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?
Such great advice. Food is indeed very powerful and I love that you’re empowering people to change their food and their mood and make their lives so much healthier and happier.
Are there any specific supplements that you recommend and where can people order them?
Hi Trudy,
Wow! You’ve opened my mind! I had heard that turmeric had beneficial properties so I cook with it as a spice.
But you got me very curious about zinc, especially as it relates to GABA and seratonin.
I wonder how to figure out how much zinc is enough and how much is too much?
PJ
—–
PJ Van Hulle
Real Prosperity, Inc.
“Have Fun. Do Good. Make Money.”
Hi PJ
Yes, cooking with turmeric is great! but when you have these major health issues and inflammation, taking it as a supplement gives you much higher levels of the active polyphenols.
Glad you’re curious about zinc…everyone should be because it’s such a common deficiency. This blog post talks about the zinc taste test for assessing your status https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/zinc-deficiency-and-using-the-zinc-taste-test/. If someone has low zinc – and the majority of my clients do – I start them on 30mg zinc a breakfast. We continue to test with the zinc liquid each week until it tastes awful!
Trudy
I have also used food and recommended supplements (determined by muscle testing) to help me heal my health challenges – amazing how much healthier I’ve gotten since I “got over” what all the doctors who just wanted to medicate me were telling me. We’ve started to do more cooking with turmeric at our house too, it’s an amazing spice.
Tracy – this is wonderful to hear! I like “healthier”
Great post Trudy. I did not realize all of the good things that zinc can do. I knew it was good for warding off colds.
Bill – it certainly is good for colds and boosting immunity too. So much more in fact…thyroid health, hormone health and even blood sugar control
Trudy, That’s an amazing story about the tryptophan. It gives me such hope that we might one day end the unnecessary medicating of youth. Wonderful!
Thanks Sue – we will! people are tired of the unnecessary medicating of youth – and adults for that fact! they are also tired of not seeing the results they hope for and they are tired of side-effects. The food-nutrient approach truly addresses the root causes.
All interesting stuff, Trudy. I’ve been reading a lot about Turmeric lately–it definitely seems like a beneficial supplement to consider in regards to inflammation.
I’ll have to look up some recipes with Turmeric. I wonder if I can add it to my Green Drink?
Great idea Jessica!
So you are saying there is a big win by eating more turkey on Thanksgiving?
Actually no Mitch, when you eat protein like turkey, the other amino acids compete for absorption. Tryptophan is the runt of the amino acids, meaning that all the other amino acids get preference when crossing the blood brain barrier. This is why tryptophan and other amino acid supplements are taken away from protein-containing meals.
Trudy, these are excellent tips. I will pass these on to friends who have kids whom they think need to be medicated. Perhaps there is a better way!
Wonderful thanks Mary Ellen – the more options people have the better!
Trudy, your information is phenomenal! I felt a sense of hope when I listened to your interview with Dr. Josh Axe; now I’m trying to find your recommendation for the supplement form of tryptophan, (found the GABA post/comment). I started taking a zinc supplement and wonder if constipation, (sorry if TMI) is a common side effect? I have Graves’ and constipation is problematic but I’ve figured out how to avoid it, ’till I started zinc supplements. I can’t thank you enough for your contributions and the clarity they bring in this day and age of overwhelm!
Hi Chandra
I’m so pleased you enjoyed my interview with Dr Josh Axe! Constipation is not a common side effect of zinc so I’d check fillers and make sure it’s a gluten-free product.
Trudy
Well, read a little further and found your recommendation for tryptophan, thank you!!!
Chandra where did you find the information regarding tryptophan supplementation?
Hi Trudy,
I just discovered your post on turmeric and brain health. You are so right! I started drinking turmeric tea (made with coconut milk, tea and other spices). Within 20″ of drinking it my decades-long issue with clogged sinuses disappeared. My breathing had not been obstructed but the sinus cavities were never clear…until turmeric!
In addition, some “brain fog” just disappeared!!!
I’m on an auto-immune paleo/GAPS diet so I am wondering if the turmeric is, in fact, quieting down some inflammation? Particularly in the brain?
It seems logical to think that any inflammation in the sinuses could and would pass through to the brain, given proximity and that the brain’s blood supply passes near the sinuses?
The sinus clearing was awesome, but to also have brain function begin to get sharper was stunning!
I’d love it if you would do another post on turmeric!
BTW, I did not go out and buy any expensive curcumin capsules; I just use organic turmeric powder and/or freshly-grated organic turmeric root. (I found a recipe for making turmeric paste which I store in the fridge and add to tea, as needed.)
India and the Aruvedic healers know what they are talking about!
It seems the crucial things to making turmeric bio-available are mild heat, fat and adding black pepper. For me, the root was bio-available within 20″.
