Serotonin's effects on multiple body systems

One Dangerous Deficiency Links IBS, Migraines, and More Health News By VRP Staff When you think of serotonin deficiency, the first consequence that might spring to mind is depression. And if so, you’d be right. But there’s more to this neurotransmitter than meets the eye—a lot more. Migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, obesity, even asthma… believe it or not, all of these serious conditions can be traced back to depleted serotonin levels. And the effects on your body can be as damaging as they are diverse. Serotonin is one of your brain’s most crucial messengers. It’s released by your neurons to send signals to other neurons, after which it’s returned to its original parent neuron to be reused. But if your levels are low, serotonin’s time on your synapse is cut short. It’s recaptured before it can finish its job—at a very high cost to your health, mentally and physically. In addition to depression, low levels of serotonin–and its precursor tryptophan–have been linked to binge eating, carbohydrate cravings, and weight gain.1 Studies show that obese and overweight diabetic patients have levels that are well below normal–and in clinical trials, increased brain serotonin led to both reduced caloric intake and resulting weight loss.2–4 But it’s not just your waistline that benefits from this critical neurotransmitter. Studies have shown that increasing serotonin levels can fight insomnia by improving sleep continuity.5 Research also shows that increased serotonin relieves migraines as effectively as standard drug therapy and aids in relief of chronic tension headaches.6–7 This same ability has made it a unique target in the treatment of fibromyalgia, with serotonin deficiency implicated for lower pain thresholds and higher clinical measures of perceived pain in patients.8–10 In an even more surprising connection, serotonin has also been identified as a major player in gut motility.11–12 Special serotonin–releasing cells can be found throughout your digestive system, responsible for stimulating peristaltic motion and pushing waste through your digestive tract.13 Even the development and severity of asthma has been linked to depression, anxiety, and low–serotonin related disorders—revealing yet another function under this neurotransmitter’s powerful influence.14 Proper levels of serotonin are essential for your health—and one way to ensure higher levels of this neurotransmitter is by boosting your intake of tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in high–protein foods that is responsible for serotonin synthesis in your brain. Research has shown that supplementing with tryptophan (and its metabolite 5–hydroxytryptophan, or 5–HTP) can replenish serotonin naturally and effectively—easing depression, anxiety, migraines, insomnia, and fibromyalgia symptoms in several clinical studies.15–17 References: 1. Gendall KA, Joyce PR. Meal–induced changes in tryptophan:LNAA ratio: effects on craving and binge eating. Eat Behav. 2000 Sep;1(1):53–62. 2. Breum L, Rasmussen MH, Hilsted J, Fernstrom JD. Twenty–four–hour plasma tryptophan concentrations and ratios are below normal in obese subjects and are not normalized by substantial weight reduction. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 May;77(5):1112–1118. 3. Ceci F, Cangiano C, Cairella M, et al. The effects of oral 5–hydroxytryptophan administration on feeding behavior in obese adult female subjects. J Neural Transm 1989;76(2):109–117. 4. Cangiano C, Ceci F, Cascino A, et al. Eating behavior and adherence to dietary prescriptions in obese adult subjects treated with 5–hydroxytryptophan. Am J Clin Nutr 1992 Nov;56(5):863–867. 5. Riemann D, Vorderholzer U. Treatment of depression and sleep disorders. Significance of serotonin and L–tryptophan in pathophysiology and therapy. Fortschr Med. 1998 Nov;116(32):40–42. 6. Titus F, Dávalos A, Alom J, Codina A. 5–Hydroxytryptophan versus methysergide in the prophylaxis of migraine. Randomized clinical trial. Eur Neurol. 1986;25(5):327–329. 7. Ribeiro CA. L–5–Hydroxytryptophan in the prophylaxis of chronic tension–type headache: a double–blind, randomized, placebo–controlled study. For the Portuguese Head Society. Headache. 2000 Jun;40(6):451–456. 8. Birdsall TC. 5–Hydroxytryptophan: a clinically–effective serotonin precursor. Altern Med Rev. 1998 Aug;3(4):271–280. 9. Hrycaj P, Stratz T, Muller W. Platelet 3Himipramine uptake receptor density and serum serotonin levels in patients with fibromyalgia/fibrositis syndrome. J Rheumatol. 1993;20:1986–1988. [letter] 10. Russell IJ, Michalek JE, Vipraio GA, et al. Platelet 3H–imipramine uptake receptor density and serum serotonin levels in patients with fibromyalgia/fibrositis syndrome. J Rheumatol 1992;19:104–109. 11. Fayyaz M, Lackner JM. Serotonin receptor modulators in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2008 Feb;4(1):41–48. 12. Gershon MD. The enteric nervous system: a second brain. Hosp Pract (Minneap). 1999 Jul 15;34(7):31–32,35–38,41–42. 13. Grider JR. Desensitization of the peristaltic reflex induced by mucosal stimulation with the selective 5–HT4 agonist tegaserod. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2006 Feb;290(2):G319–G327. 14. Goodwin RD, Sourander A, Duarte CS, et al. Do mental health problems in childhood predict chronic physical conditions among males in early adulthood? Evidence from a community–based prospective study. Psychol Med. 2008 May 28:1–11. 15. Poldinger W, Calanchini B, Schwarz W. A functional approach to depression: serotonin deficiency as a target syndrome in a comparison of 5–hydroxytryptophan and fluvoxamine. Psychopathology. 1991;24:53–81. 16. Kahn RS, Westenberg HG. L–5–hydroxytryptophan in the treatment of anxiety disorders. J Affect Disord. 1985 Mar–Apr;8(2):197–200. 17. Puttini PS, Caruso I. Primary fibromyalgia and 5–hydroxy–L–tryptophan: a 90 day open study. J Int Med Res. 1992;20:182–189.

