope with and even enjoy their stresses. They have:
   • Healthy outlets for their stress such as going for a walk or a jog, deep and correct breathing, meditating or going to a safe and serene place. In contrast, inappropriate outlets such as drugs, alcohol, overeating, shopping, social media or gambling can turn into harmful or compulsive addictions.
   • A realistic view and perspective of the risks involved. Stressful events may be random and unpredictable, but mentally healthy people are aware of life's risks and are not completely helpless.
   • Control over their responses. They are able to identify their stressors and respond in appropriate ways. Resilience comes from a lifetime of practice, appropriately dealing with stressful events.
   • Support from a positive partner, parents, family, close friends, other friends and acquaintances, professional support, support amenities from locality, workplace and community - these all help to cope with stress. In contrast, isolation and lack of personal support increase the feeling of helplessness.
2. Toxins. Accumulation of a wide variety of toxins to which the brain and nervous system are exposed. Foods are the most common and major source of toxins, usually accompanied by a wide variety of digestive problems.
   
   Sugar is a toxic, harmful food additive that must be eliminated from your diet. Most people on a modern Western diet are addicted to sugar and suffer mental damage along with a measurably lower level of intelligence (IQ). Getting over sugar addiction is the first step in reclaiming your physical and mental health. Sugar is the primary cause of a wide variety of modern degenerative diseases, including many mental and psychological ailments. Eliminating sugar is the first thing to try when treating ADD and ADHD (and the inability to focus and concentrate for long periods). Usually, cutting out all sugar will quickly and permanently heal these kinds of problems.
   A diet with a high level of sugar, starch and carbohydrates also feeds pathogenic infections (see below).
   
   Toxic diet. Grain-based refined-carbohydrate processed foods with sugar, chemical additives and manufactured vegetable oils. (99)
   
   Misleadingly-named vegetable oils are made from seeds, grains, legumes and nuts. They include canola, corn, cottonseed, flax seed, grape seed, mustard seed, peanut, safflower, sesame, (all seed oils), soy and sunflower oils.
   
   Processed and ultra-processed foods are made in factories rather than home kitchens, and use ingredients that don't occur in nature.
   
   Bromine is a widespread cause of psychoses and many psychological disorders. Bromides are used in soft drinks (colas, sodas, sports drinks), white flour and processed foods, and many pharmaceuticals and household products. The antidote to bromine is Iodine
   
   Fluorine is another common toxic halogen. Fluorine is added to the municipal water supply in America and countries closely aligned with the USA. Fluorides are also added to many common household products, especially toothpaste. Black tea is a source of fluorides especially if the tea is grown in Kenya. Fluorides are associated with anxiety, ADHD and many other mental and psychological problems. (22) See fluoride removal.
   
   Estrogens. A range of estrogen-like hormones and chemicals (xenoestrogens) in the environment cause a wide variety of hormonal problems. Estrogen is associated with depressive disorders, both at abnormally high or low levels. Premenstrual and postpartum periods of low estrogen levels are also associated with increased risk. (5) Recovery from depression post-partum, peri-menopause, and post-menopause after estrogen level was normalised. (6)
   
   Roundup. Another cause of autism and many mental ailments is glyphosate. Studies examined soy, corn, canola, sugar beet and many other common foods containing Monsanto's Roundup, and found an irrefutable correlation. (21)
   
   Manufactured household and personal products contain toxic ingredients that harm our homes, everyday environment and our bodies. Manufactured chemicals are so many and so diverse that it is difficult to connect the dots between each toxin and the ailments it causes. Only use traditional and natural products using familiar ingredients which you normally have at home.
   
   Pharmaceutical drugs. A 2018 study looked at the risk of new-onset dementia among nearly 350,000 older adults in the UK. It found that those who used certain types of anticholinergics (widely used to treat diseases like depression, Parkinson's disease and urinary incontinence) for a year or more, had a 30% increase in the risk of later developing dementia. (46, 48)
   
   Heavy metals. Poisoning from heavy metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium is common. Sources include fish and seafood (depending on the source), pollution from mines, agriculture and industry (particularly from coal-burning power plants), thimerosal-containing vaccines, dental amalgam (old silver fillings in teeth), old lead-based paint and plumbing, and conventional chemical household cleaning products.
3. Vitamin D deficiency and lack of natural sunlight. Lack of red light and excess blue light (tech devices, screens, harsh white LEDs) cause a variety of hormonal imbalances. Seasonal affective disorder causes depressive episodes in the autumn or winter. (27, 51, 66, 72, 73, 81, 82, 102, 103)
4. Deficient diet or malnutrition. Lack of food-sourced vitamins and minerals, particularly iodine, the vitamin B complex, choline, magnesium, (104, 105) zinc, vitamin D (72, 81, 82, 102, 103) and omega-3 essential oils. (37, 43, 48, 51, 62)
   
   A modern diet of processed foods is deficient in nearly all micronutrients. Boron, magnesium, iodine and zinc are nearly always deficient in those suffering from psychological and mental ailments. (43, 62, 104, 105)
5. Insufficient cholesterol. Low blood cholesterol levels are associated with depression and numerous psychological and neurological problems. Generally, raising cholesterol levels leads to a longer, happier, healthier life with a better heart and arteries. (63, 64)
6. Intra-cellular infection with pathogenic microorganisms. (30, 36, 47, 48, 52, 53, 54) Usually a virus, small bacteria or protozoa. These parasites live inside cells, and some shed their own cellular walls to better hide from the immune system. Thousands of these microorganisms can live inside a single cell; eventually the cell walls burst and they spread to a new cellular host. These pathogens mostly affect the brain, nerves and immune system rather than other parts of the body. For example, Toxoplasma gondii infection is associated with schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, mood disorders and cognitive impairment. (19, 56) Chlamydia pneumoniae has been found in the brains of nearly all multiple sclerosis patients, and the majority of Alzheimer's patients.
   
   A study published in 2018 found a connection between Alzheimer's and the herpes virus. (47)
   
   Human herpes virus 6A is associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). (65)
   
   A 2023 study found that some types of bacteria were more commonly found in people with multiple sclerosis, while other types of bacteria were more commonly found in people without MS. (75)
   
   Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). (70)
   
   A study (54) published in 2019 found the gum disease bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis is associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Gum infection is more common in the elderly, and the problem is self-reinforcing causing a reduced ability to take care of oral hygiene as the disease progresses. (55)
   
   A 2023 study showed that Coprococcus bacteria are protective against Alzheimer's, and that Desulfovibrio are a cause of Alzheimer's. In this study, healthy young rats showed cognitive decline and other Alzheimer's symptoms less than ten days after receiving Desulfovibrio bacteria from human Alzheimer's patients. (84)
   
   A variety of spirochaete type bacteria and co-infected biofilms which cause Lyme disease are also responsible for a wide range of neuropathies. Some kind of bacterial infection with biofilm is usually present in autopsies of patients suffering from the ailments on this web page.
   
