Source: https://www.mindhealth360.info/solution/correct-your-nutrition-and-supplement/correct-your-proteins-and-amino-acids/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 05:54:43+00:00

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As seen here, absorbing the right amounts of proteins and amino acids is crucial for mental health, as they are the building blocks for our neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and GABA, and impact our hormones and blood sugar, which all play an important role in mental health.
Protein should be consumed especially in the morning and at lunch, so that you have a steady supply of protein during the day when most active Greenblatt, J. (2016). Breakthrough Depression Solution. 2nd ed. Forest Lake: Sunrise River Press, pp. 207-213.. If you do eat protein for dinner, make sure to include or prioritise complex carbohydrates, as these are helpful in calming your nervous system, and can help you sleep Christianson, A. (2014). The Adrenal Reset Diet. New York: Harmony, pp. 51-3..
Whether you eat meat, or are vegan or vegetarian, it is important to get enough protein to help build the neurotransmitters you need for optimal mental health. Generally, animal protein has some substantial benefits for mental health, however if you choose to be vegan or vegetarian you simply need to be aware of the need to obtain certain nutrients from other sources for optimal mental health.
Low Vitamin D has been linked to depression Scott, T. and Keith, L. (May 2015). Anxiety, Depression and the Vegetarian Diet. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/.
Free-range meat has been shown to have a higher polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-6/omega-3 ratio Funaro, A. Cardenia, V., Petracci, M., Rimini, S., Rodriguez-Estrada, M. T. and Cavani, C. (2014). Comparison of meat quality characteristics and oxidative stability between conventional and free-range chickens. [online] Poultry Science, 93 (6), pp. 1511-22. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24879701 [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].
Opt for game such as buffalo, venison, pheasant, grouse or ostrich, which are more lean (however no more than twice a week, as game has high levels of uric acid which can cause gout) Sam, S. E., Thomas, T. E. and Abraham, E. (2016). A Review on Gout. [online] World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 5 (6), pp. 634-47. Available at: www.wjpr.net/download/article/1464659290.pdf [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].
Increased dietary protein consumption is associated with increased urinary excretion of acid and formation of kidney stones Pearle, M. S., Goldfarb, D. S., Assimos, D. G., Curhan, G., Denu-Ciocca, C. J., Matlaga, B. R., Monga, M., Penniston, K. L., Preminger, G. M., Turk, T. M. T. and White, J. R. (2014). Medical management of kidney stones: AUA guideline. [online] The Journal of Urology, 192 (2), pp. 316-24. Available at: http://www.jurology.com/article/S0022-5347(14)03532-0/abstract [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].
Has been linked to increased risk of disease such as cancer and heart disease Campbell, C. T. and Campbell, T. M. (2005). The China Study. Dallas, Tex.: BenBella Books.
The Paleo diet however is controversial in terms of benefit to mental health — some state that it reduces gut leakiness and therefore improves mental health De Jager, C. A. (2013). Why Don’t We Know What to Eat in the 21st Century? A Focus on Coronary Heart Disease and Dementia Prevention. [online] Editorial: Vitamins & Minerals, 2, e120. Available at: https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/why-dont-we-know-what-to-eat-in-the-21st-century-a-focus-on-coronary-heart-disease-and-dementia-prevention-2167-0390.1000e120.php?aid=11442 [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].https://runnerstill.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/the-paleo-diet-update-v5-39-leaky-gut-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-and-psychiatric-disease/, Fontes, M. and Bastos, P. (2009, 28 Sept.) The Paleo Diet Update v5,# 39–Leaky Gut, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and Psychiatric Disease. [online] Runner Still. Available at: [accessed 6 Sept. 2017]..
You have to choose whether you feel better on a diet containing animal protein, or being vegan or vegetarian. Each person is different, and responds differently.
If you choose to be vegan or vegetarian, make sure to get protein at every meal, and make sure to get a broad variety of vegetable proteins from legumes, whole grains, nuts, sprouts, hemp, vegetables, dairy (unless you are intolerant or vegan) and organic soy products. Also consider supplementing with protein powder or free-form amino acid blends Talbott, S. (2007). The Cortisol Connection. 2nd ed. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, p. 17.
