WORTH TRYING! IF PROBIOTICS CAN POSSIBLY HELP DEPRESSION

Anything that might help this debilitating problem is definitely worth trying and I can see how possibly this might work. In holistic terms the body works as a whole, for too long orthodox medicine has pigeon holed ailments and for certain complaints, particularly  chronic ones this has not effected a cure. Interesting study and I would like to see further research on this.

Could eating yoghurt help treat depression? Study finds probiotics affect areas of the brain related to emotions and reasoning

• U.S. researchers found that eating yoghurt twice daily reduced activity in areas of the brain associated with emotion and pain
• But there was increased activity in areas associated with decision-making
• Mechanisms behind changes are unclear but it is clear that gut bacteria send signals to the brain that can change over time depending on diet
• Scientists hope that a probiotic therapy may one day be available for  conditions including anxiety, depression and even autism and Alzheimer's
• 
  

Probiotics found in natural yogurt could help boost a person’s mood because they affect brain function, according to new research.

Previous studies had shown that beneficial bacteria affected the brains of rats but no research has confirmed that the same occurred in human brains.

The study found that those who ate probiotic yoghurt twice daily for a month showed altered brain function, both in resting brain activity and in response to an 'emotional attention task', which was designed to monitor how the brain responded to certain emotions.

Dairy goodness: Scientists discovered that eating probiotic yogurt twice a day for a month reduced activity in areas of the brain associated with emotion and pain

It has been known for some time that symbiotic gut bacteria, the complex ecosystem of microorganisms that live in the human digestive system, promote health by boosting immunity, aiding digestion, as well as maintain a healthy weight and blood pressure.

It has also been known that the brain sends signals to the gut, which is why stress and other emotions can contribute to gastrointestinal symptoms. This study shows that signals travel the opposite way as well.

‘Our findings indicate that some of the contents of yogurt may actually change the way our brain responds to the environment. 

‘When we consider the implications of this work, the old sayings "you are what you eat" and "gut feelings'" take on new meaning,’ said Dr. Kirsten Tillisch of UCLA's School of Medicine, who led the study.

Beneficial bacteria found in fermented products such a yoghurt have long been known to boost immunity

‘Time and time again we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut. 

‘Our study shows that the gut-brain connection is a two-way street,’ she added.

Tillisch's team recruited 36 women of a healthy weight aged between 18 and 53.

They were assigned to one of three groups. One group ate a yogurt with live bacterial cultures  containing probiotic strains such as Bifidobacterium animalis, Streptococcus thermophiles, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus twice a day for one month.

Another ate a dairy product which contained no living bacteria, and another was given no dairy products at all.

Before and after the one-month study period, the researchers conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans on the women. 

In each session, they started with a five-minute scan of the brain at rest, while the women lay still with their eyes closed.

Afterwards, the participants were asked to perform an ‘emotional faces attention task’, in which their brains were scanned while they matched a series of angry or fearful faces on a computer screen to other faces that appeared.

The results showed that during the emotional task, women who ate the probiotic yogurt had reduced activity in a brain network that included the somatosensory cortex - which receives sensory information - and the insula, a brain region that integrates sensory feedback from internal parts of the body including the gut. 

You are what you eat?: Probiotic yoghurts are already very popular in the UK. The findings show that nutritional therapy could one day play a vital role in treating patients with disorders that cause pain and emotional upset

They also had reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and basal ganglia, which handle aspects of cognition and emotion.

The women who ate non-probiotic yogurt or no dairy showed either no change, or an increase of activity in this network over time.

In the resting state, the brain scans of the women who ate probiotic yogurt showed stronger connectivity in a neural network which connects the periaqueductal grey (PAG) &mdash a region of the brainstem involved in responding to pain and emotional stimuli — to areas of the prefrontal cortex related to aspects of cognition like decision-making.

Experts hope that one day probiotics may provide a therapy for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's

The women who ate no dairy, however, had stronger connectivity of the PAG to sensory and emotion-related parts of the brain, like the insula, somatosensory cortex, and amygdala.

The mechanisms behind these changes are unclear, wrote the researchers, but it's clear that gut bacteria send molecular signals to the brain that can change over time.

Dr. Emeran Mayer, who also worked on the study, said that what we eat alters the way our gut bacteria breaks down food. 

