Year: 2015
Type: dissertation
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common complication of childbearing with 13% prevalence. A dietary prevention strategy countering elevated monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) in early postpartum might be effective, since MAO-A is elevated by 43% early in postpartum, during healthy ranges of postpartum blues (PPB). Since greater severity of PPB increases risk for PPD, the aim of this thesis was to develop a widespread intervention based on tryptophan, tyrosine and blueberry extract. First we proposed to assess the effect of different components upon breast milk. Subsequently we aimed to develop a method to optimally quantify severity of PPB using the depressed mood induction procedure (MIP). At last, the ability of optimal doses of tryptophan, tyrosine and blueberry extract was investigated in reducing the intensity of PPB. Methods: 24 healthy breastfeeding women were randomly assigned to 2g, 5g, 10g tyrosine or no supplement, and 30 were randomly assigned to 2g, 4g tryptophan, 20g, 40g alpha-lactalbumin or no supplement. Four breast milk and seven blood samples were collected. For PPB quantification, 45 healthy women were recruited (23 vulnerable to sad mood and 22 non-vulnerable) and mood measures were completed before and after MIP. Finally, 26 healthy day-5 women were recruited into 2 groups: receiving dietary supplement (10g tyrosine, 2g tryptophan and blueberry extract/juice) or no supplement. Severity of PPB was measured before and after MIP. Results: Oral tyrosine, tryptophan and alpha-lactalbumin did not increase total tyrosine or tryptophan contents of breast milk (p=0.074 (trend to decrease), p=0.232 respectively) and plasma levels rose significantly (p
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Yekta Dowlati
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2899761264