In my interview, Glutamine, DPA & Tyrosine for Anxiety & Sugar Cravings, on the Anxiety Summit 5: Gut-Brain Axis, I share the story of a client of mine who described her sugar cravings as an “almost demonic urge to eat sugar and all things sweet.”
Before working with me she had been trying to control her blood sugar levels by eating the right foods at the right times i.e. healthy fats and quality protein (especially at breakfast). But this wasn’t enough to eliminate her sweet cravings. She would make and eat sweet treats all day long, using “healthier” sweeteners like monk fruit and maple syrup.
The solution was using 500mg of glutamine opened onto her tongue. I had the same conversation that I have with all my clients who would obviously rather eat something sweet than open a glutamine capsule onto their tongue: “If you have an intense craving for something sweet, tell yourself that you’re going to indulge, but also humor your nutritionist and take the glutamine anyway. You may be surprised to find your urge completely disappears.”
She did that and it worked – it stopped her demonic urge to eat something sweet every time and very quickly!
As a reminder here are the signs of low blood sugar –
Anxiety and mood:
- Nervous, anxious, panic attacks
- Irritable, shaky, headachey – especially if you go too long between meals
- Lightheaded if meals are missed
- Agitated, easily upset
- Eating relieves fatigue
Sugar cravings:
- Crave sugar, starch or alcohol any time during the day
- Very intense cravings for sweets/sugar
I also share an excerpt from this March 2021 paper, The role of glutamine in supporting gut health and neuropsychiatric factors, highlighting the role of glutamine in gut health and depression/anxiety, and the gut-brain connection:
Glutamine can positively affect gut health by supporting the gut microbiome, gut mucosal wall integrity, and by modulating inflammatory responses.
As modulated by the vagus nerve, via the enteric nervous system, the gut-brain connection can impact the brain’s neurochemical environment.
Poor gut health can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters, which can result in neuropsychiatric based conditions such as depression [and anxiety].
Glutamine supplementation may provide significant adjunctive nutritional support in cases of depression [and anxiety] by promoting proper gut health.
Here are all the topics I cover in my interview:
- Sugar addiction: impacts on the microbiome, tryptophan metabolism, zinc & B vitamins
- Glutamine for intense sugar cravings, anxiety & support of the microbiome/mucosa
- DPA for comfort/reward cravings, pain & acute stress
- Tyrosine for focus & calm energy
Dr. Aimie Apigian, MD, kindly interviewed me. She is also a guest expert on the summit so be sure to tune into her excellent interview too: The Biology of Trauma and the Freeze Response.
I encourage you to tune in if you have:
- Anxiety & feel overwhelmed & stressed by little things
- Panic attacks &/or obsessive thoughts or behaviors
- Social anxiety/pyroluria
- Phobias or fears (flying, spiders or even driving on a highway)
And also if you suffer from…
- Food sensitivities, IBS/SIBO, parasites or gallbladder issues
- Constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, pain & other digestive issues
- Leaky gut, a leaky blood-brain barrier or vagus nerve issues
Join us if you are also an emotional eater with intense sugar cravings (and know you suffer from low blood sugar), experience insomnia, low mood, PMS, poor focus and/or low motivation.
This is THE online event to learn about the powerful individual amino acids – GABA, theanine, tryptophan, 5-HTP, glutamine, DPA and tyrosine – to quickly ease anxiety and help with gut symptoms while you are dealing with other root causes which take longer to address. (They also help with cravings as with this example, and sleep and immunity).
With research-based anxiety nutritional solutions and practical steps, you can determine your root causes, ease your anxiety and prevent it from coming back so you can feel on top of the world again!
If you are a practitioner, please join us too and find advanced solutions for your clients or patients too!
You’ve heard me say the Anxiety Summit has been called “a bouquet of hope!” My wish for you is that this summit is your bouquet of hope!
I hope you’ll join me and these incredible speakers, be enlightened and find YOUR solutions! More about this summit and other Anxiety Summits here.
Here’s to no more anxiety and you feeling on top of the world again!
Please share if glutamine has helped you with low blood sugar symptoms such as an intense desire for something sweet.
Feel free to post your questions here too.