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Around my period I definitely feel the need for extra tryptophan if I’ve had some extra heavy emotional stuff come up that I need to process

December 10, 2021 By Trudy Scott 6 Comments

period and extra tryptophan

Many women find that they need additional nutritional support i.e. tryptophan for serotonin support (and often GABA too) around their periods. Today’s case study highlights the hormonal shifts that may lead to a situation where it appears tryptophan doesn’t work, then it does work, and then sometimes it doesn’t work as expected. The variable results and the need to switch between lower and higher doses on an ongoing basis can occur with PMS (premenstrual syndrome) PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome). The variable results can also be more pronounced while recovering from trauma.

This case study is a follow-on from a blog I recently published: Tryptophan doesn’t work, then it does and then it doesn’t: could it be hormonal shifts, dietary factors and/or parasites?

Here is Kimberley’s feedback on the Facebook post that discussed these variable results. She shared how her hormonal shifts led to a need for additional tryptophan and 5-HTP:

Around my period I definitely feel the need for extra tryptophan. My PMDD symptoms have decreased since I started using tryptophan/5-HTP, but sometimes I need a bit more if I’ve had some extra heavy emotional stuff come up that I need to process (since that always happens with my period!).

I thanked her for sharing and said how happy I was for her. I also asked what symptoms have decreased and how much? I also asked how much tryptophan and 5-HTP she uses before her period and then around her period?

I was also curious if she just experimented with different doses until she figured it out or had she heard me talk about the PMDD tryptophan study: A placebo-controlled clinical trial of L-tryptophan in premenstrual dysphoria. In this study tryptophan was found to reduce symptoms of PMS when used in the luteal phase or second half of the cycle (i.e. after ovulation).

Her low serotonin symptoms have decreased as much as 75-80 percent

Kimberley confirmed that she had read the above study and related blog post – Tryptophan for PMS: premenstrual dysphoria, mood swings, tension, and irritability – and more about her symptoms:

I had read the blog you referenced, which is one of the reasons I tried tryptophan in the first place.

I was experiencing a lot of emotional distress, feelings of downright despair that left me miserable both during my period and ovulation (half the month, every month, which was truly awful). Those have definitely decreased, sometimes as much as 75-80 percent, other times they’re worse and I feel like I need more support.

I usually take 1x Lidtke 5-HTP (50mg) mid-afternoon and 1x Lidtke Tryptophan (500mg) at bedtime, but yesterday I increased to 2x Lidtke Tryptophan and do feel an improvement in my mood this morning.

I experimented to get the right dose of both amino acids, initially increasing to the maximum you recommend, and then slowly decreasing to what I’m taking now when I found I didn’t feel well when I took too much.

I just reread the blog you linked above and realized I should be using GABA every day to support progesterone (instead of just as needed for anxiety). Thanks for the reminder!

I love that after reading the blog she was inspired and motivated to experiment with different doses when she is/was feeling so bad. I encouraged her to continue trialing different doses at various times of the month especially in the second half of the month. I also reminded her that some folks do better with tryptophan and some do better with 5-HTP when it comes to low serotonin symptoms. And to continue to look at why serotonin is low and address that. Low GABA (related to low progesterone) can cause increased anxiety at this time and is a common issue with PMS/PMDD.

(You can see the entire list of low serotonin and low GABA symptoms here.)

She plans to continue experimenting with tryptophan and 5-HTP and may also try switching over to just 5-HTP and see if that changes anything. It’s unlikely that she would benefit from much higher doses of either as she shared “I don’t seem to be able to take more than 2 caps of either one without getting uncomfortable symptoms, though.”

Exercise and yoga for her low serotonin and PMDD

She did share how much exercise helps her mood, why she isn’t able to exercise as much:

The biggest thing I know to do to address low serotonin is add more exercise into my life, but this has been hard lately because I’ve had a couple of different viruses recently that left my exercise intolerance worse than it had been. I’m trying to support my mitochondria right now and add light exercise back in slowly.