If you are a vegetarian, the most complete forms of protein is found in eggs.
You can supplement with high quality protein powder or loose-form amino acids. Amino acids are best absorbed when consumed alone, on an empty stomach Sathyanarayana Rao, T., Asha, M., Ramesh, B. and Jagannatha Rao, K. (2008). Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses. [online] Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 50 (2), pp. 77-82. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738337/ [accessed 24 Aug. 2017]..or with a light carbohydrate rich snack such as a piece of fruit.
Be careful when supplementing with amino acids, however, because taking too many amino acids can have physical side effects.
As protein-rich foods are a major source of waste products excreted by the kidney, chronic kidney disease is thought of as a disease of protein-intolerance, and restricting protein in the diet of kidney failure patients improves kidney function Weiner, I. D., Mitch, W. E. and Sands, J. M. (2015). Urea and ammonia metabolism and the control of renal nitrogen excretion. [online] Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 10 (8), pp. 1444-58. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527031/ [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].
See below for a list of amino acids with which you can supplement.
L-carnitine is an essential nutrient in mammals. It exists as either free carnitine or as acylcarnitines Kocsis, K., Knapp, L., Gellért, L., Oláh, G., Kis, Z., Takakuwa, H., Iwamori, N., Ono, E., Toldi, J. and Farkas, T. (2014). Acetyl-L-carnitine normalizes the impaired long-term potentiation and spine density in a rat model of global ischemia. [online] Neuroscience, 269, pp. 265-72. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24704513 [accessed 6 Sept. 2017]..
Carnitine is important for energy production in the mitochondria, the powerhouses in our cells, and has been shown to aid with fat metabolism, testosterone production and stress hormone balance, as well as with cognition, memory, depression, low mood, and exhaustion Lake, J. (2009). Integrative Mental Health Care. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., p. 240., Greenblatt, J. (2011). The Breakthrough Depression Solution. North Branch, MN: Sunrise River Press, pp. 159-173..
Ko, E. Y. and Sabanegh, E. S. (2014). The role of nutraceuticals in male fertility. [online] Urologic Clinics of North America, 41 (1), pp. 181-93. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259002006_The_Role_of_Nutraceuticals_in_Male_Fertility [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].
Glutamine can be found in bone broth Scott, T. and Daniel, K. (May 2015). Real food for Anxiety: Butter, Broth and Beyond. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/..
Supplement 5-10g a day Holford, P. (2004). Patrick Holford’s New Optimum Nutrition Bible. London: Piatkus, p. 136.
Glutamine may cause mental changes in people who have mania, in which case avoid use.
Glycine is considered a non-essential amino acid, but most of us are deficient in it if we are under stress. It can help with anxiety, sleep and memory Scott, T. and Daniel, K. (May 2015). Real food for Anxiety: Butter, Broth and Beyond. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/..
Furthermore, if we’re exposed to pesticides and industrial chemicals, we may need more glycine in our diet to support detoxification.
L-theanine is a water-soluble amino acid, with a glutamine backbone. L-theanine is important in reducing anxiety and increasing focus and creativity. It reduces the heart rate, improves focus and concentration and can help the body cope with stress Gottfried, S. (2013). The Hormone Cure. New York, NY: Scribner, p. 104., Abdou, A. M., Higashiguchi, S., Horie, K., Kim, M., Hatta, H. and Yokogoshi, H. (2006). Relaxation and immunity enhancement effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration in humans. [online] Biofactors, 26 (3), pp. 201-8. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16971751 [accessed 29 Aug. 2017]., Lake, J. (2009). Integrative Mental Health Care. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., p. 173., Jamwal, S. and Kumar, P. (2017). L-theanine, a Component of Green Tea Prevents 3-Nitropropionic Acid (3-NP)-Induced Striatal Toxicity by Modulating Nitric Oxide Pathway. [online] Molecular Neurobiology, 54 (3), pp. 2327-37. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26957301 [accessed 6 Sept. 2017]..
250mg to 400mg per day Gottfried, S. (2013). The Hormone Cure. New York, NY: Scribner, p. 104.
