In Small Open Study, Dietary Supplement Improves Post Partum Blues
Post-partum depression affects 13% of new mothers, but little is known about how to prevent it. Doctors are researching ways of reducing post-partum blues, which can occur 4–6 days after delivery, when levels of the enzyme monoamine oxidase-A are high. At a 2015 scientific meeting, researchers led by Yekta Dowlati of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at the University of Toronto reported that a nutritional supplement designed to counteract the high levels of monoamine oxidase-A improved depression among 17 healthy women who had recently given birth, compared to 16 new mothers who did not receive the supplement. The supplement contained 2g of tryptophan and 10g of tyrosine, both amino acids found in protein-rich foods, plus blueberry juice and a blueberry extract.