Exercise is a wonderful way to raise serotonin levels and aerobic exercise has been shown to reduce the symptoms of PMS too. Yoga may be an option while she is recovering. In one study, yoga was found to be beneficial for PMS: “Alpha-brain waves production due to regular yoga practice are directly related with state of peace, creativity, mood elevation, relaxation, and release of serotonin, thus leading yoga practitioners feel more relaxed.”

Trauma: cortisol, serotonin, dopamine and estradiol

Kimberley also shared how how trauma plays into her situation:

I think some of the reasons for my health issues, low neurotransmitters, etc., are trauma related and I’ve been working through Dr. Aimie Apigian’s programs for that. But that’s another story.

I respect Dr. Aimie Apigian’s work in trauma and somatic experiencing and acknowledge this aspect must be addressed too. I love that Dr. Aimie brings this together with a functional medicine approach, looking at biology/biochemistry too. Recent trauma research confirms that there are major biochemical mechanisms involved in PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). These can include impacts to cortisol, serotonin and dopamine levels. And women are more vulnerable to these effects.

A 2021 paper, Estradiol, stress reactivity, and daily affective experiences in trauma-exposed women discusses high cortisol and more severe symptoms around their periods when estradiol (one of the estrogens) is low. As I mentioned above, estrogen and serotonin are closely related. The authors state this:“For women who are cycling, it may be useful to understand how the menstrual cycle affects their symptoms. When you can explain what’s happening biologically, it often becomes less threatening.”

Yoga may provide added psychological benefits as she works through her past trauma too.

Kimberly gave me permission to share her story and this is always something I appreciate so others in my community can learn from these types of experiences. If needed, I hope this her story gives you confidence to experiment with different doses and combinations around your period.

She also benefits from the comments from others on Facebook and the comments here on the blog, our back and forth, and this blog post.

She promised to keep me posted on how she goes and I’ll be sure to share when I hear back from her.

Resources if you are new to using tryptophan, 5-HTP and GABA and the amino acids as supplements

If you are new to using the amino acids as supplements, here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution (you can see the low GABA symptoms here) and a brief overview here, Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary.

If you suspect low GABA or low levels of any of the neurotransmitters and do not yet have my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings, I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in and using amino acids so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the team you or your loved one is working with.

The book doesn’t include product names (per the publisher’s request) so this blog, The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements, lists the amino acid products that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

Have you found you need additional tryptophan/5-HTP or GABA around your period? How have you experimented and how does it help you?

If you’re a practitioner, have you seen this with clients or patients?

Do you also feel better with exercise and/or yoga?

And are/were your variable results more pronounced while recovering from trauma?

Feel free to ask your questions here too.

Filed Under: Anxiety, GABA, PMS, PTSD/Trauma, serotonin, Women's health Tagged With: 5-HTP, anxiety, biochemical, cortisol, despair, dopamine, emotional distress, emotional stuff, estradiol, estrogen, exercise, GABA, hormonal shifts, miserable, my period, PMDD, PMS premenstrual syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, PTSD, serotonin, stress, trauma, tryptophan, yoga

MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treating Chronic PTSD: Why I feel we can do better and the role of nutrition and amino acids like GABA

November 2, 2018 By Trudy Scott 7 Comments

You may be familiar with MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine), also known as “ecstasy”, because of its reputation as a party drug. And you have likely seen some of the media reports on the new research and growing support for MDMA-Assisted psychotherapy for treating chronic PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Due to adverse effects I’d like to share my concerns about this research and treatment and why I feel we can do better – by addressing nutrition and using amino acids like GABA and others.

In a recent press release, Colorado Study Shows Lasting Benefits of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treating Chronic PTSD, the non-profit organization, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) reports these study results:

28 participants found that one month after their second day-long experimental session, 42.9% in the active-dose (100 mg and 125 mg) MDMA groups did not qualify for a diagnosis of PTSD, compared to 33.3% in the low-dose MDMA (40 mg active placebo) control group.

