What are the signs of a Neurotransmitter Deficiency? Proper amounts of neurotransmitters are necessary for maintaining optimal mental and physical health. Common conditions associated with serotonin/dopamine deficiencies include:

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What are the signs of a Neurotransmitter
Deficiency?Proper amounts of neurotransmitters
are necessary for maintaining optimal mental and
physical health. Common conditions associated
with serotonin/dopamine deficiencies include
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• Appetite and Eating Disorders, especially binging
  or bulimia
• Very strong cravings for sweets
• Depression
• Anxiety and Panic Attacks
• Chronic fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches-especially migraines
• Premenstrual Syndrome
• Seasonal Affective Disorder

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• Addictions
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Chronic pain
• Insomnia
• Irritability and Anger Disorders
• Low motivation
• Compulsive Disorders
• Decreased sex desire

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• Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that allow
  communication to occur in the brain.
• DOPAMINE functions in
• Feelings of pleasure/bliss
• Feelings of attachment/love
• Sense of altruism
• Integration of thoughts and feelings (focused)
• Appetite control
• Controlled motor movements
• Dopamine Deficiencies result in
• Anhedonia (lack of pleasure)
• Lack of ability to feel love and to love another
• Lack of remorse about actions
• Distractibility
• Your world looks colorless

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• Norepinephrine functions in
• Arousal, energy, drive, alertness
• Stimulation
• Fight or flight
• Long-term memory and learning
• Deficiencies result in
• Lack of energy
• Lack of motivation
• First state called depression

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• Optimal levels can result in
• Wellbeing or euphoric effect in stressful
  situations.
• Excess levels can result in
• Fear and anxiety (as may be the case for those
  who suffer from anxiety disorders).

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• Norepinephrine is produced from dopamine with the
  help of amino acids phenylalanine, lysine, and
  methionine. Vitamin C and B-6, magnesium, and
  manganese are important cofactors.
• Natural sources of building blocks
• Almonds apples
• Avocado bananas
• Beef liver or kidney blue-green algae
• Cheese fish
• Most green vegetables
• Lean meat nuts
• Grains pineapple
• Poultry tofu

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• Serotonin functions in
• Emotional stability
• Reduces aggression
• Sensory input
• Sleep cycle
• Appetite control
• Serotonin deficiencies result in
• Irritability
• Irrational emotions
• Sudden unexplained tears
• OCD
• Sleep disturbances

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• Serotonin provides calming and stabilizing
  actions
• Enough serotonin we feel emotionally stable, we
  can sleep, we can sort out feelings and determine
  in a logical manner if there is a threat present.
• Low serotonin irritable, overly sensitive to
  sights and sounds. Difficulty sleeping and
  sudden outbursts of tears.
• Enough serotonin
• Hopeful/creative optimistic/focused
• Calm/responsive patient/good natured
• Loving/caring reflective/thoughtful
• And---we dont CRAVE CARBOHYDRATES!

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• When we have a shortage of serotonin, lookout! We
  are
• Depressed Anxious Irritable Impatient
• Impulsive Abusive Reactive A real Pain!
• Plus we
• Fly off the handle easily!!!!!!!!!
• Have a short attention span
• Seem to be blocked and scattered
• Crave those sweets and high carbohydrates foods
• Suffer from insomnia and have poor dream recall

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• Enkephalins/endorphins functions in
• Internal calm
• Sense of well-being
• Feelings of euphoria
• Self-concept
• Pain management
• Deficiencies result in
• Internal turmoil
• Lack of completeness
• Sense of inadequacy
• Poor pain control

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• What our body needs to supply Enkephalins
• D-Phenylalanine Vitamin B6
• Folic Acid
• Natural sources of building blocks for
  Enkephalins
• Fish Blue-green algae
• Wheat germ green leafy vegetables
• Tortula yeast egg yolks
• (B-Complex)

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• GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)/it is really an
  amino acid but classified as a neurotransmitter.
• Induces relaxation and sleep
• Balances the brain where excitation is balanced
  with inhibition
• Stimulates HGH(human growth hormone) HGH helps
  build muscle and prevent fat.
• Slightly sedative effect best taken before
  going to bed.