   People with periodontitis (gum disease) have a substantially higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a 2016 study (33).
   
   Prior infection with a variety of viruses are associated with schizophrenia, particularly the Epstein-Barr virus. (52, 53)


Get your gut microbiome sequenced
- buy a simple test kit

7. Bacterial imbalance. Loss of healthy bacteria, and the proliferation of other bacteria and micro-organisms all around the body but particularly in the gut biome. (48) Damage to the gut biome can affect the health of the brain biome. (76, 77) This is in addition to the intra-cellular infection of brain and nerve tissue cited under the Primary Causes above.
   
   Note that most autistic children have digestive disorders and many schizophrenics have digestive problems that started as children. (10, 30, 36, 59)
   
   A study of severely autistic children published in 2019 found that they were all deficient in Prevotella and Bifidobacterium species of bacteria, and two years after giving them a faecal transplant the majority were completely cured. (58)
   
   Gut biome sequencing.
8. Lack of sleep. Sleep is a brain detox process. Studies show that lack of sleep is associated with numerous brain and psychological ailments, (74) including Alzheimer's. (41, 83)
9. Lack of exercise. Exercise is an excellent toxin remover and form of relaxation. (38, 42, 45, 57, 62)
10. Pharmaceutical drugs. The medications used to treat depression are toxic, addictive and have a variety of serious and horrible side effects. Once started they are difficult to stop, because a rapid reduction in dosage can cause symptoms to reappear with a vengeance. Drugs must be discontinued slowly, usually over many months. Unfortunately doctors have strong financial and professional incentives to prescribe pharmaceutical drugs in preference to altering patient's diet or using the highly effective, safe natural cures. Aside from being lucrative profit earners, they lock in their patients/customers for years, sometimes for life.
    
    One of the most common side-effects of anti-psychotic drugs is a strong increase in appetite. Most people who take these drugs put on weight, with many becoming obese after starting one. The obesity leads to diabetes and other ailments. (48) But one of the worst effects is that just when the patient is suffering from depression or some psychosis, their self-image may be threatened when they look in the mirror at their new, fat body.
11. Pyroluria. 10-15% of all people suffer from pyroluria. If you have several of the symptoms listed for pyroluria, its simple treatment may be the key to successfully treating depression and many other psychological and physical ailments.
12. Genetically modified foods are a cause of numerous neurological ailments such as brain inflammation, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, autism, depression, insomnia, poor memory and poor concentration.
13. Under-methylation, also known as histadelia.
14. Air pollution (small particulate) is associated with many mental and psychological disorders, and may also act as a trigger. (23, 24) A study of over 18,000 American seniors published in November 2020 found a 10% variation in the incidence of Alzheimer's depending on the level of air pollution where they lived, when all other factors were statistically accounted for. (67)
15. Chronic high levels of cortisol which eventually cause cortisol resistance. Lactic acidosis is strongly associated with many stress and cortisol based psychological problems. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is a good remedy. (79, 80)
16. Testosterone insufficiency is associated with depression and other mental disorders, particularly in men. (15)
17. Post-partum depression after childbirth. Incidence of 10-15% among new mothers.
18. Excessive caffeine or alcohol. Virtually all other social drugs are harmful. However, low to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a 34% lower risk of dementia among elderly people. (50)
19. Genetic. One study estimated the hereditary differences in occurrence to be about 40% for women and 30% for men. (4)
20. Calcium deposits, hypercalcemia.
21. Sliding hiatus hernia syndrome.

Risk factors for psychological and mental problems

• Adverse childhood experiences. You can find a free two minute adverse childhood experience test online. Negative childhood imprints are caused by major stressful events during childhood. One of the strongest predictors of depression is the death of a parent before the child is ten years old. Other major stressors such as divorce, abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) or neglect (9) also program children into a state of learned helplessness. Learned helplessness leads to a state of endless self-pity and entitlement.
  
  Childhood trauma from living in a crazy family or crazy world is responsible for much of what is labelled as mental illness today. These causes can have epigenetic effects lasting for three generations. Depression, manifesting as low motivation, low energy, being scared all the time, poor sleep and having difficulty in relationships, is typical of these childhood trauma effects.
  
  Healing from childhood trauma takes years. If you want a quick fix and take a pharmaceutical medication, you will go down a terrible black hole from which you may never get out. Instead, try group therapy in a safe and supportive environment where others will listen to your childhood experiences without shaming you.
• Poverty and social isolation. (8, 31)
• Parental (particularly maternal) depression, severe marital conflict or divorce, death of a parent, other disturbances in parenting. (8)
• Financial difficulties, job problems, relationship difficulties, separation, death of a family member or loved one.
• Stressful life events (10), particularly social rejection. (11, 12)
• Poor working conditions with little autonomy.
• An episode of severe illness.
• Use of antibiotics. A single course of antibiotics can upset some individual's gut biome for life.
• Menopause.

Prevention / remedies / treatment / recovery from psychological and mental problems

• No sugar and no refined carbohydrates. Only eat real food, like your great grandparents and every generation before them.
• Omega-3 oils plus saturated fats. You cannot enjoy good mental and physical health without these fats in your diet. They are delicious and healthy.
  Cod liver oil if available (must be fresh and not rancid).
  Oily fish and seafood. Cold water fatty fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon and shrimps are the best. Caviar and other fish eggs are excellent if you can get them.
  Butter (particularly grass-fed butter), lard, tallow, duck fat and other animal fats.
  Egg yolks. Must be fresh, preferably raw (but cook egg white because in a raw state it contains anti-nutrients).
  Fatty cheeses, thick cream.
  
• B vitamins. Vitamin B complex is essential for mental and psychological health, in particular vitamin B1 (thiamine) (79, 80), vitamin B2 (riboflavin) (101), vitamin B3 (niacin) and vitamin B12. A good food source of B vitamins is unfortified nutritional yeast. Other food sources include grass-fed meat, fish and brewer's yeast. (78)
  Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) may be particularly helpful for Parkinson's disease. (101)
• Avoid the polyunsaturated "golden" vegetable oils lined up in your supermarket, that are made from seeds, grains, legumes and nuts. They include canola, corn, cottonseed, flax seed, grape seed, mustard seed, peanut, safflower, sesame, (all seed oils), soy and sunflower oils.
• Fasting. Eliminating snacking; having two meals per day or eventually one meal per day; trying a ketogenic diet; or going a whole day or several days without food, is an effective treatment for all kinds of ailments and problems, both physical and mental. During fasting drink only a little water.
  
