depression

Winter blues or SAD: light therapy

February 27, 2015 By Trudy Scott 44 Comments

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or “winter blues” is a form of depression most often associated with the lack of light during the fall and winter months. It is very common and may be associated with low serotonin levels. We often associate low serotonin with depression, however low serotonin can also be associated with: anxiety, excessive worry and feeling overly stressed. There’s evidence of seasonality in anxiety and panic attacks, just as there is with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Another common sign of low serotonin is increased carbohydrate cravings, especially during the afternoon or evening.

One very effective approach for SAD is light therapy. I also find the use of targeted individual amino acids and a dietary approach to be very useful and share more about that below.

Winter Blues by Dr. Norman Rosenthal MD

I’ve just finished reading a really great book called Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder by Dr. Norman Rosenthal MD, and the research is fascinating. He is a fellow South African who moved to the USA and found he was depressed each winter. After 3 seasons of this, he started doing research on light therapy and was one of the original SAD researchers. He is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to understanding SAD and using light therapy to treat it.

Feedback from colleagues: desk lamp, desk panels, floor lamps and light boxes

I asked some colleagues what they have used and/or liked, and recommend and share some of these below (providing my Amazon links in most cases so you can find them easily). Due to models being discontinued/revamped, I’ve made some updates as of Jan 2024.

Donna Kelley, Certified Holistic Nutritionist

I have a Blue Max, full spectrum, 70 watt dimmable desk lamp. I have had it for 3 years and actually use it to work by. It was recommended by Julia Ross in her certification program. (The company that makes this one is Full Spectrum Solutions)

UPDATE: Jan 2024 – the above model is no longer available but a very comparable one is the Verilux HappyLight Duo – 2-in-1 Light Therapy & Task Desk Lamp. Be sure to read some of the reviews. This is a really good one: “providing me with light therapy to lift my mood some during these dark times (literally since it’s winter…and figuratively…). I genuinely think I feel better/lighter/cheerier after I’ve been working by my HappyLight Duo for several hours.”

Christine Wokowsky, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition

My office is the darkest room in the house and I have one sitting on my desk, especially helpful in the winter. This is the second Verilux Happy Light I have used and I really like it. Living in Nevada where there is sunshine over 330 days of the year I am so accustomed to light and brightness if I am in a dark room or space for too long it really affects me. This has been a great product for me and I can recommend it.

Tracey Schuyler, Owner, Nutrition Counselor at Redefining Food 4 Health, LLC, also likes the Verilux

Like Christine, I personally use the Verilux Happy Light, which I purchased recently. It made a difference right away. I live in Boise, Idaho, and we are accustomed to winter inversions … sometimes days / weeks on end without any sunlight! I place it on my bathroom counter, turn it on in the morning before I shower, and turn it off as I’m leaving the bathroom, after drying my hair, etc. (about 25 minutes).

UPDATE: Jan 2024 – the above model, Verilux Happy Light, is no longer available but a very comparable one by the same company is the Verilux® HappyLight® Alba – New Round UV-Free LED Therapy Lamp. This one has a count-down timer and is portable so can be moved from room to room easily.

Shirley Pastore McCormack, Writer, Life/Wellness Coach, Registered Yoga Teacher

I use the Blue Max Lighting (BlueMax 70W dimmable) floor lamp. I use it 20 minutes each morning from the fall to spring equinoxes. I noticed a great level of improvement, but even more improvement when a doctor prescribed Vitamin D therapy. I was moderately to severely deficient, and needed 10,000 IU for 4-6 weeks under her care to bring my levels up. I do well with the light therapy as long as it is used in conjunction with regular daily doses of D3 (I’m now on 2000IU daily). The light therapy just seems to be “part of the whole solution.” (The company that makes this one is also Full Spectrum Solutions.)”

UPDATE: Jan 2024 – the above model, Blue Max Lighting floor lamp, is no longer available but a very comparable one is the Verilux® HappyLight® Duo – 2-in-1 Light Therapy & Task Floor Lamp.

Dr Josh Friedman, PHD, Integrative Psychotherapy of Omaha

I follow the guidelines of Columbia University’s Center for Environmental Therapeutics. They have done research on a variety of light boxes and the one on this page is inexpensive and effective [and is 10,000 lux] You can find it on Amazon here: Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Light Therapy Lamp

This is what the Center for Environmental Therapeutics has to say about this newer light therapy device:

This handsome new bright light therapy unit ― the Carex Day-light “Classic” Plus Model supersedes our former Daylight “Classic” Model, presenting the same benefits at lower cost and with enhanced design. The required parameters for 10,000 lux light therapy have been thoroughly clinically tested at major university centers, and have been established as the international standard for treatment of winter depression, milder “winter doldrums,” and other chronobiological, circadian rhythm sleep and mood disturbances.

