Neurotransmitter Building Blocks
Does this sound familiar? You have self-awareness. You’ve worked earnestly to unpack your past so you can be a mentally healthy human. You work out and don’t eat McDonald’s every day. But, it seems like you’re working so hard to get virtually nowhere. Not nowhere, because you’ve had some growth, but your hard work seems to far outweigh the fruits of your labor. You still get stuck on an emotional roller coaster, even though you know the origins of your anxiety. Or, you still have insomnia or get rocked when that special crush isn’t interested in you. Your reactions feel bigger than the situation, and you know it, but you can’t change it.
I’m a somatic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, functional nutritionist and bodyworker. Talk therapy is awesome! Bodywork is amazing! Trauma work is life-saving. We can do all those things and make huge strides, but, if our physiology is depleted, we can get stuck working hard with little pay-off. There are a lot of supplements we really don’t need, because the body either produces them, or we get enough in our food. However, in my two decades of practice, I’ve found a few nutritional elements to be extremely helpful to support our mental and somatic work, especially for those who have been chronically stressed. I’ve seen people, who have struggled with the same patterns in therapy, effortlessly make shifts when their physiology is supporting them.
* I am not a medical professional. As always, consult with your doctor or trusted physician. Most of the info in here is cross-checked with or copied from WebMD. This is also in no way anti-psych meds. There’s a time/place/need for those as well. But bodyminds do better when they have the substances they need to thrive.
AMINO ACIDS
Amino acids are organic compounds that combine to form proteins. Amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of life. When proteins are digested or broken down, amino acids are left. The human body uses amino acids to make proteins to help the body perform the basic units of life:
Break down food/metabolism
Grow
Repair body tissue
Reproduce
Perform many other body functions, such as: respond; move; organize
Essential Amino Acids
Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body. As a result, they must come from food.
The 9 essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Mushrooms and eggs contain a total of 17 amino acids, including all of the essential ones. Wild caught fish is a great source of omega 3’s, which are deficient in our US American diets. Beans are a great source of lysine. Turkey is a great source for niacin and tryptophan. It’s difficult to find these from vegan sources.
Conditional Amino Acids
Conditional amino acids are usually not essential, except in times of illness and stress. Conditional amino acids include: arginine, cysteine, glutamine, tyrosine, glycine, ornithine, proline, and serine.
Amino Acids for Mental Health
Tyrosine/L-Tyrosine
Used by the body to convert to dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, and may play a role in relieving mild to moderate depression.
It helps the body produce enzymes, thyroid hormones, and the skin pigment melanin. It also helps the body produce neurotransmitters that helps nerve cells communicate.
Treatment with tyrosine may help humans perform in stressful situations, such as being exposed to extreme weather or being asked to perform certain cognitive tasks. In several studies, those taking tyrosine did not exhibit the processing problems or the memory deficits that would normally occur in difficult situations.
Tyrosine may also help you stay mentally sharp when you have lost sleep. In one study, subjects were kept awake for over 24 hours. Those who took tyrosine performed much better on two types of tasks than those who took a placebo. The effect lasted around three hours.
GABA (Gamma-AminoButyric Acid)
It is a valuable anti-anxiety neurotransmitter. When we experience stress, the adrenal glands are triggered to produce hormones that trigger what we know as fight-or-flight responses, like speeding up your heartbeat or giving you an adrenaline rush. GABA counteracts these natural stimulants by relaxing the brain and stabilizes blood pressure. GABA is most often used as an anti-anxiety remedy but has many other reported benefits. Supplementing with GABA can help with inflammation issues, which means it may provide relief for people with PMS or other conditions that come with chronic pain. Especially active people may also find that GABA helps with recovery and may increase exercise tolerance.
L-Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in our bodies. It works to support many healthy functions, including:
Making proteins for muscle tissue
Fueling cells that protect our intestines (protects against leaky gut)
Supporting immune system cells
Helping to detoxify the liver of foreign substances
L-Taurine
It is an amino acid that is vital for an individual’s overall health, playing a key role in the brain, muscle tissue, and heart, as well as many other organs within the body. It helps support nerve growth. It is found predominantly in the large intestine, where it creates bile salts that play a vital role in the digestion process. It might also benefit people with heart failure by lowering blood pressure and calming the nervous system. This might help prevent heart failure from becoming worse.
5-HTP (5 Hydroxytryptophan)
Your body uses it to produce serotonin, a chemical messenger that sends signals between your nerve cells. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, weight gain and other health problems. It increases feelings of fullness/contentment and improves symptoms of fibromyalgia. It could help decrease migraine frequency and promotes sleep by increasing stimulation of melatonin in the pineal gland.
My favorite product for all 5 of these neurotransmitter building blocks is: Neurolink at BrainMD.com
VITAMINS & MINERALS FOR MENTAL HEALTH
B vitamins are especially essential for any amount of stress. Sugar and stress deplete our minerals and B vitamins. Neurolink has B6,9,12 but a good sublingual supplement with all the B’s doesn’t hurt. Sublingual vitamins get right into the bloodstream with all those capillaries under the tongue (it’s the same reason carbs go straight to our blood stream!).
Vitamin D3 is a must for healthy immunity and brain function. Most people are low, especially in dark places and people who are melanated can need more.
My favorite is a sublingual tablet from Superior Source D3.
Generally, functional health practitioners say 2000 IU’s is a maintenance dose, while 5000-10000 IU’s a therapeutic dose. Western medicine says 600 IU’s is all that is needed. Spending some time in the sun will do the trick as well. Speak to your physician about the right dose for you, as you can get toxic levels, but it takes a lot.
Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids
These fats are cis-fats (liquid) that create more movement in our cell barriers. We need solidness, too, but most of us get too many trans (solid) fats. We get too many omega 6s and 9’s in our diets, which causes inflammation; and inflammation is the root of all disease processes. Wild caught fish are a great source for omega 3’s. My favorite is from Nordic Naturals. They make different products that blend a variety of supplements to individualize your needs. Extra virgin olive oil has some, but it’s better for oleic acid and is great for health producing effects as well.
Calcium & Magnesium
Relaxes the smooth muscle and skeletal muscles. It can help with constipation and an overall feeling of calm. CALM is a product you can buy from most natural grocers. Calcium and magnesium work hand-in-hand to support bone health and other bodily functions. Magnesium is needed for calcium absorption. Epsom salt baths are another great way to relax muscles with the magnesium sulfate in it. Because magnesium suppresses parathyroid hormone and stimulates calcitonin, it helps deposit calcium into our bones, preventing osteoporosis. If you have a parathyroid condition, talk to your physician before taking.
Sleep Hygiene
Taking melatonin isn’t great long-term because it encourages your body to stop producing it. The pineal gland stimulates melatonin production when light decreases with the setting of the sun. But in our modern world, with screens emitting blue light constantly, our brains get a little confused and stay up. If you’re still struggling with insomnia, even after some of the other supplements and therapy, here are some other solutions to stimulate melatonin production:
Get off screens an hour before bedtime, or at the very least, use blue light blockers or software
Set and maintain a regular sleep schedule. According to Chinese medicine, there are organs that like to repair during specific times during the night, so the ideal bedtime is usually around 10pm-6am.
Exercise 30 minutes most days of the week
Practice relaxation techniques before bed, such as shower/bath, progressive relaxation, listen to relaxing ambient music, journal, resolve conflicts, don’t watch scary or upsetting things late at night.
Thank you for reading through my tips. I hope you found something helpful for your healing journey. If you liked, please like, comment below, or share.