While diets high in vegetables and fibre promote healthy gut bacteria, the typical Western diet full of fats, sugars, and carbohydrates, can do the opposite.

The research team hopes to identify which signals from the gut bacteria lead to a shift in brain activity. 

People with digestive conditions linked to gut dysbiosis (an imbalances in gut bacteria) such as irritable bowel syndrome, might show such shifts in brain response if they are treated with probiotics.

Dr Mayer also suggested that specific probiotic strains in yogurt could have health benefits such as relieving anxiety, stress, and other mood symptoms over time.

As tests to analyse bacteria growth in individuals become more readily available, it will become easier to see how someone's gut bacteria makeup influences factors like brain development, stress, and pain sensitivity.

It is possible that changing the composition of gut bacteria could lead to treatments for chronic pain disorders, he said, as well as symptoms of brain conditions like autism, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's disease.

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DO PEOPLE WHO SUFFER DEPRESSION HAVE BROKEN BODY CLOCKS?

I'm always looking for suggestions to help people with depression as I feel so many people are ignorant and unsympathetic to sufferers of this ailment as like all mental illnesses there is a general lack of knowledge and understanding and it has a stigma it doesn't deserve. It's a hidden illness, in that it doesn't show physically but sufferers are ill and deserve as much sympathy and understanding as someone with say a broken leg. Often the causes of depression have a physical cause such as someone who has suffered a long term condition such as arthritis and the resulting chronic physical pain. Chemical imbalances in neurotransmitters can result in depression as do certain hormones Melatonin springs to mind as this is produced by the pineal gland deep within the brain and this hormone maintains circadian rhythms and interacts with serotonin a neurotransmitter which a lack of leads to depression. So the article below from the 'Daily Mail' does make sense.

Article from the Daily Mail below

Out of sync with the world: Depressed people suffer with 'broken body clocks'

• There is a link between depression and changes in the body's circadian rhythm, or body clock
• There is a daily rhythm to the activity of many genes across many different areas of the brain
• The pattern of gene activity is so distinctive that it can be used to estimate the hour of someone's death
• In people with depression clock is so disrupted that day pattern of gene activity can look like night pattern

Depressed people are out of synch with the rest of the world because their body clocks are broken

Depressed people are out of sync with the rest of the world because their body clocks are broken, according to a new study.
The discovery of disrupted body clocks in the brains of people with depression is the first link to be found between the condition and changes in the circadian rhythm.
It is hoped that the finding will allow for the development of better treatments.
Every cell in the human body runs on a 24-hour clock, tuned to the night-day, light-dark cycles in nature.
The brain acts as a timekeeper, keeping this cellular clock in sync with the outside world so that it can govern our appetite, sleep and moods.
However, new research shows that the clock may be broken in the brains of people with depression - even at the level of the gene activity inside their brain cells.
The discovery, published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences was made by studying differences in the donated brains of people who had been depressed and those who had not.
The research also revealed a previously unknown daily rhythm to the activity of many genes across many areas of the brain - expanding the sense of how crucial the body’s clock is.
In a normal brain, the pattern of gene activity at a given time of the day is so distinctive that the authors could use it to accurately estimate the hour of death of the brain donor.
However, in severely depressed patients, the circadian clock was so disrupted that a patient’s ‘day’ pattern of gene activity could look like a ‘night’ pattern, and vice versa.
Lead author Dr Jun Li, an assistant professor in the Department of Human Genetics at University of Michigan Medical School, in the U.S., described how the approach allowed the researchers to accurately back-predict the hour of the day when each non-depressed individual died - literally plotting them out on a 24-hour clock by noting which genes were active at the time they died.
They looked at 12,000 gene transcripts isolated from six regions of 55 brains from people who did not have depression. This provided a detailed understanding of how gene activity varied throughout the day in the brain regions studied.

In severely depressed patients, the circadian clock is so disrupted that a patient's 'day' pattern of gene activity could look like a 'night' pattern

However, when the team tried to do the same in the brains of 34 depressed people, the gene activity was off by hours. The cells looked as if it were an entirely different time of day.
Dr Li said: ‘There really was a moment of discovery.
‘It was when we realised that many of the genes that show 24-hour cycles in the normal individuals were well-known circadian rhythm genes - and when we saw that the people with depression were not synchronised to the usual solar day in terms of this gene activity.
‘It’s as if they were living in a different time zone than the one they died in.’
Depression affects one in ten adults in the UK at any one time but it is slightly more common in women.
At any one time one in 20 people in the UK will be experiencing severe depression.
The main symptoms are lasting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, losing interest in things you used to enjoy and feeling tearful.
There can also be physical symptoms such as fatigue, sleeping badly, having no appetite and aches and pains.

WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE OPTIMISTIC AND POSITIVE ABOUT LIFE

I came across this article today about research suggests being optimistic and having a sense of purpose helps you live longer, made me laugh really for us in holistic medicine and mediums have known this for decades.

THESE ARTICLES BELOW ARE EXCERPTS OF WHAT I'VE WRITTEN PREVIOUSLY

Hopefully these will give you some insight as to why being optimistic and positive about life will benefit your health

_____________________________________

Let's  start at the beginning. What is Stress?  a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances : he's obviously under a lot of stress | [in combination ] stress-related illnesses.
• something that causes such a state : the stresses and strains of public life. The trouble with stress is that it's not a universal level, everyone has their own threshold i.e. what is stressful to one is positively fine and stimulating to another.
We need stress for without it we'd have no motivation to do anything. Imagine this scenario: you've suddenly acquired a vast amount of money on the lottery, riches beyond your wildest dreams. So what's the first thing you do? likelihood you give up your job, people often find their jobs as stressful. You've got enough money so you don't need to work. That makes you feel less stressed, or so you think. Of course you buy the big house, the cars, the boat, designer wardrobe and you party. You really think you have it made. There comes a point though when you can have anything you want, you don't have to work for it, there's no sense of achievement, no goal in sight. You don't have to cook or clean what do you do all day? eventually you will run out of ideas and you will become bored, you will have no motivation to do or achieve anything. Stress is a catch 22 situation if you have no motivation, you become depressed and bored, the days are long that equals stress. So a certain amount of stress is necessary to motivate us and stimulate us and give us a reason to be here and a sense of accomplishment this can be seen simply as this:
Stress = Motivation > Stimulation > Accomplishment = Satisfaction

CORTISOL OFTEN KNOWN AS THE 'STRESS HORMONE'

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced within the adrenal cortex in the adrenal glands, these are cone shaped organs sitting on top of the kidneys. It's a very important hormone and responsible for proper glucose metabolism, helping regulate blood pressure, has a part to play in insulin and blood sugar levels and is part of the inflammatory response. It's often known as the stress hormone but as you can see that's only part of its functions, and this is because it's secreted in higher levels as part of the 'Fight or Flight response'. When secreted in short bursts its beneficial to the body as due to it's actions, it helps mobilise energy reserves, heightens memory and lowers response to pain. This is how and why it's beneficial in the 'Fight and Flight response', it acts quickly and helps survival, however today's stresses are not the same as yesteryear and therein lies the problem.
When there is prolonged secretion of this hormone, when stress is on going, it causes blood sugar imbalances, affects bone density, causing it to decrease and also causes a decrease in muscle tissue. It raises blood pressure affects the body's immune system making us more susceptible to infection and leads to poor healing. It also causes shifts in body fat by increasing more fat around the abdominal areas and leads to higher levels of cholesterol.

POSITIVE THINKING AND AFFIRMINATIONS

POSITIVE THINKING AND AFFIRMATIONS CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

The benefit of positive thinking has been proven through much research. What Affirmations do are to consciously harness the power of positive thinking and direct it to specific areas of your life that need attention or where you want to bring about change. 

Affirmations work and can really transform your life!

Affirmations and positive thinking are very powerful tools that can bring about healing and change. However negative thoughts are just as powerful and can be very self-destructive. Although we have no control over all what goes on in the world and certain aspects of our lives, we do have control over the way we interpret and how we deal to it.

"The thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experiences"
You experience your interpretation as an internal dialogue. Thoughts, judgements and feelings are ceaselessly swirling through your mind. Thoughts like: I like this; I don't like that; I am afraid of this; I am unsure about him/her. This internal dialogue is not random, it is generated from a deep level by your beliefs and assumptions which have been formed and accumulated from the time you were born. It is worth remembering that a lot of these assumptions and beliefs were formulated as a child and have never been re-examined and therefore may be highly inappropriate to you as an adult or just simply wrong. When someone's interpretation changes, a change subsequently takes place in their reality. Thus we can make big changes in our lives by changing our thinking. We can start simply with positive thinking and Affirmations and then go further with Neuro Linguistic Programming.