Using light therapy with amino acids or adjusting up the amino acids or doing both

Additional Jan 2024 updates:

I often recommend the use of light therapy in conjunction with amino acids. We may just add light therapy and keep amino acid dosing the same or we may use higher doses of amino acids like tryptophan, 5-HTP and GABA during the winter months. We may also do both depending on the person’s unique needs.

Here are some blog posts where I address adjusting up/increasing the amino acids during winter:

There may even be a seasonal aspect to PMDD/PMS with an increase in hormonal binge eating, wine drinking and anxiety – with symptoms ramping up from October (click here to read that blog post).

More binge eating, emotional eating and carb cravings in Winter

This paper, The Role of Diet, Eating Behavior, and Nutrition Intervention in Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Systematic Review discusses the eating and drinking habits of individuals with SAD (seasonal affective disorder):

Compared with non-clinical subjects, SAD patients tended to consume significantly larger dinners and more evening snacks during weekdays and weekends and exhibit a higher frequency of binge eating, external eating, and emotional eating. Additionally, compared to healthy controls, SAD patients presented more cravings for starch-rich food and food with high fiber.

This paper also mentions vegetarianism being associated with higher SAD prevalence. As outlined in my book (link below) and various blogs, I am an advocate of quality animal protein as it provides amino acids, zinc, iron, omega-3s and vitamin B12 – all needed for neurotransmitter production.

It also mentions that alcoholism is “associated with higher SAD prevalence.”

Amino acids and light therapy help emotional eating and excessive drinking

The authors don’t offer a solution but I can share that the amino acids mentioned above help with sugar/carb cravings and emotional eating and alcohol addiction.

Using light therapy is going to help too, with research suggesting that bright light therapy is potentially effective at improving both disordered-eating behavior and mood.

Seasonality to anxiety and panic disorder and how to use bright light therapy

There is a seasonality to anxiety and panic disorder just as there are seasonal variations in mood for certain susceptible individuals. You can read more about this and some of the basics like how to use bright light, and for how long, possible adverse effects and who should not use bright light therapy.

The blog is: How to use bright light therapy for increased anxiety, increased panic and SAD during the cold dark winter months

This information about bright light and mood disorders can be applied to anxiety and panic attacks, in addition to SAD.

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

We use the symptoms questionnaire to figure out if low serotonin 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, sugar cravings, anxiety and mood issues. The importance of quality animal protein 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 too). 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.

Do you get the winter blues and increased anxiety in the winter months? Have you had success with light therapy?

If yes, which full spectrum lamp have you found to be the most useful? What time of the day do you use it, how often do you use it and for what duration?

Have you used a combination of amino acids and light therapy, and adjusted up your amino acids during the colder and darker winter months?

If you’re a practitioner do you recommend light therapy to your clients/patients?

Feel free to share and ask your questions below.

BOUGHT the movie – watch at no charge

February 20, 2015 By Trudy Scott 44 Comments

The movie that Big Pharma, the Vaccine Industry, the Medical Establishment and Big Ag DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE!

Watch it at NO CHARGE ~~between February 20th – March 6th~~ (details are below)

UPDATE 3/6/15: FREE VIEWING HAS BEEN EXTENDED THRU SUNDAY MARCH 15th – ENJOY! (the drawing will be done after this so keeping sharing and adding your WOWs in the comments!)

I’m thrilled to be able to share this incredible movie viewing with you. Jeff Hayes, producer of the new film BOUGHT, is a man on a mission, and he is making it available to view at no charge for a limited time.

BOUGHT is a groundbreaking documentary that exposes the shocking truth behind drugs, vaccines and GMOs. It’s all about Big Food, Big Ag, and Big Pharma and is all about money and profits.

The movie subtitle is perfect: “Your health – now brought to you by Wall Street.”

Watch this film and hear from acclaimed experts in science, medicine, and the law, plus the activists who are raising awareness to help protect their families and will help you protect your family.

Big Pharma funding medical education

You may recognize Dr. Kelly Brogan MD., integrative psychiatrist. I interviewed her on both season 1 and season 2 of the Anxiety Summit. She talks about how Big Pharma funded her medical education. She shared how she was heavily courted by the drug industry and taken to first class restaurants. Of course, she questioned all of this and now educates her patients about real food, gut health, inflammation, curcumin, low vitamin B12 etc.

Selling a drug (the antidepressant Paxil) off-label to children

Former drug sales rep (and now whistleblower) Blair Hamrick, was fired from GlaxoSmithKline when he reported that the company was selling a drug (the antidepressant Paxil) off-label to children. The drug was indicated for 18 years and above.

