ISLAMABAD - A recent industry-funded study on antidepressant drugs has revealed that the medications can cause roughly 20 percent of patients to get worse depression symptoms than if they simply took nothing.
The study, which was largely controlled by drug giant Eli Lilly, is an eye-opener for those who still put their faith in antidepressants like Cymbalta (duloxetine), which carry with them life-altering side effects.
Ralitza Gueorguieva, lead author of the study from the Yale University School of Health, and her colleagues conducted trials on 2,500 people, all of whom were given either Cymbalta, various other antidepressant drugs, or a drug-free placebo for two months. At the conclusion of the study, most of those who received the placebo saw a gradual improvement in their depression symptoms, while nearly 20 percent of those taking antidepressants saw a worsening of their symptoms.
Those taking antidepressants rather than a placebo were grouped into one of two groups — “responders” or “non-responders.” Responders allegedly saw some improvement from the drugs, while non-responders saw no improvement at all. Eighty-four percent of all patients in the drug groups reportedly saw some improvement, while 16 percent saw no improvement at all — and this 16 percent actually saw a worsening of symptoms, as well as various other harmful side effects.
According to the study’s three authors is an employee of Eli Lilly, the company that makes Cymbalta, while another is on the company’s scientific advisory board.
What this all means is that patients who choose to use antidepressants, despite the numerous studies showing that they really do not work and can cause tremendous harm (as well as their doctors, need to pay close attention to what effect the drugs are having. If no improvement is seen, it is perhaps best to stop using the drugs completely and turn to alternatives.
Several recent studies have found, for instance, that S-adenosyl-L-methionine, also known as “SAMe,” is more effective in relieving depression than antidepressant drugs, and without all the harmful side effects. SAMe is a natural compound produced in the liver, and that is found throughout the body in areas like the brain and adrenal glands.
Enzymes can help with many ailments
Food enzyme deficiencies are America’s number one nutritional problem and are responsible for more disease than all other nutritional issues combined. Some experts consider this efficiency the most serious oversight in health.
Life does not exist without enzymes.  Each one of us was born with an adequate but limited supply of enzymes. In general, there are three categories of enzymes. There are the digestive enzymes that help us break down the foods we eat, metabolic enzymes help our body’s run, and food enzymes from raw foods that start the digestive process.
Each organ system depends on the function of about one hundred different enzymes so in order to maintain a state of health, we must make sure that nothing interferes with the function of these enzymes.
Unfortunately, those that consume most of their daily diet in a cooked or processed form are not supporting or supplying their body with what it needs to maintain and function properly.  Simply put, if we do not supply our body with enzymes from raw foods, our own supply runs out (heartburn anyone?) leaving us to borrow from the metabolic type. Our body is then robbed of energy needed for growth, maintenance, and repair or all its tissues and organ systems.  A simple example that most can relate to is the person that becomes tired or feels as if they could take a nap after eating.
One of the best ways to help maintain a healthy supply of enzymes is to eat raw foods daily. Some suggest 40% of the diet should be raw to prevent a breakdown in health. Not only do raw foods contain enzymes themselves, they contain vital co-enzymes (vitamins) that the body needs.  This is not as hard as you think.   A salad once or twice a day, a piece of fruit or two and snacking on some raw veggies make it easy to accomplish.
When you chew raw food, enzymes are released that help digestion begin helping to balance the workload of the rest of the digestive system. Unfortunately, foods containing preservatives or that is heat processed have no living enzymes. Research has proven that a diet of cooked and processed foods accelerates the aging process and leads to premature death.
Avoiding enzyme deficiency is a great way to improve health, reduce issues of chronic allergies and even maintain a healthy body weight. So how do we begin to replace our depleted enzyme pools? Most importantly by eating raw foods. There are many books dedicated to raw food diets and recipes if you want to elaborate.  No dinner table should exclude a raw salad.
For those that are not likely to eat 40-50% raw, digestive enzymes can make a significant impact. A high quality enzyme will contain specific enzymes to digest proteins (protease), fats (lipase) and sugars or carbohydrates (amylase). Taking these enzymes with your cooked meals will facilitate healthy digestion and even support weight loss.
By incorporating enzymes into your life, or more importantly, consuming more raw foods, you are taking a pro-active approach to your health, longevity and disease prevention.