Excitotoxins in food (Glutamates, etc.)

Foods to Avoid, Foods to Enjoy

This is one of the newest pages that I have added to the Website. Much of this information has been on the site for years but has been buried deep in the sections that have required tedious scrolling to find them. Thankfully, a Website upgrade has changed all of that. So, here are the lists of foods rich in glutamate/aspartate and those that are lower in these two non-essential, neurostimulating amino acids that we are restricting in the excitotoxin-related conditions.

First of all, Here are a couple of great sites for looking up the nutritional profiles of food, including their glutamate and aspartate content. The newest and most comprehensive that I have found to date is http://www.foodcomp.dk/fcdb_alphlist.asp. Another is http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php . In the latter, simply click on the food you are inquiring about, then scroll down toward the bottom of the page until you see the chart in the Nutritional Profile section. There is a click-on link after that chart (just above the References section) that reads "In Depth Nutritional Profile for (chosen food)" . Click on that link and then just scroll done to the aspartate and glutamate listings. Make note of the serving size at the top of the chart so that you'll be making an accurate comparison. You will quickly see the huge difference between the glutamate/aspartate content of healthy fruits/vegetables versus items such soy, wheat, barley, and the bean family (with the exception of green beans).

For example, recently my wife started eating peanuts and raisins as a late night television snack. Almost immediately, she started having very restless sleep and was complaining about soreness in her muscles and back. A quick trip to the chart showed very high levels of glutamate and asparate in peanuts.

I'm just glad that my canine patients don't eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and down it with a big glass of milk like our ADHD kids do. Let's see: wheat bread (with gliadorphins and plenty of glutamate and aspartate), peanut butter (LOTS more glutamate and asparate), jelly ("sugar gel"), and all of it washed down with cow milk (casomorphins and plenty of glutamate. Oh yeah. Don't forget the arachadonic acid for you pain sufferers).

Hmmmm..... It does all make sense, doesn't it?

Foods rich in glutamate and aspartate: 1) Grains: Wheat, barley, and oats are highest. Corn and rice are lower than the previous three but higher than potatoes. 2) Dairy Products: All Cheeses (cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, PARMESAN) are very high. Casein is very concentrated in cheese and is 20% glutamic acid by composition. 3) Beans: Soy, Pinto, lima, black, navy, and lentils 4) Seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, etc. 5) Peanuts: Very high, as are cashews, pistachios, and almonds. I have more detailed charts on the site to show exact values for the various nuts. Everything in moderation applies when eating nuts of any kind. So, I do not recommend you reach for nuts when you are really hungry unless you can stop after a few. Nuts are very good for you..in moderation. For example, seven almonds a day gives you what you need . 6) Diet drinks: Primary source of aspartate (aspartame) 7) Prepared foods, soups: 70% of prepared foods and many soups have MSG 8) Meats: Note- All meats are naturally rich in glutamate and aspartate. Lamb (and eggs) are the lowest, while rabbit and turkey are the highest. However, I believe that the amount in a normal serving of meat should not be enough to cause problems. I think that it is all of the other "unnatural" sources when combined with the meats that are causing the problems. One of my newest concerns is the presence of glutamate in the flesh of grain-fed animals, especially chickens, turkeys, and cattle. This is a topic of discussion on the celiac forums and we are now believing that this is a real concern and could explain why some celiacs are not responding to elimination diets. Catfish are also grain fed. The fact is that 60-70% of the American Diet is wheat and dairy (with heavy emphasis on cheese). This combined with the amount of artificial sweeteners being consumed and the addition of SOY has led this country into an epidemic of pain syndromes, including fibromyalgia. Epilepsy is definitely on the rise in pets and the combination of wheat and soy in pet foods is playing a huge role. I am seeing first time epileptic dogs within three weeks of starting such diets. Food low in glutamate and asparate: 1) Fruits 2) Vegetables 3) Potatoes 4) Lamb and eggs are relatively low. 5) Tree nuts (e.g. pecans, walnuts, macadamias) NOTE: These are relatively low when compared to peanuts and cashews. I have more detailed charts on the site to show exact values. Pecans, for example, have half the amount of glutamate that peanuts have but that is still quite a bit. Again, everything in moderation applies when eating nuts of any kind. I do not recommend you reach for nuts when you are really hungry unless you can stop after a few. Nuts are very good for you..in moderation. 7 almonds a day gives you what you need .

