tryptophan

Essential tremor, dystonia, anxiety and cravings – diet, GABA, tryptophan, zinc and vitamin B6

January 17, 2020 By Trudy Scott 84 Comments

Today I’m sharing how diet, GABA, tryptophan, zinc, vitamin B6 and other B vitamins can resolve essential tremor and sugar cravings in 2 months, and also resolve musician’s dystonia and social anxiety within 4 months.

According to Medical News Today essential tremor is a movement disorder that can cause hand tremors and “is among the most common movement disorders.” … “The tremor usually affects both sides of the body, but it may be more noticeable in the dominant hand. It tends to occur when the person is moving as well as when standing still. Genetics may be responsible for around half of the cases of essential tremor.”

Essential tremor – diet, GABA, tryptophan and B vitamins

This Croatian paper, Treatment of Essential Tremor with Multi-Modal Nutritional Therapy in a Teenage Patient, reports the “case of a 13-year-old boy with [essential tremor] causing severe functional impairment” over the previous 2 years.

“A multi-modal nutritional therapy approach” was used to target three possible areas that could be contributing to the tremors: a poor diet that was high in sugar, low GABA levels and low serotonin. These changes were implemented:

(i) diet (specifically adopting a Mediterranean diet)

(ii) GABA (through oral supplementation) and

(iii) L-tryptophan/vitamin B pathways (Triptobel oral supplement).

The papers states: “After two months of therapy, his tremor decreased significantly and he regained normal function.”

Once the essential tremor resolved, this teen was able to resume his plans to pursue a musical career as a guitar player (which had been put on hold due to the tremor and his inability to play). What wonderful results!

My commentary on the supplements and doses he used

I’m thrilled to see tryptophan and GABA being used for this condition and am really pleased to read this case report. Here is my commentary on the supplements and doses he used for anyone wishing to try and replicate this nutritional approach (keeping in mind there is no one-size-fits-all).

He used 150 mg of the Triptobel supplement three times daily at 8 am, 1 pm, and 6 pm. One capsule of the Triptobel contains 150mg L-tryptophan and a B vitamin complex of thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), vitamin B6, folic acid (vitamin B9), and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12). The total tryptophan dose was 450mg per day. A typical starting dose for someone with anxiety is 500mg 2 x day so his dose was on the low-end. The Triptobel was also used at mealtimes and according to the label “on a full stomach after a light meal, preferably without protein.” I like to use tryptophan between meals (away from protein) and a B complex with meals so I’m intrigued by this application (but wonder when protein was consumed).
He also used 750mg GABA twice daily at 10 am and 4 pm. This is considered a high starting dose for the majority of my clients with anxiety and I start low and build up to this amount.

Anxiety and low mood was not mentioned so I don’t know if they were factors.

Sugar and carb cravings, and a potential role of gluten

It appears sugar and carb cravings were very likely a factor given that his normal daily diet contained “large amounts of refined sugars (chocolate, cake, biscuits, ice cream, etc).” The amino acids would have helped him with those cravings.

With regards to his diet, given how common movement disorders are with gluten issues, I would also consider I gluten-free diet which has been shown to have an adverse impact on neurotransmitter levels and B vitamins. Could gluten have triggered these nutritional deficiencies and the tremors?

And now to share a very similar case in an adult male … with a different and yet related approach.

Dystonia and hand tremors – and the pyroluria connection

This same Medical News Today article also describes dystonic tremor/dystonia as a movement disorder that can also cause hand tremors, stating that “the brain sends incorrect messages, resulting in overactive muscles, abnormal postures, and sustained undesired movements. Young adults and those in middle age are most likely to develop dystonic tremors, which can occur in any muscle.”

If you’ve been reading my recent articles on pyroluria (the pyroluria-vagus nerve connection and the introversion-pyroluria-loneliness connection) I’m sure you’ll be be interested to learn that there appears to be a strong link between pyroluria and focal musician’s dystonia (or musician’s cramp) in some individuals.

