ANXIETY – A CLOSE COUSIN OF DEPRESSION, STARTS IN THE GUT....NOT THE BRAIN!!!!!

I’m going to make it clear out of the gate – this post covers the relationship between “gut health” and your mood and not from a psychiatric side…. although gut health has a direct effect with these cases. Simply put, anxiety is characterized by fear and apprehension, nervous thoughts and exaggerated worries about the future. Depression on the other hand revolves around a sense of hopelessness. Instead of saying “the sky is going to fall (anxiety), with (depression), the sky has already fallen”.

Over 85% of serotonin (happy neurotransmitter) and dopamine (relaxing neurotransmitter) are made in the gut…NOT THE BRAIN. Here are some interesting stats regarding the connection between the brain and the gut: • A study published in JAMA Psychiatry, concluded that autoimmune diseases and infections affecting the gut are risk factors for developing mood disorders. • In 2011, a study from McMaster University in Ontario was among the first to show that the gut itself can communicate with the brain and influence behavior. • A study published in Gastroenterology found that by switching a mouse’s gut bacteria with another significantly altered their behavior. • Studies have shown that probiotics increases the availability of tryptophan, the amino acid responsible in the production of the happy neurotransmitter serotonin. • 11% of children aged four the seventeen are diagnosed as having ADHD in America….and two-thirds are medicated. This behavior can be treated with dietary protocols. ADD and ADHD are next to non-existent in other nations (although Canada also over-diagnose this condition in my opinion)….and using medication to treat these conditions offer so many side effects and lasting repercussions. • Most ADHD patients have digestive complaints, especially constipation. The prevalence is almost threefold higher, whether taking medication or not. Research show clear data between brain function and the digestive tract in these cases. • GABA is largely deficient in the brains of ADHD children and also in another brain disorder: Tourette Syndrome. GABA is the “relax neurotransmitter”. Zinc, B6 and gut microbes are needed to produce GABA. The strains Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus are the specific types of microbes needed. • Providing probiotics, specific vitamins for the brain and essential fatty acids to kids with ADHD were found to provide the same outcome as Ritalin without side effects. More than 350million people are depressed around the world and taking anti-depressant drugs. These drugs only treat symptoms and not the root cause….and they come with over 42 side effects. Exercise has been shown to increase happy neurotransmitters in a much better way with no side effects than taking anti-depressants. In the USA alone, over $12 billion dollars worth are prescribed each year – that’s what you call a great business model, where most people become lifelong customers. Why is this an issue? This class of drugs causes: • Nausea • Increased appetite and weight gain • Loss of sexual desire and other sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction and decreased orgasm. • Fatigue and drowsiness • Insomnia • Dry mouth • Blurred vision • Constipation…..to only name a few. Doctors have a clear protocol to follow on how to put their patients on these drugs…but when it’s time to take them off, there’s no clear way to do this and it becomes extremely hard to do without major debilitating withdrawal side effects. Of course there is a need for these drugs but not to the rate they are being prescribed. Consider this: Antidepressants work by increasing the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin and yet the precursor (what is needed) for serotonin production is tryptophan (an amino acid), which is tightly regulated by the gut bacteria. We must look to the gut (what we eat and the state of our friendly bacteria) to understand depression and anxiety if we want to be successful at fixing our brain. Book a Consult Today! Covered by most Health Insurances Marie-Josée Brown, CHCP, ROHP