title: Selective dietary supplementation in early postpartum is associated with high resilience against depressed mood.
abstract: Medical research is moving toward prevention strategies during prodromal states. Postpartum blues (PPB) is often a prodromal state for postpartum depression (PPD), with severe PPB strongly associated with an elevated risk for PPD. The most common complication of childbearing, PPD has a prevalence of 13%, but there are no widespread prevention strategies, and no nutraceutical interventions have been developed. To counter the effects of the 40% increase in monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) levels that occurs during PPB, a dietary supplement kit consisting of monoamine precursor amino acids and dietary antioxidants was created. Key ingredients (tryptophan and tyrosine) were shown not to affect their total concentration in breast milk. The aim of this open-label study was to assess whether this dietary supplement reduces vulnerability to depressed mood at postpartum day 5, the typical peak of PPB. Forty-one healthy women completed all study procedures. One group (n= 21) received the dietary supplement, composed of 2 g of tryptophan, 10 g of tyrosine, and blueberry juice with blueberry extract. The control group (n= 20) did not receive any supplement. PPB severity was quantitated by the elevation in depressed mood on a visual analog scale following the sad mood induction procedure (MIP). Following the MIP, there was a robust induction of depressed mood in the control group, but no effect in the supplement group [43.85 ± 18.98 mm vs. 0.05 ± 9.57 mm shift; effect size: 2.9;F(1,39) = 88.33,P< 0.001]. This dietary supplement designed to counter functions of elevated MAO-A activity eliminates vulnerability to depressed mood during the peak of PPB.
authors.affiliation: Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 1R8.|Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; M5S 1A8.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T1R8.
authors.forename: Yekta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dowlati
authors.affiliation: Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 1R8.|Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; M5S 1A8.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T1R8.
authors.forename: Arun V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Ravindran
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3G3.
authors.forename: Zindel V
authors.initials: ZV
authors.lastname: Segal
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; M5S 1A8.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T1R8.|Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2C4.
authors.forename: Donna E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; M5S 1A8.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T1R8.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4L8.
authors.forename: Meir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Research Imaging Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 1R8; jeff.meyer@camhpet.ca.|Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; M5S 1A8.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T1R8.
authors.forename: Jeffrey H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D014364:Tryptophan / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014443:Tyrosine; D014364:Tryptophan; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase
keywords: monoamine; monoamine oxidase A; postpartum blues; prevention; prodrome