Thanks so much both for your research and the sharing of your research, Trudy,
Laura
Trudy,
I just found this information about turmeric:
“Metal-chelating properties: Curcumin has a higher binding affinity for iron and copper rather than zinc, which may contribute to its protective effect in Alzheimer’s disease, as iron-mediated damage may play a pathological role.[21] [22]” http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/turmeric-produces-remarkable-recovery-alzheimers-patients
I thought this is of interest for people who have Pyroluria and who may have problems with high amounts of copper stored in the brain.
Laura
Here is some more great information about turmeric for those who have Pyroluria: 2 tsps provide 17% of your RDA for manganese (!!!) and 5% of your RDA for B6. (See: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78. See also here for more detailed info: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/
The more I learn about turmeric the more I can see why my (pyroluric) body likes it! I had just begun a search to see which foods are high in manganese as Pyroluria can be associated with low manganese (tea is high-ish in Mn, as Carl Pfeifer had noted in his research…I drink a lot of loose leaf oolong tea). So, the turmeric is maybe filling a nutritional need for me, as well.
Laura
That’s a good amount of manganese – good to know!
Again, thanks for sharing this useful information (especially for pyrolurics!)
Laura – what wonderful results – thanks for sharing. Now I’ll have to do another post!
I have read about the many benefits of turmeric, not sure what form is best? I add it to most recipes along with black peppercorns & coconut oil. I was taking a curcumin supplement but am now eating the golden paste I made, which is a recipe with turmeric black peppercorns & coconut oil, eating it 3 x a day, it is cheaper than the supplements but not sure if I noticed any difference since using turmeric? But I am sure it will be benefitial to my health. I take 60 mg of zinc a day to combat my copper overload.
Cheryl
Using it in food is great! Supplements provide higher therapeutic doses when there is increased inflammation, depression, anxiety, cancer etc
Designs for Health has a great product called C3 Curcumin which “is a patented, unique composition of three bioactive, health-promoting curcuminoids: Curcumin, Bisdemethoxy curcumin, and Demethoxy curcumin. These are the strongest, most protective and best-researched constituents of the herb turmeric.” (http://blog.designsforhealth.com/blog/bid/147720/Marvelous-Curcumin) This can be purchased via my online store Emerson. The details for seeting up an account are at the bottom of this blog https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/ – just search for “practitioner account”
Trudy,
I’ve been following lots of information in your book. I’m honestly stumped on what I truly have. I’ve been dealing with severe anxiety since may and have been healing naturally. I finally started the tryptophan last night. I’m also taking zinc in the morning b6 in the afternoon and magnesium(natural calm) at night. I’m still have the physical tingling and numbing. I’m just wondering if there’s anymore specific information or if you provide private consultation. Looking forward to your response.
Hello Trudy,
Your website and blog are amazing !
Wanted to ask you ,for GAD and part OCD , if its possible to mix Curcumin , Tryptophan , Inositol together with active form of B Complex , Magnesium Bisglycinate , MagTein , Omega 3 ,Vitamin C , Vitamin D, Zinc , Selenium.
Would you add to this mix : Theanine , Ashwagandha , Bacopa , Gotu Kola , Rhodiola , Ginko Biloba ,NAC , Phopsoditilserine ?
What stack would you recomend and at what dosage for Anxiety with all of this nutritients and herbs?
Especially anxiety is very high late afternoon/early evening and sometimes in the morning right after wake up
Thank you very much in advance !
Steve
I replied on the other post but here it is again
Hi Steve
All of these nutrients can be beneficial in various situations and can often help with anxiety and OCD. I can’t offer specific advice via the blog and even when I working one on one with someone I don’t ever consider a “stack” of nutrients like this and nor would we know what dosage would work. We start with questionnaires and trial of the amino acids GABA and tryptophan and then look at other nutritional deficiencies.
If it’s mental anxiety late afternoon/early evening that makes me think low serotonin and early morning can sometimes be high cortisol (saliva testing will show this). Inositol is very helpful for OCD if tryptophan isn’t enough.
All this plus the dietary and gut approaches outlined in my book
I can’t seem to find a doctor knowledgeable in this area, and I’m afraid of doing damage to my body by mixing supplements. Right now I’m stuck with 300mg of Bupropion a day. I hate it. I can’t sleep and I live in a tired fog, but I’m a sobbing, depressed mess without it.
I did order turmeric circumin because it doesn’t appear to have any negative interactions with bupropion. Tryptophan … I’m not sure about. Zinc probably wouldn’t hurt, but I don’t know. If I were to try Tryptophan, is there a brand you recommend?
Crystal
I’m sorry to hear this. I have my clients start with dietary changes like going back to real whole food, quality animal protein, no gluten/sugar/caffeine and using key nutrients like GABA, tryptophan, zinc etc (as needed for each person). It’s all explained in step-by-step detail in my book, The Antianxiety Food Solution (more here https://www.everywomanover29.com/store/aafsbook.html)
Regarding tryptophan I only ever recommend the Lidtke brand – more on my supps blog https://www.everywomanover29.com/blog/amino-acids-pyroluria-supplements/