Trudy Scott Anxiety Nutrition Solutions & Every Woman Over 29

BPA Exposure: Anxiety, depression and hyperactivity in children

September 21, 2016 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

bpa-exposure

BPA is a chemical that’s found in hard plastics. And it behaves in a very similar way to estrogen and other hormones in the body. And because of this it’s called an endocrine disrupter. And we may find it in water bottles and it’s actually found in baby bottles as well. Interestingly enough, it’s found in dental fillings and sealants and other dental devices. And it’s used as a coating inside food containers and drink cans. So it’s very prevalent. It’s also used on receipts. So we are exposed to it in many different ways. And unfortunately children and babies are especially sensitive to the effects of BPA.

These are snippets from my response to questions Dr. Jay Davidson asks me during my interview on the Detox Project (an online summit) which runs Sept 26 to October 3: can we start talking about neuroendocrine and the toxic effects of maybe something like BPA, Bisphenol A? What is it? Where is it found? And then of course you’re the anxiety expert, so how does that even tie into anxiety as a chemical?

There have been a number of papers that look at the direct effects of a chemical such as BPA on anxiety. And there was a paper actually published earlier this year in March. And it was titled “Bisphenol A Exposure and Children’s Behavior: A Systematic Review.” And what that means is they’re looking at the results of a number of papers. And I’ll just read a few quotes here from the paper.

“We concluded original studies reporting on the association between prenatal and childhood BPA exposure.”

So they’re looking at exposure to BPA before the child is even born. They found that prenatal exposure was related to high levels of anxiety, depression, aggression, and hyperactivity in children. Think about how many kids are put on ADHD medications. Maybe it’s an issue simply because they were exposed to BPA before they were even born.

They also found that BPA exposure in childhood was associated with high levels of anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems.

So we’ve got to really look at the chemicals and see is that causing some of these problems. And so it’s always getting back to the root cause and not necessarily thinking, “Well, we need to go ahead and medicate right away.”

I also cover why BPA-free is no longer an option, what to use instead of plastic, the effects of pesticides in our foods and the toxicity of benzodiazepines. My interview is called: Toxicity of Benzodiazepine Medication for Anxiety.

Detoxify your body to aid in prevention of – and possibly overcome – chronic illnesses! The unhealthy amounts of chemicals and toxins in our bodies are causing tremendously negative consequences! Let’s overcome this crisis! I hope you can join us to hear the many topics being covered:

Kelly Brogan, MD -Toxic Impact of Antidepressants
Suzanne Somers – Tox-Sick: From Toxic to Not Sick
Jeffrey Smith – The Toxicity of Glyphosate and GMOs
Wendy Myers – Toxic Metals that Cause Fatigue and How to Detox Them
Narelle Chenery – Toxic Chemicals Found in “Natural” Skin Care Products!

Use this link to register for access:
https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/DETOX16reg/trudyscottcn/

Use this link to purchase at pre-summit special prices:
https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/DETOX16order/trudyscottcn/

Bile and modified citrus pectin for detox: Medicinal Supplements Summit

September 16, 2016 By Trudy Scott 23 Comments

Wendy Myers, co-host of the Medicinal Supplements Summit, addresses minerals, toxins and heavy metals and shares one her favorite supplements for detox support: modified citrus pectin. This entire interview is fascinating!

I just love Ann Louise Gittleman’s interview on the importance of bile for absorbing fats, hormone production, removing toxins, thyroid health, digestion and anxiety, and so much more. For promoting bile production and thinning, she covers choline, taurine, beets, lipase, bitter greens, apple-cider vinegar, hot lemon water and more.

Tune in to hear these entire interviews and all the other great speakers!

You can use this link to register for access https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16reg/trudyscottcn/

And use this link to purchase at summit special prices https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16order/trudyscottcn/

Sugar vs fat, BPA in cans, PCOS awareness month: in the news

September 16, 2016 By Trudy Scott 2 Comments

sugar-vs-fat

Sugar vs fat, BPA in cans, and PCOS awareness month are all in the news this month so here are some links to more information on each of these topics.

This shocking NPR article covers this new paper about the sugar vs fat debate: 50 years ago, sugar industry quietly paid scientists to point blame at fat

In the 1960s, the sugar industry funded research that downplayed the risks of sugar and highlighted the hazards of fat, according to a newly published article in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The article draws on internal documents to show that an industry group called the Sugar Research Foundation wanted to “refute” concerns about sugar’s possible role in heart disease. The SRF then sponsored research by Harvard scientists that did just that. The result was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1967, with no disclosure of the sugar industry funding.

It’s hard to believe that researchers would do this! The worst part is that this type of thing is still happening. You can read some of Marion Nestle’s commentary at the end of the above article.

