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Confused about supplements? Join me on the Medicinal Supplements Summit

By Trudy Scott 1 Comment

medical-supplement-summit-speakers

Confused about supplements? Are you they doing you more harm than good? Join me on The Medicinal Supplements Summit from September 12-19, 2016 and learn the latest in supplement customization to beat stress and end anxiety, boost energy, lose weight, improve brain function and heal your body!

Your hosts of The Medicinal Supplements Summit are Wendy Myers, an expert in detoxification and founder of Liveto110.com, and Ian Clark, founder of Activation Products.  

They both understand the importance of taking the right supplements – after all, they both healed their own health crises through targeted supplements, whole body health and the power of micronutrients!

This event is dedicated to helping you determine what you need, separate “claims” from the truth, customize to your needs and make proper decisions at the store or online.

All reasons not to miss The Medicinal Supplements Summit, online from September 12-19, 2016!

Here is the line-up of topics:

DAY 1 (September 12, after 10am US eastern)
The Medicinal Supplements Summit starts. We’ll discuss whether you need supplements to be healthy, can you get all your nutrients from food and important supplements missing from your health regime!

DAY 2 (September 13, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 2 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we discuss top supplements in depth: fish oil, probiotics, Vitamin C, food-based vs. synthetic supplements and minerals, like magnesium. Learn what kind of supplements you should take and how to take them!

DAY 3 (September 14, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 3 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we discuss tips and tests you can take to customize supplements to your body’s needs. Take the guesswork out of choosing supplements!

DAY 4 (September 15, after 10am US eastern)
Buyer beware! On day 4 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit we discuss the supplement categories that require extra scrutiny before you buy: weight loss, detox, energy, performance-enhancing and protein supplements. These supplement categories offer products that are harmful or ineffective, and should be avoided.

DAY 5 (September 16, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 5 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we review the top medicinal supplements for common health conditions: heart disease, pain, adrenal fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, gut health and autoimmunity. These supplements should be in your medicine cabinet!

DAY 6 (September 17, after 10am US eastern)
Day 6 at The Medicinal Supplements Summit reviews supplements for common health conditions: brain fog, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, fibromyalgia, pain and sleep disturbances.  

My interview airs on day 6: Using Amino Acids for Anxiety and Depression

  • How to find out what type of depression you have
  • Specific amino acids for your type of depression or anxiety (individual targeted amino acids: tryptophan, GABA, DPA, glutamine and tyrosine)
  • Serious complications caused by anti-anxiety medication

DAY 7 (September 18, after 10am US eastern)
On Day 7 of The Medicinal Supplements Summit, we discuss hot topics in the supplement world: toxic metals in supplements, hidden gluten, ingredients to avoid and using essential oils.

DAY 8 (September 19, after 10am US eastern)
Encore Day at The Medicinal Supplements Summit!

Here is the registration link https://qt247.isrefer.com/go/SUPP16reg/trudyscottcn/

Hope to see you there.

Tryptophan and melatonin make a big difference but why do I still wake at 4am?

By Trudy Scott 113 Comments

waking-up-early

I get many questions on the blog about problems with sleep: not able to fall asleep, not waking rested and waking in the early hours and not being able to go back to sleep. By far the most common question is “Why do I still wake at 4am and can’t go back to sleep?”

So let me share one of the typical questions I receive and my feedback in the hope that something you read here may help you or someone you’re working with. Here is the question:

I purchased Lidtke l-Tryptophan and time release melatonin and notice a big difference in my sleep. Instead of waking up every two hours I’m sleeping better but still wake up at 4 am and can’t get back to sleep. GABA hasn’t helped. What can I take to get back to sleep and what are your thoughts on Seriphos Phosphorylated Serine? I think my anxiety has to do with my adrenals because I wake up in a sweat and am way past menopause.

Since she is seeing a big difference with tryptophan and timed-release melatonin, low serotonin is the likely root cause of her insomnia or at least one of the root causes. We always want to capitalize on what is already working. Too many people don’t see expected results with 1 x 500mg tryptophan at bedtime and 1mg timed-release melatonin and start looking for other solutions when the answer may be right in front of them.

