The Medical Advisor

Up to 2.5% of children and 8.3% of adolescents suffer from depression, a condition that’s associated with significant complications later in life, including an increased risk of suicide, substance abuse, physical diseases and problems with work, academic and psychosocial functioning. (1) It’s believed that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in why some children develop depression, and increasing attention has been placed on the role of dietary factors and nutrients such as vitamin D, which is ideally obtained via sun exposure. Further, one-carbon metabolism, which includes vitamin B12, folate and homocysteine and which plays a role in many biological processes and maintaining cellular homeostasis, has been investigated for its role in psychiatric disorders, including depression in adults. (2) After exploring the link further, researchers from Ordu University in Turkey revealed that low vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels, along with increased homocysteine, may play a role ...

According to the most recent statistics, loneliness is at "epidemic" levels in the U.S. In a 2018 Cigna insurance health survey 1 , 2 , 3   of 20,000 individuals aged 18 and over: 46% report sometimes or always feeling lonely 47% say they feel left out 47% say they do not have meaningful in-person social interactions or extended conversations on daily basis 43% sometimes or always feel the relationships they have aren't meaningful 43% report feeling isolated The loneliest are young adults between the ages of 18 and 22. This age group also rated their health the lowest, which correlates with science linking loneliness with a greater risk for obesity, 4  heart disease, 5  anxiety, 6  dementia 7  and reduced life span. 8  In fact, maintaining strong and healthy social connections has been linked to a 50% reduced risk of early death. 9 , 10  Similarly, emotional loneliness is linked with...