  Water. You may be drinking too much water, or drinking too frequently. Thirst triggers the body's production of oxytocin, and drinking too frequently inhibits the production of oxytocin, the feel-good trust and love hormone. (98)
• The diet and lifestyle in my book Grow Youthful helps protect you and recover from depression and most other neuropathies. It includes red meat, the go-to treatment for depression and many other psychological problems. It is gluten-free (28, 29), with sufficient cholesterol, and near-ketogenic (but not a ketogenic fast, although ketogenic fasts are extremely effective when used for a limited period.) In particular, a ketogenic fast is an effective treatment for epilepsy. Strict ketogenic diets are also outstanding treatments for a whole host of neurological diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, ALS and brain trauma. (39, 40)
• Iodine is the first nutrient to try for any kind of psychological problem. Iodine is an essential part of the defence against intra-cellular infections. It strengthens the immune system, and displaces halogen toxins which accumulate in the brain, nerves and other parts of the body. Most people are iodine-deficient.


Get your gut microbiome sequenced
- buy a simple test kit

• Probiotics. Get the best possible bacterial exposure. Use probiotic foods and drinks throughout your life.
  
  Most patients with Parkinson's disease are deficient in butyric acid or other butyrate compounds. The best source of butyric acid is a good gut biome and a diet that feeds those bacteria that produce butyric acid. (48) The best foods you can eat are starchy plants, particularly cold boiled potatoes and sweet potatoes. Other food sources of butyric acid include fermented foods such as kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchee, and butter and sharp-smelling cheeses such as parmesan.
  
  I have noticed that every person I have ever met who has Parkinson's disease has been eating a dreadful diet for many years. One of the most effective things they can do is start eating plenty of vegetables, including starchy vegetables. (44, 48, 62)
• Avoid antibiotics unless your life is at risk.
• Exercise. A 30 minute walk can have a markedly beneficial effect on a depressed person. Any movement is beneficial. Regular daily exercise, in which your heart and breathing rates go up, especially assists those cases of depression that have a toxic primary cause. (38)
  
  A major 30 year study (25) following 2,235 men found that exercise such as daily walking reduced their risk of dementia by a staggering 60%. (If any money-making pharmaceutical did this, it would be the most-prescribed drug in the history of medicine). Aerobic exercise protects you from Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease (34, 57, 62) and most other dementia. It improves your memory and keeps you sharp. (26, 32, 34, 38, 45, 57)
  
  A long-term study of Swedish women found that those with high cardiovascular fitness (stamina) had an even more staggering 88% lower risk of dementia than those who were moderately fit. (42)
  
  Dance is the best form of exercise to improve mental function, because it uses balance, social skills, memory, rhythm and other factors simultaneously with the aerobic exercise.
  
  Gardening is associated with a 36% lower risk of dementia. (50)
• Sufficient good sleep. Remember, sleep is primarily a detoxifying process.
• GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate).
• Relaxation. Make time for gentle and loving social connection. Warmly give to others. (31) Try meditation, watching the sunrise, or a walk among the trees or out in nature.
• Time. Major depressive episodes often resolve over time even if they are not treated. Outpatients on a waiting list often reduce by 10-15% in a few months, with approximately 20% no longer meeting the full criteria for their depressive disorder. (13)
• Antidepressant drugs are commonly prescribed for depression but cause horrible and serious side effects. They are also highly addictive, and very difficult and time-consuming to stop using. Other remedies should always be a first treatment, with pharmaceutical drugs only being a last resort when the life or safety of the patient or others is at risk and a quick, non-permanent mask of the symptoms is required.
• Meaningful social connection. Spend more time relating with people. They will help put things in perspective, and help you be more positive. Depression is often self-centred. Other people help bring you out of yourself. A study showed that meaningful social interaction reversed brain shrinkage associated with aging (31).
• Share what happened to you, and your feelings and emotions with close non-judgemental (who won't roll their eyes or be sarcastic) relatives or friends and don't bottle them up. Talking about problems is healthy and not a sign of weakness. An excellent way of healing is group therapy in a safe and supportive environment where others will listen to your childhood experiences without shaming you. There is no quick fix. Proper and real healing will take years.
• Back to nature. New studies (16, 17, 18) show that taking time out to go for a walk in a nature setting is highly beneficial for depression. Getting outdoors and away from phones, decision overload, technology and information overload has huge benefits. Children with ADHD had dramatic improvements. After four days of immersion in nature, a group of adults increased their performance on a creativity and problem-solving task by a full 50%. (18)
• Vitamin D is an essential part of the defence against intra-cellular infections. Sunlight is also important for general good health through a variety of other mechanisms. Light at specific wavelengths can heal a wide variety of other problems, ranging from wounds, to strokes, to skin problems. Sunlight directly affects the production of melatonin. (27, 51, 66, 81, 82) Get sufficient sunlight, both on your skin and in your eyes. Dawn is the most important sunlight to see (get in your eyes) every day that you can. Morning sunlight, from dawn until 10am, is highly beneficial. Get it in your eyes (by not wearing sunglasses and being outside), and on your skin if you possibly can, even in winter.
  
  A study published in 2023 showed a 45% reduction in suicide and self-harm among veterans who had taken a vitamin D supplement. (81)
  
  Bright light therapy (BLT). If you are living at high latitudes and it is winter time, there is not much light to be had outside. In this case, BLT has been proved very effective. Use a BLT lamp which has full-spectrum light and a minimum of 100 lumen brightness. Get at least 30 minutes exposure to the lamp in the morning, preferably soon after you wake up. Do not use it in the evening or at night.
• Avoid genetically modified foods. Consume only certified non-GMO foods which are organically grown.
• Cold showers are an effective treatment for depression. When having a shower, finish off the last 30 seconds with cold water. This is a very good practice for your health and longevity. Minor shocks and stress which have a clear ending are generally very good. Cold showers do this and in addition take a depressed person out of their head and back into the here-and-now.
• Sex. Regular, loving, enjoyable sex is highly beneficial for both men and women. There is an additional benefit for women who regularly have sex without a condom, who have significantly lower levels of depression and are six times less likely to attempt suicide. (35)
• Magnesium. This master mineral relaxes both your mind and your muscles. Magnesium helps you sleep properly. It is usually deficient in cases of chronic stress, and is depleted by chronic stress. A study published in 2017 found that just 248 mg of magnesium per day reversed depression in the patients examined. This is a dramatic result, especially considering the cost is just a few cents per day! (43, 104, 105)
• Boron. Taken in the form of borax, boron destroys fungi and bacteria in the body, and is one of the most effective treatments for mycoplasma deep in the brain or nerves. It is also an effective detox agent.
• Zinc and B vitamins (particularly B6), especially if you suffer from the common condition pyroluria.
• Cannabis, cannabis oil, and cannabis extracts such as THC and cannabidiol.
  
