The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis
Hosted by Trudy Scott,
Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution
Founder of Anxiety Nutrition Institute
ANXIETY has become the defining mental health issue of our decade – women are affected at twice the rate of men, and now children and young adults are also more stressed and anxious than ever before. Join us to learn nutritional and gut solutions for your anxiety!
Here are all the speakers/topics and blog posts with additional information, interview snippets, links to studies and more. Some of the speakers below include a link to an entire speaker blog.
“Why Bile is the Key to Anxiety & Hormone Havoc” – Ann Louise Gittleman
the connection between bile and hormone havoc and anxiety is one that is not readily understood in this day and time….bile is another detox method which actually is the dumping ground for hormones like estrogen
Additional snippets and information here
“Fix the Brain to Fix the Gut” – Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS, FACN, CNS
I can tell you without question, there’s people who take GABA, they feel benefit from it, you do a blood brain barrier test but their blood brain barrier doesn’t have any markers to show permeability. So it’s not hard for me to consider the possibility that there’s some exogenous pathways too
Additional snippets and information here
“Parasites, Anxiety and TUDCA for Liver drainage” – Jay Davidson, DC, PScD
mimosa pudica seed is an amazing, just overall gut support. So even if your goal isn’t the parasite cleanse, mimosa pudica seed is awesome to help support the digestive tract. It can help break up biofilm. It’s really good against candida and just helping to normalize microbial levels within the GI besides the fact that it can help with parasites
Additional snippets and information here
“The Gut-Brain Axis and Mental Health” – Peter Bongiorno, ND, LAc
lactobacillus is also shown to lower cortisol; actually was shown to increase serotonin and melatonin as well as acetylcholine, which is really important for energy and for memory too. And it also increases short chain fatty acids….which are very, very important because they help with serotonin release, and they also help with memory and learning
Additional snippets and information here
“GABA & Tryptophan: The Gut-Anxiety Connections” – Trudy Scott, CN
In this study they looked at some different strains of candida, they looked at albicans, they looked at glabrata, tropicalis and some of the other strains. And they exposed these candida strains to serotonin and found that serotonin showed anti-fungal activity towards all these different strains of candida.
Additional snippets and information here
“SSRI Impact on the Microbiome and Safe SSRI Tapering” – Achina Stein, DO, IFMCP
The discussion on the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRI (serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) discontinuation syndrome (or withdrawal symptoms) is eye-opening and sobering. Here are just a few of the many psychological symptoms that she says patients may experience when tapering:
“I’m just going to read them off because I think it’s important for people to know: mood swings, unstable moods, hypomania, hyperarousal, anxiety, medication-induced agitation – which is described as being caffeinated – impulsive behavior, aggression, irritability, crying spells, lowered mood or depression.”
Dr. Stein also shares the many cognitive, physical and neurological side effects, and how she works with her patients with a functional medicine and nutritional approach to try and mitigate the side effects. She likes to use 5-HTP, GABA, theanine and glycine to smooth the taper process.
“The Endocannabinoid System and the Gut” – Hyla Cass, MD
136 patients were treated in this clinic with full spectrum hemp oil extract for anxiety or sleep disorders over a nine month period. And the composition was 27 of them were pediatric patients. So, it’s really okay to give it to children as young as age five….What is remarkable is that 45 of those patients had only one visit. A lot of them exhibited dramatic response within a week. And that’s really fast
Additional snippets and information here
“Herbs to Improve Digestion & Support GABA” – Magdalena Wszelaki
astringents tighten everything up… like the loose junctions (when you have IBS) that cause the escape of food particles, that then trigger the immune system, right…And some astringents have a particular efficacy more so for the digestive system rather than others. And so the three that I would love to mention that are my absolute favorites is sage, rose, including rose petals, rosebuds, as well as red raspberry leaf
Additional snippets and information here
“Sugar/Fructose Addiction: Anxiety, ADHD and Aggression” – Michael Collins
My mother believed that sugar was love, and I think a lot of people do. In the baking and in the pies, and everything that happens around holidays. They just believe that these “treats” is love and I grew up this way. Every Saturday morning we would make this gigantic, I mean, gigantic bowl of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and that lasted half the week, and we were eating cookie dough before cookie dough was cool. This is exactly how I grew up. Like, I think, a lot of people, Trudy, they grew up soaked in sugar. I mean, this was a treat that children got.
“Anxiety & the Gut-Brain Axis in Autism” – Julie Matthews, NC
One of the things we know about autism is that they have this hyperexcitation of mTOR. And what happens is they’re not able to properly prune the neurons in the brain… So this particular paper was looking at, “Oh, well, amino acids can help with that.” And so then it started looking at amino acids and how they can help with all different areas of this gut brain and immune axis. And so they looked at specifically the ability for amino acids to inhibit inflammation. Improve the gut barrier. And to modify microbiota.