The first step is being aware, being aware of how we are thinking, it is then we can change old patterns and mind set.

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is  therapy  which seeks to educate people in self-awareness and effective communication, and to change their patterns of mental and emotional behaviour".

The co-founders, Richard Bandler and linguist John Grinder, believed that NLP would be useful in "finding ways to help people have better, fuller and richer lives".They coined the term "Neuro-Linguistic Programming" to emphasize their belief in a connection between the neurological processes ("neuro"), language ("linguistic") and behavioral patterns that have been learned through experience ("programming") and can be organized to achieve specific goals in life.

It is often noted as a "science of excellence", derived from the study or "modeling" of how successful or outstanding people in different fields obtain their results. Bandler and Grinder claimed that if the effective patterns of behaviour of outstanding therapists (and other exceptional communicators) could be modeled then these patterns could be acquired by others.

_________________________________________ 

ARTICLE BELOW FROM THE DAILY MAIL

Thumbs up: Why optimism may help you live longer

• Optimistic people less likely to suffer a stroke

We all like to feel needed. But new research suggests having a sense of purpose is good for our health, too.


In a study of 7,000 people, those with the strongest sense of direction in life were over 70 per cent less likely to suffer a stroke.

The researchers accounted for other aggravating factors such as blood pressure and alcohol use and believe the effect comes through regulating the immune system.



Happy days: Those with a strong sense of purpose in their lives are less likely to suffer a stroke 


‘Maintaining a purpose in life not only increases quality of life but may improve physical health and increase longevity,’ says clinical psychologist Eric Kim, who led the study at the University of Michigan.

More than 150,000 people have a stroke each year in the UK.


It has long been thought that pursuing meaningful activity after retirement is important for physical and mental health – which often declines dramatically soon after retirement.



Thumbs up: A positive outlook on life can improve your health 


But while past research focused on the detrimental effects of negative psychological traits, such as depression and anxiety, new research is investigating how positive traits, such as optimism, protect against illness.

In the recent study, men and women aged 50 and over were tracked for four to five years and completed psychological tests while researchers recorded strokes.


The results show that the higher someone’s sense of purpose, the lower their risk of a stroke.

Those with the greatest sense of purpose were 73 per cent less likely to suffer a stroke compared to those with the lowest.


Other research has shown that positive mood can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, also implicated in stroke.

‘This is significant as we have an ageing population and it helps show what behaviours inoculate people from getting ill,’ says Cary Cooper, professor of health psychology at Lancaster University.


‘Maybe retirement is not good for some.’

NEW TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION

I came across this article in the Daily Mail today, whereby low energy lasers are used instead of needles in acupuncture to alleviate the symptoms of depression. Unlike conventional drug treatment, where patients may suffer side effects, there are none with this form of acupuncture. It's useful too where people have a needle phobia and there is no risk of infection as the skin is not punctured

Beam of light that can help banish black dog

Antidepressants are the most common form of treatment for depression, and NHS prescriptions for the drugs are at a record high.
But latest figures suggest only 50 to 65 per cent of patients who take the pills notice an improvement in symptoms.
And there is a risk of side-effects such as nausea, poor sleep, diarrhoea, constipation and erectile problems.

Laser acupuncture involves stimulating the pressure points targeted in traditional acupuncture, but using low-energy lasers rather than needles

But could laser acupuncture be an effective way to treat the problem, without side-effects?
That’s the suggestion emerging from a small new Australian study, which found patients with depression reported fewer symptoms and better mood after 12 sessions of the treatment.
Laser acupuncture involves stimulating the pressure points targeted in traditional acupuncture, but using low-energy lasers rather than needles.
More than three million people in the UK use the ancient Chinese medicine as a treatment for everything from chronic pain to infertility.
It is also available on the NHS: under guidelines from NICE (the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), acupuncture can be given for the treatment of lower back pain.


