Cebu City - Treating mental illness with micronutrients may not only be a better option for the long-term results but it also is a more cost-effective treatment than the current conventional methods. A study done with a 10-year-old boy with psychosis had undergone an inpatient treatment with medications for 6 months which was proven unsuccessful. He was then put in micronutrient therapy. Not only did the micronutrients completely eliminate his hallucinations and delusions–these changes that were maintained 6 years later–but the cost of the micronutrient outpatient treatment was less than 2 percent (Rodway, et. al., BMJ case Reports, 2012).
Micronutrient supplementation before the mental illness emerges can actually stop these problems from developing in the first place. That is why, the National Nutrition Council, always insist in developing good eating habits and following a healthy lifestyle. There are hundreds of studies as well that document the relationship between dietary patterns and mental health. The messages in these studies will boil down to the same message that we have been saying all along.
The more prudent and unprocessed your diet is the lower your risk for depression. The more you eat processed food, the higher the risk for depression. Processed goods, high in refined grains, sugary drinks, takeaways, and low in fresh produce do nothing good for our mental health. A diet good is one that is fresh, high in fruits and vegetables, high in fish, nuts, and healthy fats, and low in processed foods.
Take universal prevention seriously by optimizing nutrition, especially for those who are vulnerable. To all pregnant women and nursing moms, know the importance of nutrition particularly in the First 1000 Days. See the barangay nutrition scholars, barangay health workers, and midwives in your barangay health centers help you with your health and nutrition needs. Review your current lifestyle factors, engage in healthy eating, exercise, and increase intake of fruits and vegetables as your natural micronutrient supplements. Save your medications for last when these approaches don’t work. “Don’t wait for the heart attack to hit you before you modify your lifestyle behaviors that will contribute to heart disease”. // ND II Mary Carmeli Garrovillo, RND
