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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Tooooja on August 10, 2004, at 5:19:35
Hi guys,
You may remember about a month ago I posted on here with some questions about whey protein and how it helped with depression. I found it to be really usefull and the best thing I've tried so far for smoothing out my moods and calming my mind down, i even found myself spontaneously bursting into laughter at people when they were behaving like arse holes, where previously these things would help me sink. After taking the whey daily for little over a month I noticed my skin starting to dry out, my nose began running and i got a tickleish/sore throat. So I posted on here to see if anyone knew what was likely to be causing these effects - thanks to everyone who posted back by the way.
It was suggested that it may be some kind of allergy to the whey, it being dairy and all and that being a major source of allergies. So to test this out I bought and tried some Soya protein, and to my surprise the soya protein also helped with my mood, the effect wasn't as noticeable as with the whey, but it definately was pushing in the same direction. Unfortunately the same is true of the dry skin effect which after several days on soya also began to reappear!!
I had read previously that it is the tryptophan component of the whey and soya proteins that give the mood lifting effects, I eventually managed to track a seller down on the web. It's almost impossible to get here in the uk. I took 500mg the first night about an hour before I went to bed. It definately had an effect, and it wasnt such a nice one, I can only describe the sensation I had, when going off to sleep that night - like I was falling off a cliff. The pull of sleep was so great that it really felt like that, not that i was gently drifting off to sleep but being sucked into it. I tried it again the next night, and had the same result, so I began trying it in the morning instead. The effect it had on my mood though was not dramatic, maybe a slight improvement, but nothing like the whey protein had, so it can't be the tryptophan that's having the positive effect on me.
After some more reading around I found another possible source of the effects in whey - L-Glutamine. This is another amino acid and is converted into an excitory neurotransmitter - Glutamic Acid, and an inhibitory neurotransmitter - GABA. I got some from my local health shop, tried it out and had a very positive result. The effects off this are very close to what I was noticeing from taking the whey, a nice calm mellow mood with a sharp focus, and a fast memory. Alas this also dries my skin out, and gives me the tickleish/sore throat.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to why this may be so??
I have read that excessive protein and amino acids increases the nitrogen levels in your blood, making it more acidic. Your body tries to maintain a ph balance by leeching calcium from your bones to neutralise the acidic blood. Could the increase in plasma calcium levels cause this dry skin effect?? Or is it due to an overly acidic blood ph??
Any ideas gratefully received.
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 14, 2004, at 19:58:58
In reply to Whey Protein for Depression Update, posted by Tooooja on August 10, 2004, at 5:19:35
> I have read that excessive protein and amino acids increases the nitrogen levels in your blood, making it more acidic. Your body tries to maintain a ph balance by leeching calcium from your bones to neutralise the acidic blood. Could the increase in plasma calcium levels cause this dry skin effect?? Or is it due to an overly acidic blood ph??
>
> Any ideas gratefully received.Whatever is going on, you can rest assured that it has nothing to do with blood acidity and calcium leeching.
I don't know where that notion came from, but I hope it goes to its grave soon. It is utter poppycock.
I'll take a look around, and see what I can find out, to help you.
Lar
Posted by Tooooja on August 16, 2004, at 4:24:36
In reply to Re: Whey Protein for Depression Update » Tooooja, posted by Larry Hoover on August 14, 2004, at 19:58:58
Yeah, the acidic blood and dry skin thing is something I arrived at after much searching on the web for a hint at how the protein may be causing my skin to dry. I couldn't find much really, but what I kept coming across were websites that say that too high a protein diet can cause your blood to tend towards acidic. Their theory is that your body needs to maintain your blood in a narrow margin of pH, around the 7.4 mark. Supposedly the mechanism by which your body corrects an acidic tending blood is by taking minerals from elsewhere in your body that are alkaline forming. They also say that for people who have a very high protein intake they are at risk of osteoporosis because of this effect.
I tried some more whey over the weekend, not a lot, only 30gs, and I started to feel a drying within about 15 mins. That's fast, really fast, and makes me think that maybe it is an allergy after all. I notice this first of all in between my fingers, as the dryness increses the friction between my fingers and I can feel it as they rub past one another. I also feel my mucus membranes drying up in my nose and wind pipe, which makes the air tickle in my throat as it passes through, and makes me prone to coughing.
My plan for the moment is to go veggie for a month - a lowish protein diet - as this problem seems to be protein related. And then give the whey a shot again, and if it's ok I will take it easy and only have it every other day, as I don't want to spoil it again.
Larry - Thanks for taking a look around for me, don't spend too much time, as I've given the web a real scouring and aint turned up much.
All the best.......
Posted by Tooooja on August 17, 2004, at 5:17:31
In reply to Re: Whey Protein for Depression Update, posted by Tooooja on August 16, 2004, at 4:24:36
I've just got my copy of the book 'The Healing Nutrients Within' by Eric R Braverman, and what a book it is. Its all about amino acids and how they are used in the body. Really interesting and rammed with info. I'm going to go through this and see if I can track down what may be causing the problems. I'll post back anything interesting I find. You never know it may be useful to somebody!!
Posted by Larry Hoover on August 17, 2004, at 9:43:25
In reply to Re: Whey Protein for Depression Update, posted by Tooooja on August 17, 2004, at 5:17:31
> I've just got my copy of the book 'The Healing Nutrients Within' by Eric R Braverman, and what a book it is. Its all about amino acids and how they are used in the body. Really interesting and rammed with info. I'm going to go through this and see if I can track down what may be causing the problems. I'll post back anything interesting I find. You never know it may be useful to somebody!!
>Great! I'll still take a look around, sometime later this week, probably. I have some stuff I need to get done, first.
Lar
Posted by Dr. Bob on August 17, 2004, at 21:18:49
In reply to Re: Whey Protein for Depression Update, posted by Tooooja on August 17, 2004, at 5:17:31
> I've just got my copy of the book 'The Healing Nutrients Within' by Eric R Braverman, and what a book it is...
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature at this site:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
The first time anyone refers to a book without using this option, I post this to try to make sure he or she at least knows about it. It's just an option, though, and doesn't *have* to be used. If people *choose* not to use it, I'd be interested why not, but I'd like that redirected to Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by JLx on September 25, 2004, at 18:15:25
In reply to Whey Protein for Depression Update, posted by Tooooja on August 10, 2004, at 5:19:35
It's my understanding that a high protein diet may deplete magnesium.
I had terrible dry, itchy skin before I started supplementing with magnesium.
JL
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