Craving, tired and blue: do you recognize this cycle? You're craving carbs, gaining weight, fighting fatigue and mild depression. Duke University takes a look at the root conditions within this cycle of atypical depression and finds hope in nutritional therapy - Research

American Fitness, Jan-Feb, 2004 by Meg Jordan

If the root cause of atypical depression is metabolic or nutrient deficient in nature, it doesn't make sense to put people through unnecessary expense, not to mention the potential for risky side effects, with drugs that don't address the fundamental problem. Look forward to larger clinical studies on this recognizable pattern of atypical depression and the effect of nutritional supplementation. You can follow the progress or contact Nutrition 21 at www.nutrition21.com.

The body poorly absorbs chromium in food and supplements. Factors influencing absorption include health status, stage of glucose intolerance or diabetes as well as abosorption and stability of the chromium compound used.

Meg Jordan Ph.D., R.N:, is editor in chief of American Fitness, a medical anthropologist with a clinical specialty in behavioral medicine and author of The Fitness Instinct (Rodale Reach, 1999).