GABA

GABA, the calming amino acid: expert opinions

December 11, 2015 By Trudy Scott 69 Comments

gaba-opinions

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is one of my top nutrient recommendations for clients with physical tension, anxiety, overwhelm and panic attacks. I’m often asked if it really works and is it even worth taking so here is some feedback from practitioners from the Anxiety Summit, all of whom I consider experts on the topic.

Julia Ross, MFT, pioneer in the field of amino acid therapy, my mentor and the author of The Mood Cure and The Diet Cure shares this wisdom about GABA during our interview: Eliminating Anxiety: Amino Acid Therapy and Adrenal Balancing on season 1 of the Anxiety Summit:

Among other things, GABA relaxes the nerves in the muscles in the body. One of the most common kinds of feedback that we get from people who are doing a GABA trial is that it seems to take effect so quickly. This may be because, unlike tryptophan, which has to be converted into serotonin, GABA is the neurotransmitter and the amino acid all in one and requires no conversion.

There isn’t often a GABA discussion when the topic of the blood-brain-barrier doesn’t come up and whether GABA actually does work. Of course Julia addresses this too:

There is a myth going around, based on one old study, that GABA doesn’t cross into the brain, that it doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier. But there are other studies that show that it does [here is a paper published earlier this year], and our clinical experience is overwhelming. This is the most popular trial that we do, the GABA trial, using only 100 mg. It zips right into the brain, and people immediately feel relaxed physically and mentally.

I see this with my clients on a daily basis and I can certainly attest to that personally too. I like to share that I was a “GABA girl”: when I had my terrible anxiety and panic attacks in my late 30s anxiety, GABA worked beautifully for me. It was amazing and life-changing! Zero anxiety and no more panic attacks!

We are all individual and you may find that theanine works better for you than GABA. Julia talks about this too:

I would say about 15 to 20 percent of people who need this GABA-type relief of the tension and stress, don’t seem to get it from GABA. In those cases, most of them do get it from the amino acid, l-theanine, instead, in our experience.

Dr. Josh Friedman, is dear friend, colleague and integrative psychotherapist who uses amino acids and other nutritional approaches in his practice. I also had the honor of interviewing him on season 1 of the Anxiety Summit. I ask him if he uses GABA with his patients and what he thinks about the naysayers. I just love his answer:

[GABA] is definitely something I use. I am not a biochemist, so I actually don’t really know whether it crosses the blood/brain barrier, nor do I care actually. The first question should be, is it harmful? Are any of these things going to cause harm? And the answer with all the amino acids are no, they’re not going to cause harm, especially when compared to psychiatric medicines. The second question is, does it work? Is it helpful for our patients that we see in our practice?

GABA certainly worked for Meme Grant, GAPS Practitioner, Nutritional Therapist, FNTP, and fellow African. She had anxiety, panic attacks, didn’t enjoy speaking in public, had insomnia and was an emotional eater. I also interviewed her in season 1 and she shared this:

I took GABA for the first time in the afternoon and had no panic attacks that afternoon, and I took one in the evening and I did that for a couple of weeks, and I haven’t seen a panic attack since.

I find that many people do well with a combination of GABA and one or more of theanine, taurine and glycine. All of these are calming amino acids and since we are all unique you may find that one of these combinations work better for you.

Dr. Hyla Cass, M.D. board-certified in psychiatry and integrative medicine and the author of Natural Highs and The Addicted Brain and How to Break Free, talks about this in our interview: The Addicted Brain and How to Break Free

If someone has anxiety, it’s not a Valium or a Xanax deficiency. It could be a GABA deficiency. And that could be due to stress. So if you’re low in GABA, there are some really cool things to take – theanine, glycine, taurine. The different nutrients work together and when we add them together, it’s more than the sum of its parts. So adding glycine and GABA together is going to give you a better result and you don’t have to use as much as each of the individual ones. So that’s nature’s Valium.

Jonathan Prousky, ND, MSc, editor of the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine and author of Anxiety: Orthomolecular Diagnosis and Treatment shares this in our season 2 interview: Tapering off psychiatric drugs so they do not ruin your life

I have found GABA to be invariably helpful and I don’t really know exactly how GABA works but I know it to be very, very safe and, to me, that is fundamentally important. It’s not associated with any withdrawal, with any tolerance, with any habituation, so people can try it without a lot of concern.