Pyroglutamate shows an association with Alzheimer’s disease in that it affects the amyloid deposits seen in Alzheimer’s. It helps to enhance memory and alertness Hook, G., Yu, J., Toneff, T., Kindy, M. and Hook, V. (2014). Brain pyroglutamate amyloid-β is produced by cathepsin B and is reduced by the cysteine protease inhibitor E64d, representing a potential Alzheimer’s disease therapeutic. [online] Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 41 (1), pp. 129-49. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24595198 [accessed 29 Aug. 2017]..
Phenylalanine is involved in motivation and drive and is essential to making adrenaline and dopamine Holford, P. (2004). Patrick Holford’s New Optimum Nutrition Bible. London: Piatkus, p. 13.
Part of a group of amino acids called “aromatic amino acids”, which includes phenylalanine, Tyrosine is a key building block for dopamine especially, but also for adrenaline and noradrenaline. It helps with motivation, drive, mood, and the production of energy.
GABA is an amino acid which acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. It can also be taken as a supplement, and can help with anxiety, mood, focus and creativity Abdou, A. M., Higashiguchi, S., Horie, K., Kim, M., Hatta, H. and Yokogoshi, H. (2006). Relaxation and immunity enhancement effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration in humans. [online] Biofactors, 26 (3), pp. 201-8. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16971751 [accessed 29 Aug. 2017]., Lake, J. (2009). Integrative Mental Health Care. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., p. 173., Jamwal, S. and Kumar, P. (2017). L-theanine, a Component of Green Tea Prevents 3-Nitropropionic Acid (3-NP)-Induced Striatal Toxicity by Modulating Nitric Oxide Pathway. [online] Molecular Neurobiology, 54 (3), pp. 2327-37. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26957301 [accessed 29 Aug. 2017]..
Scott, T. and Daniel, K. (May 2015). Real food for Anxiety: Butter, Broth and Beyond. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/., Gluck, M. and Edgson, V. (2010). It Must Be My Hormones. London: Penguin, p. 79.
However, GABA supplements are not always well absorbed, due to the fact that they can have a hard time crossing the blood-brain-barrier. Schor, J. J. and Bloom, R. A. (2017). GABA: Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid. [online] Denver Naturopathic Clinic. Available at: http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/GABA.html [accessed 17 Oct. 2017].
Assess yourself frequently over time to ascertain whether you’re making progress, and work out whether you need to try a different kind of tablet.
There should be an improvement quite quickly. Once you’ve found the right quantity, you should continue to monitor, and eventually go down Scott, T. and Maree, K. (May 2015). Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Real Cases, Real Solutions. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/.
Essential amino acid for making serotonin, the mood boosting neurotransmitter, and can help with depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc. Holford, P. (2004). Patrick Holford’s New Optimum Nutrition Bible. London: Piatkus, p. 51..
Some plant foods contain significant amounts of serotonin, but serotonin cannot cross the blood brain barrier, so you need tryptophan, the building block of serotonin, which can cross the blood brain barrier, though it often gets crowded out by other proteins.
However eating tryptophan containing proteins with carbohydrates can increase tryptophan’s access to the brain.
Unlike 5-HTP, which is one step away from being converted to serotonin, tryptophan is two steps away, however it crosses over the blood-brain barrier more easily.
Vegetarians can often be deficient in serotonin because they may not be getting enough tryptophan Scott, T. and Keith, L. (May 2015). Anxiety, Depression and the Vegetarian Diet. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/..
(2017). L-tryptophan. [online] WebMD. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/l-tryptophan-uses-and-risks [accessed 8 Sept. 2017]., Greger, M. and Stone, G. (2016). How Not to Die. London: MacMillan, p. 204., Gluck, M. and Edgson, V. (2010). It Must Be My Hormones. London: Penguin, p. 77.
Supplementing can help with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Lakhan, S. E. and Vieira, K. F. (2008). Nutritional therapies for mental disorders. [online] Nutrition Journal, 7, p. 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2248201/ [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].
Scott, T. and Bongiorno, P. (May 2015). Serotonin and Anxiety, Happiness, Digestion and our Hormones. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/., Scott, T. and D’Eramo, K. (May 2015). How to use MindBody Medicine to Reverse Anxiety in 3 Minutes or Less. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/., Scott, T. and Maree, K. (May 2015). Pyroluria, Amino Acids and Anxiety: Real Cases, Real Solutions. [online] The Anxiety Summit, Season 3. Available at: http://season3.theanxietysummit.com/.
