STRESS AND DEPRESSION
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." - George Bernard Shaw
A state of depression is said to exist when the brain, in confronting a stressful emotional problem, finds it difficult to cope with other attention-demanding actions at the same time. This phenomenon can become so all-absorbing as to incapacitate the person. In the long run, such a stressful drain on brain activity can produce different manifestations that are labeled according to the person's outward behavior pattern. Ten million Americans are said to be suffering from one form or another of such conditions. Infinitely greater numbers are experiencing, or will at one time or another experience, the milder forms of depression. Some form of depression is a natural phenomenon in the process of development and progress of any individual. It is in these states of consuming mental activity that characters are developed and the inner mettle of the individual is forged. Naturally, coping with different aspects of one's negative feelings is part and parcel of the process. Almost always, the state of depression is a passing phenomenon if love, care, and empathy are available to nudge the individual in the direction of a resolution of negative inner thoughts.
Unfortunately, some people will not be able to cope with the fear, anxieties, and angers associated with depression. In seeking professional help, they are given some form of medication. At the onset of chemical treatment of depression, the medications were less harmful. Today, they are very powerful and sometimes dangerous. Some form of them will strip from those treated the ability to emotionally feel for themselves, as well as for others. Some of these medications can destroy empathy and fix a negative idea in particularly vulnerable persons. They may more easily become suicidal, as well as antisocial and homicidal.
What I am explaining in this chapter is the reason for the inefficiency of the physiology associated with stress and depression. What I propose is the way to increase the efficiency of brain power to cope with extremely severe emotional stress and its outward manifestations of depression. I, myself, have experienced, and have observed in many others, all of the positive aspects to what I am proposing to you readers.
Pathology that is seen to be associated with "social stresses"—fear, anxiety, insecurity, persistent emotional and matrimonial problems—and the establishment of depression are the results of water deficiency to the point that the water requirement of brain tissue is affected. The brain uses electrical energy that is generated by the water drive of the energy-generating pumps. With dehydration, the level of energy generation in the brain is decreased. Many functions of the brain that depend on this type of energy become inefficient. We recognize this inadequacy of function and call it depression. This "depressive state" caused by dehydration can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome. This condition is a label put on a series of advanced physiological problems that are seen to be associated with stress.
If we understand the events that take place in stress, we will also understand chronic fatigue syndrome. In any case, after a period of time of correcting for dehydration and its metabolic complications, chronic fatigue syndrome will improve beyond recognition. The following pages define the physiological events and the possible metabolic overrides that can lead to depletion of certain body reserves that may be the basic problem in chronic fatigue syndrome.
THE INITIALLY SILENT COMPENSATION MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH DEHYDRATION
When the body becomes dehydrated, the physiological processes that will establish are the same ones that occur when coping with stress. Dehydration equals stress, and once stress establishes, there is an associated mobilization of primary materials from body stores. This process will "mop up" some of the water reserves of the body. Consequently, dehydration causes stress, and stress will cause further dehydration. In stress, several hormonal overrides become operative. The body assumes a crisis situation and will begin to mobilize for a "fight or flight" response. The body does not seem to recognize the social transformation of humans. It assesses all situations of Stress as though a "fight or flight" stance associated with work in an office. Several strong hormones become secreted and will remain "triggered" until the body gets out of its stressful circumstances. These homones are mainly endorphins, cortisone release factor, prolactin, vasopressin, and renin-angiotensin. to be maintained, even with stresses.
Dehydration: The main destructive factor in stress
The vicious circle and spiral. STRESS {to and from} DEHYDRATION
Vasopressin, WOMEN, Endorphins, Cortisone, Renin - Angiotensin, Prolactin.
Figure 9: A schematic presentation hormonal secretions during continued "spiral" of stress or chronic dehydration.
ENDORPHINS, CORTISONE, PROLACTIN, AND VASOPRESSIN
Endorphins prepare the body to endure hardship and injury until it gets out of danger. They also raise the pain threshold. With an injury that would have caused pain at a lower level, with the "umbrella" of endorphins, the body will be able to continue with its task. Because of childbirth and monthly menstruation, women seem to access this hormone much more readily. They generally have a greater ability to withstand pain and stress.
Cortisone will initiate the remobilization of stored energies and raw materials. Fat is broken down into fatty acids to be converted into energy. Some proteins are once again broken down into the basic amino acids for the formation of extra neurotransmitters, new proteins, and some special amino acids to be burned by the muscles. During pregnancy and at the time of feeding milk to the child, this hormone and its "associates" will mobilize a uniform flow of primary materials for the purpose of offspring development. If the action of cortisone continues for long, soon there will be some selective depletion from the amino acid reserves of the body.