In July 2012, James Cole, Deputy Attorney General announced that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) had to pay $3 billion dollars in fines. Carmen Ortiz, US Attorney, MA, shared that GlaxoSmithKline “bribed physicians to prescribe GSK drugs using every imaginable form high-priced entertainment.”

Here is a snippet about this from the New York Times

Prosecutors said the company had tried to win over doctors by paying for trips to Jamaica and Bermuda, as well as spa treatments and hunting excursions. In the case of Paxil, prosecutors claim GlaxoSmithKline employed several tactics aimed at promoting the use of the drug in children, including helping to publish a medical journal article that misreported data from a clinical trial.

A warning was later added to the drug that Paxil, like other antidepressants, might increase the risk of suicidal thoughts in teenagers.

Prosecutors said the company had marketed Wellbutrin for conditions like weight loss and sexual dysfunction when it was approved only to treat major depressive disorder.

Blair Hamrick shared this in the movie: “I have a new respect for doctors that didn’t want drug reps in their office.” Reps are given 3 week crash courses and are taught exactly what to say to the doctors. They are persuading doctors to make decisions about patient care.

Shocking Paxil study 329

One of my favorite integrative doctors, Dr. Tami Meraglia MD., talks more about the Paxil study 329. It found that suicide ideation tripled in adolescents who were on this antidepressant. The study authors omitted – yes omitted! – these parts from the study saying the adolescents were non-compliant, instead of reporting this as a side-effect! Had this been reported in the study, Paxil would not have been approved for use in adolescents.

A message of hope and empowerment

I love that it’s a movie with a mission and also with a message of hope and empowerment. It’s bringing these issues to light so we can make sure things get changed!

Brad and I watched the movie earlier this week and we were riveted to our seats! I highly recommend it! You may not agree with everything and much of this is controversial (especially the vaccine information) but I encourage you to simply be open to listening to both sides.

Watch it at NO CHARGE

Just sign up HERE to get access to the full video viewing – enter your name and email and you’ll receive an email with a link to watch it at your leisure

Save your spot, enjoy the video, and do tell others about it!

You can also buy copies of the DVD and transcript (as a hardcopy booklet). There are discounts for volume sales – for schools, organizations, clubs etc. or if you’d like to buy a copy for family and friends.

Addition 2/25/15: Let’s get this message out in a REALLY big way!

Watch it and make a note of 1-3 things that made you go “Wow! I have to tell my sister/mother/husband/wife/best friend/daughter/son this right now!” Also make note of the time elapsed (e.g. 13 minute mark)
For each of the 1-3 things/facts that made you go wow, come back and comment on the blog with each “wow fact” + the corresponding minute mark for each one.
Here is an example: “Wow! Dr. Tami Meraglia – Paxil study – suicide ideation tripled in children – they omitted these parts from the study… 15 min mark”
This will inspire others to go and watch these sections and will give a great synopsis with minute marks each of us can go back to.

Win a copy of The Anxiety Summit

As a thank you, once the free viewing ends, I’ll do a drawing and 3 lucky winners will each win a copy of either season 1 or season 2 of The Anxiety Summit, 25+ hours of expert interviews on nutritional solutions for anxiety. If you already own a copy you’ll get a season 3 when it airs in May.

UPDATE: 4/17/15 – the winners have been selected – congratulations to Peace, Theresa and Susan! Thanks to everyone for comments and shares!

Pyroluria and focal musician’s dystonia or musician’s cramp

February 6, 2015 By Trudy Scott 41 Comments

In May 2014 a gentleman named Jay asked this question on my Pyroluria Questionnaire blog: “have you come across a connection between pyroluria and focal musician’s dystonia (musician’s cramp)?

I responded saying “I have not and until I looked it up I was not aware of this condition. I’m curious why you’re asking? Do you or someone you know have symptoms of pyroluria and focal musician’s dystonia?”

I’m a very curious person and always turn to the research and like to look for connections. I started to dig and came across the The Dystonia Society, a UK based organization that provides support, advocacy and information for anyone affected by the neurological movement condition known as dystonia. They have this definition on the About Dystonia page:

Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder. Faulty signals from the brain cause muscles to spasm and pull on the body incorrectly. This forces the body into twisting, repetitive movements or abnormal postures.

The various types of dystonia are listed and they discuss managing symptoms and say:

Remission from symptoms does sometimes occur but is rare – occurring in around 5-10% of cases.

I posted some feedback, starting a dialogue (both in the comments and via email) that led to me learning a whole lot more about dystonia and the finding out there does seem to be a connection to pyroluria, a social anxiety condition that is not well-recognized in the medical or mental health community. Symptoms include inner tension and discomfort in big groups. Many introverts relate to the symptoms of pyroluria too.

In the process Jay saw wonderful results, we heard from Dave and his success. And we’re getting to share this information in the hope of helping others like him and Dave.

