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| ably aren't worried about declining mental faculties. David Benton of University College Swansea in England gave a group of 209 students, male and female, either a large dose of nine basic vitamins (including Bs, and C) or a placebo for a year. At the end of that period those who were in fact receiving the vitamins felt more ''agreeable" and in better mental health. |
| A key vitamin for mental well-being and health is folic acid. Folic acid helps catalyze the synthesis of most of our mood-regulating neurochemicals. In more than a dozen studies, blood levels of this B vitamin have usually been abnormally low in about one in every three or four depressed personsthe more severe or "typical" the depression, the lower the levels have been. Supplements of folic acid have often proven therapeutic. Just as low folate levels promote depression, high levels seem to deter it. Some studies, but not all, indicate that recovered depressives who have very high folate levels from diet or supplements are much less vulnerable to relapse. |
| These are very exciting times for the natural therapy movement. We now have quite a number of herbs and vitamins that can provide therapeutic relief to millions of individuals by helping to sustain a healthy emotional balance and positive outlook for effective training . . . naturally. |
| Herbal Antioxidants and Immune Boosters |
| Herbs are also natural substances that protect the healing system and help it neutralize harmful influences. Athletes often use herbal products when debilitated, recovering from illness or injury, or coping with excessive stress. Here are several herbs that are particularly good for athletes who are fatigued or feel they are slightly overtrained. Many of these herbs also function as antioxidants and protect your body against free radical damage. |
| Even if you are not ill or lacking in energy, you may want to experiment with this category of herbs to help strengthen your immune system and protect your body from the stress of everyday life and hard training. |
| Milk Thistle |
| Several hundred scientific research and clinical studies have |
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