It’s a vicious cycle. First, an irresistible urge compels you to eat large amounts of food in one sitting. Days later, you’re at it again, wolfing down bagfuls of potato chips, cookies, or whatever else you can get your hands on. Extreme feelings of guilt and distress follow each episode, but even that doesn’t stop you from repeating this uncontrollable eating pattern over and over again. More than likely, you hide your behavior from everyone, choosing to suffer in silence.
If this pattern sounds familiar, you might be among the one to two million Americans who have binge-eating disorder. The hardest part may be looking for help.
When you are get used to hiding a problem like this, it’s extremely difficult to tell anyone about it—even your own doctor. Nevertheless, the first thing you should do is see your physician. You need to be diagnosed—and to find out what your treatment options are—before taking any nutritional supplement, says Nancy Dunne Boggs, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Missoula, Montana.
Most of those who have binge-eating disorder are obese, and the condition is slightly more common in women, affecting three women for every two men. What’s more, binge eating is the most prevalent eating disorder among African-American women, which may explain why they’re twice as likely as white women over 30 to be obese.
Research shows that mild to moderate depression is the most common cause, says Dr. Boggs, so it’s important to treat the depression with medication and counseling. Practitioners of alternative medicine say that one of the best ways to treat the depression associated with binge eating is to take a variety of nutritional supplements. Some vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other natural compounds can increase the levels of certain brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, that lift your mood, suppress your appetite, and eliminate cravings.
Bring in the Bs
Because binge eaters tend to consume large quantities of high-fat foods that have little or no nutritional value, many are deficient in important B-complex vitamins and the minerals chromium, magnesium, and zinc, says Susan Kowalsky, N.D., a naturopathic doctor in Norwich, Vermont.
The B vitamins are needed to manufacture important brain chemicals, such as serotonin, that are responsible for regulating your moods, emotions, sleep patterns, and appetite. Vitamin B6, in particular, helps convert tryptophan (an amino acid found in many foods) to serotonin in your brain, says Dr. Kowalsky. Serotonin is one of the chemical messengers that has been closely associated with many emotional states, including depression.
Vitamin B12 also facilitates brain cell communication so that other neurotransmitters can work together to help relieve depression. In addition, this vitamin helps your body make use of other mood-elevating brain chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine.
Dr. Kowalsky suggests taking a high-quality B-complex multivitamin daily. These may be labeled as B-50 or B-100 complex multivitamins, depending on whether they contain 50 or 100 milligrams of the B vitamins that are listed on the label. Many brands are available.
Mind the Minerals
Chromium and magnesium can help eliminate cravings and stabilize levels of blood sugar (glucose), which fluctuate wildly when a person binges on large amounts of food, says Dr. Kowalsky.
Take 200 micrograms of chromium and 500 to 700 milligrams of magnesium daily, says Dr. Kowalsky, but be sure to check with your doctor first if you have heart or kidney problems.
Another mineral, zinc, is also a player. Supplementing with zinc can help derail your appetite by activating a brain signal that tells you when you’re hungry and when you’re full. Dr. Kowalsky recommends taking 15 milligrams of zinc daily. If you take a multivitamin, you’re probably getting all you need, since that’s the amount found in most multis.
Boost Serotonin with 5-HTP
Binge eaters commonly produce low levels of serotonin, the chemical messenger that plays an important role in depression. As a result, their appetites become ravenous. They tend to crave high-fat carbohydrates and are less likely to receive a signal telling them that they’re full.
That’s where 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) can help. Shortly after you take 5-HTP in supplement form, the compound travels to your brain, where it is converted to serotonin. The boost in serotonin will suppress your appetite and activate the brain signal that tells you that you’ve eaten enough. You’ll be in better spirits, your binge eating will be under control, and you’ll eventually lose weight, says Dr. Boggs.
She suggests taking 50 milligrams of 5-HTP three times a day as a starting point. If you don’t notice any decrease in your cravings and binge-eating episodes after six weeks, take 100 milligrams three times a day. If there is still no improvement after six weeks, increase to 200 milligrams three times a day, but don’t exceed 900 milligrams daily. You can find this supplement in health food stores. Be sure you don’t take it with other medications, especially antidepressants, however, unless you talk to your doctor.
Break the Cycle with St. John’s Wort
St. John’s wort is at the top of the list among herbalists for treating binge-eating disorder caused by mild to moderate depression, says Dr. Boggs. Like 5-HTP, this herb raises serotonin levels in the brain, but its action is different.
Researchers speculate that St. John’s wort may inhibit the enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO), which breaks down serotonin molecules and other brain chemicals. Or perhaps it increases the action of serotonin at the nerve endings in the brain. (A number of pharmaceutical antidepressants work this way, too.) Attached to the receptor sites in your brain, the serotonin helps to boost your mood, stabilize your appetite, alert you when you’re full, and prevent binge-eating episodes.
To get the benefits of St. John’s wort, Dr. Boggs suggests taking 300 milligrams two or three times a day with meals. Look for a standardized extract containing 0.3 percent hypericin.
