From eNewsletter 12/11/2019
DID YOU KNOW that a new study from Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics has shown that drops containing a particular probiotic strain (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12) reduced the duration of daily crying by more than 50% in 80% of colicky infants who received the probiotic once daily for 28 days, with beneficial effects on sleep duration and on stool frequency and consistency? We recommend this strain exclusively to our infant clients.
CBT (not CBD) for Depression | Colicky Babies
Bonnie and Steve: Is Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) more cost effective than meds in the long run? A study from a recent Annals of Internal Medicine study confirms that it is.
Results from the study, as well as additional clinical and economic data, show that antidepressants for major depressive disorder were 70% more likely to be cost effective at 1 year, while CBT was 75% more likely to be cost effective at 5 years with a suggested efficacy advantage. What's novel about the findings is that either treatment choice would be reasonable. Additionally, if you look at it from a health economic perspective, either choice is also reasonable. Importantly, the safety profile of CBT is unblemished while we know the potential side effects of antidepressants. Most importantly, patients seem to favor CBT. While CBT is more expensive up front than medication because it requires a provider and several months of therapy, once CBT skills are learned, they can last a person a lifetime. For this reason alone, universal access to CBT should be available for all patients with depression. This is an especially cogent public health message given that the first non-funded antidepressant study on Zoloft was published in The Lancet in September, stating that it does not necessarily work for depression. Since the antidepressant sertraline (brand name Zoloft) was first approved in 1992, it's been a mainstay for doctors and psychiatrists prescribing medication for depression, but until now, all studies had been funded by the pharmaceutical industry. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined 653 people between the ages of 18 to 74, half were prescribed Zoloft while the other half received a placebo. After six weeks, the study found no evidence that Zoloft reduced depression symptoms, including low mood, loss of pleasure (anhedonia) and lack of concentration. Zoloft only made a small impact after 12 weeks. Most antidepressants are expected to start working after four to six weeks. It is important to note that those in the study who took Zoloft still said their mental health had improved overall.
WINTER RECIPES
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