Tryptophan can be made from the amino acid phenylalanine, therefore, supplements containing both amino acids lead to alertness Ormstad, H., Dahl, J., Verkerk, R., Andreassen, O. A. and Maes, M. (2016). Increased plasma levels of competing amino acids, rather than lowered plasma tryptophan levels, are associated with a non-response to treatment in major depression. [online] European Neuropsychopharmacology, 26 (8), pp. 1286-96. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27237997 [accessed 6 Sept. 2017].
In 1990 L-tryptophan was recalled from the US market because it was linked to eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), a potentially fatal neurological condition with symptoms that include fatigue; intense muscle pain; nerve pain; and painful swollen joints, and various organs. However, about 95% of all these cases were traced to L-tryptophan produced by a single manufacturer in Japan, which suggested that some L-tryptophan products were contaminated.
Currently, under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994, L-tryptophan is available and marketed as a dietary supplement.
5-HTP is an amino acid, precursor to serotonin, also derived from the amino acid tryptophan.
5-HTP can help with depression, anxiety and insomnia Talbott, S. (2007). The Cortisol Connection. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, p. 238..
5-HTP supplements are made from the seeds of the African plant Griffonia simplicifolia Talbott, S. (2007). The Cortisol Connection. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, p. 238.
This can increase to 100mg 3 times a day after 2 weeks if needed Murray, M. T. (2000). 5-HTP. New York: Bantam Books, p. 177.
100mg in the AM – but it may induce sleepiness, in which case have 200mg at night Gluck, M. and Edgson, V. (2010). It Must Be My Hormones. London: Penguin, p. 79.
Take 100-300mg at bedtime Murray, M. T. (2000). 5-HTP. New York: Bantam Books, p. 177.
Take 100mg in the AM or 200mg at night to aid sleep Gluck, M. and Edgson, V. (2010). It Must Be My Hormones. London: Penguin, p. 79.
5-HTP supplements should not be taken with antidepressants or other serotonin stimulating herbs such as St. John’s Worth, or the amino acid Tryptophan, unless under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner due to the risk of serotonin syndrome, though there are no reports of serotonin syndrome when 5-HTP is combined with a SSRI antidepressant Lake, J. (2009). Integrative Mental Health Care. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., pp. 104-105., Talbott, S. (2007). The Cortisol Connection. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, p. 238.
The amino acid L-methionine and ATP are needed for the body to manufacture SAMe (s-adenosyl methionine), a naturally occurring substance present in all the cells of our body, which aids the synthesis of key mental health neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine as well as certain proteins and hormones.
SAMe can be used by people with mild depression who want to avoid taking a pharmaceutical product. A study has shown that people improve within a few days of starting to take SAMe Holt, S. and MacDonald, I. (2011). Depression: Natural Remedies That Really Work. N.Z:Wairau Press, p. 152..
SAMe is not available in health food stores in the EU, and is very expensive Galizia, I., Oldani, L., Macritchie, K., Amari, E., Dougall, D., Jones, T. N., Lam, R. W., Massei, G. J., Yatham, L. N. and Young, A. H. (2016). S‐adenosyl methionine (SAM‐e) for depression in adults. [online] The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 10. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27727432 [accessed 7 Sept. 2017]..
Supplement 200-1200mg a day divided in 2 to 3 doses for mood benefits Talbott, S. (2007). The Cortisol Connection. Alameda, CA: Hunter House, p. 240., Gluck, M. and Edgson, V. (2010). It Must Be My Hormones. London: Penguin, p. 79.
Once a balanced mood is attained, cut back gradually to a maintenance dose, though the longer it is used the more beneficial the results Gluck, M. and Edgson, V. (2010). It Must Be My Hormones. London: Penguin, p. 79.
Do not take it if you are bipolar, or take it only under medical supervision, as it can exacerbate mania (2017, 11 Jan.) S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine (SAMe): In Depth. [online] National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Available at: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements/SAMe [accessed 7 Sept. 2017].

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