The results were even more notable 12 months after the third active-dose experimental session, which found that one year following treatment with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, 76% of participants no longer had PTSD.

It is the largest U.S. FDA-regulated double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of chronic PTSD and the results are impressive: 76% of the study participants no longer had PTSD after a year and 3 treatment sessions. I’m really happy for the participants BUT I believe we can do better because there are adverse reactions to this treatment and there are other safer approaches for recovery.

This comment about an acceptable risk profile and adverse reactions concerns me (and I suspect it concerns you too):

The study replicated previous research showing an acceptable risk profile for MDMA, with the most frequently reported adverse reactions during experimental sessions being anxiety, jaw clenching, headache, muscle tension, dizziness, fatigue, and low mood.

Adverse reactions one week following treatment included insomnia, low mood, irritability, and ruminations. Temporary elevations in pulse, blood pressure, and temperature were also recorded during MDMA sessions, and did not require medical intervention.

A common theme we see in the research on psychedelics is how effective it is for PTSD that doesn’t respond to therapy or medications. This paper states:

There is an immense need for innovative treatment options that improve outcomes, especially for PTSD refractory to psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapies

I agree there is an immense need for successful treatment approaches, but jumping to MDMA from psychotherapy and/or psychiatric medications is skipping out the entire nutritional and biochemical step which is SO powerful and doesn’t have the above adverse effects. I’m concerned too many who have not seen benefits from therapy or medications are seeing MDMA as THE solution and are going to be harmed even further.

This paper, The Potential Dangers of Using MDMA for Psychotherapy, the author is concerned about the fact that “acute MDMA can stimulate the release of difficult feelings and memories, which may be distressing” and also the negative moods that occur after MDMA treatment:

This period of negative cognitions may be counter-productive, especially in psychiatrically vulnerable clients, for instance those with predispositions to anxiety, depression, or psychosis. For example, it could increase the likelihood of suicide in those individuals with strong post-recovery feelings of depression.

Because of this, I wholeheartedly agree with the author’s position:

it will always be far safer to undertake psychotherapy without using co-drugs. In selected cases MDMA might provide an initial boost, but it also has far too many potentially damaging effects for safe general usage.

In addition to psychotherapy, there are also so many nutritional and biochemical factors we can consider when it comes to PTSD. These don’t have any of the above damaging effects seen with MDMA. Here are a few to consider:

  • In this blog post, PTSD from 3 tours in Afghanistan: Can GABA help with the anxiety? how low GABA can lead to physical anxiety, muscle tension and the need to self-medicate with alcohol or sugary foods in order to calm down and relax. We also have research supporting the use of GABA for helping with unwanted obtrusive thoughts which are common with PTSD. When low GABA is suspected we do an amino acid trial with GABA, one of the calming amino acids.
  • A 2016 reports that blueberries boost serotonin and may help with PTSD and anxiety https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/blueberries-serotonin-ptsd-anxiety/. This was an animal study where the traumatized rats were fed a blueberry-enriched diet. The study authors report an increase in serotonin levels, suggesting that “non-pharmacological approaches might modulate neurotransmitters in PTSD.”
  • A recent meta-analysis, Association between posttraumatic stress disorder and lack of exercise, poor diet, obesity, and co-occuring smoking, confirms the diet and lifestyle connection to being more impacted by trauma when health is not optimal.

I feel it is these above approaches and others like this that we need to be using to address PTSD, rather than subjecting individuals who are already suffering to treatments that have adverse reactions AND are not addressing underlying nutritional deficiencies of low GABA, low serotonin, out of balance endocannabinoid system and overall health, to name a few of many possible underlying biochemical factors.