Dr. Prousky uses both regular crystalline GABA and pharmaGABA but prefers the latter. He uses it as part of his SRR model for helping his patients taper of psychiatric drugs such as benzodiazepines. SRR stands for sedation, relaxation and regulation:

Sedation: one gets the sedating effects of GABA (he uses pharmaGABA at a dose of 100-200 mg)
Relaxation: niacin at a dose of 250-500 mg (immediate-release)
Regulation: melatonin (generally about 3mg) to helps regulate the sleep-and-wake cycles

GABA really does work if your anxiety is a result of low GABA levels. As Julia so wisely says:

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.

So we have many expert opinions but the best way to figure out if GABA works is to try it. You’ll know within 5 minutes if it’s working for you. This is one of the reasons I love the amino acids: you get results right away and it makes you feel less anxious right away, giving you hope while you deal with other factors that may be contributing to your anxiety.

How much GABA do we need and how do we take it? I find that GABA is most effective when taken sublingually. Source Naturals GABA Calm is a great sublingual that contains 125mg GABA, 50mg Glycine, 20mg taurine, some magnesium and 25mg N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine. I also really like Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP which contains 300mg GABA 300 mg and 150mg theanine. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and seems to be most effective when held there for about 2 minutes. GABA products that contain 500mg and 750mg are often too much for most of my clients.

You can find these and other GABA products that I recommend here

If you’d like to learn more about GABA from the above experts, you can get details of the Anxiety Summits here

You’ll also learn about many other nutritional and biochemical causes of anxiety: gut health and the microbiome, hormone imbalance, methylation issues, other low neurotransmitter levels, pyroluria (causing social anxiety), oxalates/gluten (special diets), pyschoneuroendocrinology, heavy metals, poor liver health, adrenal issues like high cortisol, mold, candida, parasites and much more!

Have you used GABA or any of the other calming amino acids and found benefits? Please share what product and how much worked for you?

If you have not tried GABA, were you a naysayer but now feel more inclined to look into this?

How to do an amino acid trial for anxiety

October 9, 2015 By Trudy Scott 182 Comments

The best way to figure out if you have a particular brain chemical imbalance and if you’ll benefit from a certain amino acid, is to do a trial. This is something I do with all my clients with anxiety, when we’re working one-one-one and with those in group programs, and it works really well.

Because the effects of amino acids can be felt within a few minutes to a few days, it’s easy to confirm whether you do in fact have a deficiency in a certain area and whether you’ll benefit from supplementing with the associated amino acid.

How does doing a trial work?

I have my clients complete the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and check off their symptoms on the low serotonin, low GABA, low catecholamines, low endorphins, and low blood sugar sections. The rating uses scale of 1-10 with 10 being worst.
I also have my clients review the Amino Acids Precautions and we figure out which amino acids they can and can’t use
I have them do a trial of the amino acid that resonates the most with them. For example if they have really bad obsessive thoughts, anxiety in the head, negative self-talk we’ll start with trying to address low serotonin with tryptophan or 5-HTP. If they resonate more with physical tension and overwhelm, we’ll start with trying to address low GABA with GABA.
We trial one amino acid at a time and use them opened onto the tongue or chewed (and held there for 1 to 2 minutes) for getting immediate feedback.
I have my client rate themselves before the trial and then afterwards (10 is worst), looking for benefits and how many notches they improved. This helps us figure out how much to start with.
- If it’s a big improvement (like 4 or 5 notches) they may start on 1 of the lowest dose (for example 1 x 500mg tryptophan or 1 x 125 mg GABA).
- If they see a small improvement (like 1 or 2 notches) we may start with the lowest dose and give them a range to try over the next week (for example 1-2 x 500mg tryptophan or 1-2 x 125 mg GABA)
During the trial and over the next week we also look for possible negative effects, such as a headache or feeling light-headed. If the adverse effects of supplemental amino acids are uncomfortable, taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C is an effective short-term antidote.
If someone is very sensitive to small amount of supplements, we may have them do a trial with a dab or two rather than a whole capsule and start really low during the next week.
We typically allow a week to see how the selected amino acid is working and adjust up or down during that week until we find the optimal amount.