As you read in the blog above, Jay, also a guitar player, had to put his professional music career on hold due to musician’s dystonia. He also happened to have social anxiety and he started to notice improvements in his anxiety and tremors within the first 2 weeks. At the end of 4 months of being on the pyroluria protocol, he shared this:

I think it is, at this point, safe to say that the pyroluria treatment [120mg vitamin B6 and 60mg zinc) is, at least in my case, the cure for pyroluria and dystonia. 90%+ of my symptoms have disappeared, I am working extensively on repertoire and I am thinking about getting back into performing.

He says his experience was “akin to rebirth as a musician and also as a person.” How wonderful is that to read. Jay’s musician’s dystonia resolved and so did his social anxiety.

The outcome for the teen and Jay were similar and yet the approaches used were seemingly very different. This isn’t actually the case since zinc and vitamin B6 are co-factors that are needed to make GABA and serotonin.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA or tryptophan as supplements

We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue for you.

If you suspect 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 on your own so you are knowledgeable. And be sure to share it with the practitioner/health team you or your loved one is working with.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control (this is covered in an entire chapter too), sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues. The importance of quality animal protein and healthy fats is also covered.

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 acids that I use with my individual clients and those in my group programs.

If, after reading this blog and my book, you don’t feel comfortable figuring things out on your own (i.e. doing the symptoms questionnaire and respective amino acids trials), a good place to get help is the GABA QuickStart Program (if you have low GABA symptoms). This is a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance and community support. Another option is the budget-friendly GABA QuickStart Homestudy Program.

If you need serotonin support, the Serotonin QuickStart Program is a good place to get help. This is also a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance on using tryptophan and 5-HTP safely, and community support during 5 LIVE Q&A calls. You can sign up to be notified when the next live launch of this program is happening.

If you are a practitioner, join us in The Balancing Neurotransmitters: the Fundamentals program. This is also a paid online/virtual program with an opportunity to interact with me and other practitioners who are also using the amino acids.

Wrapping up and your feedback

Now I’d love to hear from you.

Do you experience tremors, or have you been diagnosed with essential tremor or dystonia (or know someone who has)? And have you considered a nutritional approach?

Do share if you’ve seen success with either of the above approaches, and also experienced reduced anxiety or felt more social?

Have GABA or tryptophan helped to reduce your sugar cravings.

Feel free to ask you questions below.

Collagen Can Cause Anxiety and Insomnia with Trudy Scott: The Anxiety Summit 5

October 25, 2019 By Trudy Scott 109 Comments

One of my three interviews on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis is: Collagen Can Cause Anxiety and Insomnia. In this interview, I’m interviewed by my colleague and friend Dr. Nicole Beurkens, PhD, and you’ll learn:

How acute tryptophan depletion lowers serotonin
How to figure out if you may be susceptible to serotonin-lowering effects of collagen or gelatin
About other factors to consider: Oxalates, glutamates, arginine, glyphosate and histamine

Collagen and gelatin are an excellent source of these amino acids: proline, glycine, glutamine and arginine BUT they do not contain the amino acid tryptophan. This can cause increased anxiety, worsening insomnia and even a low mood in individuals who are susceptible to the fact that both collagen and gelatin can lower serotonin levels.

We talk about some of this in a short in-person interview I recently did in San Diego, with my friend and colleague Tara Hunkin (who also happens to be speaking on the summit – on the topic of mitochondrial dysfunction and anxiety).

(Note: The dates for the 2021 Anxiety Summit 5 is November 8-14, 2021)

I actually blogged about this topic in Sept 2017 and updated the blog with a number of studies in Dec 2017. You can read about this and all the feedback from folks who have observed similar issues when consuming collagen and/or gelatin – Collagen and gelatin lower serotonin: does this increase your anxiety and depression? (there are also quite a few naysayers)

This will get you up to speed for the summit interview if you’re hearing this for the first time or if you read this back in 2017.