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• What causes Neurotransmitter Deficiencies?
• Here are some of the major reasons we can suffer
  from depressed neurotransmitter levels...
• Prolonged Emotional or Physical Stress.
• The human body is programmed to handle sudden,
  acute or short bouts of stress. Prolonged,
  chronic stress takes it toll on the fight or
  flight stress hormones and neurotransmitters.
  Eventually, these become depleted and coping
  becomes more difficult.

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• Aging.
• 60 of all adults past age 40 have some degree of
  neurotransmitter deficiency. Aging neurons make
  smaller amounts of neurotransmitters. Also, as we
  get older, the body does not respond as well to
  them.
• Weight Loss Dieting.
• This is the most common cause of self-induced
  neurotransmitter deficiencies. Limiting food
  intake in order to lose weight restricts the
  amounts of basic building blocks
  (neurotransmitter precursors) needed to produce
  enough neurotransmitters

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• Studies from major universities, including
  Harvard, MIT, and Oxford, have documented that
  women on diets significantly deplete their
  serotonin within three weeks of dieting. This
  induced serotonin deficiency eventually leads to
  increased cravings, moodiness and poor
  motivation. These all contribute to rebound
  weight gain the most common yet unfortunate
  consequence of dieting.
• Increasing neurotransmitter production during
  dieting is strongly encouraged to avoid yo-yo
  dieting. This is accomplished by taking dietary
  neurotransmitter precursor supplements during
  dieting

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• Abnormal Sleep.
• Many neurotransmitters responsible for proper
  sleep, especially serotonin, are produced during
  REM sleep around 2-3 a.m. Serotonin converts to
  melatonin, the sleep hormone. When serotonin
  levels are low, melatonin levels will also be
  low. Disrupted sleep occurs and less
  neurotransmitters are produced causing a vicious
  cycle

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• Certain Medications.
• Long-term use of diet pills, stimulants, pain
  pills, narcotics and recreational drugs can
  deplete neurotransmitter stores. The use of ma
  huang, ephedra and prescription diet pills (like
  phen-fen, Fastin, phentermine) use up large
  amounts of dopamine and serotonin. This can
  result in rebound appetite control problems,
  low energy, unstable mood and sluggish metabolism

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• Neurotoxins.
• Heavy metal toxicity, chemical pesticides,
  fertilizers, certain cleaning agents, industrial
  solvents, and recreational drugs cause damage to
  the neuron and decrease neurotransmitter
  production. Excess caffeine, nicotine and alcohol
  can be neurotoxic. The street drug, Ecstasy, has
  particularly concerning neurotoxic effects. It
  can completely drain serotonin and permanently
  damage the neuron making treatment impossible

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• Hormone Imbalances.
• Hormones influence neurotransmitter release and
  activity. If hormones are deficient or are off
  balance, neurotransmitters do not function well.
  Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a classic example
  of how low serotonin levels can temporarily shift
  each month. Mood, appetite and sleep can be
  severely disrupted one to two weeks before the
  menstrual cycle.
• Another neurotransmitter imbalance occurs during
  menopause when dramatic changes in mood, energy,
  sleep, weight, and sexual desire occur

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• Genetic Predisposition.
• Some people are born with a limited ability to
  make adequate amounts of neurotransmitters. They
  exhibit deficiency symptoms as children or young
  adults and often have relatives who suffered from
  significant mental illnesses. As they get older,
  affected individuals experience even more
  profound symptoms and debilitation.

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• Traditional Medicine Treatments
• As recently as the l970s the neuro-chemical
  pathways of the brain were not very well
  understood. There was very little in the way of
  successful treatments for mood disturbances.
  Electroconvulsive or shock therapy (ECT) was
  about the only effective treatment for resistant
  severe depression. We were unaware then of
  exactly how this therapy worked but now realize
  ECT works by artificially shocking
  neurotransmitters out of neurons. This flood of
  neurotransmitters results in marked improvement
  of depression.