If this treatment approach is approved, I would hope that all the adverse effects and dangers are clearly explained and I’d also like there to be informed consent before it is used – so individuals know exactly what they are getting into. Hopefully, by the time it is approved, nutritional psychiatry will be more accepted.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this research and treatment approach. Is it something you have considered or would possibly consider in the future – you personally or with patients?

Or do you have similar concerns that I have?

Have you already tried MDMA recreationally (possibly for therapeutic reasons) and what were your experiences like?

Filed Under: PTSD/Trauma Tagged With: anxiety, biochemical, blueberries, depression, GABA, insomnia, irritability, low mood, MAPS, MDMA, nutrition, nutritional, PTSD, ruminations

Happiness is driven by biological factors like diet, the microbiome and serotonin, plus epigenetics

March 9, 2018 By Trudy Scott 5 Comments

As a food mood expert and nutritionist, I believe one very overlooked way we can address the lack of happiness or joy is the biochemical aspect.

One classic root cause of depression or unhappiness is low serotonin and this low serotonin can also lead to fear, worry, anxiety, self-doubt, lack of confidence, ruminations, insomnia and imposter syndrome, all of which are classic signs of low serotonin.  

A poor diet or a diet that is not right for you is a big factor in serotonin production and therefore happiness and a sense of calm.

The biological or biochemical connections to lack of happiness

This paper, Happiness & Health: The Biological Factors – Systematic Review Article, supports the biological or biochemical connections to lack of happiness (and the other signs of low serotonin), listing endogenic (or internal) as well as exogenic (or external) factors :

Happiness underlying factors are considerable from two dimensions:

  • endogenic factors (biological, cognitive, personality and ethical sub-factors) and
  • exogenic factors (behavioral, social/cultural, economical, geographical, life events and aesthetics sub-factors).

Among all endogenic [or internal] factors, biological sub-factors are the significant predictors of happiness.

The external factors are the ones we’re most familiar with i.e. things that are going on in our lives like relationships, income, where we live and life events. It’s the internal factors that we don’t discuss.

This study looked at biological factors (one of the internal factors) that underlie happiness and optimism. Five sub-groups of biological factors were found:

  1. brain and neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin and endorphins playing a role in happiness)
  2. endocrinology and hormones (cortisol and oxytocin playing a role in happiness)
  3. physical health
  4. physical attractiveness
  5. genetic (this accounted for 35-50% of happiness)

Nutritional psychiatry and the first 4 sub-groups

The work of nutritional psychiatry, a new and growing field, shows that food and nutrients have a direct impact on the first 4 groups: brain and neurotransmitters, on endocrinology and hormones and on physical health (and thereby physical attractiveness too):

The International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research hosted their first international conference in August last year in Bethesda, MD, and I had the pleasure of attending.

The new SMILES trial was presented at the conference: the first randomized controlled diet depression study where ONE THIRD of the dietary intervention group saw improvements in their depression and anxiety symptoms by switching from processed/junk food to real food with no specific dietary restrictions.

Here I am with world-renowned nutritional psychiatry researcher, Professor Felice Jacka

I participated in the rapid fire presentation session at the conference. In my talk, Applications of the Paleo diet and Gluten-free diet for Anxiety, I shared how Paleo and grain-free diets can increase happiness and reduce anxiety.

This November 2017 review, Nutritional psychiatry: the present state of the evidence, mentions the SMILES trial and provides the latest overview of the evidence in nutritional psychiatry:

Potential biological pathways related to mental disorders include inflammation, oxidative stress, the gut microbiome, epigenetic modifications and neuroplasticity. Consistent epidemiological evidence, particularly for depression, suggests an association between measures of diet quality and mental health, across multiple populations and age groups; these do not appear to be explained by other demographic, lifestyle factors or reverse causality.

Genetics (the last sub-group), epigenetics, diet and the microbiome

It saddens me when I hear someone say: “depression runs in my family – my grandmother suffered, I suffer with depression and I don’t know what kind of life my daughter is going to have.”

