Are your medications triggering depression?

When Richard Farina wrote “Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me” in 1966, he knew the Beat and Hippie subcultures from the inside out — and felt the world was so topsy-turvy that feeling down was a kind of new normal, fuelled in part by drugs.

Finding that depression is a new normal because of common drugs they take is something an astounding 37 per cent of American adults can relate to, according to a study published in JAMA.

Researchers looked at the medication use of more than 26,000 adults from 2005 to 2014. Turns out, 203 oftenused prescription drugs, some of which are also available over-the-counter, have depression and/or suicide listed as side effects. The meds included proton pump inhibitors and antacids, as well as sedatives, anti-seizure meds, hormonal contraception, blood pressure and heart medications, and painkillers.

The research also showed that if you’re taking more than one of these, your risk of depression increases. Around 15 per cent of adults who use three or more, which is not uncommon, experience depression, compared with five per cent of folks taking none, and seven per cent of those taking just one. Drugs listing suicide as a potential side effect showed similar results. So if you’re feeling fatigued, sleeping too much or not enough, are sad or disengaged, or think about suicide, talk to your doctor about the prescription and over-the-counter meds you’re taking. You may want to explore alternatives, including lifestyle changes that could ease pain and digestive woes and lower blood pressure, or opt for nonhormonal contraception.

STAY THE COURSE AND DON’T YO-YO YOUR WEIGHT

According to the Museum of Yo-Yo History, the toy can be traced back to 500 B.C. Greece, but the modern name “yo-yo” may come from the French word “joujou,” meaning “little toy.” A 1789 painting shows a four-year-old heir apparent to the French throne, Louis Charles, playing with one. But neither young Louis nor, we bet, his up-and-down toy came to a happy ending. That was the year the French Revolution started, eliminating the monarchy. Now, a new study shows if your weight yo-yos up and down, you may be in for an unhappy ending, too.

In a study published in the journal Circulation, researchers looked at data from almost seven million healthy South Koreans with no history of heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol. Then, over the following seven years, they observed that folks whose weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels stayed consistent were far healthier than folks whose levels went up and down and up and down, even as little as five per cent. And folks whose numbers varied the most (the top 25 per cent) were 127 per cent more likely to die early, 43 per cent more likely to have a heart attack and 41 per cent more likely to have a stroke!

Bottom line: Avoid crash diets! The rebound weight gain can harm you. Instead, aim for losing one pound a week, and gradually see your blood pressure, glucose levels and lousy LDL cholesterol decrease. By maintaining consistency, you’ll be able to enjoy variety in your workouts, meals and the spice of life!

WHAT KIDS’ LACK OF SLEEP AND EXERCISE IS DOING TO THEM

Sister duo Chloe X Halle sings this: “Everything is new ’cause we about that innovation/Call it how we see it, we a genius generation/We all, we all, we all right/ The kids are all right!” Really? Those singing that anthem for the digital age might want to consider the findings of a new study: It seems the digital obsession that’s overtaken their up-and-coming fan base is dumbing those kids down. The kids are not all right.

An observational study of 4,500 American children, ages 8-11, published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health found that only five per cent of kids meet recommendations to ensure good cognitive development: less than two hours of recreational screen time and at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, plus nine to 11 hours of sleep nightly.

Sixty per cent of kids those ages spend too much time on screens. The average was 3.6 hours a day. So it’s no surprise that just 51 per cent of them get enough sleep (they’re online in bed) and only 18 per cent meet the guideline for physical activity (again, staring at a screen). That, say the researchers, reduces cognitive development, academic performance, reaction time, attention and memory. Here are a couple of ways to help your kids to be all right:

• Plan daily family walks and outings; get them participating in organized sports.

• Take digital devices (including computers) out of the bedroom at bedtime. That’ll help ensure nine to 11 hours of sleep so they’ll get up fresh for school.

Then the kids will be all right — and bright!

EATING WHOLE GRAINS CAN PREVENT TYPE 2 DIABETES

In the NFL and college football, a “prevent defence” often is used late in the game to prevent a long pass completion from an offensive squad that needs to score a touchdown with time running out on the clock. But if it’s not carried out correctly (as many pundits have said), the only thing it prevents is your team from winning.

The same is true with your own “prevent defence” against Type 2 diabetes. Execute it correctly, and you’ll defeat that disease. Mess it up, and you’ll have to contend with the complications that come from chronic elevation of blood glucose levels.

Now, you know 10,000 steps a day, ditching added sugars and syrups, highly processed foods and red meats (especially processed red meats) are essential parts of your defence. But did you know that eating whole grains puts extra muscle in your lineup?

Researchers recently reported in The Journal of Nutrition that 100 per cent whole grains, such as wheat, rye and oats, help block diabetes. Each half-ounce serving a day can lower your risk by 11 per cent (for men) and seven per cent (for women). And folks who ate a bit less than two ounces of these whole grains daily had the lowest risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Want an even stronger defence? Add fibre- and nutrient-rich broccoli, nuts (walnuts and pecans) and legumes in your fight against Type 2 diabetes. You’ll also get fatty acids that protect your brain health! Now there’s a prevent defence that really works!