  A 2020 study (68) of a 15 year-old boy with autism spectrum disorder, selective mutism, anxiety, and controlled epilepsy, consulted a medical cannabis physician to trial cannabis extract to replace his seizure medications. The study found that cannabidiol extract not only treated his seizures, but he also "experienced unanticipated positive effects on behavioural symptoms and core social deficits." According to the authors, "the pharmacological treatment for autism spectrum disorders is often poorly tolerated and has traditionally targeted associated conditions, with limited benefit for the core social deficits. We describe the novel use of a cannabidiol-based extract that incidentally improved core social deficits and overall functioning in a patient with autism spectrum disorder, at a lower dose than has been previously reported in autism spectrum disorder." He became more motivated and energetic, starting his own vegetarian diet and exercise programs, ultimately losing 6.4 kg after starting CBE for a calculated BMI of 21.33 kg/m2. He was able to start his first part-time job helping customers and interacting with them. He was instructed to fill out the self-administered Adult AQ which resulted in a normal score of 10. His mother stated he also now has a girlfriend.
  
  However, the regular and excessive use of cannabis has negative effects. Research (71) presented in 2022 suggested that heavy cannabis use may be responsible for 25% of new cases of schizophrenia in young men, far higher than the 5-10% which was previously accepted. Schizophrenia causes lifelong unemployment and disability in many patients, reduces life expectancy by about 15 years, and left untreated schizophrenia is a high risk factor for extreme violence.
• Psilocybin from Psilocybe mushrooms, also known as magic mushrooms.
  
  As early as 1962 the psychology and medical professions were well aware of the benefits of psilocybin. (60) In spite of over 1,000 studies showing the efficacy of psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs, pressure from the pharmaceutical industry upon politicians resulted in the closing down and criminalisation of this cheap and highly effective natural substance.
  
  A wide body of published psychological research studies shows that psilocybin is a highly effective treatment, and in many cases the most effective or the only treatment for severe and prolonged depression, and also addictions and obsessive compulsive disorder. These thousands of studies are so compelling that the profession can no longer deny its obvious use. (61) In America and many other Western countries, legal challenges are currently under way (2019) to decriminalise psilocybin. At the same time, pharmaceutical drug companies are now trying to find aspects of this natural compound to try to patent. (69)
  
• Faecal transplant, also known as Faecal microbial transplant or Microbiota transfer therapy (MTT). The majority of severely autistic children in a 2019 study were completely cured two years after treating them with a faecal microbial transplant. (58)
• Taurine.
• Berberine.
• Citrus peel has neuroprotective properties. (100) See also citrus bioflavonoids and rutin.
• DMSO.
• Ashwagandha for schizophrenia (85) and anxiety and stress. (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
• Methylene blue.
• GABA calms down nervous disorders of over-excitability, over-stimulation and mania. However, it is not suitable for those who are depressed or in the lows of bi-polar, for example.
• Choline.
• Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT). IBT costs nothing, has no side effects except good ones, and is sometimes miraculously effective. Why wouldn't you try it?
• Earthing or grounding.
• Cloves.
• Turmeric.
• Gum turpentine. A powerful antimicrobial which can also remove biofilms.
• Coconut oil treatment for microbial infections in the brain and nervous system.
• Try to avoid extra stress. If possible, postpone or delegate major decisions. Tackle only one problem at a time. Break tasks into small, achievable goals and work through them.
• Avoid repeated exposure to stressful events. Ask for help in figuring out what to fix, what to put up with, and what to walk away from. The longer you leave these stressors, the more likely they are to wire a depressing response in your brain.
• Awareness of, but not an obsession with, sources of pollution in your environment. Grow Youthful lists the most likely sources.
• Those who have a belief in a higher being, universal connection or a religion are less likely to be depressed, and recover more quickly. (7)
• Those with a feeling of worth, a valued place in the world, and meaningful work or purpose are much less likely to get depressed.
• See details of remedies recommended by Grow Youthful visitors, and their experience with them.

References

1. Kessler RC, Nelson CB, McGonagle KA, Liu J, Swartz M, Blazer DG. Comorbidity of DSM-III-R major depressive disorder in the general population: results from the US National Comorbidity Survey. Br J Psychiatry Suppl. 1996 Jun;(30):17-30.

2. Bair MJ, Robinson RL, Katon W, Kroenke K. Depression and pain comorbidity: a literature review. Arch Intern Med. 2003 Nov 10;163(20):2433-45.

3. Schulman J and Shapiro BA. Depression and Cardiovascular Disease: What Is the Correlation? Psychiatric Times. 2008;25(9).

4. Kendler KS, Gatz M, Gardner CO, Pedersen NL. A Swedish national twin study of lifetime major depression. Am J Psychiatry. 2006 Jan;163(1):109-14.

5. Cutter WJ, Norbury R, Murphy DG. Oestrogen, brain function, and neuropsychiatric disorders. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003 Jul;74(7):837-40.

6. Douma SL, Husband C, O'Donnell ME, Barwin BN, Woodend AK. Estrogen-related mood disorders: reproductive life cycle factors. ANS Adv Nurs Sci. 2005 Oct-Dec;28(4):364-75.

7. McCullough, Michael; Larson, David. Religion and depression: a review of the literature. 1 June 1999, Twin Research (Australian Academic Press) 2 (2): 126-136. PMID 10480747.

8. Raphael B. Unmet Need for Prevention. In: Andrews G, Henderson S (eds). Unmet Need in Psychiatry: Problems, Resources, Responses. Cambridge University Press; 2000. ISBN 0-521-66229-X. p. 138-39.

9. Heim C, Newport DJ, Mletzko T, Miller AH, Nemeroff CB. The link between childhood trauma and depression: insights from HPA axis studies in humans. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2008;33(6):693-710. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2008.03.008. PMID 18602762.

10. Kessler, RC. The effects of stressful life events on depression. Annual revue of Psychology. 1997;48:191-214. doi:10.1146/annurev.psych.48.1.191. PMID 9046559.

11. Kendler, KS. Life event dimensions of loss, humiliation, entrapment, and danger in the prediction of onsets of major depression and generalized anxiety. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2003;60(8):789-796. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.60.8.789. PMID 12912762.

12. Slavich GM, Thornton T, Torres LD, Monroe SM, Gotlib IH. Targeted rejection predicts hastened onset of major depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 2009;28:223-243. doi:10.1521/jscp.2009.28.2.223.

