Nutritional Therapeutics Support For Depression and Addiction

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Nutritional Support for Recovery from Depression and Addiction

In dealing with the chemical imbalances that are both a cause of substance abuse and a result of long-term substance addiction, nutritional therapy can be helpful in several ways.

Nutritional supplements such as amino acids (see chart below), vitamins and other nutrients restore the proper biochemical balance in the brain.

In addition, eliminating certain substances such as sugars and simple starches and increasing protein intake can help to rebalance brain chemistry. Good nutrition can also help heal damage to the body caused by the depletion of nutrients common in substance abuse.

Nutritional supplements and foods can help a person have a sharp mind and feel happy, calm, energetic and connected to people.

Another important area of the use of nutrition in recovery and relapse prevention is the addition of appropriate amino acids that serve as the building blocks for powerful chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters, including epinephrine and norepinephrine, GABA, serotonin and dopamine, are closely tied to addiction behavior. With the use of various amino acids, brain chemistry can be changed to help normalize and restore deficiencies in the neurotransmitters that spur cravings that can lead to addiction and relapse.

AMINO ACID NUTRITION THERAPY

Supplemental Ingredient	Restored Brain Chemical	Addictive Substance Abuse	Amino Acid Deficiency Symptoms	Expected Behavior Change
D-Phenylalanine or DL-Phenylalanine	Enkephalins Endorphins	Heroin, Alcohol, Marijuana, Sweets, Starches, Chocolate, Tobacco	Most Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) conditions sensitive to physical or emotional pain. Crave comfort and pleasure. Desire certain food or drugs.	Reward stimulation. Anti-craving. Mild anti-depression. Mild improved energy and focus. D-Phenylalanine promotes pain relief, increases pleasure.
L-Phenylalanine or L-Tyrosine	Norepinephrine Dopamine	Caffeine, Speed, Cocaine, Marijuana, Aspartame, Chocolate, Alcohol, Tobacco, Sweets, Starches	Most Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RDS) conditions. Depression, low energy. Lack of focus and concentration. Attention-deficit disorder.	Reward stimulation. Anti-craving. Anti-depression. Increased energy. Improved mental focus.
L-Glutamine	GABA (mild enhancement) Fuel source for entire brain	Sweets, Starches, Alcohol	Stress. Mood swings. Hypoglycemia.	Anti-craving, anti-stress. Levels blood sugar and mood. GABA (mild enhancement). Fuel source for entire brain.
Note: To assist in amino-acid nutritional therapy, the use of a multi-vitamin/mineral formula is recommended. Many vitamins and minerals serve as co-factors in neurotransmitter synthesis. They also serve to restore general balance, vitality and well-being to the Reward Deficiency Syndrome (RSD) patient who typically is in a state of poor nutritional health (see paragraph above chart for explanation of RSD).

This chart was originally published in the following article.
Blum K, Ross J, Reuben C, Gastelu D, Miller DK. "Nutritional Gene Therapy: Natural Healing in Recovery

You can access the full article on the Counselor Magazine web site: counselormagazine.com.
1. On the homepage, click on Search the Archives
2. Choose January/February 2001
3. Click on Nutritional Gene Therapy

DEPRESSION AND ADDICTION:

HOW CAN NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION HELP

Depression

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder. It affects 10-15% of the general population. Antidepressant therapy is often helpful and many times includes selective medications which work on seratonin reuptake, tricyclical antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Nutritional supplementation may also be helpful in dealing with several of these areas.

To understand depression and how supplementation can work you have to first understand the biology behind it. Abnormalities in seratonin activity, as well as, other neurotransmitters, such as gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) and dopamine are seen as having some role in depression.

Over the years observations that some medications can improve or worsen moods have led some to consider the idea that there is a role these specific neurotransmitters have. Lately researchers have been looking at the observations that altered receptor function, failure in the regulation of neurotransmitter systems and the interaction of some amino acid reactions. Choline is of special interest because it is the substance on nerve-endings which allows the neurotransmitters to send, accept and interpret nerve impulses. Most neurotransmitters function properly when their specific amino acids are balanced and permitted to function at their peak levels. Depression results when the neurotransmitters and neurons are out of synch.

Amino acids such as DL-phenylalanine, L-Tyrosine, L-Glutamine and Choline, are necessary in the proper function of neurotransmitters. It is these types of amino acids that help balance the ability of the neurons to fire, receive and interpret impulses, such as those related to mood.

Of the 30 or so neurotransmitters identified three have been related to mood. They are seratonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. Neurons are made up of cells and chemical messages pass through them. For the messages to travel to the neuron by way or the transmitter the cells must be healthy.

NTI’s Lift, along with its unique Lipid Replacement Therapy (LRT) allows for the protection, repair and replacement of damaged cells and the replacement of lost amino

acids. Put in combination with our MICRONUTRIENT BASIC formulation of vitamins, minerals and amino acids, they provide you with what you need to promote good healthy brain function.

B-Vitamins: Because of the integral role the B- vitamins play in all of the biochemical pathways in the body a deficiency of any of the B- vitamins can result in depression.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is the most well know anti-oxidant. Proper supplementation of Vitamin C helps the body fight off the debilitating effects of stress which are a common cause of depression.

Vitamin E: Another free radical scavenger/ antioxidant. Vitamin E is most important as it helps with the proper carrying of Oxygen in the blood. Lack of oxygen perfusion is linked to depression.

Calcium and Phosphorus: Two minerals that are essential to the proper health and maintenance of the nervous system and thus the proper production and function of neurotransmitters.

Choline Bitartrate: Choline is essential for the production of acetylcholine, probably the most important of the neurotransmitters as it helps regulate and is essential for the production of all other neurotransmitters.

PABA: Helps increase the effectiveness of Folic Acid (Vitamin B-9)

Inositol: Inositol which is in the B- vitamin family is important for the proper functioning of serotonin.

Pantethine: Essential for the production of Co-Enzyme A, required for most if not all biochemical reactions within the body.

Phosphoglycolipids: The highest form of Omega -3 Fatty acids.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are important for neurotransmitter synthesis, signal transmission, uptake of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter binding and the activity of monoamine oxidase, this breaks down the neurotransmitters serotonin, norephinephirne and dopamine.

DL-Phenylalanine L-Glutamine & L-Tyrosine: Three amino acids are essential for the production of neurotransmitters.

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