What are the advantages of doing a trial?

You are able to target the amino acid for your specific needs – I write more about this here: Targeted individual amino acids: what do we really mean?
You get feedback immediately – the amino acid works or doesn’t
You are able to figure out what your starting dose of the amino should be and are able to adjust upwards accordingly
You get more in tune with your symptoms and how certain amino acids affect you
You can use the results (provided you log them – this is something I recommend and encourage) if you ever need a tune up in the future

Which amino acids have you found to be effective? Did you do a trial to figure out which one to try and how did that work for you? We’d love to hear in the comments below?

Have you got questions about doing a trial? Feel free to ask in the comments below.

If this information is useful but also sounds a little overwhelming, check out the The Amazing Aminos for Anxiety homestudy program. This homestudy group program provides guidance with using each of the targeted individual amino acids and how to do a trial.

Amino Acids and Neurotransmitters: Trudy Scott’s MINDD interview

September 18, 2015 By Trudy Scott 16 Comments

mindd-interview

This time last year folks from the MINDD Foundation interviewed me at the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health conference. The MINDD Foundation helps practitioners and patients discover and implement effective treatments for Metabolic, Immunologic, Neurologic, Digestive, Developmental conditions that often affect the mind.

In this video I share about the amino acids tryptophan and 5-HTP for raising low serotonin levels, and the amino acid GABA for raising low GABA levels.

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution so you can see if low serotonin or low GABA may be a factor. Be sure to check the Amino Acid Precautions and work with your doctor if you are taking an SSRI.

Here are some useful related blog posts on the topic of amino acids:

It’s very timely to be sharing this information. In the recent webinar I shared that we know benzodiazepines do patients more harm than good and a brand new study shows that the psychiatric drug called Paxil, claimed to be a safe and effective treatment for depression in adolescents, is actually ineffective and associated with serious side effects. It is a reanalysis of an influential study originally published in 2001.

While the amino acids and other nutrients are powerful, we must always remember to get the foundations in place – real whole traditional food, no sugar, no caffeine and no gluten. This paper published earlier this year says it perfectly: Nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry

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.

We advocate recognition of diet and nutrition as central determinants of both physical and mental health.

I will add that many of the recent “real whole traditional food” papers are not yet mentioning the mental health effects of gluten. Many say to include “whole grains.” So I’d like to share this wonderful testimonial recently posted on this blog: Bipolar, disruptive mood or gluten and junk food?

Ever since childhood I could not concentrate and focus at school. This seriously affected my grades. This continued into my working career and caused me to loose several jobs. Whilst I had periods of wellness this condition always returned to plague me. In one job as a retail manager I became driven for a six month period and then I crashed into deep depression sleeping for 18 hours a day. Prior to this crash I was stuffing my face with bread and fats. I was stressed and anxious. Ten years later this happened again.

I was diagnosed with bipolar 2. Only now at the age of 58 I discovered that I have an intolerance to wheat (gluten) after an elimination diet I feel so much better – all my symptoms are gone. It is like a MIRACLE! MY diagnosis is nonsense.

If the information in this video and article sounds intriguing and you’d like guidance with using targeted individual amino acids like tryptophan, 5-HTP and GABA (as well as glutamine and DPA/endorphigen), together with making diet and lifestyle changes, stay tuned for the launch of The Amazing Aminos for Anxiety homestudy group program.

You can add your name in the comments if you’d like to be notified when it launches. You’re also welcome to sign up here to be notified when we have more details about the start date.

Feel free to ask additional questions in the comments.

The Antianxiety Food Solution Amino Acid and Pyroluria Supplements

June 26, 2015 By Trudy Scott 670 Comments

antianxiety food solution and amino acids

Here are my amino acid and pyroluria supplement recommendations. These are the products I use with my one-one clients and those doing my online group programs.

You can find most of these products in my online store at Fullscript – you’ll find details here on how to set up and account (you just need to do this once) and make your purchase.

Purchase products through our Fullscript virtual dispensary.

Questionnaires and information

My publisher would not allow me to make specific product recommendations in my book so this list is a courtesy to those of you who have purchased the book.

