In this post I will discuss nutrient therapy and the dramatic impact nutrients, diet, toxins, and other elements have on our state of mind.
In my early years of school I would get crippling anxiety and sometimes I would get so upset I made myself sick. Around 6th grade of so, my teachers wanted to address my short attention span and behavioral problems in class. They diagnosed me with attention deficit disorder and prescribed me adderall. The adderall did not help and went off of it after a few months (Years later I would learn why the adderall didn’t help) [see the post on the [Flexner report] In the summer of 2004 as I was entering my senior year of high school, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was hospitalized in a psych ward at swedish american hospital in rockford. When I was released, I had been prescribed multiple medications. I call this time period “the zombie years”. When I graduated high school I attempted to find work and was employed with KSB Hospital in the housekeeping department. I was at KSB for nearly 5 years when I had a relapse and had to be hospitalized in early 2010. This time when I was released, I resumed working at KSB and despite being on medication I was struggling to stay focused on the job. One day as I was taking out the trash at the back of the building. While emptying the trash, I lit up a cigarette and little did I know someone from administration saw this. The next day I was fired on the spot. Sorry Julie!
After years of being on medication, I decided to do research for alternative alleviation mental disorders. Even at 17 years old I knew deep down that there was a better way to find relief and alleviation or even elimination of most symptoms. Years later I would find out what that was. Nutrient therapy uses the power of nutrients to correct various imbalances that can cause irregular brain chemical levels. There are surprisingly only a handful of nutrients that can mean the difference between a normally functioning brain and an abnormally functioning one. Some of them are surprising to discover. For example, histamine is the body’s response to allergens, but has a secondary function as an excitatory neurotransmitter. When you read the label of a box of antihistamines, it will sometimes have a warning of behavioral changes caused by the artificial manipulation of histamine levels.
The Mensah Medical Clinic uses the Dr. William Walsh and Dr. Carl Pfeiffer nutrient therapy approach to alleviate neurological conditions. I would liken using prescription drugs to remedy a condition (mental illness or other conditions) to having a sinkhole in your yard and covering it up with a tarp. The sinkhole is still there, despite not being seen by the naked eye, but one false step would be a disaster. Pharmaceutical drugs cover up the symptoms, while never addressing the underlying cause of the condition(and cause a myriad of side effects to boot). Haphazardly taking nutrients without knowing your biological profile can be downright detrimental, because having an excess of nutrients can be just as harmful as having a deficiency. Essential nutrients are called essential for a reason, because we need them. However, a throw all the darts at a dartboard approach can have serious repercussions, because I found that out first hand. In October of 2016, I visited a medical facility in the chicago suburbs and had multiple labs conducted to determine my nutrient profile. A hair follicle analysis (heavy metal test), a urine specimen(kryptopyrrole test), and blood serum (vitamin/mineral test) labs were all done to construct a full picture of a nutrient profile. After receiving the lab results I was absolutely amazed to discover 3 major nutrient imbalances. The labs concluded my kryptopyrroles were elevated(kryptopyrroles are proteins that rob the body of nutrients and can cause deficiencies over time), copper/zinc imbalance (copper overload and inadequate zinc), and % of free copper(excess copper that acts a free radical).
The overwhelming health concern for any brain disorder is an oxidative stress overload (chronic inflammation). Certain nutrients with antioxidant properties are the key to establishing a healthy balance of beneficial metals and purging the system of harmful free radicals.
The powdered multivitamin I was taking had a very high dose of copper. After the discovery of alarmingly high copper levels, I realized I was pouring gas on the fire by my daily vitamin regimen. Although I am a strong believer in a high quality multivitamin (particularly a highly absorbable powdered one) it was problematic for me because of the copper overload.
After two nearly two years of visiting the Mensah Medical clinic, I’ve noticed a tremendous difference within the first month of starting their recommended nutrient program. The labs show kryptopyrole levels(Kp), copper levels (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Copper to Zinc ratio (Cu/Zinc), ceruplasmin (Cp), free copper (%FC), histamine, TSH, vitamin D, homocystenine. After each visit, Dr. Mensah and Dr. Bowman adjust the dosage of nutrients in my compound to optimize health markers. At my last visit, Dr. Bowman advised me to take astaxanthan and quercetin to address the elevated histamine levels and also added more zinc to my compound to increase zinc levels.
Epigenetics and the MTHFR Enzyme
Similar to a train track diverter, genes can be rerouted by environmental factors. Flip the correct switches on and turn the bad ones off to ensure you’re “on the right track” and not going “off the rails”
Epigenetics is the study of environmental insults that impact our genetics. Certain genes can be switched on and switched off. Various stimuli influence which genes are being expressed. For instance, toxic mold within your home can negatively impact your gene expression and make sickness more likely.
The MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) gene is a large enzyme largely involved in a process called the methylation cycle. The methylation cycle involves multiple methyl groups (One carbon atom bound to 3 hydrogen atoms-CH3) that use raw materials: vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to make neurotransmitters. In a way it’s like an assembly line at a factory, if a SNP interferes with the production of neurotransmitters, a serious problem occurs. It is important to note there are several enzymes that influence production of neurotransmitters. The MTHFR enzyme is the largest enzyme involved in the methylation cycle, so it tends to be the culprit of a methylation disorder. Think of an enzyme (like the MTHFR) as a hard drive partition on a computer. If the partition is inaccessible (corrupted) it is unable to read the data. And is also the case for various enzymes in the methylation cycle.
The tug of war of the methylation cycle. In a methylation disorder certain enzymes throw off the delicate balance of methylation and wreaks havoc on the cellular level.
When it comes to genetics we are all 99.9% identical. It’s the .1% difference that makes us unique.
Think of our genes as computer code. If something is out of order (SNP) it can cause complications. And the larger the enzyme is, the more likely it is to have a snp within the genetic sequencing.
The graphic above illustrates the “brain chemical factory”. Once brain chemicals are created they travel through the brain neurons. The pre-synaptic neuron carries the brain chemicals(neurotransmitters) into the synapse. The synapse is the site where the neurotransmitters are exchanged with the receptor neuron. This influences our mood depending on which neurotransmitters are present and the duration they remain in the synapse. Once the receptor neuron absorbs the neurotransmitters, the reuptake process begins. This is one of the reasons SSRI(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs are used to treat those suffering from depression. The drugs artificially delay the re-uptake process to keep neurotransmitters in the synapse for a longer period of time.
One of the many problems with conventional psychiatry is the generic umbrella diagnosis of depression. Doctors assume depression is a caused by the brain not making sufficient levels of serotonin. Although there can be multiple people with clinical depression, the causes of depression in each of these individuals can be from different environmental influences.
Doing a google search on certain diagnoses does not tell you a thing about who they are as a person. It is an important thing to consider, because countless people with the same diagnosis, have radically different experiences.
There are many people currently dealing with mental disorders and also ones that are well known throughout history. Here is a list of well known people that have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
It’s important to establish a wellness plan to get healthy and to stay healthy.
Think of your brain as a puzzle. Once you implement different regimens and strategies, you’ll optimize your brain. One piece of the puzzle is diet, another piece is a exercise program, supplementing nutrients to ensure you’re meeting daily requirements, and another crucial piece is to avoid exposure to toxins as well as detox on occasion. It is key to slowly implement new strategies to make it easier to manage and stick with.
Mental Wellness is a type of choose your own adventure experience. Knowing your individual bio molecular profile equips you with the knowledge to find relief or even elimination from the symptoms of your diagnosis.
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