Additional snippets and information here
“Hidden Jewels in your Stools & Castor Oil Packs” – Marisol Teijeiro, ND
it improves bile and improves liver detoxification… it improves the function of your digestion, how you absorb your food, and how you eliminate your food… It actually helps to reset how the function of your digestive system is working. And the problem with people who have anxiety is that anxiety really disturbs digestion completely, like 100%.
“Floatation Therapy for Anxiety and PTSD” – Evan Brand, BCHN, CFMP, NTP
huge benefit of feeling at peace with the world. They report more energy, the test subjects had heightened creativity, euphoria, increased ability to concentrate, appreciation that you’re alive, less anxious thoughts or worries, you feel connected to the world around you.
“Self-Advocating and the Power of Community” – Misty Williams
And if you’re part of a support group, you’re probably going to say, “Yes, I know this.” But it’s really nice to see that it’s documented. So the first thing is connection. So you can support each other, you can exchange advice, and you can overcome this feeling of loneliness because when you’re on this journey, you feel alone
“Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Anxiety” – Tara Hunkin, NTP, CGP, RWP
what they’re recognizing is that mitochondria are modulators of anxiety related behavior. And they’re seeing a bidirectional link between mitochondria and anxiety.
Additional snippets and information here
“Anxiety: The Latest Gluten Research and Testing Part 1” – Tom O’Bryan, DC, CCN, DACBN
If mom was in the top 5% of antibodies to wheat, her child had a 2.5 fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia 35 to 40 years later. And they checked for dairy, and mom having elevated antibodies to dairy had no correlation with developing schizophrenia at all. This was just wheat.
“Anxiety: The Latest Gluten Research and Testing Part 2” – Tom O’Bryan, DC, CCN, DACBN
With everything you know about gluteomorphins, if you have elevated antibodies to gluteomorphins; that could be triggering the inflammation in your brain. It also can be triggering the inflammation in your gut because there’s opiate receptors in the gut. That’s why CBD works and low dose naltrexone works because they stimulate the opiate receptors.
Additional snippets and information here
“Thiamine Deficiency in Anxiety and Gut Health (part 1 and 2)” – Chandler Marrs MS, MA, PhD
The assumption is that there is no such thing [as a thiamine deficiency] and that it’s rare unless you are a chronic alcoholic. And even then, it’s missed 80% of the time. Or you have a severe injury or illness that depletes thiamine rapidly.
The presumption is that we’ve solved it, and it’s rare, and it only happens in countries where food availability is problematic.
The reality is that the chemistry of our foods, the chemistry of our environment, the medications that we take all combine and accrue to not only deplete the available thiamine on the basis of intake but to increase the need and to damage a lot of the enzymes involved in the processing of thiamine.
So a lot of folks are functionally deficient in that even though by definition they meet the daily requirement and they may, based upon lab testing, show up as being sufficient and not frankly deficient.
“MTHFR, B12 Genes and Anxiety” – Carolyn Ledowsky, ND
find now there’s so many things that influence B12 and I know we’re going to talk about B12 but gut function, stress, vegan, vegetarianism; all of these things can deplete our B12, and if that happens, then we can’t use our folate. It doesn’t matter how much we take, we can’t use it. So we then have to get that folate into that methionine cycle
Additional snippets and information here
“GI MAP Stool Test for Anxiety/Fibromyalgia” – David Brady, ND, DC, CCN, DACBN
if you get a marker of elastase, and specifically elastase 1; a subtype of elastase, it is most predictive, globally, of pancreatic output/exocrine output. And not only the protease, there is the amylase, the lipase and so forth. So it’s a great marker because you can do one marker and make a determination across output of various enzymes
“Fasting for Anxiety and Gut Health” – David Jockers, DNM, DC, MS
on the extended fast, they found that endorphins went up. So there was this whole neuroendocrine activation, and people had improved mood, and a sense of tranquility is what was described where they just felt at peace. And that’s really because when we have mood disorders, it’s a sign of chronic inflammation in our brain.
“Bacteriophage Therapy instead of Antibiotics” – Donna Gates, MEd, ABAAHP
for every single bacteria, there are 10 phages. So, they are important. They actually control the bacteria on the planet. The same thing with our gut, they control the diversity and what actually lives in our gut is controlled by these phages. I’m always amazed by nature and the way things are set up already, which is why I like to study the universal laws and see how nature is already doing things, because these phages have been around since the beginning of time.
