![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rovers95 on May 15, 2010, at 23:51:46
A while ago i took cinnamon and chromium together and i thought it made me feel noticeablly better, i attributed this improvement to the chromium. However, on taking chromium on its own induced what i beleive to be hypoglycemic symptoms. So, i tried cinnamon alone this week and have found that i laugh longer and generally feel better upon taking (nothing miraculous, could even be a placebo).
Just wondered if anyone else has noticed this and perhaps it could be good for someone who does better off sugars (like myself) or perhaps even because of its anti-oxidant potential?
cheers
Rover
Posted by Phillipa on May 15, 2010, at 23:51:46
In reply to cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by rovers95 on May 15, 2010, at 16:21:49
Rovers I'd like to follow sounds intersting Phillipa
Posted by linkadge on May 15, 2010, at 23:51:46
In reply to cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by rovers95 on May 15, 2010, at 16:21:49
cinnamon contains some natural stimulant like compounds, such as thebromine. Cinnamon also inhibits GSK-3b which is one theraputic target of mood stabilizing drugs and SSRI's (like
fluoxetine).I have noticed the same thing. I typically add some to my coffee or cerial. I wouldn't be suprised if the flavanoids don't inhibit monoamine metabolism pathways and as you mention, there is a strong antioxidant effect.
Posted by bleauberry on May 15, 2010, at 23:51:46
In reply to cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by rovers95 on May 15, 2010, at 16:21:49
Something that makes natural substances, plants, and herbs different than pharmaceuticals is that they have many different modes of action working in concert. There is probably no way to pinpoint exactly what cinnamon is doing, because it is probably doing multiple things across various biochemical pathways.
Cinnamon is sold in capsule form at health food stores, indicating that it must have some kind of therapeutic value.
I have not studied it much, only that it is somehow useful for people with infections such as Lyme and candida.
Thanks for reminding me. I'll try some tomorrow. :-)
Posted by Lao Tzu on May 16, 2010, at 11:53:48
In reply to Re: cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by bleauberry on May 15, 2010, at 23:51:46
Thank you for the information. That's interesting Some herbs can surprise you at times how they can potentially benefit for depression or mood. I'm not surprised that cinnamon helps. I had some good experience with ginger too, since ginger helps circulation and has antioxidant properties too. There are many common herbs that can potentially help with mood, some spices that you typically season your food with. Thanks again for the info.
Posted by janejane on May 16, 2010, at 15:20:49
In reply to cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by rovers95 on May 15, 2010, at 23:51:46
Am I correct that you were taking both cinnamon and chromium to help regulate blood sugar? (Interesting that chromium had a deleterious effect, but this is not the first time I've seen someone mention that happening.) Since depression can be a result of hypoglycemia and you've indicated problems with sugar, it doesn't seem surprising that your mood would improve from taking it, just due your blood sugar being better controlled.
Hypoglycemia seems to also be a problem for me, which I haven't quite figured out how to handle. Even when I cut down on sweets and eat protein before bed, I still always wake up in the morning feeling hungry and irritable. I did try chromium and glutamine and neither seemed to help. Cinnamon is something I've never seriously explored, so maybe it's time. How much are you taking, and do you notice feeling less hungry?
Posted by janejane on May 16, 2010, at 15:54:58
In reply to cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by rovers95 on May 15, 2010, at 23:51:46
I found this archived post which I thought you might find interesting:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20090727/msgs/919886.html
I don't really understand what the poster meant about insulin transport since all that chemistry stuff if above my head. After doing a little more research, I'm more confused than ever since it sounds like cinnamon increases insulin sensitivity, which might not be good for hypoglycemia after all. Hopefully someone who actually understands this stuff can chime in about this.
Posted by Lao Tzu on June 9, 2010, at 9:41:39
In reply to Re: cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by Lao Tzu on May 16, 2010, at 11:53:48
Been using cinnamon bark for different symptoms, such as high blood sugar, lipid profile, unexplained nausea and digestive upset. I find it to be a very good spice to use if you have any of these symptoms. So far so good. As far as its effect on mood, it seems to have a mild effect on depression, nothing that wonderful, and this may be due to its effect on blood sugar. I don't know for sure.
Posted by Lao Tzu on June 9, 2010, at 19:20:40
In reply to Re: cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by Lao Tzu on June 9, 2010, at 9:41:39
More energy as well during the day. A little anxiolytic and antidepression. I give it a thumbs up. Good spice.
Posted by Hombre on June 9, 2010, at 19:40:36
In reply to Re: cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by Lao Tzu on June 9, 2010, at 19:20:40
Awesome. In that case you might very well benefit from something like this:
http://www.chinesenaturalherbs.com/herb_pages/goldenbook.asp
which you'll notice contains cinnamon. It's helping to reduce my libido problems that I get from the SNRI. It, uh, gets the blood flowing.
The Shu Di Huang/Prepared Rehmannia Root is pure food for the kidney energy. The Fu Zi/Aconite Root is the other herb that, like the cinnamon, warms the kidneys. Kidneys are like your core batteries in TCM, related to adrenal and endocrine function.
Posted by Lao Tzu on June 11, 2010, at 9:45:09
In reply to Re: cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by Hombre on June 9, 2010, at 19:40:36
Thank you for the information. Will consider looking into it, but right now I have been trying to add individual herbs and spices to see what dosages I can tolerate and whether or not each one benefits me. Definitely, cinnamon and a little ginger are helpful. Might try turmeric next. As far as the chinese herbals, I'm interested but I don't know how they'll affect my system because of all the medication I'm on. I'm being very cautious, but I am interested in experimenting a little bit. Thanks again!!
Posted by Lao Tzu on July 4, 2010, at 9:36:31
In reply to Re: cinnamon has some anti-depressant qualities??, posted by Lao Tzu on June 11, 2010, at 9:45:09
For me, cinnamon doesn't do anything for my depression, but it does help with the sensations of mild nausea I used to experience at night. It is probably a good herb for digestive problems among other things, but I haven't noticed much change in mood from taking it. Actually, ginger has more of an effect on my mood than does cinnamon. Ginger helps with circulation, which could impact the brain in some way.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Alternative | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.