Under the influence of cortisone, the body continues to "feed off itself." The effect of cortisone is designed to provide emergency raw materials for the production of most essential primary proteins and neurotransmitters-to get the body rover the hump." It is not designed for the continued breakdown of materials employed in the maintenance of the structural/integrity of the body. It is this phenomenon that produces the damage associated with stress, if the "stressor" maintains its unabated influence.
Prolactin will make sure that the lactating mother will continue to produce milk. All species have it. Prolactin will prime the gland cells in the breast to continue milk production even if there is dehydration or stress that will cause dehydration. It will prime the gland cells to regenerate and increase in quantity.
We should remember that although we concentrate on the solid composition of the milk, it is its water content that is of primary importance to the growing fetus. Every time a cell gives rise to a daughter cell, 75 percent or more of its volume has to be filled with water. In short, growth depends on the availability of water. When "water" is brought to the area, the cells will be able to access its other dissolved contents. This hormone is also made in the placenta and stored in the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus. In short, this hormone has a "mamotrophic" action. It makes the breast glands and their ducts grow. Growth hormone has much similarity to prolactin. They have similar actions, except that prolactin mainly targets the organs of reproduction.
It has been shown in mice that increased prolactin production will cause mammary tumors. In 1987,1 proposed in my guest lecture address of an internationally gathered select group of cancer researchers that chronic dehydration in the human body is a primary causative factor for tumor production. The relationship between stress, agedependent chronic dehydration, persistent prolactin secretion, and cancer transformation of the glandular tissue in the breast should not be overlooked. A regular adjustment to the daily water intake in women—particularly when confronting stresses of everyday life—will at least serve as a preventive measure against possible development of stress-induced breast cancer in the age group of women predisposed to this problem and prostate cancer in men. Vasopressin regulates the selective flow of water into some cells of the body. It also causes a constriction of the capillaries it activates. As its name implies, it causes vaso-constriction. It is produced in the pituitary gland and secreted into the circulation. While it may constrict blood vessels, some vital cells possess receiving points (receptors) for this hormone. Depending on the hierarchy of their importance, some cells seem to possess more vasopressin receptors than others.
The cell membrane—the protective covering of cell architecture— is naturally designed in two layers. Tuning-forklike solid hydrocarbon "bricks" are held together by the adhesive property of water (see Figure 14, page 85). In between the two layers there is a connecting passageway where enzymes travel, selectively react together, and cause a desired action within the cell. This waterway works very much like a moat or "beltway," except that it is a water-filled "beltway" and everything has to float in it.
When there is sufficient water to fill all the spaces, the moat gets filled and water will also get into the cell. There may come a time when the rate of water flow into the cell may not be sufficient, and some of the cell functions may become affected. To safeguard against such a possible catastrophic situation, nature has designed a magnificent mechanism for the creation of water filters through the membrane. When vasopressin hormone reaches the cell membrane and fuses with its specially designed receptor, the receptor converts to a "shower head" structure and makes possible filtration of only water through its holes.
The important cells manufacture the vasopressin receptor in greater quantity. Vasopressin is one of the hormones involved in the rationing and distribution of water according to a priority plan when there is dehydration. Nerve cells seem to exercise their priority by manufacturing more vasopressin receptors than other tissue cells. They need to keep the waterways in their nerves fully functional To make sure the water can pass through these tiny holes (which only allow the passage of one water molecule at a time), vasopressin also has the property of causing vasoconstriction and putting a squeeze on the fluid volume in the region.
Thus, the hypertensive property of the neurotransmitter vasopressin—better known as a hormone—is needed to bring about a steady filtration of water into the cells, only when the free flow and direct diffusion of water through the cell membrane is insufficient.
Figure 10 is designed to explain this mechanism. For more information on the cell membrane, read the section on cholesterol.
Water filtration through cell membranes.
A single nerve cell : The cell's long nerve, with many branches of fine connecting nerves.
A microscopic segment of nerve cell membrane: Vasopressin homone and its receptor, Water molecules only antering the cells, The receptor converts to a 'shower head' and filters only water molecutes into the cell.
Figure 10: A schematic model of a nerve cell, its bilayer membrane, and the vasopressin receptor that converts into a "shower-head" structure and allows for the filtered water from the serum to enter the cells that have the receptor. Vasopressin also produces vasoconstriction, which puts a squeeze on the blood volume to produce the pressure for water filiration reverse osmosis.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol will suppress the secretion of vasopressin from the pituitary gland. Lack of vasopressin in circulation will translate to general dehydration of the body-even in the brain cells. Now, a previously slight and easier-to-adjust-to dehydration will translate to a very severe drought in the "sensitive cells" of the brain. To cope with this "stress," more of the various hormones are secreted, including the body's own addictive endorphins.