Here are the steps I’d follow with a client with similar sleep challenges:

  • Try more tryptophan, increasing it slowly over the course of a few weeks in the hope that it more will provide more serotonin support. This is what I call an amino acid trial where you rate and log your improvements as you incrementally increase – with the goal of finding an optimal amount for your needs. We all have different needs and post menopause it’s not uncommon for women to experience anxiety, depression and insomnia related to low serotonin and fluctuating sex hormones. We also always want to capitalize on what is already working.
  • Also, to add to what’s working, add tryptophan mid-afternoon if it’s not already in place. When someone scores high on the low serotonin questionnaire the typical timing of tryptophan is mid-afternoon and an hour before bed (always away from protein). Serotonin levels start to decline mid-afternoon hence the benefits of a mid-afternoon dose. Start low and increase slowly.
  • I would also suggest trying the tryptophan opened up (at both times) to see if this makes a difference.
  • Taking a tryptophan at the 4am waking can help you go back to sleep so this is worth trying. For some people 500mg at 4am is too much and using 125mg or 250mg works well. You determine the amount based on how you feel when you do get up. If you were able to go back to sleep easily buy wake groggy then it’s too much.
  • Some people are reporting better results with Lidtke Tryptophan Complete (which has all the co-factor nutrients) so this may be worth trialing too. I’d start by adding to what is already in place.
  • If we get benefits with any of the above by are not quite there then I would suggest additional timed-release melatonin until sleep improves.

This is always done slowly and methodically over the course of a few weeks. I always have my clients carefully log what they try and what is working and not working.

Other factors we’d make sure are addressed:

  • What GABA was used, was it trialed (starting low and increased) and was it used sublingually?
  • Is high cortisol at night a factor? Doing an adrenal saliva test will provide the answer. If it is then the Interplexus Seriphos is the best for lowering it. It’s best to take 1-3 x Seriphos about 2-3 hours before the high cortisol.  [UPDATE: INTERPLEXUS SERIPHOS WAS REFORMULATED IN 2016 – PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR MORE ON THIS]
  • Is gut health a factor? Look into SIBO, gluten sensitivity, other food sensitivities, dysbiosis and parasites (which are often active in the early hours and can cause night sweats)
  • Is there a sex hormone imbalance? Even with someone way past menopause, the night sweats mean this should be ruled out. The addition of amino acids starts to balance the hormones but more support may be needed.  
  • Is any caffeine (even decaf) still being consumed?
  • Is blood sugar stable? Make sure to have breakfast with animal protein and healthy fats and the same at each meal and for snacks. Consider a trial of glutamine during the day and just before bed for added blood sugar stability
  • Are medications a factor? Current medications or prior use of benzodiazepines or SSRIs can affect sleep even long after they have been tapered.
  • Is sleep apnea a factor?

We also address all the usual sleep hygiene factors: dark room, cool room, quiet room, no cell phone or clock radio on the bedside table, no late night computer use and getting some early morning light.

Many essential oils can provide added benefits when diffused at night or mixed with a carrier oil and used topically. One lovely combination I share on the Essential Oils Revolution 2 (happening now) is lavender, roman chamomile and neroli which helps both insomnia and anxiety.

There can be many other possible root causes of insomnia: autoimmunity, Lyme disease, pain, past trauma or grief and even genetic polymorphisms, all covered on the recent Sleep Success Summit.

Have you used tryptophan or other amino acids like GABA (for the more physical tension) and melatonin to reduce or eliminate early morning waking episodes?

If you’re a practitioner, have you helped your clients/patients with this methodical approach?

What else has helped you?

Update August 27, 2016 : INTERPLEXUS SERIPHOS HAS BEEN REFORMULATED -I am doing research to find suitable alternatives. For now, feel free to read through the comments below for discussions about this.  Once I have some useful information I’ll create a new blog post. 

