Written by Cass Nelson-Dooley, MS
Over the last few years, practitioners of all types have noted the rise in people seeking broader support for mental wellness. Whether increased energy, balanced mood or focused attention are the goals, targeted nutrition and botanical medicine can be utilized to nourish the nervous system. Diet and lifestyle can also be adjusted in support of better brain health.
By providing nutrients that the brain needs via diet and supplementation, integrative and functional medicine practitioners can optimize neurochemistry so that patients are more resilient to stressors.
The following 8 areas of health are worth investigating in patients complaining of poor mood, occasional anxiety, agitation, cravings, tiredness, disturbed sleep, difficulty coping, irritability, or distractibility. Finding and addressing the most relevant areas with proper nutritional supplementation and an integrative and functional medicine approach can give remarkable clinical results. The goal is to boost healthy neurotransmitter production and cellular energy, balance the gut-immune system, and calm the stress response.
Support these 8 key areas of biochemistry for better brain health:
- B vitamins
- Amino acids
- L-tryptophan
- Serotonin
- Norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine
- Blood sugar
- IgG food antibodies
- Gut dysbiosis
- Cortisol
Testing is available to assess these key areas, though it is not the subject of this blog. Plasma amino acids, urinary organic acids, salivary cortisol, stool testing, and food sensitivity testing can help to pinpoint exactly which of these areas is the problem/s for your patient. Follow-up testing can help to monitor treatment.
B Vitamins Boost Mood and Energy
The most impressive instance of B vitamins beating back sadness is the use of folate. Specifically, very high doses of methylfolate (15 mg) may be effective for difficult-to-treat unhappy moods. Although folic acid is the most common form of folate found in supplements and fortified foods, it requires the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) in order to convert it to L-methylfolate, the activated form of folate used by the body for many biochemical reactions. About half of the population have genetic variations that suppress the ability of the MTHFR enzyme to make this conversion. Patients with this genetic variation require the methylfolate form in order to make the best use of folate and folic acid. Metabolic Maintenance has L-methylfolate supplements containing 2.5 mg, as well as several higher doses: 5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg.
B vitamins are well known for their role in energy and good mood and a healthy stress response. Vitamin B6 has been used to maintain neuropsychiatric health. These nutrients are required by every cell in the human body. B vitamins are needed to make energy, make neurotransmitters, get rid of waste products, and carry out critical brain processes such as methylation. Our modern-day diet is devoid in these critical nutrients so most people are not getting enough.
Replenishing B Vitamins
Look for ingredients denoting an active form of the vitamin such as methylfolate, methylcobalamin, or pyridoxal-5-phosphate, such as those found in Metabolic Maintenance B-Complex, combined with additional L-Methylfolate if needed.
Amino Acids are the Building Blocks for A Healthy Brain
Most people aren’t aware of the profound effects amino acids have on their overall health. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. These tiny molecules build muscles, make enzymes, help patients detoxify, fuel cells to make energy, but most importantly for our discussion, they are critical for brain health. Amino acids themselves act as important brain chemicals influencing memory, feelings, cravings, appetite, sexual desire, and more. They control a person’s memory and how well and quickly they react to things. They also serve as the precursors of vital neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine (discussed later).
Given the fundamental role amino acids naturally play in brain health, it makes sense to support their levels in someone who is suffering with an unhappy mood, occasional anxiety, cravings for unhealthy substances, or who has a hard time dealing with daily challenges. Amino acids can be very energizing because they fuel the energy pathways in every cell.
Natural Brain Support
Suggestions to correct low amino acid problems are increasing dietary protein, adding digestive enzymes, and/or supplementing with Balanced Amino Maintenance from Metabolic Maintenance. This product is ideal because it contains all of the essential amino acids in their free form, which comprehensively supports amino acid levels throughout the body. Giving all of the essential amino acids except one can induce a deficiency in that amino acid. Amino acid supplements are best for patients who have trouble digesting protein and absorbing amino acids from the diet.
Tryptophan and Serotonin (5-Hydroxyindoleacetate)
The evidence is beyond overwhelming for the role of balanced tryptophan and serotonin in mental health. Tryptophan is an amino acid that comes from the diet and the body uses it to make serotonin. Serotonin is a feel-good neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep, mood, and even gut motility. People who have low serotonin may have an unhappy mood, trouble sleeping, occasional headaches, or unhealthy cravings. They might be prone to difficulty with emotional regulation as well as feeling sad. If serotonin is low, its “mother” amino acid tryptophan, is probably low also.
Tryptophan and Serotonin Support
Supporting healthy levels include eating more tryptophan-containing proteins, taking tryptophan, and/or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). B-Complex from Metabolic Maintenance and a multivitamin-mineral will help the body effectively synthesize serotonin and melatonin from tryptophan.
Norepinephrine and Epinephrine
These neurotransmitters are also known as noradrenaline and adrenaline. They are made from the amino acid phenylalanine by way of tyrosine and are involved in the stress response. If the body isn’t making enough of these neurotransmitters, patients may feel down and tired, and are missing out on sleep. In patients with cortisol imbalances, norepinephrine and epinephrine can be out of range.
Support for these neurotransmitters includes phenylalanine, tyrosine, B-Complex from Metabolic Maintenance, iron, vitamin C, copper, and SAMe or methylation factors.