13. Posternak MA, Miller I. Untreated short-term course of major depression: A meta-analysis of outcomes from studies using wait-list control groups. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2001;66(2-3):139-46. PMID 11578666.

14. Rush AJ. The varied clinical presentations of major depressive disorder. The Journal of clinical psychiatry. 2007;68(Supplement 8):4-10. PMID 17640152.

15. Andrade L, Caraveo-A. Epidemiology of major depressive episodes: Results from the International Consortium of Psychiatric Epidemiology (ICPE) Surveys. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2003;12(1):3-21. doi:10.1002/mpr.138. PMID 12830306.

16. Marc G. Berman et al. Interacting with nature improves cognition and affect for individuals with depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2012.

17. Berman, M.G., Jonides, J., Kaplan, S. The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature. 2008. Psychological Science 19(12):1207-1212

18. Ruth Ann Atchley, David L. Strayer, Paul Atchley. Creativity in the Wild: Improving Creative Reasoning through Immersion in Natural Settings. 12 December 2012, PLoS ONE 7(12): e51474. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0051474.

19. Fekadu A. et al. Toxoplasmosis as a cause for behaviour disorders - overview of evidence and mechanisms. Folia Parasitol (Praha). 2010 June; 57(2):105-13.

20. Dae-Wook Kang, Jin Gyoon Park, Zehra Esra Ilhan, Garrick Wallstrom, Joshua LaBaer, James B. Adams, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown. Reduced Incidence of Prevotella and Other Fermenters in Intestinal Microflora of Autistic Children. 3 July 2013. dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068322

21. MIT researcher Stephanie Seneff has a summary web page people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/ with links to many articles and presentations.

22. Ashley J Malin, Christine Till. Exposure to fluoridated water and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder prevalence among children and adolescents in the United States: an ecological association. Environmental Health, 27 February 2015, 14:17. doi:10.1186/s12940-015-0003-1.

23. Anoop S V Shah, Kuan Ken Lee, David A McAllister, Amanda Hunter, Harish Nair, William Whiteley, Jeremy P Langrish, David E Newby, Nicholas L Mills. Short term exposure to air pollution and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2015;350:h1295, Published 24 March 2015.

24. Melinda C Power, Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Jaime E Hart, Olivia I Okereke, Francine Laden, Marc G Weisskopf. The relation between past exposure to fine particulate air pollution and prevalent anxiety: observational cohort study. BMJ 2015;350:h1111, Published 24 March 2015.

25. Elwood P, et al. Healthy lifestyles reduce the incidence of chronic disease and dementia: Evidence from the Caerphlly Cohort Study. PLos ONE 8, no 12(2013).

26. Ahlskog et al. Physical exercise as a preventive or disease-modifying treatment of dementia and brain aging. Mayo Clinic proceedings 86, no 9 (2011):876-84.

27. Lambert G W, et al. Effect of sunlight and season on seratonin turnover in the brain. Lancet 360, no. 9348 (2002):1840-42.

28. Fasano, Alessio. Center for Celiac Research and Treatment, Boston. Gluten sensitivity can manifest in many different ways, often mimicking other disorders.

29. Hadjivassiliou, Marios, et al. Does Cryptic Gluten Sensitivity Play a Part in Neurological Illness? Lancet 347, no. 8998 (10 February 1996): 369-71.

30. Premysl Bercik, G. De Palma, P. Blennerhassett, J. Lu, Y. Deng, A. J. Park, W. Green, E. Denou, M. A. Silva, A. Santacruz, Y. Sanz, M. G. Surette, E. F. Verdu, S. M. Collins. Microbiota and host determinants of behavioural phenotype in maternally separated mice. Nature Communications, July, 2015. 10.1038/ncomms8735.

31. Michelle Carlson et al. Civic Engagement May Stave Off Brain Atrophy, Improve Memory. Meaningful activities experienced with others may reverse the normal brain shrinkage associated with the aging process. Retrieved online 14 Apr 2015. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

32. Kazuki Hyodo, Ippeita Dan, Yasushi Kyutoku, Kazuya Suwabe, Kyeongho Byun, Genta Ochi, Morimasa Kato, Hideaki Soya. The association between aerobic fitness and cognitive function in older men mediated by frontal lateralization. NeuroImage, Volume 125, 15 January 2016, Pages 291-300.

33. Mark Ide, Marina Harris, Annette Stevens, Rebecca Sussams, Viv Hopkins, David Culliford, James Fuller, Paul Ibbett, Rachel Raybould, Rhodri Thomas, Ursula Puenter, Jessica Teeling, V. Hugh Perry, Clive Holmes. Periodontitis and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease. Published 10 March 2016. PLoS ONE 11(3): e0151081. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0151081.

34. Raji CA, Merrill DA, Eyre H, Mallam S, Torosyan N, Erickson KI, Lopez OL, Becker JT, Carmichael OT, Gach HM, Thompson PM, Longstreth WT, Kuller LH. Longitudinal Relationships between Caloric Expenditure and Gray Matter in the Cardiovascular Health Study. J Alzheimers Dis. 11 March 2016, viewed online.

35. Gallup Gordon G, Burch Rebecca L, Platek Steven. Does Semen Have Antidepressant Properties? Archives of Sexual Behaviour, 31(3), 289-93, June 2002.

36. Giada De Palma, Michael D. J. Lynch, Jun Lu, Vi T. Dang, Yikang Deng, Jennifer Jury, Genevieve Umeh, Pedro M. Miranda, Marc Pigrau Pastor, Sacha Sidani, Maria Ines Pinto-Sanchez, Vivek Philip, Peter G. McLean, Moreno-Gabriel Hagelsieb, Michael G. Surette, Gabriela E. Bergonzelli, Elena F. Verdu, Philip Britz-McKibbin, Josh D. Neufeld, Stephen M. Collins, Premysl Bercik. Transplantation of fecal microbiota from patients with irritable bowel syndrome alters gut function and behavior in recipient mice. Science Translational Medicine 01 Mar 2017: Vol. 9, Issue 379. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaf6397.

37. Matthew P. Pase, Jayandra J. Himali, Alexa S. Beiser, Hugo J. Aparicio, Claudia L. Satizabal, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Sudha Seshadri, Paul F. Jacques. Sugar and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and the Risks of Incident Stroke and Dementia. Stroke. 2017;STROKEAHA.116.016027. Published 20 April 2017.

38. Joseph Michael Northey, Nicolas Cherbuin, Kate Louise Pumpa, Disa Jane Smee, Ben Rattray. Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med Published Online First: 24 April 2017. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096587.