Update November 18, 2016: Here are some possible alternatives to Seriphos

Update January 20, 2017: The Original Formula of Seriphos has been reintroduced you can read more about this here

 

Tryptophan and ascorbic acid for anxiety caused by lead toxicity

By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

lead-toxicity

Lead toxicity is a factor when it comes to anxiety, panic disorder, phobias and depression, even with low levels of lead exposure.

This 2010 paper, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, Blood lead levels and major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder in U.S. young adults reports the following:

In this sample of young adults with low levels of lead exposure, higher blood lead was associated with increased odds of major depression and panic disorder. Exposure to lead at levels generally considered safe could result in adverse mental health outcomes.

The paper discusses a possible mechanism of action i.e. lead disruption of neurotransmitter production (of the catecholamines and serotonin):

If lead exposure contributes to the etiology of these disorders, the mechanism of action could involve perturbation of neurochemistry, such as brain monoamine neurotransmission.

Lead exposure is known to disrupt catecholaminergic systems, and depression and anxiety disorders are strongly associated with disturbances in these systems.

Studies in animals show that chronic lead exposure can decrease serotoninergic activity in several brain regions including the nucleus accumbens, frontal cortex, and brainstem.

It is surprising that generalized anxiety disorder was not associated with increased lead levels in this study but other research does find anxiety correlations:

Addressing lead and other heavy metal toxicity is not to be taken lightly and can often be quite a lengthy process. Finding a knowledgeable practitioner who understands chelation is important. We covered much of this in my interview with Dr. John Dempster on season 4 of the Anxiety Summit – Anxiety and heavy metals: chelation of mercury and lead

The good news is that while you are working on lead detoxification there is promising research that supports what I see in my clients: using the amino acid tryptophan reduces and often completely eliminates anxiety, panic attacks and depression while you are dealing with other underlying issues. In this instance it’s the lead toxicity but it could also be Lyme disease or gluten sensitivity or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and many other conditions.

The animal study I’m referring to was published at University of Lagos paper in 2012: Neurobehavioural and neurotoxic effects of L-ascorbic acid and L-tryptophan in lead exposed rats and states that:

The sub-chronic exposure to lead decreased brain serotonin, while causing oxidative stress by decreasing reduced glutathione levels, antioxidant enzyme activity and increasing lipid peroxidation and brain protein contents.

Ascorbic acid attenuated [or reduced] both lead induced neuronal oxidative stress, and abnormalities in behaviour.

Tryptophan ameliorated [or improved] lead-altered neurobehaviour [such as anxiety and aggression].

Co-administration of ascorbic acid and tryptophan on lead exposed rats showed a reversal in all indices assessed towards the physiological state of control. This suggests that ascorbic and tryptophan can be used to compliment chelating therapy in lead neurotoxicity.

I don’t know if you can extrapolate the dosages from the rat to a human weight-wise but since I have a curious mind I did some calculations: it turns out that they used a rough equivalent of 2000mg of ascorbic acid and 1000mg of tryptophan for an adult human. The starting dose for tryptophan is typically 500mg, and less if you’re sensitive or a “pixie dust” person. I would start here and do an amino acid trial, increasing over a few weeks until anxiety symptoms start to resolve. You can read more about the amino acids process here

Have you used tryptophan (or other amino acids like GABA) to reduce or improve anxiety symptoms with success, while dealing with a bigger underlying issue such as lead toxicity?

If you’re a practitioner, have you helped your clients/patients with tryptophan while dealing with lead toxicity?

Sleep improvement: Oral intake of GABA and Apocynum venetum leaf extract

By Trudy Scott 17 Comments

sleep-improvement

I’ve blogged about the Sleep promoting effects of combined GABA and 5-HTP. There is another combination of nutrients that has been shown to help with sleep: GABA and the herb Apocynum venetum leaf extract.

In this 2015 paper: The Improvement of Sleep by Oral Intake of GABA and Apocynum venetum Leaf Extract

The electroencephalogram (EEG) test revealed that oral administration of GABA (100 mg) and [Apocynum venetum Leaf Extract] AVLE (50 mg) had beneficial effects on sleep.

In this study they found that GABA helps people to fall asleep quickly and Apocynum venetum Leaf Extract induces deep sleep, and that they work well when taken together.