Even though genetics (the last sub-group) is reported to accounted for 35-50% of happiness, we now know that “our genes are not our destiny” and we can actually switch on good genes and switch off bad genes when we change our diet and environment.

This paper, Microbiome, inflammation, epigenetic alterations, and mental diseases, sums it up perfectly, reporting that recent findings show that the onset and development of mental diseases such as autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression cannot be well described by the one-gene/one-disease approach:

Even though the involvement of many genes are likely, up regulating and activation or down regulation and silencing of these genes by the environmental factors play a crucial role in contributing to their pathogenesis. Much of this interplay may be moderated by epigenetic changes.

Environmental factors such as diet, gut microbiota, and infections have significant role in these epigenetic modifications.

The authors conclude that the potential interactions of diet, gastrointestinal microbiome, and inflammation can all contribute to epigenetic alterations in psychiatric disorders.

If the term epigenetic is new to you, here is a helpful explanation:

The word “epigenetic” literally means “in addition to changes in genetic sequence.” The term has evolved to include any process that alters gene activity without changing the DNA sequence, and leads to modifications that can be transmitted to daughter cells.

What this means is that you can change your destiny in a positive way – by changing your diet – even if you have bad genes passed on from your grandmother and mother or other family members.

And don’t forget the environmental factors (as stated in the above paper) that can change your genes in a negative way: heavy metals, pesticides, diesel exhaust, tobacco smoke, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (environmental pollutants from coal, oil, petrol, and wood), radioactivity, viruses and bacteria.

The take-aways are to eat quality real whole food, avoid sugar, caffeine and gluten, address the microbiome and nutritional deficiencies, avoid toxins/chemicals, detox if needed, address infections and the adrenals. This is exactly what my book The Antianxiety Food Solution covers so if you don’t yet have a copy, grab one from your nearest bookstore or from Amazon here (my affiliate link).

For a deeper dive into the epigenetics aspect and detoxification, I recommend Dr. Ben Lynch’s new book called Dirty Genes (my Amazon link).

Are you ready to find the biological root causes of your lack of happiness and anxiety?

Or are you already there and have seen the benefits already?

Filed Under: Food and mood Tagged With: anxiety, biochemical, biological, depression, epigenetics, food, genes, happiness, microbiome

60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety

May 19, 2015 By Trudy Scott 50 Comments

nutritional causes of anxiety

I shared these 60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety on my closing call  of the The Anxiety Summit season 3. Since then I’ve kept this list updated as I find additional research, connections and case studies.  In conjunction with my book “The Antianxiety Food Solution”, interviews and other blogs, I hope this list will help you put the puzzle pieces together to resolve your anxiety. 

Keep in mind it’s not uncommon to have many root causes so if it feels too overwhelming, addressing low serotonin and/or low GABA first, really does help with the overwhelm, fear, anxiety and negativity.

The Foundational Causes from The Antianxiety Food Solution :