39. Veech RL. The therapeutic implications of ketone bodies: the effects of ketone bodies in pathological conditions: ketosis, ketogenic diet, redox states, insulin resistance, and mitochondrial metabolism. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2004 Mar;70(3):309-19.

40. Veech RL, Chance B, Kashiwaya Y, Lardy HA, Cahill GF Jr. Ketone bodies, potential therapeutic uses. IUBMB Life. 2001 Apr;51(4):241-7.

41. Erik S. Musiek, Meghana Bhimasani, Margaret A. Zangrilli, John C. Morris, David M. Holtzman, Yo-ElS, Ju. Circadian Rest-Activity Pattern Changes in Aging and Preclinical Alzheimer Disease. JAMA Neurol. Published online 29 January 2018. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.4719.

42. Helena Horder, Lena Johansson, XinXin Guo, Gunnar Grimby, Silke Kern, Svante Ostling, Ingmar Skoog. Midlife cardiovascular fitness and dementia: A 44-year longitudinal population study in women. Neurology, 14 March 2018. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.5290.

43. Emily K. Tarleton, Benjamin Littenberg, Charles D. MacLean, Amanda G. Kennedy, Christopher Daley. Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. PLOS One, published 27 June 2017. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180067.

44. Martha Clare Morris, Yamin Wang, Lisa L. Barnes, David A. Bennett, Bess Dawson-Hughes, Sarah L. Booth. Nutrients and bioactives in green leafy vegetables and cognitive decline. Neurology Dec 2017, 10.1212/WNL.4815.

45. Prabha Siddarth, Alison C. Burggren, Harris A. Eyre, Gary W. Small, David A. Merrill. Sedentary behavior associated with reduced medial temporal lobe thickness in middle-aged and older adults. Published 12 April 2018 in PLOS One.

46. Kathryn Richardson, Chris Fox, Ian Maidment, Nicholas Steel, Yoon K Loke, Antony Arthur, Phyo K Myint, Carlota M Grossi, Katharina Mattishent, Kathleen Bennett, Noll L Campbell, Malaz Boustani, Louise Robinson, Carol Brayne, Fiona E Matthews, George M Savva. Anticholinergic drugs and risk of dementia: case-control study. BMJ 2018;361:k1315. Published 25 April 2018.

47. Ben Readhead, Jean-Vianney, Haure-Mirande, Cory C. Funk, Matthew A. Richards, Paul Shannon, Vahram Haroutunian, Mary Sano, Winnie S. Liang, Noam D. Beckmann, Nathan D. Price, Eric M. Reiman, Eric E. Schadt, Michelle E. Ehrlich, Sam Gandy, Joel T. Dudley. Multiscale Analysis of Independent Alzheimer's Cohorts Finds Disruption of Molecular, Genetic, and Clinical Networks by Human Herpesvirus. Neuron, Volume 99, Issue 1, 11 July 2018, Pages 64-82.

48. Erin M. Hill-Burns, Justine W. Debelius, James T. Morton, William T. Wissemann, Matthew R. Lewis, Zachary D. Wallen, Shyamal D. Peddada, Stewart A. Factor, Eric Molho, Cyrus P. Zabetian, Rob Knight, Haydeh Payami. Parkinson's disease and Parkinson's disease medications have distinct signatures of the gut microbiome. Movement Disorders, 14 February 2017.

49. Andreas Walther, Jonas Breidenstein, Robert Miller. Association of Testosterone Treatment With Alleviation of Depressive Symptoms in Men A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. Published online 14 November 2018. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.2734

50. Simons LA, Simons J, McCallum J, Friedlander Y. Lifestyle factors and risk of dementia: Dubbo Study of the elderly. Med J Aust. 2006 Jan 16;184(2):68-70.

51. Eyles, Darryl W., Trzaskowski, Maciej, Vinkhuyzen, Anna A. E., Mattheisen, Manuel, Meier, Sandra, Gooch, Helen, Anggono, Victor, Cui, Xiaoying, Tan, Men Chee, Burne, Thomas H. J., Jang, Se Eun, Kvaskoff, David, Hougaard, David M., Norgaard-Pedersen, Bent, Cohen, Arieh, Agerbo, Esben, Pedersen, Carsten B., Borglum, Anders D., Mors, Ole, Sah, Pankaj, Wray, Naomi R., Mortensen, Preben B. and McGrath, John J. The association between neonatal vitamin D status and risk of schizophrenia. Scientific Reports, 8 1: 17692. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-35418-z.

52. Alan Breier. Viruses And Schizophrenia: Implications For Pathophysiology And Treatment. Schizophrenia Bulletin. April 2018; 44(Suppl 1): S61-S62. Published online 1 April 2018. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sby014.158

53. Faith Dickerson, Lorraine Jones-Brando, Glen Ford, Giulio Genovese, Cassie Stallings, Andrea Origoni, Colm O'Dushlaine, Emily Katsafanas, Kevin Sweeney, Sunil Khushalani, Robert Yolken. Schizophrenia is Associated With an Aberrant Immune Response to Epstein-Barr Virus. Schizophrenia Bulletin, sby164, 20 November 2018.

54. Stephen S. Dominy, Casey Lynch, Florian Ermini, Malgorzata Benedyk, Agata Marczyk, Andrei Konradi, Mai Nguyen, Ursula Haditsch, Debasish Raha, Christina Griffin, Leslie J. Holsinger, Shirin Arastu-Kapur, Samer Kaba, Alexander Lee, Mark I. Ryder, Barbara Potempa, Piotr Myde, Annelie Hellvard, Karina Adamowicz, Hatice Hasturk, Glenn D. Walker, Eric C. Reynolds, Richard L. M. Faull, Maurice A. Curtis, Mike Dragunow, Jan Potempa. Porphyromonas gingivalis in Alzheimer's disease brains: Evidence for disease causation and treatment with small-molecule inhibitors. Science Advances 23 Jan 2019. Vol. 5, no. 1, eaau3333. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau3333.

55. Deborah K. Shoemark, Shelley J. Allen. The Microbiome and Disease: Reviewing the Links between the Oral Microbiome, Aging, and Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 43 (2015) 725-738. DOI 10.3233/JAD-141170.