The authors conclude that both GABA and Apocynum venetum leaf extract:

can be regarded as safe and appropriate for daily intake in order to improve the quality of sleep.

Earlier this year I heard Dr. Peter Bongiorno present at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium and one of the herbs he covered was Apocynum venetum leaf extract for depression. Since this was new to me, I invited him to share about this herb on the recent Anxiety Summit: Serotonin and anxiety: tryptophan, 5-HTP, serotonin syndrome and medication tapers

I also briefly mentioned the above GABA/Apocynum venetum leaf extract study in my talk on the recent Anxiety Summit – GABA: Blood brain barrier controversy, concerns, best forms and how to do a trial for eliminating anxiety

I find that many of my clients with anxiety also have sleep problems and GABA is often helpful if their sleep issues are related to low GABA levels, often manifesting as physical tension.

One of the signs of low serotonin, in addition to anxiety and worry, is insomnia and I find tryptophan (and sometimes 5-HTP) to be very helpful for many clients too. I’ll often have someone use both GABA and tryptophan (or GABA and 5-HTP) and the combination seems to be a good one.

I have not yet used Apocynum venetum leaf extract alone with clients or in combination with GABA and look forward to learning more. Have you have tried it alone or in combination with GABA? Have you used it with clients?

Tryptophan for PMS: premenstrual dysphoria, mood swings, tension, and irritability

By Trudy Scott 69 Comments

tryptophan for pms

In a study published in 1999, A placebo-controlled clinical trial of L-tryptophan in premenstrual dysphoria, tryptophan was found to reduce symptoms of PMS when used in the luteal phase or second half of the cycle (i.e. after ovulation):

37 patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder were treated with L-tryptophan 6 g per day, and 34 were given placebo. The treatments were administered under double-blind conditions for 17 days, from the time of ovulation to the third day of menstruation, during three consecutive menstrual cycles.

They looked at dysphoria, which is defined as a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life, plus mood swings, tension (and anxiety), and irritability and they found a 34.5% reduction of symptoms with tryptophan compared to 10.4% with placebo.

The paper concludes:

that these results suggest that increasing serotonin synthesis during the late luteal phase of the menstrual cycle has a beneficial effect in patients with premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Let me share what I see with the women with PMS that I work with:

  • This is very typical when I’m working with someone with PMS and anxiety and other mood symptoms. It typically takes 2 to 3 cycles for an amino acid like tryptophan to have an impact on PMS itself. But it does typically start to work right away on the less severe anxiety and mood symptoms that may also be a factor during the rest of the month.
  • I don’t start with 6g per day of the tryptophan but rather have each person do the amino acid questionnaire, review the precautions and do a trial of tryptophan, increasing as needed to find the optimal amount for their needs (you can read more about this here on anxiety and the amino acid overview
  • We often find that adding GABA helps too, as this supports progesterone production
  • Many anxious women I work with also have pyroluria or signs of low zinc and low vitamin B6 and adding these nutrients, together with evening primrose oil, provide additional hormonal support (and help with the social anxiety).
  • Other factors to consider with PMS: low total cholesterol (as cholesterol is needed to make hormones), gluten issues, adrenal function and blood sugar control, gut health and the microbiome, and liver support
  • And finally, we can’t forget diet and need to switch to eating a real whole foods diet free from sugar, gluten and caffeine. Coffee and chocolate in the second half of the cycle can be especially problematic for many women

Together with the tryptophan and the above approaches (if needed as we are all so different), it’s not unreasonable to get the reduction of symptoms from 34.5% (as seen with the tryptophan) down to 100%. It breaks my heart when I hear women think they have to live with PMS symptoms when they don’t have to!

Additional resources when you are new to using tryptophan, GABA, and other amino acids as supplements

As always, I use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin or low GABA or other neurotransmitter imbalances may be an issue.

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 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.

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

Have you used tryptophan for PMS? Do you take it all month or just in the 2nd half of your cycle? What about other changes that have helped: GABA or liver support or quitting caffeine? Or something else?  Please share.