If you do not have my book I highly recommend getting it and reading it before jumping in to taking supplements: The Antianxiety Food Solution – How the Foods You Eat Can Help You Calm Your Anxious Mind, Improve Your Mood, and End Cravings

There is a complete chapter on the amino acids and one for pyroluria, plus information on real whole food, sugar and blood sugar, gluten, digestion and much more.

Once you have read it you can use these blogs as summaries (they do contain some information that is not in my book).

Here is the Amino Acids Mood Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Anxiety and targeted individual amino acid supplements: a summary

Please read and follow these Amino Acid Precautions

Here is the Pyroluria Questionnaire from The Antianxiety Food Solution and additional information on Pyroluria, social anxiety, introversion: a summary

Here is a useful post: Pyroluria/social anxiety protocol: why aren’t I getting results? (trouble-shooting checklist)

Supplements for Low Blood Sugar (anxious, shaky between meals and intense sugar cravings)

Glutamine helps with low blood sugar, may help eliminate the strong desire for something sweet when opened on to the tongue, and is very healing for the digestive system

Pure Encapsulations L-Glutamine 500mg: L-glutamine (free-form) 500 mg, vitamin C (as ascorbyl palmitate) 5 mg. The capsules can be swallowed or the capsule can be opened on to the tongue
Designs for Health Glutamine Powder: This is a powdered glutamine that you can use right on your tongue or even mixed in water. The taste is quite pleasant.

Supplements for low GABA (stiff and tense muscles, anxious, panic attacks, use sugar/wine to relax)

GABA helps to raise GABA levels. I find GABA to be most effective when taken sublingually or opened on to the tongue. I find GABA to be more effective than pharmaGABA for most of my clients. I don’t ever use Phenibut (which the FDA recently removed from non-prescription use). Here are some GABA products that I like and use with clients.

Source Naturals GABA Calm (lozenges): This is a pleasant-tasting sublingual product that is my most popular and the most effective form of GABA I use with my clients. It is a lozenge that contains 125mg GABA, 5mg magnesium, 50mg glycine, 25mg tyrosine and 20 mg taurine. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS PRODUCT IS IN SHORT SUPPLY AGAIN]

[Note: this product is a lozenge with 125mg GABA and is not to be confused with the Source Naturals, GABA Calm Mind, 750 mg tablets]

Nutritional Fundamentals for Health GABA-T SAP: gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) 300 mg, l-Theanine 150 mg. This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and works very well when GABA Calm can’t be used. I find best results when it is used opened on to the tongue.

Thorne PharmaGABA-100: the label says Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) 100 mg but it also states that the product uses Pharma Foods International’s Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (PharmaGABA®). This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS MAY BE UNAVAILABLE]

Thorne PharmaGABA-250: as above but contains 250mg of PharmaGABA®. This is also pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. [AS OF NOV 24, 2021 THIS MAY BE UNAVAILABLE]

Designs for Health PharmaGABA Chewables: gamma-amino butyric acid (pharmaGABA) 200 mg in 2 chewable tablets. It’s quick-acting and convenient like GABA-Calm because it’s chewable. This does contain xylitol, natural flavors, stevia and some other ingredients so taste may be a factor and xylitol can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea when too much is consumed.

Natural Factors PharmaGABA: gamma-amino butyric acid (pharmaGABA) 200 mg in 2 chewable tablets. It’s quick-acting and convenient like GABA-Calm because it’s chewable. However it also contains organic cane sugar and natural fruit flavors so it’s a little too candy-like for my preference, especially if you have low GABA-related sugar cravings. Also 2 chewable tablets – 4g of carbs which is almost 1 teaspoon of sugar!

[January 22, 2021/November 24, 2021: I’ve included this as a stand-by option for occasional use when Source Naturals GABA Calm is in short supply or if Designs for Health PharmaGABA Chewables are not available.]

Now Foods GABA Powder: 1/4 Level Teaspoon (500mg). This is pleasant-tasting when opened on to the tongue and is most effective when used this way. The only challenge with powder like this is making sure you don’t use too much by mistake. And it’s especially challenging when you only need 100mg. A mini measuring spoon set like this one (my Amazon link) is so easy and convenient to use and allows for accurate dosing.