  1. Food – real whole food, organic (pesticides may be problematic), quality protein (grass-fed, wild, pastured), healthy fats; avoid junk/processed food with additives/colors/trans fats/GMOs
  2. Sugar – depletes zinc and magnesium and fills us up. We should not feel the need for treats/fruit should satisfy our desire for sweet
  3. Low blood sugar – breakfast/protein/healthy snacks/no coffee
  4. Caffeine/Coffee – even decaf coffee may be an issue. Coffee has high-levels of pesticides, affects blood sugar and affects hormones
  5. Tobacco – depletes key nutrients like zinc, vitamin C
  6. alcohol – depletes key nutrients like zinc, vitamin C
  7. Food sensitivities – gluten (plus glyphosates/roundup affect serotonin/zinc etc), dairy, GAPs, grains
  8. Digestive system – low HCl
  9. Digestive system – Low good bacteria/probiotics
  10. Digestive system – other enzymes are low
  11. Digestive system – candida
  12. Digestive system – parasites
  13. Digestive system – leaky gut
  14. Digestive system – liver/gallbladder issues
  15. Digestive system – SIBO
  16. Brain chemicals/neurotransmitters: low GABA (covered in detail in season 4 of the Anxiety Summit)
  17. Brain chemicals/neurotransmitters: low serotonin
  18. Brain chemicals/neurotransmitters: low endorphins
  19. Brain chemicals/neurotransmitters: low catecholamines (need for coffee/sugar) or high catecholamines. Gut health, what you eat, coffee, gluten all affect the brain chemicals
  20. Pyroluria/social anxiety – zinc, vitamin B6 and EPO (addressing this improves brain chemical imbalances and hormone imbalances)
  21. A need for zinc
  22. A need for vitamin B6
  23. A need for EPO
  24. Toxins/pesticides/plastics/BPA
  25. Medication side-effects/withdrawal (benzos are the worst)
  26. Sex hormones imbalances (especially low progesterone)
  27. Thyroid problems – hyperthyroid/Hashimoto’s thyroiditis can cause anxiety symptoms; low thyroid symptoms – amino acids are not as effective
  28. Adrenals issues: cortisol imbalance can affect how you handle stress, digestion, inflammation; high cortisol can have direct impact on anxiety levels
  29. Low total cholesterol (<150)
  30. Low levels of vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin C
  31. Low levels of vitamin B12
  32. Low levels of folate
  33. Low levels of iron (test ferritin)
  34. Not getting exercise
  35. Not working on stress-reduction (tai chi, meditation, guided imagery, yoga)
  36. Not getting out in nature
  37. Not getting at least 8 hours of sleep
[the above are all covered in great detail in my book  The Antianxiety Food Solution ]

Other possible nutritional/biochemical/physical causes of anxiety/depression

  1. Drug-induced nutrient deficiencies (for example: the birth control pill depletes vitamin B6, folate, magnesium)
  2. MVP (mitral valve prolapse) – it feel like the “heart is skipping a beat” (magnesium may help)
  3. Infections – strep can cause OCD/PANDAS/PANS. Also consider: H/Pylori, Lyme disease, clostridia
  4. Heavy metals like mercury or lead.  We covered mercury in season 2 – Your hidden mercury burden: A likely root cause of the other root causes of anxiety and mercury/lead detox in season 4 with Dr. John Dempster
  5. Anything that increases inflammation in the body (high CRP is a good clue)
  6. Herbicide/Roundup use in the home/garden
  7. Genetic polymorphisms – MTHFR, COMT, MAOA, GAD – Dr. Ben Lynch is an excellent resource and has shared his expertise on season 2 – Anxiety: Biochemical and genetic predispositionsand season 3 – How Methylfolate can make you Feel Worse and even Cause Anxiety
  8. Apolipoprotein E ?4 (ApoE ?4) gene polymorphism
  9. Other possible hormone issues: high prolactin, low oxytocin
  10. Histamine reaction to certain foods (Yasmina covers this in her interview in season 3: Histamine-containing Foods: their Role in Anxiety, Depression and Schizophrenia )
  11. Oxalates reaction (berries, leafy greens, nuts). A good resource is lowoxalateinfo
  12. SIBO and FODMAPs/fructose malabsorption (affects serotonin levels)
  13. Too much of some nutrients: fish oil, a B complex, tyrosine, folate
  14. Low lithium (impacts GABA levels)
  15. Copper toxicity i.e. high copper and low zinc
  16. EMFs, air pollution, noise pollution, cell phone use, smart meters
  17. Marijuana use – used recreationally or as medical marijuana (Dr. Hyla Cass covers this in season 4 of the Anxiety Summit – cognitive issues, anxiety, psychosis, schizophrenia, social anxiety)
  18. Toxic mold exposure (Dr. Jill Carnahan covers this in season 3)
  19. Fluoride exposure
  20. Poor mouth health
  21. Toxoplasma gondii
  22. Metals/chemicals/drugs in the tap water
  23. Low leptin (signals satiety/fullness) and high ghrelin
  24. Over-the counter drugs, inner ear issues/cochlear damage, light sensitivity (Sharon Heller shared Hidden Causes of Anxiety on season 2)
  25. Physical pain (from an injury)
  26. Gas leaks
  27. Plastics/BPA
  28. Accutane, the acne drug can lead to psychiatric disorders in some people

