Dr Bollmann, Skin Care Specialist, Anti-Aging Expert

The holidays are again upon us, and for many people they are a time of depression. I was fortunate to grow up in a loving family and always looked forward to the holidays. It wasn't until I became a doctor that I realized the same was not true for many people - holidays and depression go hand-in-hand for some.

What can we do to prevent this. The following is from the Journal of Psychiatry:

"Essential for mental and emotional well-being, B-complex vitamins must be replenished to the body on a daily basis.  Osvaldo Almeida, from the University of Western Australia (Australia), and colleagues enrolled 153 adult residents of Perth, ages 50 years and older, who were experiencing a major depressive episode, to receive an antidepressant medication together with 0.5 mg of vitamin B12, 2 mg of folic acid and 25 mg of vitamin B6 for 52 weeks.  Symptom changes were assessed via standardized rating scales.  Remission of symptoms was achieved by 78.1 and 79.4% of participants treated with placebo and vitamins by week 12, by 76.5 and 85.3% at week 26, and 75.8 and 85.5% at week 52. Further, the risk of relapse was significantly reduced among participants who took the B-vitamins.  The study authors conclude that: “B vitamins did not increase the 12-week efficacy of antidepressant treatment, but enhanced and sustained antidepressant response over 1 year.”

I personally take a multivitamin supplement, and advised my patients to take them also. And as far as delaying aging, broccoli and onions have been shown to increase the cells defense mechanisms by increasing anti-oxidants.