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The Anxiety Summit – Targeted individual amino acids for eliminating anxiety: practical applications

By Trudy Scott 126 Comments

Host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution. was interviewed by Dr Lauren Noel, host of Dr Lo radio.

Targeted individual amino acids for eliminating anxiety: practical applications

  • Glutamine: how it’s calming and helps with blood sugar balancing
  • GABA: how it eases physical tension
  • Tryptophan: how it eases anxiety in the head/busy ruminations (and when not to use 5-HTP)
  • DPA and tyrosine: how they help you quit the comfort-eating and coffee
  • Precautions when using individual amino acids
  • Factors that make them more effective and factors that make them less effective

Here are some snippets from our interview:

You’ll hear some practitioners say GABA molecules are too large to cross the blood brain barrier so GABA won’t work or if it does work you must have a leaky blood brain barrier

Some practitioners are talking about and using a “test” for leaky brain called the GABA Challenge which recommends taking1000- 2000 mg of GABA at night. If the blood brain barrier is intact, you supposedly won’t feel any effect from the GABA. If you do feel a change (drowsiness /feeling drunk or even jittery) then you will need to repair your leaky blood brain barrier.

I have not used the GABA Challenge and only recently learned about it but I am concerned with the very high dose of 2000mg of GABA. That is a lot of GABA for most people and I would expect severe drowsiness for most people or even a reverse effect. I find 125mg (in GABA Calm) is a good starting dose for my anxious clients.

I have also seen research indicating that GABA’s relaxing effect may be due to peripheral effects rather than the effect on/in the brain

Here are some of the papers about there being GABA-receptors in peripheral tissues (these are older papers and I’d love to see some newer research).

  • “GABA and its receptors are found in a wide range of peripheral tissues, including parts of the peripheral nervous system, endocrine, and non-neural tissues such as smooth muscle and the female reproductive system” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2162457)
  • “GABA is widely distributed in endocrine tissues including the pituitary, pancreas, adrenal glands, uterus, ovaries, placenta and testis” (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16338174)

Here is the research on oral GABA being a natural relaxant for 13 subjects who crossed a suspended bridge as a stressful stimulus

GABA could work effectively as a natural relaxant and its effects could be seen within 1 hour of its administration to induce relaxation and diminish anxiety.

Here is the research on the stress-reducing effect of chocolate enriched with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in humans

the participants performed an arithmetic task and those that were given the GABA choc made a quick recovery to the normal state from the stressful state.

It has been reported that ordinary doses of GABA by oral ingestion do not permeate the blood brain barrier. Therefore, it has been considered that GABA may act on the peripheral nervous system of the digestive organs and not the central nervous system

Here is the blog post that discusses why I don’t use urinary neurotransmitter testing.
There are some precautions to be aware of when taking supplemental amino acids. Here are the Amino Acid Precautions.

Meme Grant shared her success story with the amazing amino acids (and the pyroluria protocol) in season 1. She had anxiety, had panic attacks, didn’t enjoy speaking in public, had insomnia and was an emotional eater.

  • glutamine allowed her to walk past the gluten and dairy free junk foods
  • tyrosine helped her flutterby mind, gave her energy, focus and a desire to do things again
  • DPA stopped her comfort eating for too much of the “healthy” sweeteners
  • Tryptophan stopped her mind talk, got her sleeping through the night for the first time in 11 years and helped reduce the frequency of her panic attacks
  • GABA was the best amino acid and how the panic attacks disappeared
  • zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil helped her pyroluria symptoms

Enjoy the bonus audio of my interview with Meme. You’ll be able to hear first-hand from someone who experienced amazing results.

Here is a video of Nicole trying some glutamine for low blood sugar

The questionnaires are also on the blog – amino acid questionnaire and pyroluria questionnaire.  Both have many comments that are invaluable.

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

Jeffrey Smith on Anxiety, depression, GMOs and Roundup on the Anxiety Summit

By Trudy Scott 18 Comments

Jeffrey Smith, non-GMO advocate, founder of Institute for Responsible Technology, producer of the movie Genetic Roulette, is speaking on the Anxiety Summit. Our topic: “Anxiety & Depression: Health Risks of GMOs and Roundup.” We also talk about GM tryptophan and why it was removed from the market. It was a fabulous interview!

