Studies examining the role of nutrition in depression are surprisingly sparse, but if you read between the lines, the connection is definitely there.  Most professionals still do not focus on nutrition as a contributing factor to depression.

The primary emphasis is still on issues such as a neurochemical aberration, stress, and the like. But from own perspec­tive, doctor believe that nutrition is a factor in about 25 percent of depressed individuals.

For some men, the search for a baldness cure is akin to the age-old search for the fountain of youth. The virility, attractiveness, and just

Hair Skin

overall masculinity associated with a full head of flowing hair is understandably something that many men would do anything to hold on to . . . and the inse­curity associated with losing your hair is the reason so many hair loss prod­ucts have been so successful.

It’s debatable that few words in the English language are misused more than depression. Just as an example, if you’ve ever had a friend or family member who’s felt a little down in the dumps, chances are they’ve described them­selves as depressed.

Depression isn’t the same as being sad or discouraged.  Those feelings are just part of being alive. Depression is an illness, one that can be controlled with proper treatment or that can ruin your life if you don’t get the help you need.

If you’ve picked up a health book or magazine lately, you know all about calcium’s role in preventing osteoporosis, the brittle-bone disease that inca­pacitates thousands of women (and men) each year. But if scientific studies are any indication, there may be another, more immediate reason to add a calcium supplement to your medicine chest: It may relieve PMS.

In one study, researchers studied the diet of more than 3,000 women over 10 years and found that those who consumed 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D a day through food had up to a 40 percent less chance of experiencing PMS. And it appears that choosing the low-fat versions of high-calcium foods made a difference. Women who drank 2 per­cent milk or lower had fewer symptoms than women who drank whole milk.

We’ve all heard about iron-poor blood, and for good reason. Iron deficiency is by far the most common cause of anemia. Up to 58 percent of healthy young women may be short on iron, although not always to the point of

Iron Mineral

.

The problem is that many women don’t consume enough iron each day to make up for the 2.5 milligrams or so they lose each month during men­struation. Pregnant women need even more iron. Teens and women nearing menopause also often come up short.

Studies show that women ages 18 to 24 get about 10.7 milligrams a day, which is nowhere near the Daily Value of 18 milligrams.