May 14, 2016 updates after Season 4 of the Anxiety Summit:

66. Leptin resistance, obesity, skinny-fat and high body fat % (Mike Mutzel covers this in season 4 – anxiety, inflammation, microbiome, PTSD, cortisol and HPA axis)

67. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics (Lisa Bloomquist covers this in season 4 – anxiety, psychosis, connective tissue damage, mitochondrial impacts)

68. Low histamine/histapenia/overmethylation or high histamine/histadelia/undermethylation – read more here and the season 4 interview with Dr. William Walsh

69. Lack of community and social connection (James Maskell covers this in season 4)

Note: these causes do not include psychological or physical trauma or abuse (both past and current).

If the idea of 60+ causes feels too overwhelming and scary for you start with the basic food changes and look at the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution. GABA and serotonin support benefits most of my clients.  You can see how to do a trial here  and find the products I use with my clients here – such as tryptophan and GABA.

Missed this interview or can’t listen live? Or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? Purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts and listen when it suits you.

You can find your purchasing options here: Anxiety Summit Season 1, Anxiety Summit Season 2, and Anxiety Summit Season 3.

Filed Under: Amino Acids, Antianxiety, Food and mood, Gluten, Real whole food, The Anxiety Summit 3 Tagged With: amino acid questionnaire, anxiety, biochemical, nutritional, real whole food, the anxiety summit, Trudy Scott

The Anxiety Summit – 60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety and Recommended Supplements

May 19, 2015 By Trudy Scott 88 Comments

 

Trudy Scott, host of The Anxiety Summit, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution presents:

Closing call: 60+ Nutritional & Biochemical Causes of Anxiety and Recommended Supplements

  • 60+ Nutritional/biochemical causes of anxiety and associated solutions
  • 4 degrees/levels of anxiety I see and response to the 60+ causes
  • The unique ability of the body to heal
  • Testing I use with my clients and what tests I’d run if everyone had unlimited funds
  • My recommendations:  supplements
  • My message of hope

I mentioned the speaker blog posts.  You can access them all here: The Anxiety Summit Season 3: All the speakers and topics

I also referred back to speakers and topics from season 1 and 2 so here are those links:

The Anxiety Summit Season 2: All the speakers and topics

The Anxiety Summit: All the speakers and topics (this is summit 1)

If the idea of 60+ causes feels too overwhelming and scary for you here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution. Serotonin support in the form of tryptophan or 5-HTP may help

As Dr. Peter Bongiorno said in his interview: Serotonin and Anxiety, Happiness, Digestion and our Hormones

There can be multiple factors involved as to why someone has anxiety. How you’re going to work through these factors successfully is going to be very different for each person.

Here is the list of the 60+ Nutritional/biochemical causes of anxiety.  (Just click on this link to see all of them)

Here is the list of supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements (Just click on this link to see all of them)

Here is the: Nutritional testing for figuring out the root cause/s of your anxiety (Just click on this link to see all of them)

If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here: www.theAnxietySummit.com

Missed this interview or can’t listen live? Or want this and the other great interviews for your learning library? Purchase the MP3s or MP3s + transcripts and listen when it suits you.

You can find your purchasing options here: Anxiety Summit Season 1, Anxiety Summit Season 2, and Anxiety Summit Season 3.

Filed Under: Amino Acids, Antianxiety, Food and mood, Gluten, Real whole food, The Anxiety Summit 3 Tagged With: amino acid questionnaire, anxiety, biochemical, nutritional, real whole food, supplements, the anxiety summit, Trudy Scott

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