Western medicine is at a loss to explain the benefits of the needle therapy.
The most popular theory is that it stimulates the release of ‘feel good’ chemicals called endorphins, though there is only a small amount of evidence to back this up.
Using lasers could be safer and more popular than the conventional treatment, as they do not carry a risk of infection and are more acceptable to patients with a needle phobia.
To test the treatment, researchers at the University of New South Wales and the University of Sydney recruited 47 men and women aged 18 to 50 with a history of depression.
Half were given the laser therapy twice a week for four weeks, then once a week for another four weeks.
The beam was powerful enough to stimulate acupuncture points on the back, neck and trunk but not to cause burns or damage the skin.

Latest figures suggest only 50 to 65 per cent of patients who take antidepressants notice an improvement in symptoms

Acupuncture points are the areas on the body that, according to Chinese medicine, need to be stimulated in order to restore good health.
The rest of the group were given a ‘dummy’ laser, which shone a light on the skin but contained little or no laser energy.
The researchers, who were from the department of psychiatry at the universities, measured the response in terms of how much symptoms improved on a recognised depression register, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.
The lower the score, the better a patient’s mental health.
The laser group average score dropped from 14.14 to 9.8, while the placebo group saw hardly  any change.
The results, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Affective Disorders, showed those given the real laser therapy were  still seeing the benefits three months later.
Professor Tony Cleare, a specialist in affective disorders at King’s College London, said some studies had shown a benefit from acupuncture but others had not.
He added: ‘There is little evidence that, in depression, acupuncture to specific areas of the body is any different from acupuncture in random areas.
'This suggests that if acupuncture is having an effect, it isn’t in the way that acupuncturists think.’
Beth Murphy, head of information at the mental health charity Mind, said: ‘We welcome news of any new therapies being developed for depression, especially those associated with fewer side-effects.’

__________________________________________________

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CAN A GOOD BOOK HELP BEAT DEPRESSION?

Can a good book help beat depression? It won't eradicate it but it sure will help, anything that takes your mind off anxieties, worries and sadness it sure to help and reading aids escapism. They don't necessary need to be novels, any book that interests you is aiding escapism and taking your mind of what is making you feel they way you do. Sometimes even reading about feelings as in poetry can help and it makes you feel you are not alone and it helps express how you feel. Anything no matter what it is, is worth trying, be it reading, listening to music, painting, where you can lose yourself is excellent.

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Article from the Daily Mail below

Can a good book help beat depression? GPs draw up list of 27 'mood-boosting' reads to help those with mental illness

• Therapeutic qualities of books hoped to help those with depression, anxiety and stress
• List includes Cider With Rosie, A Small Island and The Secret Garden 

It is the rural idyll that has given happiness to generations of book-lovers.

Now Cider With Rosie is to be recommended by GPs across the country, in the hope that its therapeutic qualities will help those with mental illness.

The book, which chronicles the Gloucestershire childhood of author Laurie Lee, is one of a new list of ‘mood-boosting’ books which experts hope will help those with depression, anxiety and stress.

Stress-buster: Reading can help you relax and escape and this is a good strategy for dealing with stress and anxiety

The list also includes Bill Bryson’s Notes From A Small Island, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden and Salmon Rushdie’s Haroun And The Sea Of Stories.

It will be advertised on leaflets distributed by GPs from May as part of the ‘Books on Prescription’ scheme, supported by the Department for Health.

The official list of was drawn up by the Reading Agency via book groups, many catering to people with anxiety and depression.

And it may not be long before the likes of Fifty Shades Of Grey By EL James are also being recommended, as readers have been invited to submit their own suggestions.

The book is one of a 27-strong list of 'mood boosting' books which will help those with depression

It is hoped those with ‘mild to moderate’ mental health conditions will try out the idea before turning to prescription drugs - many of which can have unpleasant side effects.

Debbie Hicks, director of research at the Reading Agency, said: ‘Readers chose books which they thought had qualities that promote well-being.

‘We have funny and humorous titles and you also get books that have quite breath-taking experiences in them.

‘Reading is a really good stress-buster. It can help you escape to another world and get out of your everyday life.

‘There’s lots of evidence that reading can really help you relax and escape and this is a good strategy for dealing with stress and anxiety.’

The scheme was announced yesterday by the Society of Chief Librarians as part of a new national strategy for Britain’s libraries.

It will run alongside the ‘Books on Prescription’ scheme, which allows GPs to ‘prescribe’ self-help books stocked at local libraries.

On each prescription leaflet will also be a recommendation for the patient to dip into the ‘mood-boosting’ reading list.

Almost every library in the country has agreed to stock the approved list of self-help books and mood-boosting books.