Thus, prolonged use of alcohol may be instrumental in promoting addictive tendencies to endorphin secretion in the body- triggering the secretion of excess endorphins. Women, because of their natural tendency to increased endorphin production to cope with childbirth and their monthly menstruation, seem to become addicted to alcohol more readily than men. It seems that women become addicted to alcohol in about three years compared to men, who may become compulsive drinkers in about seven years.
Figures 10 and 11 will explain some of the possible contributory factors to the development of chronic fatigue syndrome during an expanding chronic dehydration. It can occur from the regular intake of caffeine-containing and alcoholic beverages in place of water. Vasopressin receptor is naturally designed to keep the waterways in the nerve systems fully topped up. Naturally, in dehydration is drastically reduced.
In severe dehydration, produced by the habitual intake of alcohol and caffeine, when water has to be urgently pumped into the "waterways" in the nerves, more blood circulation has to be brought alongside the nerves. The process will involve the release of histamine from the cells in the lining that cover the nerves. This will, at some point, cause an "inflammatory" situation that will eventually damage the lining of the nerves in the vicinity-at a pace faster than they can be repaired. The outward manifestations of such a "regional" process have been labeled as different nerve disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Now, their prevention and treatment become clear. I have seen it work in MS. See John Kuna's letter on page 70.
The transport system in the nerves
the nerve system, the energy and volition to do new work, A typical "telephone cable', A nerve cut across, nerve, A single nerve microtubules, The area of water drainage, Areas of lower viscosity around microtubes, vessels, The monorail microtube that drains the water in the vicinity, The transporter protein .
Nerve Cross-section Structure
In this image, you will find nerve cross section, nerve fibers, fascicle, endoneurium, blood vessel, perineurium, epineurium, unmyelinated nerve fiber, myelinated nerve fiber, spine nerve in Nerve cross-section structure.
Figure 11: A schematic model to demonstrate the mechanism of "float" transport within lesser viscosity microstream flow systems that become established around "monorail" type structures called microtubules-particularly along the length of nerves.
RENIN-ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM
Renin-Angiotensin (RA) system activity (see Figure 12) is a subordinate mechanism to histamine activation in the brain. The RA system is also recognized to be very strongly active in the kidneys. This system is activated when the fluid volume of the body is diminished. It is activated to retain water, and to do so, it also promotes the absorption of more salt. In either water or sodium depletion of the body, the RA system becomes very active.
Until water and sodium content of the body reach a preset level, the RA system also brings about the tightening of the capillary bed and the vascular system. It is designed to do this so there is no "slack" and empty space in the circulation system. This tightening can reach such a level that it becomes measurable, and we call it hypertension. You think a reading of 200 points is high? I have seen the blood pressure of a man without prior history of hypertension reach a level of 300 millimeters of mercury, 300 points, when he was arrested and taken to one of the Iranian political prisons to be shot.
The reason for this tightening of the blood vessels during stress is simple to understand. The body is a highly integrated and efficient complex multi-system. When there is stress, some of the available water is used for the breakdown of stored materials, such as proteins, starch (glycogen) and fat. To compensate for the lost water and to put the system into a squeeze, the RA system will also coordinate work with vasopressin and other hormones.
The kidneys are the main site of RA system activity. The kidneys are responsible for urine production and the excretion of excess hydrogen, potassium, sodium, and waste materials. All of these functions have to be maintained proportionate to the sufficient availability of water to be used to make urine. It is true the kidneys have the ability to concentrate the urine. However, this ability is not to be used to its extreme at all times, or it will eventually produce kidney damage.
Renin-Angiatensin Activity : Blood volume falls; Blood pressure falls; Sodlium (salt) depletion; these three lead to → Renin activation promotes angioansin production, in turn leads to → Water Intake; Vasoconstriction; Sodium retention; these will lead to →Inhibit renin-angiotensin activity after normal levels are reached.
Figure 12: A model of physiological events that will either stimulate or inhibit renin-angiotensin production.
The RA system is the pivotal mechanism for the restoration of fluid volume in the body. It is one of the subordinate mechanisms to histamine activity for water intake. It regulates the vascular bed to adjust for the fluid content of the circulation system. Its activity is decreased by the presence of more salt and water to fill the fluid capacity of the vascular bed. In the kidneys, it senses the fluid flow and the filtration pressure for its urine-making system. If the filtration pressure is not adequate for urine filtration and secretion, the RA system will tighten the blood vessels in this organ.