56. Huan M. Ngo, Ying Zhou, Hernan Lorenzi, Kai Wang, Taek-Kyun Kim, Yong Zhou, Kamal El Bissati, Ernest Mui, Laura Fraczek, Seesandra V. Rajagopala, Craig W. Roberts, Fiona L. Henriquez, Alexandre Montpetit, Jenefer M. Blackwell, Sarra E. Jamieson, Kelsey Wheeler, Ian J. Begeman, Carlos Naranjo-Galvis, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Roderick G. Davis, Liliana Soroceanu, Charles Cobbs, Dennis A. Steindler, Kenneth Boyer, A. Gwendolyn Noble, Charles N. Swisher, Peter T. Heydemann, Peter Rabiah, Shawn Withers, Patricia Soteropoulos, Leroy Hood, Rima McLeod. Toxoplasma Modulates Signature Pathways of Human Epilepsy, Neurodegeneration & Cancer. Nature, 13 September 2017, Scientific Reports, volume 7, Article number: 11496.

57. Mychael V. Lourenco, Rudimar L. Frozza, Guilherme B. de Freitas, Hong Zhang, Grasielle C. Kincheski, Felipe C. Ribeiro, Rafaella A. Goncalves, Julia R. Clarke, Danielle Beckman, Agnieszka Staniszewski, Hanna Berman, Lorena A. Guerra, Leticia Forny-Germano, Shelby Meier, Donna M. Wilcock, Jorge M. de Souza, Soniza Alves-Leon, Vania F. Prado, Marco A. M. Prado, Jose F. Abisambra, Fernanda Tovar-Moll, Paulo Mattos, Ottavio Arancio, Sergio T. Ferreira, Fernanda G. De Felice. Exercise-linked FNDC5/irisin rescues synaptic plasticity and memory defects in Alzheimer's models. 7 January 2019. Nature Medicinevolume 25, 165-175.

58. Dae-Wook Kang, James B. Adams, Devon M. Coleman, Elena L. Pollard, Juan Maldonado, Sharon McDonough-Means, J. Gregory Caporaso, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown. Long-term benefit of Microbiota Transfer Therapy on autism symptoms and gut microbiota. Scientific Reports 9, Article number: 5821 (2019). Published online 09 April 2019.

59. Gil Sharon, Nikki Jamie Cruz, Dae-Wook Kang, Daniel H. Geschwind, Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, Sarkis K. Mazmanian. Human Gut Microbiota from Autism Spectrum Disorder Promote Behavioral Symptoms in Mice. Cell 177, 1600-1618. 30 May 2019.

60. Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert. Harvard Psilocybin Project a series of experiments in psychology conducted at Harvard University between 1960 and 1962.

61. The Economist, June 2019, had three articles on magic mushrooms and psilocybin.

62. Ilianna Lourida, Eilis Hannon, Thomas J. Littlejohns, Kenneth M. Langa, Elina Hypponen, Elzbieta Kuzma, David J. Llewellyn. Association of Lifestyle and Genetic Risk With Incidence of Dementia. JAMA. Published online 14 July 2019. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.9879.

63. Mufti, Rizwan M., Richard Balon, and Cynthia L. Arfken. Low cholesterol and violence. Psychiatric services (2006).

64. Ellison, Larry F., and Howard I. Morrison. Low serum cholesterol concentration and risk of suicide. Epidemiology 12.2 (2001): 168-172.

65. Engdahl Elin, Gustafsson Rasmus, Huang Jesse, Bistrom Martin, Lima Bomfim Izaura, Stridh Pernilla, Khademi Mohsen, Brenner Nicole, Butt Julia, Michel Angelika, Jons Daniel, Hortlund Maria, Alonso-Magdalena Lucia, Hedstrom Anna Karin, Flamand Louis, Ihira Masaru, Yoshikawa Tetsushi, Andersen Oluf, Hillert Jan, Alfredsson Lars, Waterboer Tim, Sundstrom Peter, Olsson Tomas, Kockum Ingrid, Fogdell-Hahn Anna. Increased Serological Response Against Human Herpesvirus 6A Is Associated With Risk for Multiple Sclerosis. Frontiers in Immunology, Volume 10, 2019. 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02715.

66. Ghazaleh Valipour, Parvane Saneei, Ahmad Esmaillzadeh. Serum Vitamin D Levels in Relation to Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2014; jc.2014-1887 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2014-1887.

67. Leonardo Iaccarino, Renaud La Joie, Orit H. Lesman-Segev, Eunice Lee, Lucy Hanna, Isabel E. Allen, Bruce E. Hillner, Barry A. Siegel, Rachel A. Whitmer, Maria C. Carrillo, Constantine Gatsonis, Gil D. Rabinovici. Association Between Ambient Air Pollution and Amyloid Positron Emission Tomography Positivity in Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment. JAMA Neurol. Published online 30 November 2020. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.3962.

68. Juliana Andrea Ponton, Kim Smyth, Elias Soumbasis, Sergio Andres Llanos, Mark Lewis, Wilhelm August Meerholz, Robert Lawrence Tanguay. A pediatric patient with autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy using cannabinoid extracts as complementary therapy: a case report. J Med Case Reports 14, 162 (2020). doi.org/10.1186/s13256-020-02478-7. Published 22 September 2020.

69. Compass Pathways announces positive topline results from groundbreaking phase IIb trial of investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression. London, UK announcement from ir.compasspathways on 9 November 2021. Waiting to be published.

70. Kjetil Bjornevik, Marianna Cortese, Brian C. Healy, Jens Kuhle, Michael J. Mina, Yumei Leng, Stephen J. Elledge, David W. Niebuhrann, I. Scher, Kassandra L. Munger, Alberto Ascherio. Longitudinal analysis reveals high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis. Science, 13 January 2022, Vol 375, Issue 6578, 296-301. DOI: 10.1126/science.abj8222.

71. Carsten Hjorthoj, University of Copenhagen Research Centre for Mental Health, presentation at International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, June 2022.

72. Robert Briggs, Kevin McCarroll, Aisling O'Halloran, Martin Healy, Rose Anne Kenny, Eamon Laird. Vitamin D Deficiency Is Associated With an Increased Likelihood of Incident Depression in Community-Dwelling Older Adults JAMDA volume 20, issue 5, P517-523, 1 May 2019.

73. Katayoun Sedaghat, Zahra Yousefian, Abbas Ali Vafaei, Ali Rashidy-Pour, Houman Parsaei, Ali Khaleghian, Sara Choobdar. Mesolimbic dopamine system and its modulation by vitamin D in a chronic mild stress model of depression in the rat. Behavioural Brain Research, Volume 356, 2019, Pages 156-169. ISSN 0166-4328.

74. Severine Sabia, Aline Dugravot, Damien Leger, Celine Ben Hassen, Mika Kivimaki, Archana Singh-Manoux. Association of sleep duration at age 50, 60, and 70 years with risk of multimorbidity in the UK: 25-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study. Published 18 October 2022, PLOS Medicine.

75. Thirion F, Sellebjerg F, Fan Y, et al. The gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis varies with disease activity. Genome Med 15, 1 (2023). doi.org/10.1186/s13073-022-01148-1.