The Anxiety Summit – Tryptophan for anxiety, depression and insomnia: why quality is key and the critical co-factors

By Trudy Scott 64 Comments

Ron Sturtz_Anxiety4

Ron Sturtz, Owner/President, Lidtke Technologies, was interviewed on the Anxiety Summit by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Tryptophan for anxiety, depression and insomnia: why quality is key and the critical co-factors

  • The benefits of tryptophan for anxiety/mood/insomnia and why Trudy only recommends Lidtke
  • Tryptophan history and why safety and quality is key
  • Concerns about neurotoxic quinolinic acid
  • Tryptophan 500mg, kids chewable, Tryptophan Complete, and tryptophan for pets
  • Why use lysine, vitamin B3, B6/P5P, folate and curcumin with tryptophan
  • Other serotonin co-factors and 5-HTP
  • Client feedback and how to use these amino acids

In part 1 we start by discussing the history, the controversy in 1990 over contaminated L-tryptophan,  the impurities that lead to the EMS outbreak and why Lidtke has “been fanatical about purity and safety” since then:

the main [impurity] was EBT  [1,1′-ethylidene-bis-L-tryptophan] and that was the one that they suspected was the most heavily implicated.  They never could identify exactly which ones were toxic or in combination.  It could be like numbers one, two and five in combination were deadly or two and six in combination more deadly or maybe just six alone was deadly.  They never were able to determine that because they never found an animal model to use in research because when they would feed the rats or any other kind of animal, lab animal they had samples of this known toxic tryptophan, none of them responded the way humans do.  They have a very different gut flora and metabolism and they never responded the same so they weren’t about to use humans in any of these clinical trials so they never really could tell which of those six were the worst, but they strongly suspected that EBT was the worst

Ron covers how glyphosate/Roundup is contributing to low serotonin levels:

…the food crops  absorb the chemical, they still soak it up and then they’re sent to market and you buy them and you cook them and you eat then and then you soak it up.  Well, you don’t produce tryptophan or phenylalanine, but your gut bacteria to do.  And preferentially the beneficial gut bacteria tend to be killed by the glyphosates.  So when that happens the pathogenic bacteria tend to dominate.  And then when that happens when they grow kind of out of control then even more tryptophan is used up by the macrophages, which then attack the pathogens.

If you’d like to read more about this we covered this is much more detail in these interviews:

In part 2 Ron reviews the serotonin biochemistry:

lidtke image serotonin biochemistry
Serotonin Biochemistry – Ron Sturtz from Lidtke Technologies

And we discuss the Tryptophan Complete product, the ingredients and rationale for including P5P, lysine, curcumin, folic acid and niacinamide. This is my feedback on the product:

the Tryptophan Complete is one that I’m not as familiar with as the 500 milligram Tryptophan.  I’ve been using the 500 milligram with my clients for over ten years.  The Tryptophan Complete is just a new one that’s sort of come on my radar and I started looking into it and I actually posted something on Facebook a few months ago and then did a blog post to get feedback from people [see below]. And I’ve had some promising feedback.  I’ve had one person say “I’ve used the Tryptophan Complete and liked it a lot better than the 500 milligrams.  It gave me a much deeper state of relaxation and a way more solid sleep.”  She used that, got benefits then tried the 500 and now has decided to go back to the Complete.  So she feels that the addition of the other ingredients really helped for her body chemistry.  I did have someone else say that she can’t do P5P at all.  It makes her agitated.  So for people who have individual reactions to any of the ingredients then you would go with the 500 milligrams.

Here is my blog: Tryptophan 500mg or Tryptophan Complete (by Lidtke)?

And my supplements blog that lists Lidtke tryptophan products (500mg tryptophan, Tryptophan Complete and Tryptophan 100mg chewable), other amino acid products and pyroluria products I recommend: The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements

You can also find the amino acid questionnaire (which lists the low serotonin symptoms) and amino acid precautions on the above blog.

Here is some of the research:

Lidtke is kindly offering 15% off all Lidtke products through the end of June  – use coupon code anxietysummit

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, Anxiety Summit Season 3, and Anxiety Summit Season 4.