At least now research sponsors do have to be disclosed so we are hopefully getting better at preventing this type of thing. We must always look at who funds a paper.

canned-foods

A CNN article, Canned foods linked to BPA risk in new study reports:

A study published in the journal Environmental Research on Wednesday not only reveals that consuming canned foods can expose our bodies to BPA, it pinpoints the worst offenders.

The study suggests that canned soups and pasta can expose consumers to higher concentrations of BPA than canned vegetables and fruit – and although those foods are tied to BPA concentrations, canned beverages, meat and fish are not.

BPA stands for bisphenol A, it’s a chemical that is found in plastics and it behaves in a very similar way to estrogen in the body. Because of this it’s called an endocrine disrupter and has an impact on depression, ADHD and anxiety.

An animal study published in 2015, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperactivity accounts for anxiety- and depression-like behaviors in rats perinatally exposed to bisphenol A reports

hyperactivity of the HPA [hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis] is an important link between perinatal BPA exposure and persistent potentiation in anxiety and depression

It’s unfortunate they didn’t get a commentary from the Environmental Working Group which has a great short Guide to BPA.

pcos-yoga

September is PCOS awareness month and here is some wonderful information on yoga for anxiety and PCOS, from my friend and PCOS expert Amy Medling at PCOS Diva. I’m such a big fan of yoga for stress and anxiety but had no idea it could improve these PCOS symptoms:

Yoga can reduce anxiety symptoms, reduce mFG score for hirsutism, improve menstrual frequency, insulin values and more according to a 2012 study. For more about the benefits of yoga for women with PCOS check out this blog post: 5 Reasons Why Yoga is Beneficial for PCOS

In case you’re not familiar with PCOS, Amy shares this overview on her site

PCOS Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders found in women, affecting approximately 10% of women worldwide, with less than 50% of them diagnosed. The syndrome is present throughout a woman’s life from puberty through post-menopause and affects women of all races and ethnic groups. Women with PCOS wrestle with an array of possible symptoms including obesity, irregular menstrual cycles, infertility, depression [and anxiety], acne, and hair loss. Far reaching health implications such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes make these already stressful symptoms even more daunting.

What do you think? Are you shocked about the sugar study discovery? Do you already avoid BPA? Do you have PCOS or know someone who has PCOS?

DPA to end comfort-eating, end weepiness and boost endorphins

September 10, 2016 By Trudy Scott 83 Comments

The Medicinal Supplements Summit runs September 12 -19 and is dedicated to helping you learn the latest in supplement customization to boost energy, lose weight, beat stress, improve brain function and heal your body!

My interview addresses amino acids for both anxiety and depression – I talk about GABA, tryptophan, 5-HTP (and when not to use it), DPA, glutamine and tyrosine.

Wendy asks me to share more about DPA for the low endorphins kind of depression, comfort eating, emotional pain, weepiness and physical pain. Here are some snippets on this topic from my interview:

DPA is D-phenylalanine. It’s an amino acid that actually destroys the enzyme that breaks down endorphins. Endorphins are feel-good chemicals that we may relate to when you hear about getting an endorphin rush, when you go for a run or when someone gives you a big hug or when you do something nice for someone or someone does something nice for you, you get that nice sort of feel good feeling, like you’ve got this big hug kind of feeling. So taking this amino acid, DPA, helps, in essence, to raise your endorphins.

There are different kinds of depression. I mentioned the low serotonin depression, which is more the anxiety kind of depression. With the low endorphin kind of depression, you’re very weepy. You may be overly emotional. So if you watched a TV ad or you watched a really sad movie, you may be more prone to crying than the average person. As well as being sensitive to emotional pain, which is the crying and the weepiness, you also tend to be sensitive to physical pain.

So we know that doing acupuncture raises your endorphin levels. And in that way it helps with pain. So taking this amino acid will help with that emotional sadness that you often feel when you’ve got low endorphins. And it is very, very helpful for physical pain as well. I find a number of clients with physical pain that is related to low endorphins. Pain can be related to low oxalates or nightshades, something physical, or even osteoarthritis. So you’ve got some kind of physical issue. But if it’s related to low endorphins you’ll actually see a really nice pain reduction effect from it.

Now, the big thing with low endorphins is this comfort eating. So I mentioned earlier with low serotonin you have the anxiety and the depression and the afternoon and the evening cravings. With low endorphins, as well as this emotional aspect and the pain aspect, the cravings part is very much a comfort kind of craving.

It’s like, “This is my reward. This is my treat. I deserve it.” And when you consume those carbohydrates, that bowl of ice cream, that bowl of cereal, that chocolate chip cookie, you feel like this is my reward. I deserve it. So a lot of people will resonate with the low endorphins kind of emotional eating. And when they get on DPA their mood improves, and this comfort eating goes away.