Quicksilver Scientific Liposomal GABA with L-Theanine: 2ml (4 Pumps) provides (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) 240mg, L-Theanine 100mg and Phosphatidylcholine 120mg (from purified sunflower seed lecithin). Spray and hold 30 seconds before swallowing. It does contain ethanol so would not be suitable for alcoholics or young children.

GABA-Pro Calming Effect Chewable: This is a chewable that contains 100 mg of pharmaGABA in 1 tablet. It is pharmaGABA even though the product says GABA-Pro on the front and the label states Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). It does contain natural flavors and xylitol. [This product is a reasonable replacement for Source Naturals GABA Calm when it’s not available (Nov 24, 2021)]

GABA-Pro Calming Effect: This contains 100 mg of pharmaGABA in 1 tablet. It is pharmaGABA even though the product says GABA-Pro on the front and the label states Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). This capsule can be opened onto the tongue. It does contain rice flour which can be an issue if you have a rice allergy/sensitivity and/or SIBO.

Designs for Health Stress Arrest: Niacin (niacinamide) 100 mg, Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine HCL) 10 mg, Pantothenic acid (d-calcium pantothenate) 100 mg, GABA 300 mg, Glycine 200 mg

Supplements for low serotonin (worry, rumination, negativity, afternoon and evening cravings and insomnia)

Tryptophan and/or 5-HTP can help to raise low serotonin. I typically recommend starting with tryptophan and don’t recommend 5-HTP if you have high cortisol as it can raise cortisol. Some people do better on tryptophan and some do better on 5-HTP.

Lidtke l-tryptophan 500mg: I only recommend the Lidtke brand for tryptophan as quality is a big consideration when it comes to this amino acid. This can be opened and/or chewed but doesn’t taste good. It can be mixed with inositol powder to make it more pleasant (see below) or with mashed banana. NOTE: This is not the same as the Lidtke Tryptophan Complete which has ingredients other than tryptophan making it more difficult to titrate up.

Lidtke l-Tryptophan Chewable: tablets contain 200mg L-Tryptophan per 2 tablets. This chewable form is both good and bad. It’s good because it’s a nice 100mg of tryptophan per tablet, is chewable, tastes good and is suitable for kids and “pixie dust” individuals (who need a very small amount). The bad aspect is that it does contain sugar and is quite sweet. Because you are continually consuming something sweet you may end up over-consuming them if sugar addiction is your issue.

Pure Encapsulations 5-HTP 50mg: Some of my clients do better on 5-HTP and some find taking this during the day and tryptophan at night works well for them.

Designs for Health Inositol: is fabulous for obsessive thoughts/behaviors that the tryptophan isn’t quite enough for. It’s also been shown to be very helpful for OCD itself. The powder has a slightly sweet taste and I recommend taking it in the powdered form. You can take up to 18g a day but I suggest starting with 2g a day and building up as needed. I think it makes a great addition for mixing into the nasty tasting tryptophan – I suggest starting with 2g inositol per 500mg tryptophan.

Douglas Labs 1mg melatonin sublingual: If the tryptophan isn’t enough for sleep issues, adding this often helps if you can’t fall asleep (and if it’s a low serotonin/low melatonin issue). Start with one and increase to 3 as needed

Douglas Labs 3mg melatonin prolonged release: If the tryptophan isn’t enough for sleep, adding this often helps if you wake in the night and if it’s a low serotonin/low melatonin issue. Start with one and increase to 2 as needed.

Supplement for low endorphins (comfort and reward eating, weepy, pain issues)

DPA or D-Phenylalanine is the amino acid that helps to raise endorphins and eliminates the comfort/reward eating and the feelings of “I deserve this” and LOVING certain foods

Lidtke Endorphigen 500mg: Riboflavin 5mg, Pyridoxal 5-phosphate 5mg (enzymatic form of vitamin B6), D-Phenylalanine 500mg. This is also one of my top products that I recommend. I used to recommend simply chewing the capsule to get the quickest and best effects and this worked well when it was produced in a gelatin capsule. Now it’s made with a cellulose capsule and chewing doesn’t work at all well so opening the capsule (or just biting off the top) and tipping the powder into your mouth works well. It does taste quite pleasant – some of my clients think it has a dark chocolate-like taste. A few people don’t like the taste at all but even then, it can be very effective when low endorphins are an issue.