Much of the information is buried in comments on various blogs so I’ve decided it needs a separate blog post – with the connections and research I discovered and some of the inspiring feedback from Jay and Dave.

Dystonia and possible connections with pyroluria

This is most of what I originally posted (with a few slight revisions).

I do see some overlaps with dystonia and mood so it’s possible there is a connection between pyroluria and musician’s dystonia:

(1) The Dystonia Society is a wealth of information and has this on their mental health page: “it is now thought that people affected by dystonia are more likely to experience mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and OCD even before the physical symptoms of dystonia appear. It is not known why this is – but it appears that whatever causes dystonia may also affect mood and behaviour in some way.” Now I wonder how common social anxiety is for those with dystonia?

(2) “An additional relation between dystonia and mental health conditions is that some drugs used to treat psychoses can cause tardive dystonia / dyskinesia. With the new generation of these drugs (called dopamine receptor blockers) this is much less likely than it used to be – but unfortunately a small risk remains.” (this is also from the above dystonia page)

(3) The drug treatments they recommend are also often used for anxiety and depression. I’d suggest assessing for low GABA, low serotonin and low catecholamines first (using the amino acid questionnaire and determining if targeted individual amino acids may give the same relief. I would avoid benzodiazapines – Dr. Catherine Pittman shared the many side-effects and withdrawal effects during the Anxiety Summit.

(4) If you have pyroluria, you’ll also have low levels of zinc and vitamin B6, key co-factors in making serotonin and GABA and other neurotransmitters which affect anxiety and depression.

(5) Depression, anxiety, pyroluria and dystonia have a possible autoimmune/gluten/diet connection. This paper “Movement disorders in autoimmune diseases” discusses how “Tremors, dystonia, chorea, ballism, myoclonus, parkinsonism, and ataxia may be the initial and even the only presentation of these autoimmune diseases.” And here is a case study where the dystonia resolved on a gluten-free diet: “She had complete resolution of her neurological symptoms with introduction of a gluten-free diet.” We know gluten can damage the gut and lead to low levels of nutrients such as zinc and also cause low serotonin.

(6) Wilson’s disease (a serious condition of high copper/low zinc) can have symptoms of dystonia. This 2012 paper states: “The clinical manifestations of neurologic Wilson’s disease include variable combinations of dysarthria, dystonia, tremor, parkinsonism, ataxia, and choreoathetosis.”

I’m so pleased Jay asked this question. I learned a lot by looking in to this initially and since then have learned a great deal more.

Jay and Dave: their results implementing the pyroluria protocol

And take a look at the fabulous results Jay and Dave saw when they implemented only the pyroluria protocol (the starting dose I use with clients is 100mg vitamin B6 and 30mg zinc and 1300mg Evening Primrose Oil):

From Jay in June 2014

I started taking B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 120mg and Zinc USP 60mg 2 weeks ago and do find some relief already. As you may have guessed, I have had dystonia for a long time and had to put a professional musician’s career on hold, and when I read your site, I found that I have a large number of symptoms from your list – I am hopeful.

From Jay in September 2014

I think it is, at this point, safe to say that the pyroluria treatment 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.

Dave in September 2014

just writing here to say that i too have battled focal dystonia over the past 8+ years. actually started as writer’s cramp and then worked it’s way into my guitar playing. about 3 years ago i noticed symptoms lessened based on different things i ate and shortly after came across pyroluria. in all questionairs i answer yes to most if not all questions.

anyway, for the past 2 years i’ve been on zinc and b6 and have had vast improvements. for me, the muscle disorders don’t go away without retraining, but the b6 and especially zinc make retraining much more successful. however, sometimes i do hit the jackpot and my hands work almost normal without the efforts of retraining. my dose fluctuates between 25-60 mg zinc and 50-100 mg b6 which i seem to have more trouble taking. i also experimented with methyl b12 but that led to a very painful rash.

the funny thing about all of this is that i feel nowadays that focal dystonia was only the canary in the coal mine for other symptoms that paid little or no attention to because i was only focused on being a musician. as a result of taking supplements most of those other symptoms are much better and i’m soooooo close now to having proper movement in my fingers.

it’s really great to see what you and jay have posted here because it really validates what i’ve been doing. i too believe there are many that can be helped by this.

Jay in October 2014

I am so happy to read this dystonia related success story! After my own experience, I still say an experience akin to rebirth as a musician and also as a person, this was the reason for me to post on this blog – to help get this out to musicians who are victims of dystonia and inadequate medical treatment.

Low GABA levels in focal and cervical dystonia

Update: Dec 6, 2024

I’m adding this section on a GABA connection to dystonia because cervical dystonia came up as a question in the GABA Quickstart 2.0 program this week. The research finds that there seems to be a low GABA connection to many different types of dystonia.