In addition, the books will be distributed in colleges, hospitals and workplaces around the country.

Research by Mindlab International recently revealed that out of a range of activities, reading reduced stress the most - by 67 per cent.

Uplifting: Crime comedy The Big Over Easy and the heart-warming Home To Big Stone Gap

But experts warned it is intended to supplement any treatment a patient is undergoing - rather than acting as a fail-safe ‘cure’.

The suggestions for the 27-title reading list were submitted by more than a dozen reading groups, with a panel of judges at the Reading Agency selecting the best.

They said Bill Bryson’s 19996 book was chosen for its humour value, while the Secret Garden, published in 1910, was selected for its escapism.

Cider with Rosie, published in 1959, has stood the test of time as a favourite of the nation having sold over 6 million copies worldwide.

Also featuring on the list are Lucy Diamond’s 2011 ‘chick lit’ novel The Beach Café, E. H. Gombrich’s 1935 non-fiction A Little History of the World, and Jasper Fforde’s 2005 crime comedy The Big Over Easy.

Put a smile on your face: Bill Bryson's travel book and E H Gombrich's chronicle of human history

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BOOST YOUR MOOD WITH MUSIC

It's well known how music can affect us, it can cause us to cry, it can uplift and comfort and can touch our souls. You may well have your own playlist you use to good effect. The article below is from the Daily Mail and may give you a head start to boosting your mood and anything that can uplift us surely is worth trying.

Want to boost your mood? Try listening to the Prince, Bob Marley and the Beach Boys 

• Researchers say a fast pace, predictable melody and punchy beat are key to mood-boosting
• Claim acapella songs can also give us a boost.
  

 

Scientists have revealed why particular songs make us happy - and say those with a high-pitched voice are best at boosting our mood.

The research reveals the elements that go into making a song a happy one, such as a fast pace, predictable melody, and a punchy beat.

Now neuroscientist Dr Jack Lewis, who led the study, has created an 11-track 'prozac playlist', which includes hits by Prince, Beachboys, and Bob Marley.

Researchers say that listening to artists such as Bob Marley (pictured) can improve our mood. they also found Prince and the Beachboys can have a similar effect

THE 'PROZAC PLAYLIST'

• Prince - Sexy Dancer
• BB King - Let The Good Times Roll
• Beachboys - Surfing USA
• Curtis Mayfield - Victory -
• Norman Jay remix
• Bob Marley - Three Little Birds
• Muddy Waters - Got My Mojo Working
• Boney M - Sunny
• The Darkness - I Believe In a Thing called Love
• Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama
• Outkast - Hey Ya
• Future heads - Acapella
• Harder Better Faster - Daft Punk
• M People - Moving on Up
  1812 - Tchaikovsky

Source: rara.com

Tunes sung without backing music - 'acapella' - and those that remind us of happy times in our life, such as a wedding, are also said to give us a boost.

Dr Lewis, who conducted the research for music streaming site rara.com, said it was essential to get the brain's 'reward pathways' firing.

He looked for music that stimulates the limbic and reward systems - areas of the brain responsible for generating emotions and sensations of pleasure.

And he claims certain musical styles stimulate all of these areas, producing a natural 'high' much like that created by good food and sex.

Dr Lewis said: "Even though it is typically seen as a 'sad' genre, early blues has all the hallmarks of music that can make you smile.

'Let the Good Times Roll' by undisputed King of the Blues, B.B. King is a good example.

'The simple, stripped-down style of his music with a punchy yet predictable brass and percussion rhythm get the brain's reward pathways firing.

'And his unparalleled string-bending and vibrato technique made the guitar sing with an emotional, vocal quality sure to get the limbic system cranked up.'

Dr Lewis said it was important for singers to connect with listeners on an 'emotional level' and revealed 'acapella' tracks were best placed to do this.

He said: 'Music is so ingrained into humans that it doesn't need instruments to have an effect on us.

'When we hear emotion in a human voice our brains are tuned to feel some of this emotion ourselves. 

'This is fundamental to empathy.'

Researchers say that listening to the Beach Boys can improve your mood - and fast paced, catchy songs are key

'The harmonisation between several voices will activate the reward pathways, and can make you feel on top of the world.

'Indie rockers The Futureheads have produced an entirely 'a cappella' album, 'Rant' - it's highly recommended to get the brain tapping.'