Supplement for low catecholamines (tired, coffee-drinking, blahs, poor focus, low motivation)

Tyrosine is the amino acid that helps to raise low catecholamines and can often help you quit coffee if you “self-medicate” due to low catecholamines.

Progressive Labs tyrosine 500mg: 500mg l-tyrosine. This is the last amino acid I trial with my anxious clients because it can make you more anxious (although with one client it reduced her anxiety because she was able to focus better at work).

Vitamin C for negating the effects of any amino acid

Vitamin C 1000mg is used to negate the effects of any amino acid. I used to use EmergenC but this still contains folic acid, so here are some good alternate vitamin C recommendations:

Designs for Health C + Biofizz: Vitamin C 2569 mg (as Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Ascorbate, Magnesium Ascorbate) Quercetin 20 mg Hesperidin 20 mg Rutin 10 mg. This one mixes nicely in water and can also be added to a smoothie but tastes quite sweet for many people. I personally prefer less of a sweet taste.

Designs for Health Buffered Vitamin C: Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid) 2000 mg, Calcium (as calcium ascorbate) 80 mg, Magnesium (as magnesium ascorbate) 160 mg, Potassium (as potassium bicarbonate) 200 mg. This one doesn’t mix very well in water and can also be added to a smoothie. The taste is not very pleasant.

The supplements for pyroluria

Zinc, vitamin B6, evening primrose oil and a good copper-free multivitamin are what I use for my clients with pyroluria or for those who score above 15 on the questionnaire:

Solaray OptiZinc 30mg. Zinc (as Zinc Monomethionine [OptiZinc®] 30 mg, Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine HCl) 20 mg. The zinc in this form seems to be well absorbed by many of my clients and is available over the counter. This also does not contain copper. Be aware as there are other OptiZinc products on the market that do contain copper (Source Naturals is one example)

Douglas Labs Opti-Zinc: Zinc (from 150 mg Zinc Monomethionine) 30 mg. The zinc in this form seems to be well absorbed by many of my clients. This also does not contain copper.

Metagenics Zinc Drink: Zinc sulphate monohydrate in a base of distilled water. Each 2 tsp provides Zinc sulfate monohydrate 8 mg. Use this for testing your zinc status as described here: Zinc deficiency is common: using liquid zinc status test as an assessment tool

Here are a selection of 100 mg Vitamin B6/pyridoxine products. Use dream recall as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus social anxiety and mood improvements. If this doesn’t work you may need to use the activated form in conjunction with or instead of this one (see below)

Progressive Labs 100mg Vitamin B6 (contains rice flour)

NOW 100mg Vitamin B6 (contains rice flour)

Vital Nutrients 100mg Vitamin B6 (Only B6 and glycine)

Klaire Labs 250mg Vitamin B6 (Use this one if you find you do better with more i.e. 250mg)

Pure Encapsulations P5P 50 (activated B-6): pyridoxal 5 phosphate (activated B6) 50 mg, vitamin C (as ascorbyl palmitate) 3 mg. This activated form of B6 may be needed if the 100-500 mg B6/pyridoxine doesn’t work or may be needed in addition to vitamin B6/pyridoxine. Use dream recall as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus social anxiety and mood improvements.

Designs For Health P5P 50mg: another good product with pyridoxal 5 phosphate (activated B6) 50 mg

Now Foods Super Primrose 1300mg: Evening Primrose Oil (Oenothera blennis) (Seed) 1.3 g (1300 mg) – 120 count. GLA is often low in pyroluria and EPO helps with zinc absorption and PMS symptoms.

Designs for Health Twice Daily Multi: This is a good copper-free multi. It also contains Folates (NatureFolate™ blend) 400 mcg instead of folic acid (no DFH products contain folic acid).

Free form amino acids and magnesium

Pure Encapsulations Amino Replete: A free form amino acid powder blend that does contain tryptophan. It does contain fructose, flavors and luo han guo

Allergy Research Free Aminos: A free form amino acid blend in capsules. It contains 5-HTP and not tryptophan. I’d prefer it if it had tryptophan.

Designs for Health Amino Acid Supreme: A free form amino acid blend powder that does contain tryptophan. It is sweetened with stevia and contains natural flavors.