Now, for the GOOD news:

On these dietary restrictions, I just want to make one thing very clear. We are restricting the level of glutamate and aspartate in the diet because the neurons of the brain (and their associated supportive cells called glial cells, or astrocytes) are diseased and cannot handle the high levels of this non-essential, neurostimulating amino acid in our typical diet. By eating what has become the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), we are absolutely bombarding our brain with these “excitotoxins” in the form of grains, dairy, soy, and the rest.

But, it is the fact that the brain is unhealthy that explains why we are seeing the syndromes such as epilepsy, ADHD, insomnia, fibromyalgia, and various neurodegenerative diseases. I need to reemphasize this point for a number of reasons but mainly to establish why a person would develop one of these conditions and another not while eating the same foods. There must be something that distinguishes that person from the other…and there is…there always is. These things are covered elsewhere on the Website, but this might be a good time to check out my newest section, Viruses-Friend or Foe?

Here’s the point: When we are in the throws of one of the excitotoxin-related disorders, we need to reduce our consumption of the foods rich in these amino acids as much as possible. Doing so places a big Band-Aid on the situation and yields notable and often remarkable results in a short period of time. Dogs have stopped seizing in 24 hours. I felt noticeably better in four days. My fibromyalgia was improved in less than a week and gone in a month.

The phenomenal thing is that the long-term recovery also comes from the same diet. The principle reason this disease-producing cycle was set into motion to begin with was the damage effects of the “big 4” (gluten, casein, soy, and corn) on the intestinal villi and their ability to absorb vital nutrients. This combined with the showering of the body with exctotoxins, allergens, lectins, estrogens, and other substances from these same foods sets us up for the disease states that follow. Once the immune system starts to suffer from the same process, we are pretty much done.

The good news (yes, there is some good news) is that once we are off the “big 4” long enough, the process does reverse. Imagine the benefits of your body properly absorbing the calcium, iron, iodine, B complex, vitamin C, and trace minerals it so desperately needs. Imagine a brain, liver, and entire body that is getting what it needs to repair and thrive and in an environment free of the top four human, dog, and cat food allergens (cow milk, wheat, soy, and corn), which are also providing major quantities of allergens, damaging lectins, estrogens, depressants (casomorphins/gliadomorphins), and excitotoxins. Do you think you might just start feeling better??? (Smile)

But there’s more good news (and this is the main reason for placing this information here on this page). Once you have recovered…your brain, liver, and immune system are back to normal or close to it…then you can go back to eating some of those sources of glutamate and aspartate that are not one of the “big 4”. Again, the reason for the more severe restriction of these other foods was to place a Band-Aid on the situation- to provide relief for your ailing brain and liver (which regulates the glutamate in the bloodstream) by reducing the load of these potentially harmful neuroactive amino acids on these unhealthy organs. Once the nervous system and liver have recovered, most of us can go back to eating the nuts, seeds, beans, and meats that we were limiting in the beginning.

Just remember- "Everything in moderation". Some individuals will recover to such a degree that they could go back to eating all of the peanuts, lima beans, and steak they want without experiencing a seizure, pain episode, or bad night's sleep. BUT, most will fall into a category somewhere in between this level of recovery and where they were to start with, depending on several secondary factors, such how much we cheat with the "big 4", our age, local pollution, and more. And after all, loading up on peanuts is not good for anyone. (All you need is about 6 peanuts or almonds to get all that you need from them for the day. BUT, who does that???) Similarly, we do not need the cowboy-sized serving of steak they throw at us at your favorite restaurant. (I have to keep telling myself that.)

So, please do not think that I am saying you cannot eat any of the foods on the glutamate-rich list ever again. The formal name of the diet is the glutamate-aspartate restricted diet. That is a relative term, with some individuals requiring a more severe restriction than others. But when it comes to the "big 4", I use the term elimination. If you are gluten, casein, soy, and/or corn intolerant, elimination is the key to your optimal recovery. These are the guys that set us up for all of this mess. That is why I now "lovingly" call them the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The effects they can have on man and animals is potentially catastrophic and hopefully the reader now has a much better idea of why I have dedicated my life to this mission.

I hope this helps.

Dogtor J.

Which Supplements Help Which Issues?

From the TacaNow site.