diagram that has the word serotonin pointing to good mood. If life were really so simple, antidepressant medications like Prozac and Zoloft that increase serotonin levels would work 100 percent of the time. In this book, I tend to discuss certain factors like serotonin because those are included in available research at this time—and honestly, much of this research is likely driven by the need to sell drugs. The research is not perfect, but we can learn from it as long as we keep it in perspective as a part of the whole picture.
The delicate process of converting tryptophan, the amino acid which converts to 5-hydroxytryptophan and ultimately to serotonin, is vulnerable to malabsorption problems in the digestive tract, in which the body does not absorb the nutrients we eat. If food we eat irritates the EC, the digestive “brain” sees that as a possible poison. It reacts by pouring out large amounts of serotonin to increase movement so the gut empties and everything is cleared out. This may be why many people with mood disorders as well as those with high stress experience accompanying diarrhea.
Celiac Disease and Mood
As we discussed earlier in this chapter, one well-studied condition that leads to malabsorption problems is celiac disease. This is an inflammatory disease of the upper small intestine resulting fromgluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. The immune system reacts to gluten lectins (or proteins) and creates a war-like effect, throwing chemical bombs in the hope of destroying the proteins. This inflammation causes the lining of the small intestine to be destroyed, which leads to malabsorption of several important nutrients. Both inflammation (which can kick off inflammation in the brain) and low nutrients can lead to mood and mental instability.
One study reported a prior history of psychiatric treatment in a high proportion of adults with celiac disease, even years before diagnosis. Researchers studying the blood of untreated celiac patients found the plasma tryptophan reading to be significantly lower compared with treated and control groups. Such studies show us that abnormally low amounts of tryptophan in patients with depression and behavior disorders are a likely marker of serotonergic dysfunction due to impaired availability of tryptophan. Importantly, this can be reversed to normal in those who follow a gluten-free diet.
While gluten is the center of attention when discussing celiac disease, it is important to remember that many other foods may also create sensitivity, inflammation, and eventual malabsorption. More information about using food modulation to treat depressive disorder will be discussed later.
This book spends a fair amount of time researching the benefits of supplements. Even if you are eating a perfect blend of healthy foods, these supplements may indeed be useful because your intestines are not absorbing the nutrients from the food you are eating. Even worse, if you are eating the standard American diet, then there's no way you are even getting the nutrients you need. So supplements can help. But, it's still most vital to remember that for true healing, eating the healthy foods and fixing the digestive tract so it can absorb these foods are necessary for your long-term health.
Anti-Inflammatory Work
Even though the worlds of psychiatry and gastroenterology do not meet in conventional medical wisdom, you now know that there'sa strong correlation between a digestive tract that is not working properly and poor mental health. As we just learned, malabsorption problems in the digestive tract keep you from absorbing the nutrients you need to be healthy.
But there's a second, even more heated reason why a poorly functioning digestive tract makes your mood sour. It's inflammation. The Latin word for inflammation is inflammare , which means “to set on fire.” Inflammation is the mark of an immune system on high alert trying to get rid of an irritant or kill something
The delicate process of converting tryptophan, the amino acid which converts to 5-hydroxytryptophan and ultimately to serotonin, is vulnerable to malabsorption problems in the digestive tract, in which the body does not absorb the nutrients we eat. If food we eat irritates the EC, the digestive “brain” sees that as a possible poison. It reacts by pouring out large amounts of serotonin to increase movement so the gut empties and everything is cleared out. This may be why many people with mood disorders as well as those with high stress experience accompanying diarrhea.
Celiac Disease and Mood
As we discussed earlier in this chapter, one well-studied condition that leads to malabsorption problems is celiac disease. This is an inflammatory disease of the upper small intestine resulting fromgluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. The immune system reacts to gluten lectins (or proteins) and creates a war-like effect, throwing chemical bombs in the hope of destroying the proteins. This inflammation causes the lining of the small intestine to be destroyed, which leads to malabsorption of several important nutrients. Both inflammation (which can kick off inflammation in the brain) and low nutrients can lead to mood and mental instability.
One study reported a prior history of psychiatric treatment in a high proportion of adults with celiac disease, even years before diagnosis. Researchers studying the blood of untreated celiac patients found the plasma tryptophan reading to be significantly lower compared with treated and control groups. Such studies show us that abnormally low amounts of tryptophan in patients with depression and behavior disorders are a likely marker of serotonergic dysfunction due to impaired availability of tryptophan. Importantly, this can be reversed to normal in those who follow a gluten-free diet.
While gluten is the center of attention when discussing celiac disease, it is important to remember that many other foods may also create sensitivity, inflammation, and eventual malabsorption. More information about using food modulation to treat depressive disorder will be discussed later.
This book spends a fair amount of time researching the benefits of supplements. Even if you are eating a perfect blend of healthy foods, these supplements may indeed be useful because your intestines are not absorbing the nutrients from the food you are eating. Even worse, if you are eating the standard American diet, then there's no way you are even getting the nutrients you need. So supplements can help. But, it's still most vital to remember that for true healing, eating the healthy foods and fixing the digestive tract so it can absorb these foods are necessary for your long-term health.
Anti-Inflammatory Work
Even though the worlds of psychiatry and gastroenterology do not meet in conventional medical wisdom, you now know that there'sa strong correlation between a digestive tract that is not working properly and poor mental health. As we just learned, malabsorption problems in the digestive tract keep you from absorbing the nutrients you need to be healthy.
But there's a second, even more heated reason why a poorly functioning digestive tract makes your mood sour. It's inflammation. The Latin word for inflammation is inflammare , which means “to set on fire.” Inflammation is the mark of an immune system on high alert trying to get rid of an irritant or kill something
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