Tune in to hear my entire interview and all the other great speakers!

You can use this link to register for access: https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16reg/trudyscottcn/

And use this link to purchase at pre-summit special prices:
https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16order/trudyscottcn/

Erin Matlock: talk about suicide, don’t gloss over it and don’t flinch!

September 9, 2016 By Trudy Scott 29 Comments

erin-matlock-talk-suicide

Earlier this week when Erin Matlock shared her “Changing Fate” video from the Superhero You live event she said this:

This is hands down the most personal and most difficult talk I’ve ever given. In it I read from my own suicide note.

Please help us send this video out into the world so that people who are suffering alone can see that they are so very not alone.

I was very moved to share this video and since it’s National Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10th, I’ve added to her wonderful message by sharing some powerful nutritional resources too.

You can WATCH the entire 16 minute video from the SuperheroYou live event VIA THIS LINK on the SuperheroYou facebook page. This is what Superhero You founder Jim Kwik shared when posting the video:

If you feel broken, alone, or unhappy, this might be the most important video you watch today.

Most of us think suicide is something that happens to strangers – not to people we know. But someone dies by suicide every 40 seconds. That’s 15,385 people this week and 800,000 people this year. If you have 1,000 Facebook friends, 60 of them have thought about suicide in the past year.

Erin Matlock knows this struggle well. She battled major depression for 15 years and had 4 escalating attempts on her own life. Today, Erin is a mental health advocate and founder of the Brain Summit, an online platform where experts present the latest tools and techniques to upgrade your brain. In the video, Erin shares how neuroscience helped her during this time, the challenges that even the happiest-seeming people might face, and what you can do if you (or someone you love) might be struggling.

Erin also talks about Cynthia Pasquella’s struggles with depression and saying “my brain is trying to murder me.” Here is her powerful blog where she bravely and openly shares: Let’s Talk About Depression – Because Most People Won’t And It’s Killing Us

Here is the resource list Erin shares:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (United States 24 hour hotline)
1-800-273-TALK

Samaritans (United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland 24 hour hotline)
116 123 (UK) and 116 123 (ROI)

Beyond Blue (Australia 24 hour hotline and resources)
1300 22 4636

To Write Love On Her Arms
A nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.

Mind
A UK charity with an extensive collection of information about mental health.

HeadsTogether
A UK Mental Health Awareness Campaign spearheaded by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

PsychologyToday Therapist Directory
Find Help From A licensed Therapist In Your Area

EEG Info Neurofeedback Provider Directory
Find a qualified clinician in your area

Advanced Brain Technologies Provider Directory
Music Listening Therapy

Fisher Wallace Stimulator
FDA approved device for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Stimulates the brain to produce serotonin while lowering cortisol.

You can find more wonderful resources from Erin on the Brain Pages and her website

In addition to the above resources Erin has so kindly shared I’d like to share some powerful and effective nutritional resources too. Just like anxiety, depression often has a biochemical and nutritional component and getting to the root cause of these imbalances and deficiencies can often completely eliminate the depression and suicidal thinking.

I hear this from Anxiety Summit attendees all the time:

Why has no-one told me that food and nutrients could have such an impact on my anxiety and panic attacks?

The same could be said for depression and suicidal thinking.

I also hear this from many in my community:

My anxiety (or depression) is SO severe there is no way that diet and nutrients could make a difference!

This is not true and I encourage you to have an open mind about this. We now have much research and so many integrative practitioners and nutritionists doing this work and seeing incredible results. My colleague (and prior Anxiety Summit guest expert) Dr. Josh Friedman is one such practitioner and he has a wealth of information on his facebook page Integrative Depression Solutions. Here is just one example of a post:

nutrienta-and-mental-illness

The article was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry: What if nutrients could treat mental illness? and it starts with this sentence:

We are at a tipping point in psychiatry. With few psychiatric drugs on the horizon and long-term studies suggesting medication may do more harm than good, it is time to revisit the very old idea that nutrition can have a positive effect on mental health.

You can hear more about this topic in Julia Rucklidge’s TEDX talk: The surprisingly dramatic role of nutrition in mental health and read more about nutritional medicine in modern psychiatry from the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research/ISNPR, and it’s founder Felice Jacka.

Here are some other nutritional resources for depression. Don’t let the word anxiety deter you – for some people anxiety is their biggest issue, for other it’s depression and the same underlying causes can be factors in both conditions.