Here is an outline of what we cover:

  • GMO definition, health effects and why advocate a complete ban
  • The sad story of the South African GM corn/mielie farmer – this is a powerful story
  • How Bt toxins damage the gut and become “pesticide producing factories” – this is scary and sounds like a futuristic movie
  • How Roundup affects serotonin production, detoxification and the gut – more on this below in the snippet and video preview
  • Roundup’s new scary use – I had no idea!
  • The GM tryptophan disaster in 1989 – and the theory as to why tryptophan was banned
  • The good news and how you can help bring about change – there is light at the end of the tunnel!

I brought up South Africa during the interview because I was recently there. GMOs are labeled in South which is good and bad. It’s good because you can avoid eating GM products. It’s bad because labeling was done without all the activism we are seeing here in the USA, and I feel there is less awareness about the dangers. Many people are simply consuming these products without any questioning. Here is a picture of the Knorrox label.

knorox pic 1

knorox-ingredients

In this close-up picture, you’ll notice a few things. As well as the label “contains genetically modified materials” i.e. the maize/corn), it also contains:

Getting back to my interview with Jeffrey…he shared the sad story of the South African GM corn/mielie/maize farmer that had a happy ending and he assured me that awareness is growing.

We also talked extensively about how Roundup affects serotonin production, detoxification and the gut.

Here is a snippet from our actual interview we did for the summit:

Roundup shuts down this pathway called the shikimate pathway. Monsanto bragged up-and-down because Roundup blocks the shikimate pathway in order to kill weeds. And because humans don’t have the shikimate pathway, they said Roundup must be safe for humans.

But it’s not safe for a lot of reasons.

It’s an endocrine disruptor. It can promote cancer. It’s linked to heart disease and diabetes. But what they failed to point out was that the shikimate pathway is what our gut bacteria use to produce the vast majority of the l-tryptophan that we assimilate. L-tryptophan is a precursor to melatonin, which is linked to sleep and circadian rhythms, daily cycles, but it’s also a precursor to serotonin and now we land squarely on the world of anxiety. Without sufficient serotonin there can be anxiety and depression.

I managed to nab Jeffrey for a quick preview in August – this snippet in itself is enlightening – he shares more on the shikimate pathway and low serotonin. I always learn from Jeffrey and his energy and passion is amazing! Just watch him in action doing this unprepared on-the-fly interview. Sorry about the background buzz – we were at an event and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to have Jeffrey inspire you.

This is all very timely with October being Non-GMO month, a month of awareness created by the Non-GMO Project, a non-profit organization, offering North America’s only third party verification and labeling for non-GMO (genetically modified organism) food and products.

I hope you’ll join us on the Anxiety Summit season 2. It runs from Nov 3-16 and you’ll learn about this and many other nutritional and natural solutions for anxiety, panic attacks, OCD and social anxiety. This is one of many great topics we’ll be sharing.

 

The Anxiety Summit: amazing aminos acids client success with Meme Grant

By Trudy Scott 14 Comments

 meme grant client success story2

This is day 14 of the Anxiety Summit. Meme Grant is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Meme had anxiety, had panic attacks, didn’t enjoy speaking in public, had insomnia and was an emotional eater. She found answers with the amazing aminos acids and the pyroluria protocol.  Hear how:

  • glutamine allowed her to walk past the gluten and dairy free junk foods
  • tyrosine helped her flutterby mind, gave her energy, focus and a desire to do things again
  • DPA stopped her comfort eating for too much of the “healthy” sweeteners
  • Tryptophan stopped her mind talk, got her sleeping through the night for the first time in 11 years and helped reduce the frequency of her panic attacks
  • GABA was the best amino acid and how the panic attacks disappeared
  • zinc, vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil helped her pyroluria symptoms.  Here is the pyroluria questionnaire we discussed.

Here is a great gem from my interview with Meme:

No matter how bad you feel, know that there is a natural solution out there

Natural solutions come naturally so keep looking

Meme is a GAPS Practitioner, Nutritional Therapist, FNTP, and fellow African.