76. Westfall S, Dinh DM, Pasinetti GM. Investigation of Potential Brain Microbiome in Alzheimer's Disease: Implications of Study Bias. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;75(2):559-570. doi: 10.3233/JAD-191328. PMID: 32310171.

77. Link CD. Is There a Brain Microbiome? Neurosci Insights. 2021 May 27; 16:26331055211018709. PMID: 34104888; PMCID: PMC8165828.

78. Periyasamy S, John S, Padmavati R, et al. Association of Schizophrenia Risk With Disordered Niacin Metabolism in an Indian Genome-wide Association Study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019;76(10):1026-1034. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1335.

79. Thota V, Paravathaneni M, Konduru S, et al. Treatment of Refractory Lactic Acidosis With Thiamine Administration in a Nonalcoholic Patient. (July 08, 2021) Cureus 13(7): e16267. DOI 10.7759/cureus.16267.

80. Eniko Balogh, Andrea Toth, Gabor Mehes, Gyorgy Trencsenyi, Gyorgy Paragh and Viktoria Jeney. Hypoxia Triggers Osteochondrogenic Differentiation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in an HIF-1 (Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1)-Dependent and Reactive Oxygen Species-Dependent Manner. 11 Apr 2019, doi.org/10.1161/ATVBAHA. 119.312509. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 39:1088-1099.

81. Jill E. Lavigne, Jason B. Gibbons. The association between vitamin D serum levels, supplementation, and suicide attempts and intentional self-harm. PLOS ONE, February 2023. DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0279166. Pubmed ID 36724169.

82. Ghahremani, M, Smith, EE, Chen, H-Y, Creese, B, Goodarzi, Z, Ismail, Z. Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia: Effects of sex, APOE, and baseline cognitive status. Alzheimer's Dement. 2023; 15:e12404. doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12404.

83. Zavecz Z, Shah VD, Murillo OG, et al. NREM sleep as a novel protective cognitive reserve factor in the face of Alzheimer's disease pathology. BMC Med 21, 156 (2023). doi.org/10.1186/s12916-023-02811-z.

84. Stefanie Grabrucker, Moira Marizzoni, Edina Silajdzic, Nicola Lopizzo, Elisa Mombelli, Sarah Nicolas, Sebastian Dohm-Hansen, Catia Scassellati, Davide Vito Moretti, Melissa Rosa, Karina Hoffmann, John F Cryan, Olivia F O'Leary, Jane A English, Aonghus Lavelle, Cora O'Neill, Sandrine Thuret, Annamaria Cattaneo, Yvonne M Nolan. Microbiota from Alzheimer's patients induce deficits in cognition and hippocampal neurogenesis. Brain, 2023, awad303.

85. Chengappa KNR, et al. Adjunctive use of a standardized extract of withania somnifera (ashwagandha) to treat symptom exacerbation in schizophrenia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. J Clin Psychiatry 2018.

86. Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Malvi H, Kodgule R. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Sep;98(37).

87. Andrade, C et al. A double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of the anxiolytic efficacy of an ethanolic extract of withania somnifera. Indian journal of psychiatry vol. 42,3 (2000): 295-301.

88. Choudhary D, et al. Body weight management in adults under chronic stress through treatment with ashwagandha root extract: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Jan;22(1):96-106.<

89. Langade D, Kanchi S, Salve J, Debnath K, Ambegaokar D. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study. Cureus. 2019 Sep 28;11(9).

90. Salve, J. et al. Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study. Cureus 2019.

91. Gannon JM, et al. Effects of a standard- ized extract of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on depression and anxiety symptoms in persons with schizophrenia participating in a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Ann Clin Psychiatry 2019; 31(2): 123-9.

92. Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012 Jul;34(3):255-62. doi: 10.4103/0253-7176.106022. PMID: 23439798; PMCID: PMC3573577.

93. Auddy B, et al. A standardized withania somnifera extract significantly reduces stress-related parameters in chronically stressed humans: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Journal of the American Neutraceu- tical Association 2008; 11(1): 50-6.

94. Khyati S, et al. A randomized double blind placebo controlled study of ashwagandha on generalized anxiety disorder. International Ayurvedic Medical Journal 2013; 1(5): 1-7.

95. Fuladi S, et al. Assessment of Withania somnifera root extract efficacy in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Curr Clin Pharmacol 2020.

96. Auddy B, et al. A standardized withania somnifera extract significantly reduces stress-related parameters in chronically stressed humans: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Journal of the American Neutraceutical Association 2008; 11(1).

97. Lopresti AL, et al. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Sep;98(37).

98. Pruimboom L, Reheis D. Intermittent drinking, oxytocin and human health. Med Hypotheses. 2016 Jul;92:80-3. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2016.04.043. Epub 2016 Apr 27. PMID: 27241263.

99. Peters BD, Machielsen MW, Hoen WP, Caan MW, Malhotra AK, Szeszko PR, Duran M, Olabarriaga SD, de Haan L. Polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration predicts myelin integrity in early-phase psychosis. Schizophr Bull. 2013 Jul;39(4):830-8. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbs089. Epub 2012 Aug 27. PMID: 22927668; PMCID: PMC3686450.

100. Matsuzaki K, Nakajima A, Guo Y, Ohizumi Y. A Narrative Review of the Effects of Citrus Peels and Extracts on Human Brain Health and Metabolism. Nutrients. 2022 Apr 28;14(9):1847. doi: 10.3390/nu14091847. PMID: 35565814; PMCID: PMC9103913.

101. Thompson DF, Saluja HS. Prophylaxis of migraine headaches with riboflavin: A systematic review. 8 May 2017. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 42, 4. 0269-4727.

102. Sintzel MB, Rametta M, Reder AT. Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis: A Comprehensive Review. Neurol Ther. 2018 Jun;7(1):59-85. doi: 10.1007/s40120-017-0086-4. Epub 2017 Dec 14. PMID: 29243029; PMCID: PMC5990512.

103. Alessandro Cuomo, Nicola Giordano, Arianna Goracci, Andrea Fagiolini. Depression and Vitamin D Deficiency: Causality, Assessment, and Clinical Practice Implications. Neuropsychiatry (2017) Volume 7, Issue 5.

104. Maier JAM, Locatelli L, Fedele G, Cazzaniga A, Mazur A. Magnesium and the Brain: A Focus on Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023; 24(1):223. doi.org/10.3390/ijms24010223.

105. Jeanette AM Maier 1, Laura Locatelli, Giorgia Fedele, Alessandra Cazzaniga, Andre Mazur. Magnesium and the Brain: A Focus on Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration. 23 December 2022. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(1), 223.