Dopamine
This is another critical brain chemical that influences pleasure, motivation, appetite, movement, and hormone balance. Dopamine is especially important in people who are craving unhealthy substances, as these substances increase a person’s brain dopamine. The body makes dopamine from the amino acid phenylalanine, which is converted to tyrosine.
Support for dopamine synthesis includes phenylalanine, tyrosine, B vitamins, vitamin C, and iron. Balanced Amino Maintenance can provide the amino acid precursors.
Food Antibodies Play a Role in Headaches, Attention, and Tiredness
Certain foods can make a patient feel foggy-headed or even fall asleep right after a meal. Food sensitivities are reactions to food that are caused by an abnormal immune response to the food. They aren’t severe or life-threatening like food allergies, but they can be very uncomfortable and inconvenient. Common culprits of food sensitivities include wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and corn. The tricky thing about these foods is that you can find them in just about everything Americans eat every day.
Food sensitivities can cause occasional constipation and diarrhea, gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and interfere with a healthy inflammatory response in the colon. They can also cause headaches and rashes.
Food sensitivities can wreak havoc on the brain. They can cause poor attention, brain fog, and harm memory. They can contribute to an unhappy mood, occasional anxiety, and problems with emotional regulation. Getting rid of food sensitivities can make all the difference for someone to sharpen their memory, clear their mind, and lift their mood. It’s especially important for kids or adults who need to support calm behavior or optimal focus and attention.
While we don’t dive into the subject here, blood glucose balance is critical for good brain function and a healthy mood. If you suspect your patient has abnormal blood sugar, this should be one of your first areas of investigation.
Natural Support for Food Sensitivities
Treatment involves an elimination diet that may last 3 – 12 months. Other suggestions for repairing the gut lining include aloe, glutamine, and zinc carnosine, which help support a healthy inflammatory response and normal levels of oxidative stress. With food sensitivities, testing is warranted as well as addressing gut dysbiosis, which brings us to…
Mind The Second Brain—The Gut
When optimizing someone’s brain health, we have to remember the gut. It’s the second brain. That’s because it is second only to the brain in terms of neuronal networks and neurotransmitters. It has been estimated that 95% of the body’s serotonin is in the gut!
If a patient has microbial imbalance, in the gut, it can contribute to poor brain functioning. This could show up as sadness, feeling on edge, tiredness, agitated behavior, poor attention and focus, and weak memory. While healthful microbes provide benefits like making nutrients and supporting the integrity of the gut lining and normal inflammatory balance, less beneficial microbes can disrupt these functions, affect the brain and stop it from working at its best.
Natural Gut Support
Healthy gut environment support may include herbs such as those found in Happy Belly, digestive enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary changes. This can support a healthy inflammatory response and keep oxidative stress levels balanced.
Cortisol for Stress Response, Energy, and a Healthy Sleep-Wake Cycle
When it comes to brainpower and emotional health, cortisol levels need to be healthy. Cortisol is involved in the daily sleep-wake cycle, known as circadian rhythm. This hormone dictates when to wake up and when to go to sleep. It’s also involved in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), or our stress response system.
Cortisol is made by the adrenal glands, so you will often hear functional medicine providers talk about adrenal health, “adrenal fatigue,” or adrenal dysfunction. Cortisol imbalances are very common yet are missed by mainstream doctors because they often test blood cortisol, which is not a sensitive test for fluctuations of daily cortisol.
Patients that are tired, grumpy, have difficulty coping, and have trouble getting through the day probably have a cortisol imbalance. If they wake up tired but get an energy burst at night, or if they can’t sleep at night, check their adrenal health.
Adrenal Support Strategies
Support the adrenals with herbs and nutrients such as those found in Ashwagandha Plus. Sometimes adrenal concentrates are given to boost cortisol levels temporarily. Nutrients for the adrenals include B vitamins and zinc. Relaxing herbs such as lemon balm and passion flower, or the amino acid GABA, can help calm the stress response. Behavioral changes are also important if cortisol levels are depleted. These include reducing stress at home and work, resting, relaxing, meditation, and vacations.
Conclusions
Testing and addressing these eight areas of brain biochemistry can make a world of difference for people seeking support for mental wellness. Sadness, occasional anxiety, cravings for unhealthy substances, feeling as if life is overwhelming or unbearable, or irritability can be traced back to root causes that can be treated with integrative and functional medicine. Improving levels of precursor amino acids and vitamin cofactors helps to boost levels of critical neurotransmitters. Addressing the gut-immune system can have powerful impacts on brain function. Ensuring a healthy HPA axis and stress response can make a world of difference for “wired and tired” patients. This is not an exhaustive list, but these are time tested strategies to help a patient feel better emotionally with diet and lifestyle. Supporting healthy blood sugar levels is critical to help stabilize mood. Other natural treatments that are important for mental health include psychotherapy, exercise, diet, having a supportive community, light therapy, supporting a healthy inflammatory response and reducing oxidative stress, and more.
When you pinpoint the root causes of psychiatric challenges, you walk away with real solutions that have lasting health benefits, not just a Band-Aid over a symptom. Integrative and functional medicine providers use lab testing data to build a personalized protocol of diet, lifestyle, and supplement changes. That means patients don’t have to put up with nervousness, sadness, or mental health challenges for the rest of their lives. This natural and science-based approach can balance emotions and brain function for the long term, without side effects.