In the summit interview (Dr. Nicole Beurkens is my interviewer for this one) I review the theory and serotonin-depleting mechanisms, the 3 different effects folks are noticing and share some feedback from real people, as well as my story and what I experienced.

I also discuss a new paper that further supports this very probable connection: Use of tryptophan fortified hydrolyzed collagen for nutritional support. I share this about the study: “they were using hydrolyzed collagen – because the collagen is very well digested,- for people that were very severely nutritionally depleted. But they added in tryptophan to make it more of a complete protein” and presumably also prevent these mood and sleep issues.

The authors share this about hydrolyzed collagen and the addition of tryptophan for this population:

Standard hydrolyzed collagen is not a perfect amino acid according to the established standards because it does not contain the amino acid tryptophan. A tryptophan-fortified liquid hydrolyzed collagen supplement is, in fact, considered a complete protein. Forms of hydrolyzed collagen have been utilized for several decades as a dietary supplement. Collagen hydrolysate has been of interest as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis

Closer investigation of this product will reveal that it may indeed meet the protein requirements of a malnourished individual, containing an optimal amino acid composition, high bioavailability, and high digestibility.

In the summit interview we also talk about bone broths and a step-by-step approach to figure out if your issue with collagen is one of the following and what to do about it:

low serotonin
oxalates
a histamine reaction
a reaction to glutamates or glycine
arginine

This is one of 4 interviews I do on the summit. My other 3 interviews are:

GABA & Tryptophan: The Gut-Anxiety Connections (here is the blog for this one)
Simple Solutions for Anxiety and Gut Health (I’ll share highlights from this ones in another email/blog)
Glutamine, DPA and Tyrosine for Anxiety and Sugar Cravings

Please join us and listen to this interview and all the others on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis.

If you’d like to give feedback or ask a question, please post in the comments below.

I’d love to hear from you once you’ve listened in to my interview.

Until then let us know how you do use collagen or gelatin and if you’ve noticed any mood issues, increased anxiety or insomnia? And if it was due to low serotonin or something else?

Anxiety & the Gut-Brain Axis in Autism with Julie Matthews: The Anxiety Summit 5

October 21, 2019 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

Julie Matthews, CNC, is one my guest experts on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis and our topic is: Anxiety & the Gut-Brain Axis in Autism. In this interview you’ll learn:

Nutritional and dietary intervention in autism (and the new study Julie contributed to)
Gut-immune-brain axis, mTOR and amino acids (we talk about tryptophan at length)
Significance of fecal microbiota transplants (and significance and future of this approach)

We start with a discussion about how common anxiety disorders are in autism, and how psychiatric medications are frequently prescribed.

This is why I’m so thrilled about the study Julie was part of: Comprehensive Nutritional and Dietary Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder-A Randomized, Controlled 12-Month Trial.

study participants had a significant improvement in anxiety from a special diet and various nutritional supplements
study participants saw improved communication skills as well as improved daily living skills and social skills – all of which can lead to reduced anxiety and social anxiety, and improved overall happiness
there were also improvements in happiness, focus, IQ and language, as well as symptoms of autism

We talk about some of this in the in-person interview we did recently in San Diego.

(Note: The dates for the 2021 Anxiety Summit 5 is November 8-14, 2021)

(I also blogged about this study last year, shortly after the paper was published. You can read about it here so you’re familiar with all the details when you listen to our summit interview.)

Julie and I are both research geeks and in our full interview on the summit we get geeky and talk about new research on:

The Gut-Immune-Brain Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorders A Focus on Amino Acids (we discuss mTOR and have a good discussion on the use of tryptophan vs 5-HTP)
Fecal transplants in autism (the outcomes are incredibly promising! I’ve since heard that another bigger study is being planned by the same researchers)

You’re likely familiar with Julie’s autism nutrition work and practitioner training on special diets which I wholeheartedly endorse. In case you’re new to her work, Julie is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and published researcher specializing in complex neurological, digestive, and immune conditions, most notably autism. She is the author of the award-winning book, Nourishing Hope for Autism, and co-author of a study proving the efficacy of nutrition and dietary intervention for autism published in the peer-reviewed journal, Nutrients (the study I mention above).