You can find out more about Meme at www.givennewlife.info

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

UPDATE: the summit concluded on Tues 6/24 – season 2 of The Anxiety Summit will be in November 2014. If you’d like to be on the notification list just sign up 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 + interview highlights and listen when it suits you

The Anxiety Summit: Eliminating Anxiety – Amino Acid Therapy and Adrenal Balancing

By Trudy Scott 39 Comments

julia_ross

This is day 5 of the Anxiety Summit season 1. Julia Ross, MFT, pioneer in the field of Amino Acid Therapy and the author of best sellers The Mood Cure and The Diet Cure, is interviewed by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Eliminating Anxiety: Amino Acid Therapy and Adrenal Balancing

  • the role of low serotonin and low GABA in anxiety
  • when to use tryptophan versus 5-HTP
  • the effectiveness of oral GABA supplements
  • how to assess for neurotransmitter deficiencies and the ineffectiveness of urinary neurotransmitter testing
  • the adrenals and excess cortisol: how to correct this cause of anxiety
  • the issues with using benzodiazapines and SSRIs for anxiety

Here are some great gems from my interview with Julia:

On a scale of zero to ten, zero is not an unrealistic goal when it comes to anxiety.  It’s really the human potential and GABA and tryptophan give us access to it

Amino acids are really our only hope for quickly reversing the epidemics not only of anxiety, but of depression, compulsive eating, and obesity

We see these low serotonin symptoms disappear in front of us when we administer capsules of one of the two forms of serotonin fuel, either the amino acid tryptophan or the amino acid 5-hydroxy tryptophan

with GABA there’s a whole body relaxing element, as well as an anxiety-relieving, stress-relieving element

if you or someone that you’re working with is dependent on these kind of drugs [benzodiazapines] to get any kind of decent sleep at night, then you can be pretty sure that cortisol levels are too high

Julia talked about how when it comes to funding drug research to treat depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders, the global pharmaceutical industry prefers to invest its research dollars in cancer, metabolism, autoimmunity, and other disease areas. Here is a link to the article she referred to : Psychiatric Drug Development

We discussed how to assess for neurotransmitter deficiencies and the ineffectiveness of urinary neurotransmitter testing. This is the 2012 study Julia mentioned: Correlation of serotonin levels in CSF, platelets, plasma, and urine

This method of measuring serotonin levels in platelets results in a very strong correlation with levels in CSF (cerebrospinal fluid)

I highly recommend Julia’s wonderful books The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions and The Diet Cure: The 8-Step Program to Rebalance Your Body Chemistry and End Food Cravings, Weight Gain, and Mood Swings – Naturally

Be sure to listen to Meme Grant’s success story on Sunday June 22.  She shares how she used amino acids to end her anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and emotional eating. Tryptophan and GABA made a world of difference for her.

Here is Julia’s Townsend article on Urinary Neurotransmitter Testing

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

UPDATE: season 1 summit concluded on Tues 6/24/14 – If you’d like to be on the notification list for future summits just sign up 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 here and listen when it suits you

Anxiety: food based solutions with Trudy Scott on The Randy and Christa show

By Trudy Scott 7 Comments

I met Christa Orrechio at a conference earlier this year and was thrilled to be invited to speak on The Randy and Christa show. They are doing a fabulous job getting the wellness message out into the world! I also love how they have such fun doing this show!

During my segment we talked about the following:

  • Why read my book The Antianxiety Food Solution: if you’re stressed, have panic attacks, fears, phobias and even sugar cravings
  • “80-90% of my clients do better off gluten”
  • My client who went gluten-free: her eczema cleared up and she felt calmer
  • Amino acid supplements (like GABA and tryptophan) help you break the gluten addiction/craving
  • Low serotonin causes anxiety, sadness, excessive worry in the head, depression, afternoon and evening cravings, PMS, winter blues and sleep problems (see the whole questionnaire here)
  • Tryptophan (500mg is the starting dose) midafternoon and evening raises serotonin so you’ll feel calmer, hopeful and optimistic
  • Some people may do better on 5-HTP but it can raise cortisol levels
  • Too much of the amino acids can have a reverse effect – use what you need. You may need less than the starting dose
  • The amino acids are a short-term approach – you also need to be addressing diet and low blood sugar etc
  • Low GABA causes physical tension and anxiety (Randy finds GABA helps him sleep)
  • Caffeine is a problem for many people with anxiety – give it up! If it doesn’t make you anxious make sure it’s organic
  • Zinc and vitamin B6 are important for making GABA and serotonin
  • A good source of zinc and B6 is red meat. It’s also a good source of iron and omega-3s (as much omega3-s as salmon!). Of course it does need to be grass-fed!
  • The starting dose for vitamin B6 is 100mg
  • Magnesium is a calming mineral
  • Sign up for your free report “5 Simple Steps to Reduce Anxiety Now“

Be sure to listen to Randy and Christa when I drop off as they continue the discussion (12:30 minutes).