This 2002 paper, Impaired brain GABA in focal dystonia, reports on patients with writer’s cramp, a task specific dystonia, revealing “that brain GABA levels are decreased in specific brain regions of the focal dystonia patients compared to normal controls” and concludes that the “reduction of brain GABA in dystonia patients may explain the clinical symptomatology of focal dystonia.”

Cervical dystonia, “also called spasmodic torticollis, is a painful condition in which your neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing your head to twist or turn to one side. Cervical dystonia can also cause your head to uncontrollably tilt forward or backward.”

The objective of this 2021 paper, Cervical Dystonia Is Associated With Aberrant Inhibitory Signaling Within the Thalamus, was “to investigate whether alterations in the neurotransmission of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the thalamus are present in patients with cervical dystonia compared to healthy controls.”

The authors report that “aberrant inhibitory signaling within the thalamus contributes to the pathophysiology of cervical dystonia. Additionally, these results suggest that an inadequate ability to compensate for the loss of GABA through upregulation of GABAA receptors may underlie more severe symptoms.”

Keep in mind that zinc and vitamin B6 are cofactor nutrients that are needed to make GABA. It’s common for someone with low GABA symptoms to also be on the pyroluria protocol.

I would be exploring low GABA in addition to low zinc and low vitamin B6 (and possibly pyroluria if someone has any type of dystonia.

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

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

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.

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.

Wrapping up and your feedback

I appreciate Jay and Dave for sharing their dystonia success stories. I am curious if using GABA too would have helped them see results more quickly.

We’re hoping we can generate some interest from various dystonia organizations/groups/forums and help more musicians find symptom resolution – certainly more than the 5-10% the Dystonia Society reports. The more people reporting success, the more likely approaches like this will be studied, accepted by the mainstream medical community and included on sites like the Dystonia Society.

If you relate to any of this please do comment and let us know what your results have been.

If you know someone with musician’s dystonia (or another form of dystonia) and pyroluria/social anxiety please do share this with them.

Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry

January 30, 2015 By Trudy Scott 31 Comments

Home-made grass-fed burger, greens/basil, avocado, sprouts and cheese

Psychiatry is at an important juncture, with the current pharmacologically focused model having achieved modest benefits in addressing the burden of poor mental health worldwide. Although the determinants of mental health are complex, the emerging and compelling evidence for nutrition as a crucial factor in the high prevalence and incidence of mental disorders suggests that diet is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology. Evidence is steadily growing for the relation between dietary quality (and potential nutritional deficiencies) and mental health, and for the select use of nutrient-based supplements to address deficiencies, or as monotherapies or augmentation therapies.

I’m excited to share this groundbreaking publication, “Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry” which was published just last week in the mainstream journal Lancet. We have members of The International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research, also known as ISNPR to thank: Jerome Sarris, PhD, Alan C Logan, BA, Tasnime N Akbaraly, PhD, G Paul Amminger, MD, Vicent Balanzá-Martínez, MD, Marlene P Freeman, MD, Joseph Hibbeln, MD, Yutaka Matsuoka, MD, David Mischoulon, MD, Tetsuya Mizoue, MD, Akiko Nanri, MD, Daisuke Nishi, MD, Drew Ramsey, MD, Julia J Rucklidge, PhD, Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, PhD, Andrew Scholey, PhD, Kuan-Pin Su, MD, Felice N Jacka, PhD.

The abstract concludes as follows:

We present a viewpoint from an international collaboration of academics (members of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research), in which we provide a context and overview of the current evidence in this emerging field of research, and discuss the future direction. We advocate recognition of diet and nutrition as central determinants of both physical and mental health.

You may recognize some of these people from my prior writings and interviews.

Felice Jacka was interviewed in season 1 of the Anxiety Summit. Our topic was The Research: Food to prevent and treat anxiety and depression? She has been and still is very active in the nutrition/mental health/anxiety/depression research community
Julia Rucklidge recently did a fabulous TEDx talk called The surprisingly dramatic role of nutrition in mental health. She is also a very prolific researcher.

Dr. Marlene Freeman is also the author of an editorial, Nutrition and Psychiatry, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2010.

It is both compelling and daunting to consider that dietary intervention at an individual or population level could reduce rates of psychiatric disorders. There are exciting implications for clinical care, public health, and research.

This is one of my favorite quotes! If you’ve ever heard me present I’m sure you’ll recognize it! This was in 2010 so we are making progress with getting nutrition recognized in the mainstream mental health world and I couldn’t be happier.

Here are a few select quotes from the new paper (which will shortly be released as an open-source document).