“Food Sensitivities & Anxiety” – Rodger Murphree, DC, CNS
Food allergies can contribute to or trigger symptoms whether that is the classic ones… breaking out in hives, or rash, or stomach pain, or bloating, or gas, or indigestion, that kind of thing. But they also can create mood disorders, anxiety, depression, brain fog. They’re notorious in the community that I work in for triggering allergic reactions that create inflammation by generating chemicals like bradykinins that can go on and attack different cells
“Anxiety: Gut-Brain Communication & Diet” – David Perlmutter, M.D., F.A.C.N
We know that histone deacetylase inhibitors, as a class of pharmaceuticals, are being deeply explored as they relate to the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. So the notion that we can regulate histone deacetylase activity by a metabolite made from our gut bacteria, because we decided to eat a lot of prebiotic fiber, connects a lot of dots.
Additional snippets and information here
“B12: Anxiety, OCD, Constipation & the Microbiome” – Edward F. Group III, DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
Metformin is going to cause B12 malabsorption. Anyone with heartburn, anyone taking acid blockers, most antacids are going to reduce B12 absorption. Proton pump inhibitors, anything that has to do with acid reflux, chemotherapy, anybody that’s had cancer and had chemotherapy. Chemo is extremely damaging on the intestinal lining
“Essential Oils for Anxiety & Digestion” – Eric Zielinski, DC, MPH(c)
one of the reasons why I think peppermint can help with anxiety, is it helps open up the airways. One of the worst things for panic and anxieties are short breaths. You need deep breaths. You need deep breathing for a number of different reasons and it helps. This is why some people find a benefit in breathing in like a brown paper bag or something like that. Well, essential oils open up your airways instantly.
“Lori’s Anxiety-Gut Story & Solution” – Jonathan & Lori Otto
And I wondered, “Why am I not able to cope, when so many other people can?” I would just beat myself up. And I couldn’t get out of that fog. I was learning all these health principles. I was going, you know, to personal development conferences. I would help so many people. And here, I was, not able to get out of this fog. Out of this darkness
“Homeopathy for Dysbiosis, Anxiety & Angst” – Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom
this is another example of like cures like. If you drink too much coffee, you feel wired and tired. You feel anxious. And you might fall asleep for a moment and then wake right up. And then fall asleep and then wake right up. And it is often a reaction to drugs as well, not necessarily. Some people have never had any drugs and Coffea can act. And so, Coffea is also used for helping someone get off of their medications.
“Gut Health & Anxiety in Chinese Medicine” – Pedram Shojai, OMD
The wood element, especially liver is really associated with this continuum of say frustration or depression all the way to anger and rage, depending on where the stagnation happens within that organ system. For the gallbladder, if you have gallbladder issues, the flow of your gallbladder energy isn’t working well, you tend to be indecisive. If your gut isn’t working well, you tend to be pensive or worry too much.
“Glutamine, DPA & Tyrosine for Anxiety & Sugar Cravings” – Trudy Scott, CN
I share the story of a client of mine who described her sugar cravings as an “almost demonic urge to eat sugar and all things sweet.”
Before working with me she had been trying to control her blood sugar levels by eating the right foods at the right times i.e. healthy fats and quality protein (especially at breakfast). But this wasn’t enough to eliminate her sweet cravings. She would make and eat sweet treats all day long, using “healthier” sweeteners like monk fruit and maple syrup.
The solution was using 500mg of glutamine opened onto her tongue. I had the same conversation that I have with all my clients who would obviously rather eat something sweet than open a glutamine capsule onto their tongue: “If you have an intense craving for something sweet, tell yourself that you’re going to indulge, but also humor your nutritionist and take the glutamine anyway. You may be surprised to find your urge completely disappears.”
She did that and it worked – it stopped her demonic urge to eat something sweet every time and very quickly!
“Vagus Nerve Activation to Reduce Anxiety” – Navaz Habib, DC, AFMCP
what we find is that, that inability to sleep allows the vagus nerve not to do its job. It actually slows or stops the vagus nerve from being able to allow function to really occur. So sleep and sleep quality are very strongly linked to vagus nerve function. And that’s why the Oura ring is so good at measuring HRV at night because it’s actually going to tell you how well you’ve recovered overnight, how well you’ve gone into that rest, digest, and recovery state while you’re asleep and your circadian rhythm is optimized.
Additional snippets and information here
“Spore-based Probiotics to Boost Serotonin & GABA” – Kiran Krishnan
one of the primary effects really of the campylobacter toxin is a severe and sudden onset of anxiety. So, this is a food-born pathogen that will come on contaminated chicken and instead of getting horrible diarrhea like you might get with an e-coli, you’ll actually get all of a sudden, all out of the blue panic attacks and anxiety. Because the toxin it produces creates that kind of panic attack and at the same time dismantles the bowel function.
Additional snippets and information here
“Biology of Trauma and the Freeze Response” – Aimie Apigian, MD, MS, MPH
When we talk about just trauma and mood, and stress even, it’s like we still lump everything in that fight, flight, or freeze response. And the fight and flight response could not be more different than the freeze response.