If you’re looking for autism/anxiety and autism/gut solutions you won’t want to miss this interview.

If you are looking for anxiety nutritional and gut solutions but don’t have an autism spectrum disorder/ASD or family member with ASD I encourage you to listen in anyway. Julie’s approach is based on the BioIndividual Nutrition® needs of each person and stems from her 18 years of work with autism. Using autism as a model for complex chronic disease, her approach and methodology helps practitioners specializing in varied disorders improve the health and healing of their clients through her BioIndividual Nutrition Training for practitioners.

The above statement – using autism as a model for complex chronic disease – is an important one. In the short video clip above I mention how those with ASD are like the canaries in the coal mine. And we talk about many of the overlapping root causes we see in both anxiety disorders and ASD – such as methylation, nutritional deficiencies, gut issues and food sensitivities, heavy metals and so much more. Julie and I have been highlighting these overlaps for years. Much of what we cover in the interview has wide-reaching implications for anxiety and other chronic health conditions.

I am so appreciative to Julie for helping me figure out my own dietary oxalate issues which were causing excruciating hot-coals/shards-of-glass type foot pain. I’ve learned so much from Julie on this topic and you’ll hear me bring up oxalates in a number of interviews.

We also happen to be really good friends and love to laugh together (as you can tell!). These two pictures were taken in San Diego at the Mindshare conference (left) and Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference (right), where we both presented.

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. I’d love to hear from you once you’ve listened in.

If you’d like to give feedback or ask a question, please post in the comments section at the bottom.

I’d love to hear from you once you’ve listened in to this interview and the others.

GABA & Tryptophan: The Gut-Anxiety Connections with Trudy Scott on The Anxiety Summit 5

October 14, 2019 By Trudy Scott 25 Comments

One of my three interviews on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis airs on day 1 of the summit. The topic is: GABA & Tryptophan: The Gut-Anxiety Connections. In this interview, I’m interviewed by my colleague and friend Dr. Nicole Beurkens, PhD, and you’ll learn about:

Low serotonin: fear, overwhelm, gut motility & anorexia
Low GABA: physical tension, gut & rectal pain, burning mouth
Blood brain barrier, phenibut, candida & CBD

I start with some background on why a summit on the gut-brain axis, what we don’t know about the incidence of anxiety and the huge increase we are seeing. The big message is that we have growing awareness but no real solutions. This goal of this summit is to create awareness around gut issues as a possible root cause and the growing research in nutritional psychiatry – AND to provide solutions!

We cover some of the basics in case you don’t know anything about GABA and tryptophan. If you’ve been following my work you’re likely going to be familiar with this section.

I cover plenty of new research throughout the interview and we start with 5-HTP as it relates to both gut health and anxiety. We discuss this 2019 paper: Effects of Serotonin and Slow-Release 5-Hydroxytryptophan on Gastrointestinal Motility in a Mouse Model of Depression:

Administration of 5-HTP SR [slow release] to mice restored [serotonin] to the ENS [enteric nervous system] and normalized GI motility and growth of the enteric epithelium.
5-HTP SR [slow release] might be used to treat patients with intestinal dysfunction associated with low levels of 5-HT [serotonin].

This paper doesn’t mention anxiety or depression but we know that serotonin support with 5-HTP or tryptophan addressed this aspect too. And given this, it’s very possible that we could extrapolate some of this research to tryptophan.

We cover motility issues at length in the SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) interviews with Dr. Alison Siebecker and Shivan Sarna – SIBO: Anxiety, Testing, Probiotics and Fecal Transplants (Part 1 and 2). We also talk about the fear and overwhelm factor when starting a new protocol in that interview and in this interview of mine – and how addressing low serotonin helps so much.