The doctor revealed any song that 'reminds you of a time when you were blissfully happy' has the power to put you back in that mood.

He said: 'Perhaps it's music from an unforgettable summer music festival, your wedding day, or the opening track of a set from your favourite concert back in your younger days.'

Music that gets the heart pumping and skin tingling is also said to trigger brain pathways of euphoria.

Dr Lewis said: 'Any music that gets your heart pumping and your skin tingling can enable the brain to cast worries away.

'One example is the thrilling climax of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

'Such music does this by causing deactivation of the brain area that orchestrates the fear response - the amygdala - making us feel less anxious.'

He added: 'Singers often communicate the 'happy' emotion using the upper register of their voices.

'When this happiness rubs off on us, premotor brain areas - which control our vocal muscles - automatically become more active.

'That is why you can find yourself singing or humming along without even realising.

'Other songs in this vocal style include Mika's 'Grace Kelly', Scissor Sisters' 'Comfortably Numb', and most of Prince's output to date.'

Dr Lewis revealed that some songs are 'inherently happy'.

Songs played in a major key, at a fast pace with a simple, predictable melody combine to create a universally positive sound.

However, more melancholy tracks are often played in a minor key, at a slower pace and with a meandering melody.

Nick Massey, CEO of rara.com said: 'We all enjoy listening to music, but Dr Jack's findings prove it is genuinely good for us.

'That is true whether you want to beat the January blues, or just put a smile on your face anytime.

Maggie Brown (Author)

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SUGARY SOFT DRINK LINK TO DEPRESSION

There are studies that often say coffee is bad for you here is one that says the opposite. However I have posted this as studies have shown there is a link between fizzy drinks and depression, it's worth trying leaving off the fizzy drinks for a while to see if it makes a difference and it has been shown the acid qualities of fizzy drinks are bad for dental health.

Sugary soft drinks may raise risk of depression - with diet versions causing the most harm

• Four cans of pop a day raised depression risk 30%
• But drinking four cups of coffee decreased risk by 10%

Cutting out sweetened diet drinks could lower risk of depression, say researchers

If you are feeling low, it may be best to lay off the fizzy drinks and have a cup of coffee instead.
A study has linked soft drinks to depression – with diet versions particularly problematic.
Coffee, however, appeared to have the opposite effect.
The finding comes from US researchers who studied the drink consumption of 265,000 men and women aged 50 to 71.
Ten years into the study, the volunteers were asked if they had been diagnosed with depression in the previous five years.
Those who drank more than four cans of soft drinks a day were 30 per cent more likely to have had depression than those who drank none, the American Academy of Neurology conference heard. The risk seemed greater among those who preferred diet drinks.
The researchers said this may be due to the presence of the artificial sweetener aspartame, which yesterday was provisionally given a clean bill of health by the European Food Safety Authority, following a review.

Unsweetened coffee could lower the risk of depression

Making the link does not prove soft drinks cause depression.
But researcher Honglei Chen said: ‘While our findings are preliminary and the underlying biological mechanisms are not known, they are consistent with a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages may be associated with poor health.’
The study found that those who had four cups of coffee a day were 10 per cent less likely to become depressed than non-coffee drinkers.
Dr Chen said this may be due to the caffeine in coffee stimulating the brain.


The British Soft Drinks Association urged caution over the findings and pointed out that the scientists themselves said that more research is needed.
Previous studies have linked soft drinks to heart attacks, diabetes, weight gain, brittle bones and pancreatic cancer.

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ARE YOU A SCOFFAHOLIC?

Since we are fast approaching the festive season, it will soon be new year and time to make resolutions for 2013, so it might be a good idea to read the article below especially if you are a person who regularly makes a resolution to eat healthily and aim for a healthy weight.

ARTICLE FROM THE DAILY MAIL BELOW

Rise of the scoffaholics: Are you one of 2.5 million Britons who gorge on too much food? Find out with out experts' guide to the five types of overeater

An incredible 2.5 million Britons gorge on too much food. Are you one of them? Find out with our experts’ guide to the five types of overeater . . . and be warned: if you tick three boxes in any category, you might need help

Can't say no: Millions of Britons struggle to turn down food, snack too much or binge in secret

Maggie Brown (Author)

Visit Amazon's Maggie Brown Page

Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

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