On a biological level, they are completely different biology states, which means that it is humanly impossible to be in both of those states at the same time. So when we look at this freeze response, okay, so what is it? If it’s not fight or flight, what is it?
When we look at what it is, it’s when the anxiety has become so high that the body is not able to sustain that level of both anxiety, but it’s really an energy level.
Because anxiety is a high energy state and it triggers this response in the body where it says, “Ooh, this is unsustainable,” and in order to survive, for our best interests, it would be better for us to go into a low energy state.
“Pyroluria, Oxidative Stress and Parasites” – Todd Watts, DC, PScD
Radium is a byproduct, a breakdown of uranium and thorium, which are …radioactive heavy metals. But there are more types of elements that can be radioactive as well. Lead, strontium, iodine, cesium. So, there is a variety of those that are very damaging to our white blood cells, our red blood cells, and our overall immune system function. And it can highly drive what I think many people are going through. And it is amazing. I’ve been researching this a lot lately. So many people are sensitive to a lot of things. And a lot of the symptoms match up with people that have pyroluria disorder. And looking at it, in the United States anyway, 177 million people are exposed to radium within their municipality water.
“Collagen Can Cause Anxiety & Insomnia” – Trudy Scott, CN
There are a number of papers that show that genetic polymorphisms can make individuals more susceptible…. And it was interesting again, in one of the serotonin polymorphism studies, they found this difference between men and women. They actually found that men became more impulsive with acute tryptophan depletion, whereas women found more mood reduction. So maybe it’s the men actually feel better and maybe it’s because the women are feeling worse that we’re getting this kind of feedback.
Additional snippets and information here
“PQQ for Stress, Sleep, Mitochondria & Gut Health” – Michael Murray, ND
PQQ…. a vitamin-like cofactor was shown to be essential in mammalian nutrition in 1994. So that was only 25 years ago, it takes a while in order for science to adapt to change. And eventually, PQQ is going to be recognized as a vitamin-like compound essential for human nutrition. We know that it’s vital for mitochondrion function.
Additional snippets and information here
“SIBO: Anxiety, Testing, Probiotics & Fecal Transplants Part 1” – Allison Siebecker, ND, MSOM, LAc
“What if that fails? What if that doesn’t work?” And so, I may go for a plan C, but I will never go farther than a plan C. But I do like patients to know that I’ve got a lot of options to help them, I want them to know that. But at a certain point, we have to stop and get a little bit realistic here about, “You know what? You haven’t even tried option A.” And this is the problem with anxiety, is an absolute fear that nothing will help, nothing will work, and nothing’s going to be good in the future, ever.
“SIBO: Anxiety, Testing, Probiotics & Fecal Transplants Part 2” – Shivan Sarna
There are so many conditions and medications, and circumstances that cause SIBO that are chronic themselves. So, just for example, food poisoning, we have no known cure for the autoimmune situation that it’s doing there to the nerves. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is not rare, that’s a very, very big cause of SIBO. Diabetes can cause SIBO because of nerve damage and other things. Hashimoto’s hypothyroid. I could just stop right there and already we might be explaining most of it. But then what about opioids and so many other things? Lyme is another cause of SIBO. And I didn’t even mention adhesions, abdominal adhesions which come after surgery. Any kind of abdominal surgery or injury; blow to the belly, infection, inflammation.
“Bitters: Calming and Digestive Support” – Summer Bock
Bitters are essentially these alkaloid compounds that are found in plants. And the bitter flavor is something that stimulates the Vagus nerve. So, what are some common bitter plants that we encounter in our day to day lives? Dandelion greens, various greens in general have a bitter component. There’s grapefruit, coffee, chocolate; these are all bitter flavor plants. And what’s interesting is that they help kind of like, stimulate all the digestive juices
“Really Simple Solutions for Anxiety & Gut Health” – Trudy Scott, CN
forest bathing… study participants viewed the landscape for 12 to 16 minutes a day. There we have “the just doing nothing”, sitting there looking at landscape. And then they walked in the landscape for 14 to 18 minutes. So this wasn’t a long time. What they found is that they lowered their cortisol. And we know when you’ve got high cortisol, you can feel more anxious. It lowered their pulse rate. It lowered their blood pressure. And they found that they had greater parasympathetic nerve activity. This is the rest and the digest, which is giving us these calming effects. And lower sympathetic nerve activity. This is the fight or flight.
You can listen to each of the interviews (and get transcripts) by purchasing The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis.
If you’d like to give feedback or ask a question, please post in the comments section below or in the click above on the respective speaker/topic blog and comment there.
What stood out for you? Gems you want to share with your friends and family? Changes you’re going to make? What you want to dig deeper into? What has already helped you? Light-bulbs? Do you want more information like this?
I’d love to hear from you!