We also talk about one of my favorite topics: GABA and the controversial blood-brain-barrier question and point you back to the discussion I have with Dr. Datis Kharrazian in his interview: Fix the Brain to Fix the Gut. Be sure to tune in to that one.

I also share some research on low serotonin and gut health in anorexia; interesting anti-candida properties of serotonin; how CBD can make tryptophan more effective (be sure to tune in to Dr. Hyla Cass’ interview for more on this: Endocannabinoid System and Your Gut); new GABA studies; the phenibut FDA ban; and updates on some possible reasons why one or more of the amino acids don’t work as well as expected when you do the questionnaire, you have all the symptoms, you review the precautions and a do a trial.

I mentioned this is one of 4 interviews I do on the summit. My other 3 interviews cover:

How Collagen Can Cause Anxiety and Insomnia
Simple Solutions for Anxiety and Gut Health
Glutamine, DPA and Tyrosine for Anxiety and Sugar Cravings

Please join us and listen to my interviews and all the others on The Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis.

Learn more/purchase now

If you’d like to give feedback or ask a question, please post in the comments section at the bottom.

I’d love to hear from you once you’ve listened in to this interview and the others.

GABA, Rescue Remedy & essential oils for eliminating dental anxiety

September 20, 2019 By Trudy Scott 8 Comments

Have you used GABA to help with the anxiety you experience when going to the dentist or with one of your children who are fearful during a dental visit? I recently shared a comment on Facebook about how delighted I was with some of the feedback from Integrative Medicine for Mental Health attendees for my recent GABA presentation. I had a mom, Katie, respond and share how happy she was that GABA helped her 8 year old son on a trip to the dentist. She shared this:

My 8 year old has some anxiety, OCD-like tendencies, and sensory processing issues. Going to the dentist is extremely difficult. They recommended full sedation, which I refused. Instead, I brought his GABA, Rescue Remedy, and essential oils. He got 2 cavities filled like a champ!

I had forgotten the GABA at first and he was struggling. I stopped the dentist, gave my son a GABA lozenge to dissolve in his mouth, and within 30 seconds he was calm. The dentist was SO impressed. It really does work! I’m so grateful I learned about it from you!

GABA really does work this quickly – 30 seconds is not unusual – and this effectively and I was thrilled for this mom and her son.

A few other moms asked about which GABA product Katie used for her son, which one I recommend, and can GABA be used with children.

I like GABA Calm for kids and adults for the physical type of tension anxiety. When using with a child we want to start low and slowly increase. I’ll have the mom start them on one quarter (or sometimes less) of the GABA Calm product (which contains 125mg of GABA) and increase based on the trial and how their symptoms improve.

Katie used a 25mg GABA product by Kal, pictured here. I really like that it’s a nice low amount and that it uses what they call ActivMelt™ technology, so it melts in the mouth. Using GABA this way or sublingually or opening a capsule of a GABA-only product and holding it in the mouth is the most effective way to use GABA.

Depending on sensitivity issues you may need to test it out and consider some of the other ingredients if you notice tummy upset or something else.

Rescue Remedy and an essential oil blend

Katie also shared this about the Rescue Remedy and essential oil blend she used when they arrived (before giving him GABA):

The Rescue Remedy was very helpful. We use it on the whole family. For oils, I used a blend called Tranquility from Butterfly Express.

I had him inhale the oil plus applied it behind his ears and on the carotid artery on his neck. The dental assistant commented on how good that oil works because she felt really relaxed and calm.

I find GABA to be more effective so start there but many moms like Katie, find Rescue Remedy, a Bach Flower remedy, to help. I remember using Rescue myself, many years ago before I had discovered GABA.