Designs for Health Magnesium Malate 360mg

Liquid and powder options for children

Here are some liquid and powder options for children (or for adults, if you have a hard time swallowing pills):

Carlson 100mg B6: Use dream recall (and no more nightmares) as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus improvements in social anxiety and mood.

Designs for Health 50mg P5P (with a little zinc and magnesium): This is the activated form of B6. Use dream recall (and no more nightmares) as a way to monitor if it’s working, plus improvements in social anxiety and mood.

Pure Encapsulations 15mg Zinc gluconate: A liquid zinc option.

Metagenics 15mg Zinc (as zinc sulfate): A liquid zinc option.

Designs for Health Zinc Challenge: Zinc sulphate monohydrate in a base of distilled water. Each 2 tsp provides Zinc sulfate monohydrate 8 mg. I use this for testing zinc status but it could be used as a supplement too.

BodyBio evening primrose oil: Gamma Linolenic Acid/GLA (omega-6) 473 mg. GLA is often low in pyroluria and EPO helps with zinc absorption, eczema and PMS symptoms.

Klaire Labs Vitaspectrum multivitamin/mineral: This is a great copper-free, iron-free powdered multi for kids. You can mix the powder directly into room temperature or cold foods or beverages just before serving.

Pure Encapsulations Amino Replete: A free form amino acid powder blend that does contain tryptophan. It does contain fructose, flavors and luo han guo.

Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Citrate 250mg powder

Designs for Health Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate 300 mg powder: This one does have stevia and natural flavors

Also see chewable tryptophan, GABA Calm and inositol powder, plus powdered Vitamin C (all listed above).

What about international orders?

Unfortunately, Fullscript does not ship internationally.

So we suggest folks try an intermediary shipping service like www.shipito.com (we haven’t used them as of yet, so do your own research, and if they or someone else does work out please let us know in the comments below).

An alternative is to use iHerb to get similar products, as they ship worldwide and may even have a branch in your country for free shipping.

Here is the link for iHerb and to get 5% off, and if you are interested in iHerb’s exclusive brands to get 10% off here.

Holistic Solutions for Anxiety and Depression: review

June 12, 2015 By Trudy Scott 84 Comments

Although it is written for therapists I feel that Holistic Solutions for Anxiety and Depression: Combining Natural Remedies with Conventional Care, written by Dr. Peter Bongiorno, ND, is a great resource for anyone working with individuals with anxiety or depression, and this includes nutritionists.

As a nutritionist who works primarily with women with anxiety, I was so pleased to receive a physical review copy of this wonderful book. I did purchase the kindle but a real book is just so much nicer!

It’s also perfect for the anxious individual who taking charge of their own health and wants to become more empowered. It would also be a perfect book for the anxious person to share with their open-minded therapist or doctor.

Here are some of the reasons why I really enjoyed this book:

The extensive coverage of diet – Dr. Bongiorno favors a Mediterranean diet and cites research supporting this way of eating for mental health (I’d add more red meat and skip the grains, especially gluten)
The recommendation to eat crunchy vegetables based on the research about crunchy foods making us feel happier and calmer
The coverage of nutrients such as 5-HTP and tryptophan. Dr. Bongiorono will use 5-HTP first (he feels its “more effective at crossing the blood brain barrier) , whereas I tend to start with tryptophan. But he does say that “when dosed accordingly, tryptophan appears to be quite safe and effective.”
The coverage of GABA: “GABA supplementation helps open chloride channels in neurons, which hyperpolarizes them, so that the positive charges remain on one side of the membrane, which inactivates the nerve cell. This slows firing and calms the brain.”
The coverage of vitamin B3: one way it helps mood is “its ability to inhibit the liver enzyme tryptophan pyrrolase. This enzyme breaks down tryptophan making it less available to produce serotonin. Vitamin B3 is also responsible for activating the enzyme that converts tryptophan to 5-hydroxytryptophan.”
The coverage of lithium orotate: “It is suggested that lithium’s beneficial effects on mood may be due to its oxytocin-raising properties.” He suggests using it with an oxytocin-raising massage! Oxytocin also helps with social anxiety: Oxytocin and social anxiety, pyroluria and depression?
The fascinating discussion of the 5-HT1A receptor and oxytocin
The history of the discovery of serotonin (clams used it to keep their shells closed)
The coverage of light therapy, getting house-plants and a mind-body approach

As you can see, it includes plenty of geeky science, something I really love!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Bongiorno on The Anxiety Summit – our topic: Serotonin and Anxiety, Happiness, Digestion and our Hormones. Dr. Bongiorno’s speaking is as eloquent, factual and caring as his writing.