Mental disorders in general, and major depression and anxiety disorders in particular, account for a large burden of disability worldwide. Rapid urbanisation, and an overall transition from traditional lifestyles (concerning diet, physical activity, and social structures), which are some of the most pressing global and environmental issues of our time, have both been linked to increases in depression and other mental disorders

The mechanisms by which nutrition might affect mental health are, at least superficially, quite obvious: the human brain operates at a very high metabolic rate, and uses a substantial proportion of total energy and nutrient intake; in both structure and function (including intracellular and intercellular communication), it is reliant on amino acids, fats, vitamins, and minerals or trace elements.

The purpose of this Personal View is to provide a platform for robust debate in the specialty, particularly regarding the need to move towards a new integrated framework in psychiatry, whereby consideration of nutritional factors should be standard practice.

Diet and nutrition offer key modifiable targets for the prevention of mental disorders, having a fundamental role in the promotion of mental health. Now is time for the recognition of the importance of nutrition and nutrient supplementation in psychiatry. Nutritional medicine should now be considered as a mainstream element of psychiatric practice, with research, education, policy, and health promotion supporting this new framework.

This is so powerful! I commend the efforts of these authors and thank the researchers for all the groundwork which has led to where were are today…recognizing the very powerful connection between what we eat and how we feel. It’s exciting to be part of this movement!

Customizing a Low FODMAPS Diet for a Client with Anxiety and/or Depression

January 19, 2015 By Trudy Scott 10 Comments

Here is an excerpt from a Dec 2014 paper called Review article: the aetiology, diagnosis, mechanisms and clinical evidence for food intolerance:

There have been significant advances in understanding the scientific basis of gastrointestinal food intolerance due to short-chain fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs). The most helpful diagnostic test for food intolerance is food exclusion to achieve symptom improvement followed by gradual food reintroduction. A low FODMAP diet is effective, however, it affects the gastrointestinal microbiota and FODMAP reintroduction to tolerance is part of the management strategy.

We’re seeing plenty of people with digestive issues like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), often with accompanying anxiety and depression, and a low FODMAPS diet may need to be considered. How do we know if we should consider it and how do we help out clients make this change?

This webinar is a way for you to learn more about FODMAPS for your clients and it’s a way for me to showcase the valuable work my friend Julie Matthews is doing in her BioIndividual Nutrition™ program. And for us to share the very cool new Victus software. I’ve actually signed up for the next training and I’m just super-excited to get the word out…which is another reason for the webinar! When I learn, I like to share what I learn!

Customizing a Low FODMAPS Diet for a Client with Anxiety and/or Depression

A webinar for health practitioners
Food Mood Expert Trudy Scott interviews Julie Matthews, co-founder of BioIndividual Nutrition Institute

In this webinar, aimed at health practitioners, we will discuss:

The scientific rationale for recommending a Low FODMAPS (an acronym, deriving from “Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides And Polyols) Diet for someone with anxiety/depression
Defining oligosaccharides (fructans and galacto-oligosaccharides); disaccharides (lactose); monosaccharides (fructose) and polyols (sugar alcohols and more)
What are high free fructose foods and the fructose malabsorption/anxiety and depression connection
How to do a low FODMAPs diet elimination/provocation
Why would you combine Low FODMAPS and SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) for SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
How the Victus software helps you create a diet/recipes for the Low FODMAPs Diet
How to learn more about Julie Matthews’ Bioindividual Nutrition program (for practitioners), other special diets and the upcoming study group

Julie Matthews is a Certified Nutrition Consultant specializing in autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and nutrition for pregnancy. Her approached is based on the BioIndividual Nutrition™ needs of each person. She provides dietary guidance backed by scientific research and applied clinical experience. Her award winning book, Nourishing Hope for Autism, has helped people around the world to make food and nutrition choices that aid the health, learning, and behavior of those with autism, ADHD, and other developmental delays. She presents at leading autism conferences in the US and abroad, and is the Nutrition Editor of the Autism File magazine. She is on the scientific advisory board for USAAA (U.S. Autism & Asperger Association) and the Autism Nutrition Research Center. She is the co-founder of Nourishing Hope and BioIndividual Nutrition Institute. Julie has a private nutrition practice in San Francisco, California, and supports families and clinicians from around the world with her nutrition learning tools and professional training courses.

~~Here is the link to register for the webinar. If you can’t make it at this time, register anyway to get a copy of the notes and audio:~~

Update: this event is over (it was done Wednesday January 21^st, 2015.) Sorry you missed it!