The Tranquility blend contains: Blue Tansy, Geranium, Chamomile German, Lavender Officinalis, Palmarosa, Patchouli, Orange Sweet, Tangerine, and Ylang Complete. I’m not familiar with this company but the essential oils in this blend are wonderful.

Both of these – the oils and Rescue remedy – helped initially but it seems it was the GABA that gave him the most effective calming relief.

Anxiety nutritional solutions resources for dentists

Going to the dentist can be stressful at the best of times and downright terrifying in some instances and I want kids and adults alike to know they have options like this.

Now, let’s get my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution, into the hands of all dentists so they can help their anxious and fearful patients with GABA and other nutritional approaches!

And let’s also talk to the dentist about diffusing calming essential oils in the treatment and/or waiting rooms or at least encouraging their patients to bring their own blends.

Tryptophan or 5-HTP if there is a dental phobia, intense fear or OCD-like tendencies

Keep in mind that serotonin support with tryptophan or 5-HTP should also be considered if there is a phobia and fear that is so intense, the child won’t even go to the dentist. Katie mentions her son has OCD-like tendencies too and serotonin support helps with these symptoms as does a gluten-free diet in many children (as illustrated by this case study).

Both GABA and serotonin support can help with post-dental pain and so can DPA/d-phenylalanine.

Additional resources when you are new to using GABA or other amino acids as supplements

We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low GABA (indicating a possible need for GABA or theanine) or low serotonin (indicating a need for tryptophan or 5-HTP) or low endorphins (indicating a possible need for DPA) or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue for you.

There is an entire chapter on the amino acids and they are discussed throughout the book in the sections on gut health, gluten, blood sugar control, sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues. The importance of quality animal protein and healthy fats is also covered.

If you also need serotonin support, the Serotonin QuickStart Program is a good place to get help. This is also a paid online/virtual group program where you get my guidance on using tryptophan and 5-HTP safely, and community support during 5 LIVE Q&A calls. You can sign up to be notified when the next live launch of this program is happening.

Now I’d like to hear from you …

Thank you Katie for sharing on Facebook and giving me permission to share your son’s GABA dentist story here. Well done for getting your dentist on board with both the essential oils and GABA.

Have any of the above helped your dental anxiety or fears? Or helped with fears and phobias your children have experienced going to the dentist?

If you are a dentist have you found any of the above helps your patients?

When using GABA for anxiety does tolerance increase and which amino acid to use for a low mood?

May 31, 2019 By Trudy Scott 4 Comments

Today I’m sharing some great questions I’ve received about GABA and serotonin support for anxiety and low mood, and my feedback to give you some ideas on what to look for as you use the amino acids for your own issues (or with clients/patients if you’re a practitioner).

I cover possible reasons for ongoing low GABA levels, long-term use of the amino acids, low mood associated with menopause, problems with mainly sugar- and gluten-free, the role of the adrenals and thyroid, the amino acids I’d start with for low mood, how lithium orotate may help, how to know if collagen is causing a low mood and making you more anxious, and some resources for you.

GABA tolerance has increased

Gaba has been a lifesaver for my anxiety! I also use taurine sometimes for anxiety too, and that has helped too. Right now, I take 1000 mg [of taurine]. As for GABA (I now take 1000 mg of that also) I have noticed that my tolerance for it has increased.

Here is my feedback: I’m really pleased GABA and taurine are helping ease your anxiety. I have not seen tolerance to be a factor with my clients using GABA and I’m not aware of any research on this topic. I would look into what could be depleting GABA at a faster rate so you seem to need more and more.

This could be caused by:

increased stress which lowers zinc and increases cortisol
poor gut health and dysbiosis (there is a bacteria in the gut that may consume GABA – it’s called gabavorous)
low zinc and low B6 (which are needed to make GABA and other neurotransmitters)
toxin exposure (we’re now seeing that GABA has a protective effect – this blog covers have GABA is protective of the thyroid after fluoride exposure)
thyroid problems (the amino acids are less effective in this instance)

Keep in mind that long-term use of the amino acids is not the plan. Once the diet is addressed and the other underlying biochemistry, nutrient deficiencies, toxins etc. are addressed they should no longer be needed. At most, an occasional “top-up” may be needed.