Dr. Bongiorno has been kind enough to offer a copy of his book as a giveaway. We’ll do a drawing and select one lucky reader and announce the winner next Friday. If you’d like to be entered in to the drawing simply comment below and share:

~~why you’d like to win the book~~
~~which section you’re most excited about reading and why (just go to the Amazon preview and check out the table of contents)~~
~~which holistic approaches you already use with patients/clients or you’ve used yourself~~

~~This drawing is open to practitioners and non-practitioners alike.~~

Peter Bongiorno, ND, a doctor of naturopathic medicine, is co-director of InnerSource Natural Health and Acupuncture in New York City. President of the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians, he is a contributor to numerous blogs and online magazines, including DrOz.com and Sharecare.com, and is regularly interviewed as a natural medicine expert on national television and radio.

How to figure out what’s causing your depression with Dr. Kharrazian

June 11, 2015 By Trudy Scott 12 Comments

The Depression Sessions officially starts on Sunday June 14th.

To give you a taste of what is to come, this week is a pre-summit kick-off with some great interviews airing RIGHT NOW!

TODAY (and the next few days), you can watch Sean Croxton’s excellent interview with Dr. Datis Kharrazian, author of Why Isn’t My Brain Working.

Dr. Kharrazian’s full-length session is available for EARLY BIRD viewing and downloading (video, mp3 and transcript).

Dr. Datis Kharrazian: How to Figure Out What’s Causing Your Depression

Why there is more to correcting mood disorders than only boosting neurotransmitter levels. A lot more!
Why traumatic brain injuries often show up as depression … years down the road.
How chronic gut inflammation can cause brain inflammation, leading to depression.
How the “other” symptoms presenting with depression — anxiety, insomnia, brain fog –can help determine its cause.

This free EARLY BIRD viewing will be available until Sunday morning June 14th at 8am PST/11am EST when the Depression Sessions online event officially kicks off.

Here are a few gems from this interview:

Depression is decreased frequency of firing of areas the frontal cortex, pre-frontal, orbitofrontal, and the cingulate gyrus. At the end of the day, someone’s clinical depression is that part of their brain not firing. Then our goal as a clinical workup is why? What’s not making that area of the brain fire?
Every single case of depression is uniquely different
If you have depression and you notice it and you want to change it, that’s a really positive sign. If you have depression and you don’t even care anymore, you don’t even recognize it, that’s when things get really scary for us. That’s where all the neurodegenerative diseases have to be ruled out.

I’m so pleased to hear that Dr Kharrazian is not in favor of urinary neurotransmitter testing and do agree that depression (and anxiety) is often a lot more than only neurotransmitter deficiencies.

I see such incredible results with amino acids that I must say I do disagree with him on this one: “If you take an amino acid, like 5-HTP or tyrosine you do get a boost of brain function that doesn’t last.”

It may just be that he is working with people who have very complex issues like a history of brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. The whole discussion on head injuries is so interesting! And the wonderful thing is that there are certain nutrients that can help so much (fish oil, turmeric and others)!

The GABA blood-brain-barrier discussion comes up later (and I get a mention!) so be sure to listen out for that section. I’m still not convinced about the leaky brain GABA information but I am planning to have to look into the Cyrex blood-brain-barrier test Dr. Kharrazian mentions. I’m also going to look into the Cyrex GAD autoimmunity test he talks about.

My interview on the amino acids (GABA and tryptophan) and pyroluria/social anxiety/introversion airs on Day 1 so be sure to tune in for this one too. You can see a preview snippet on this blog called: Can Social Anxiety Be Reversed with Nutrition?

If you haven’t yet registered you can simply register here:
https://at105.isrefer.com/go/depreg/trudyscott/

I do hope you enjoy this one and all the others in the Depression Sessions!