60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety, a check-list to rule out possible underlying causes

The Anxiety Summit, an online event I host, now in its 4^th season and called “a bouquet of hope”

The Depression Sessions, an online event hosted by Sean Croxton

The Mental Wellness Summit, an online event hosted by Dr. John Dempster and Ross McKenzie

The Medicinal Supplements Summit, co-hosted by Wendy Myers, airs next week (I cover both anxiety and depression in my interview)

The Brain Summit, hosted by Erin earlier this year. I was fortunate enough to get to know Erin earlier this year, both as a speaker (I talked about grass-fed red meat and tryptophan) and by listening to her interview many wonderful brain experts like Alex Doman (who talked about music therapy for vagus nerve rehab).

A Mind of Your Own: The Truth about Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives, the wonderful best-selling book by Dr. Kelly Brogan

The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions–Today, the excellent book my mentor, Julia Ross

The Antianxiety Food Solution: How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, my book on anxiety

There is hope and just know there is an answer for you! Start by talking about how you feel, ask for help and work with someone to help you find your underlying cause and solution.

I know Erin’s courage and wisdom will get more people starting the conversation about suicide. And as she so wisely says:

talk about suicide, don’t gloss over it and don’t flinch!

I’d like to challenge you to be a superhero and talk to at least three people about suicide in the next week, whether you’re the one having suicidal thoughts or whether you’re the one concerned about a loved one or friend who may be having suicidal thoughts. Don’t gloss over it and don’t flinch!

Zinc deficiency alters chick gut bacteria makeup and function

September 2, 2016 By Trudy Scott 11 Comments

chick-gut-mulfunction

A press release published by Cornell University shares research that has found that zinc deficiency alters gut bacteria makeup and function:

The researchers used broiler chickens in the study, partly due to their omnivorous appetites – which allowed the researchers to feed them purified diets – and because of their fatty acids and genetic similarities to humans.

There is a great diagram in the actual study: Chronic Zinc Deficiency Alters Chick Gut Microbiota Composition and Function. It explains the proposed mechanisms by which a zinc-deficient gut microbiome may perpetuate a zinc-deficient state.

zinc-chick-diagram

Figure 8. Schematic diagram depicting proposed mechanisms by which a Zn [zinc] deficient gut microbiome may worsen a Zn deficient phenotype. Zn deficiency (1), caused by insufficient dietary Zn (2), induces a decrease in gut microbial diversity (3), and an outgrowth of bacteria particularly suited to low Zn conditions, leading to dysbiosis [3A–C]. Lack of dietary Zn also leads to alterations in the functional capacity of the microflora (4), causing multiple effects including decreased expression of pathways related to mineral (i.e., Zn) absorption (4A) and carbohydrate digestion and fermentation (4B). A decrease in the latter pathway may also cause a depression in the production of SCFAs [short chain fatty acids] (5), compounds responsible for improving the bioavailability of Zn. Altogether, these microbial effects may decrease Zn absorbability (6A) and disturb GI health (6B), thereby perpetuating a Zn deficient state. Red arrows and orange–lined boxes denote observations of this study, and dashed arrows and black–lined boxes describe published findings.

The above is shared here under the Creative Commons Attribution License and can be found here: Reed, S.; Neuman, H.; Moscovich, S.; Glahn, R.P.; Koren, O.; Tako, E. Chronic Zinc Deficiency Alters Chick Gut Microbiota Composition and Function. Nutrients 2015, 7, 9768-9784.

Zinc status is notoriously difficult to assess so I am fascinated by the findings of this Cornell University study suggesting

a simple new way to test for zinc deficiency by analyzing a patient’s fecal sample and seeing if the profile of gut bacteria matches the makeup one would expect in a zinc-deficient individual.

The authors suggest that with additional research this zinc stool test could become a noninvasive biomarker for zinc deficiency.

Zinc deficiency is common, affecting 25 percent of the world’s population, especially in the developing world.

Zinc deficiency plays a major role in anxiety and depression. Here is a recent paper on the connection between low serum zinc, high CRP (a marker of inflammation) and pre- and post-natal anxiety and depression: Lower Serum Zinc and Higher CRP Strongly Predict Prenatal Depression and Physio-somatic Symptoms, Which All Together Predict Postnatal Depressive Symptoms.

New research, soon to be published by the Journal of Neuroscience by researchers at the University of Auckland, shows the importance of zinc in autism. The study looks at how zinc can affect brain cell communication that is altered at the cellular level.

The researchers suggest this research may have applications for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia (and presumably anxiety and depression too).

I feel that we have an under-recognized opportunity to have a bigger impact on mental and physical health if we take zinc deficiency more seriously.

Have you had your zinc status assessed and do you supplement accordingly?

If you’re a practitioner, do you regularly check the zinc status of all your patients/clients?