The surprisingly dramatic role of nutrition in mental health: Julia Rucklidge at TEDx

November 16, 2014 By Trudy Scott 29 Comments

Julia Rucklidge

Julia Rucklidge, PhD, researcher from New Zealand, recently did this amazing TEDx talk called: The surprisingly dramatic role of nutrition in mental health

I love how she opens with:

what I’m going to share today may sound as radical as hand-washing sounded to a mid-19th century doctor and yet it is equally scientific. It is the simple idea that optimizing nutrition is a safe and viable way to avoid, treat or lessen mental illness. Nutrition matters. Poor nutrition is a significant and modifiable risk factor for the development of mental illness

Here are some real gems from her talk:

A well-nourished body and brain is better able to withstand ongoing stress

When people get well they get well in all areas: improved sleep, mood stabilization, reduction in anxiety and less need for cigarettes/cannabis/alcohol.

My research and other research from around the world show 60-70% of people respond to micronutrients – this shows just how powerful this intervention is

We should focus on food and lifestyle changes and exercise first, then therapy and save medications for when these approaches don’t work

I’d like to share the ending of Julia Rucklidge’s talk. She shares the story of how limes on ships in the 1600s eliminated deaths from scurvy but that it took 264 years for the British government to mandate the use of citrus on ships. She closes with this profound question and challenge:

How long will it take us to recognize that that sub-optimal nutrition is contributing to the epidemic of mental illness? Nutrition matters!

Bravo Julia! And thank you for all the great research you’re doing! We appreciate you!

UPDATE: June 8, 2018

I have decided to update the blog and share it again because Professor Rucklidge is sharing powerful research-based evidence about food-as-medicine for mental health and her talk is being flagged/censored by TEDx and this is not acceptable!

Professor Bonnie J. Kaplan, PhD, from the University of Calgary shared this information with me via an email:

There have been almost 900,000 views of Julia Rucklidge’s TEDx talk on nutrition and mental health, with many complimentary comments. Last week, however, the TED organization inexplicably “flagged” the video with the following comment:

“NOTE FROM TED: We’ve flagged this talk, which was filmed at a TEDx event, because it appears to fall outside TEDx’s curatorial guidelines. There is limited evidence to support the claims made by this speaker.”

Julia has attempted to educate the TED people regarding the fact that over 35 peer-reviewed publications could hardly be described as “limited evidence,” and that her interpretations do not go beyond the data. But they are not interested in her evidence.

The whole thing seems so strange: isn’t TED supposed to be all about innovation? But clearly, some lobbyist has convinced them that a non-pharmaceutical treatment should not be respected.

I’m sharing it again and updating the blog so you can watch it again or watch it for the first time and be inspired and have hope!

We’d like to ask for your help in please sharing too. Let us support her work and all the nutritional psychiatry researchers at ISNPR and around the world!

Even if you have already watched it, please click on it again and watch again (click on the video link above or use this link)
Share the youtube video and/or this blog with others, through Facebook or email or twitter or word of mouth (or all of the above)
Comment below the youtube video and/or comment on this blog of mine
Ask your friends, family and colleagues to do the same

More about Professor Rucklidge’s research interests

Professor Rucklidge’s research interests are centered on the role of nutrition in the expression and treatment of mental illness, from ADHD to depression to stress following natural disasters. Research methodologies include single case research designs, open label trials and randomized controlled trials.

ADHD
Child and adolescent clinical psychology
Clinical psychology
Learning disabilities
Young Offending
Earthquake research
Nutritional interventions
Mood Disorders

Some of her publications on micronutrients

Database Analysis of Depression and Anxiety in a Community Sample-Response to Micronutrient Intervention

Overall, people from the general population who suffer from mood and anxiety problems may benefit from improved nutritional status achieved with nutritional supplements.

Vitamin-mineral treatment improves aggression and emotional regulation in children with ADHD: a fully blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Micronutrients improved overall function, reduced impairment and improved inattention, emotional regulation and aggression, but not hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, in this sample of children with ADHD. Although direct benefit for core ADHD symptoms was modest, with mixed findings across raters, the low rate of adverse effects and the benefits reported across multiple areas of functioning indicate micronutrients may be a favourable option for some children, particularly those with both ADHD and emotional dysregulation.

A randomised trial of nutrient supplements to minimise psychological stress after a natural disaster. This study was co-authored with Professor Kaplan, and adds to the body of evidence showing that nutrient formulas with multiple minerals and/or vitamins (such as a B-complex) minimise/minimize stress associated with natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires and floods. I blogged about this after Hurricane Harvey in Houston.

Could yeast infections impair recovery from mental illness? A case study using micronutrients and olive leaf extract for the treatment of ADHD and depression. This case study reports that infections like candida can contribute to poor gut health and inflammation, leading to nutrient absorption issues and deterioration in psychiatric symptoms. The yeast overgrowth has to be addressed in order for the micronutrients to be effective. I blog about this here also sharing the candida-serotonin connection.

Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry

Professor Rucklidge is also a contributing author to Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry which I blog about here

Psychiatry is at an important juncture, with the current pharmacologically focused model having achieved modest benefits in addressing the burden of poor mental health worldwide. Although the determinants of mental health are complex, the emerging and compelling evidence for nutrition as a crucial factor in the high prevalence and incidence of mental disorders suggests that diet is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology. Evidence is steadily growing for the relation between dietary quality (and potential nutritional deficiencies) and mental health, and for the select use of nutrient-based supplements to address deficiencies, or as monotherapies or augmentation therapies.

As you can tell I’m a big fan of her research work and what an honor it was for me to interview her on one of the Anxiety Summits: What if… Nutrition could Treat Anxiety and Depression? She shared wise words then than seem very relevant to this censorship of her TEDx talk:

How long is it going to take our society to pay attention to the research that shows that suboptimal nutrition is contributing to the epidemic of mental illness? Are we just going to sit around and ignore this evidence to our peril? Or are we going to start paying attention and start to invest in the really important research that needs to happen?

It was a thrill to then finally meet her in person last year at the ISNPR conference.

Julia Rucklidge and Trudy Scott — Meeting Julia Rucklidge at the ISNPR conference

This nutritional psychiatry work is widely supported by many practitioners

This nutritional psychiatry work is widely supported by many practitioners. Last year I interviewed Dr. Mark Hyman MD, creator of the Broken Brain series and author of What the Heck Should I Eat? In our interview he talks about somatopsychic medicine i.e. mental health symptoms caused by bodily illness and shares this about when he started to make this connection years ago:

I was just treating people’s physical systems, fixing their gut, helping their immune system, cleaning up their diet, optimizing their nutritional status, balancing their hormones, and all their mental problems would get better.

Their anxiety would get better, their depression would get better, and I wasn’t actually treating the depression or anxiety. Autism, ADD, memory issues, dementia, all these things would start to get better

And I began to realize that the body was driving a lot of this brain dysfunction, and that if you fix the body, a lot of the brain disorders would get better, that it wasn’t a primarily a mental problem, but it was a physical problem.

Dr. Nicole Beurkens, clinical psychologist and board-certified nutrition specialist, shares this about the talk:

This is an extremely important evidence-based talk on a topic that is moving the field of mental health forward. As a clinical psychologist and board-certified nutrition specialist, I see daily the positive impact that nutrition can have on mental health for children and adults. More than medication and talk therapy is needed to reduce symptoms for many people with these challenges, and nutrition is an accessible research-based option. I often recommend this video to patients and their families.

Dr. Beurkens is also speaker on a prior Anxiety Summit. It’s now in it’s fourth season and I’ve the wonderful opportunity to interview and share the nutritional psychiatry wisdom from over 70 practitioners, researchers, mental advocates and clients.

So much wonderful feedback from study participants

There is so much wonderful feedback in the comments below the youtube video. I love this comment from a study participant from New Zealand, Deidre Fraser:

I’m a pretty ordinary Kiwi, not particularly alternative. I don’t have a big appetite for risk. But I have participated in one of Julia Rucklidge’s studies and my family has benefited hugely from the introduction to, and continued use of micronutrients. Could we have achieved the same result using a pharmaceutical medicine? Some behaviours would have likely been addressed, but and it is a big BUT, one of the side effects (unexpected) would NOT have been improved happiness and self-worth, which resulted in better friendships – pretty basic things we all want from life!

We also got increased focus and the noticeably different academic performance that we thought we wanted (We just hadn’t realised that should be the secondary objective).

I don’t really understand the science behind it all, but the empirical research and published journals are there to support micronutrients as a valid option with verifiable research outcomes.

And SP Hancock shares these compelling results:

I’m so grateful for this presentation. It compelled me to find a medical doctor who looks at symptoms of mental illness from a perspective other than traditional psychiatry. He helped me heal my gut so that I can get the micronutrients I need from my food choices. 2 years ago I was using the micronutrient supplement Dr. Rucklidge had diligently researched for more than a decade. Today, I no longer need supplementation because my gut can absorb micronutrients from my food. I have been off medications for three years now–completely stable using only food after having lived for nearly two decades with acute symptoms of refractory schizoaffective disorder bipolar type with catatonia. Thank you Dr. Rucklidge for your structured, independently funded studies. Your hard work and sound research methodology gave me the courage to find a doctor willing to look at my symptoms from a fresh perspective. Keep up the exceptional work!

I hope this has inspired you to keep seeking a solution if you are still on your healing journey or and even if you have found your solution. Either way we’d love your help in getting this message out to more people so please share share and share!

Professor Bonnie Kaplan says: “Let’s see if we can quadruple the views to 5 million or so.” I’m sure we can! Thank you!