Regarding the red meat discussion they had a bit later, I’d like to add that I find many of my clients with mood issues – both anxiety and depression – do better with more red meat than just once or twice a week. Having it every day is just fine! As Christa said, it has all the amino acids to make our neurotransmitters/brain chemicals.

Christa Orecchio is a clinical and holistic nutritionist, and founder of The Whole Journey, a nutrition practice and informational website. She is on a mission to help as many people as possible to heal by addressing the root cause (and not just the symptom) of why they don’t feel good and concurrently teaches people how to use food as their medicine to heal their bodies so they can ultimately live a thriving, vibrant life.

Christa has a TV show on FOX in San Diego called “Food as Medicine” and is the co-host of her own nationally syndicated health talk show “The Randy and Christa Show”.

 

Zinc, turmeric and tryptophan for brain health and mood

By Trudy Scott 33 Comments

Boys Telling Secrets

So much can be done using the amazing healing power of foods and nutrients when it comes to brain health and mood. I truly believe this holistic health approach is the way to go because it gets back to basics and addresses the root causes of issues instead of the using the band-aid approach. The added bonus is that this approach also improves focus, skin health, digestion, heart health and more.

Here are just some of my top nutrients for a healthy brain and great mood!

Zinc is one of the top nutrient deficiencies I see with my clients.

Zinc is a key nutrient for the prevention of anxiety and depression, especially the type of social anxiety called pyroluria. Here is the pyroluria questionnaire: https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/pyroluria-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ It’s also been shown to be beneficial for sleep, cognitive function and for healing from traumatic brain injury. Zinc is also an important co-factor in making the neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin.

Turmeric is an uncommon yet powerful supplement

Research shows that turmeric has “promising cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory properties”. We often see inflammation and brain/mood problems go hand in hand. Inflammation produces cytokines which activate the IDO enzyme, degrading tryptophan and leading to less serotonin and less melatonin. This can result in increased depression and anxiety, poor sleep and poor focus. A new randomized, controlled clinical trial published in the journal Phytotherapy Research has confirmed that the primary polyphenol in turmeric known as curcumin is both safe and effective in treating serious states of depression. One study even found that turmeric benefited 3 patients with Alzheimer’s disease and reduced symptoms of irritability, agitation, anxiety, and apathy.

Tryptophan is an amazing amino acid

It promotes sleep and improves depression, anxiety, panic, worry and OCD /obsessive compulsive symptoms in people who have low serotonin. I have my clients do this questionnaire so we can figure out which deficiency they have https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-mood-questionnaire-from-the-antianxiety-food-solution/ Although there isn’t a great deal of research on this amino acid and “the evidence base is significantly larger for depression than for anxiety disorder”, tryptophan is recognized as an add-on for when someone is on medications. I see so much success using tryptophan with my clients that I wish it was the first choice before anti-depressants!

I’d like to share some recent success I’ve seen with tryptophan. I’ve been having the most amazingly rewarding sessions with a young man (and his mom). During our first session, an in-office trial of 100mg of chewable tryptophan reduced his worry, sadness and very busy thoughts from a 7/8/9 out of 10, to a 3 out of 10 within 5-10 minutes. He said “my head feels different…good different…I’m thinking happy things”. He started to smile a lot. He also has a repetitive behavior which went from 7/8 out of 10, to a 5 out of 10. Tryptophan is known for reducing OCD but it wasn’t quite enough and we have had to add inositol too. I know the amazing amino acids work wonders but I’m always thrilled when I see them in action changing lives. And most of all, I’m so pleased his mom decided to go this route first instead of having him take medications. We are simply addressing nutritional deficiencies like low serotonin and low zinc [he did also need zinc].

What supplements have you found to be beneficial for your brain health, anxiety or depression?