When the kidneys are damaged and urine production is insufficient, the RA system is more active. It promotes more salt intake and induces more thirst. Kidney damage may be the consequence of long-term dehydration and salt depletion that had triggered the RA system activity in the first place. But we have not in the past recognized the significance of the vascular tightening (essential hypertension) as an indicator of body's fluid loss. Now, insufficient fluid balance in the body may have to be considered as the primary factor in some cases of renal damage—to the point of needing kidney replacement. Once the RA system is turned fully ON, it continues its expanding pace until a natural switching system could turn it off. The components of the natural OFF switch are WATER and some SALT —in that order—until the measurable vascular tightening indicates a normal range.
The salivary glands seem to have the ability to sense salt shortage in the body. When there is sodium shortage, they seem to produce substances called kinins. Kinins promote added blood circulation and increased saliva formation in the salivary glands. This increased saliva formation (possibly to the extent that it would flow out of the mouth) serves two purposes: One, it lubricates the mouth during food intake in a dehydrated state of the body; two, its alkaline consistency and copious flow will assist in food breakdown and its eventual evacuation from the stomach. Within the integrated systems of the human body, the kinins of the salivary gland seem to also trigger activation of the RA system that will begin to influence all parts of the body.
Thus, sodium (salt) shortage in the body (which would also contribute to devastating water shortage outside of cells) could initiate a series of events that would ultimately produce essential hypertension and chronic pains in humans. The relationship of the salivary kinins to sodium depletion (salt depletion causes body water content loss) and ample saliva production, even if the body is fairly dehydrated, is the paradox in the natural design of the human body. It exposes the grossest error in considering the "dry mouth" as the sole indicator of water shortage in humans! Because of this very simple error, the practice of medicine and scientific research are light years off course. Much backtracking and revision to the already adopted views will be unavoidable. Let us hope "self protection" will not be an obstacle in the way!
What happens if we drink tea, coffee, or colas in place of water? Natural stimulants in coffee and tea are larger quantities of caffeine and lesser amounts of theophylline (theafelin). These are central nervous system stimulants; at the same time, they are dehydrating agents because of their strong diuretic action on the kidneys. One cup of coffee contains about 85 milligrams of caffeine, and one cup of tea contains about 50 milligrams of caffeine. Cola drinks contain about 50 milligrams of caffeine, part of which is added to standardize the recipe when extracting the active substances from the nuts of Cok accuminata.
These central nervous system stimulants liberate energy from the ATP storage pool and convert ATP to its burnt stage of cyclic AMP in the cells—at certain levels a strong inhibitory agent. They also release energy from liberation of calcium from its stored form in the cells. Thus, caffeine seems to act in an energy releasing capacity in the body. We all know about this final effect of caffeine; what we should also know is its override effect when the body does not wish to release energy for a certain action. In this way, the action of some hormones and transmitters will not be limited at a later time because of a possible lower level of stored energy. Caffeine will cause an override effect until a lower level of energy storage is reached. Cola drinks have exactly the same effect.
The effect of caffeine may at times be considered desirable, but constant substituting of caffeine-containing drinks for water will deprive the body of its full capacity for the formation of hydroelectric energy. Excess caffeine will also deplete the ATP-stored energy in the brain and the body—a possible contributing factor for shorter attention span in the younger, cola-consuming generation, or chronic fatigue syndrome as a result of excess coffee consumption In later life. Excess caffeine intake will eventually exhaust the heart muscle because of its over-stimulation. Recently, in some experimental models, it has been shown that caffeine inhibits a most important enzyme system— PDE (phos-pho-di-esterase)—that is involved in the process of learning and memory development. In reported experiments, caffeine impaired vision and memory components of the learning ability in the species involved in the experiment.
You must now realize why people with Alzheimer's dispase and children with learning disability should not drink anything other than water. Definitely no caffeine-containing beverages should be consumed.
Let us now connect all the information in this chapter with two different but related problems: hypertension and cholesterol formation—both leading to heart problems.
The operating mechanism for adaptation to dehydration, which will climax into vasoconstriction, are the same as mentioned for stress. Namely, the continued actions of vasopressin and the RA system are responsible for establishing the necessary adaptation to drought. They close a number of open capillaries in the vascular bed and increase the pressure/in the rest to squeeze water through the membranes into the cells in "priority organs." Do not forget: Dehydration is the number one stressor of the human body—or any living matter.
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