Low mood associated with menopause

Which amino acids would you recommend for low mood associated with menopause? No panic attacks but a crashing low mood for 24hrs or more before slight recovery, a few easy days and then the cycle begins again. Diet is mainly sugar- and gluten-free. Any suggestions would be appreciated, thank you

Here is my feedback: When I hear “diet is mainly sugar- and gluten-free” with mood swings I always look into gluten exposure and blood sugar dips. Keeping a food mood log is an easy first step to see if the low mood is tied to what is being eaten and when.

I would recommend the complete removal of gluten and sugar. Gluten can trigger depression, anxiety, OCD and lead to many psychiatric symptoms. Blood sugar swings can cause both depression and anxiety. The amino acids make it easy to quite sugar and gluten – no willpower required and no feelings of deprivation. Do the questionnaire and do a trial of the amino acids that apply. Based on the above symptoms I’d suspect tryptophan and tyrosine may help and are always a good first step while everything else is being figured out.

I would also look at adrenal function as they take up the slack in menopause and rule out Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Graves (as you can get mood swings with both as the thyroid levels shift).

Low lithium can also cause mood swings too and lithium orotate can help to keep an even mood, allowing the amino acids to be more effective.

Finally, I’d want to know if collagen, gelatin or bone broths have recently been added to your diet and are being consumed in an on-an-off pattern that correlates with the low mood. Certain susceptible individuals find that it lowers serotonin and increases depression and anxiety, and causes insomnia.

Next steps are a full workup looking at sex hormones, low zinc, low B6, low magnesium, the gut, EMFs, sleep and other dietary factors like salicylates, histamine, glutamates etc. We look at all the possible 60+ nutritional and biochemical root causes and address them or rule them out.

It’s also important to have a good support system in place for those very low days – friends and family members, being part of a community and even keeping a mental health support line number close at hand.

And of course, I always say this: get out in nature, get some exercise, hug someone and have a good laugh.

Resources for you

My book The Antianxiety Food Solution (my Amazon affiliate link) has an entire chapter on the amino acids GABA, tryptophan, tyrosine, and DPA (and how to use them), a chapter on blood sugar balancing and glutamine and a chapter on gluten issues (and much more). Read it and become a savvy health-advocate for yourself. Become someone who is well-informed about the amino acids, the precautions and nuances, and all the nutritional approaches for anxiety-relief. Share a copy with your doctor and point out the references.
If figuring it out alone or reading my book feels overwhelming to you, or you’re afraid to use the amino acids on your own, my home-study Amazing Aminos for Anxiety program walks you through a step-by step approach on how to figure out which symptoms are tied to which neurotransmitter deficiency, and how to trial each respective amino acid. Stay tuned for a special upcoming launch with live Q and A calls so you can get your questions answered. (If you have recently purchased the homestudy ONLY version we will be contacting you to invite you to participate.)
Here is a blog to read if you’re new to GABA: GABA for the physical-tension and stiff-and-tense-muscles type of anxiety
Here is a blog to read if you’re new to tryptophan: Tryptophan for the worry-in-your-head and ruminating type of anxiety (it’s a blog about low serotonin anxiety but applies to low-serotonin low mood too)
Here is a blog to read if you’re new to tyrosine: Tyrosine for focus, motivation, energy, a good mood and possibly even anxiety
You can find the amino acids in my supplement store here.

Can you relate to either of these questions? And are you good at playing a detective to figure out why something may not be working as expected?

What has worked for your anxiety and/or low moods?

Feel free to post questions in the comments too.

And let me know if you’re interested in the homestudy program with live Q and A calls. (If you have recently purchased the homestudy ONLY version we will be contacting you to invite you to participate.)