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• The most commonly prescribed medications for
  abnormal moods (dysphoria) are the serotonin
  re-uptake inhibitors, called SRIs. These
  include Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Serafem,
  Serzone, Celexa and Lexapro. SRIs prevent
  serotonin from reabsorbing back into storage
  vesicles. More serotonin then stays in the
  synapse, reattaching to receptors and stimulating
  more neurons

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• Alternative Medicine Treatments
• Many alternative methods aimed at raising
  neurotransmitter levels have been widely used
  with reportedly good success, especially in Asia
  and Europe. These include acupuncture, hypnosis,
  massage, reflexology, meditation, yoga and herbal
  remedies. Neurotransmitter measurements of
  meditating Tibetan monks, showed increased levels
  of serotonin, the serenity messenger. With
  scientific data like this now supporting the
  benefits of these ancient treatments, more
  Western medical disciplines are becoming
  convinced and integrating them into their
  practices

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• The brain is a very hungry organ and a picky
  eater.
• You are what you eat!

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• Protein
• Most neurotransmitters are made from protein or
  its subunits, amino acids. Eating adequate
  amounts of dietary protein is critical. The
  average person requires 40-70 grams (up to 90
  grams for a very active athlete) of protein
  daily.

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• Serotonin originates from the amino acid
  tryptophan. Tryptophan is the least common amino
  acid in food. It is also the most difficult to
  absorb into the brain. These make serotonin
  synthesis more difficult. Although tryptophan is
  mainly found in fish, meat, dairy products, eggs,
  nuts and wheat germ, eating these does not
  substantially increase serotonin. This is because
  these foods contain other amino acids that
  compete with tryptophan for absorption.
  Tryptophan loses out to the other amino acids

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• Surprisingly, eating carbohydrates raises
  serotonin levels but eating protein decreases
  serotonin levels. Carbohydrates cause an insulin
  response that favors tryptophan absorption over
  other amino acids. This explains why many people
  who need more serotonin (like being
  overly-stressed or depressed) start to
  self-medicate by eating more sweets or starchy
  carbohydrates. As tryptophan absorption rises, so
  will serotonin production

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• Studies from Harvard, MIT and Oxford medical
  universities demonstrate that women on high
  protein/very low carbohydrate diets lower their
  serotonin levels, making them more prone to
  weight gain relapse, depression, excessive
  craving, bingeing, bulimia, severe PMS and
  seasonal affective disorder.

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• Dopamine is made from the amino acid tyrosine.
  Eating high protein foods promote dopamine
  production. Tyrosine is abundant and is found in
  chicken, fish, dairy products, almonds, avocados,
  bananas, legumes, soy products, pumpkin and
  sesame seeds

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• Carbohydrates
• Dietary carbohydrates play a critical role in
  brain health. Women, especially, are vulnerable
  to how carbohydrates affect their moods.
  Serotonin, the main neurotransmitter for mood and
  appetite regulation, depends on carbohydrates for
  synthesis

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• Dr. Judith Wurtman from Massachusetts Institute
  of Technology (MIT) has published many articles
  linking serotonin deficiency conditions to low
  dietary carbohydrate intake. Women normally have
  one third less serotonin than men. Diets that
  severely restrict carbohydrates will result in
  even lower serotonin levels. Dr. Wurtman found
  that women on high protein/very low carbohydrate
  diets were at greater risk for depression,
  seasonal affective disorder (SAD), carbohydrate
  crave/binge disorder and severe premenstrual
  syndrome.

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• Dietary Fat
• About two thirds of our brain is made of fat
  (lipids). Lipids are incorporated into the brain
  cell walls promoting membrane flexibility and
  strength. A filmy fat layer covers the branches
  of neurons allowing proper electrical
  transmission of brain signals

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• Dietary Fat
• Most lipids can be made directly by the body. But
  two lipids can come only from food. These fats
  are called essential fatty acids (EFA). The cell
  membranes of neurons are made from the essential
  fatty acids alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) and
  linoleic acid (LA).

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• Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) belongs to the
  omega-3 fatty acid family. Main food sources of
  omega-3 ALA include flax seeds, walnuts, sea
  plants, green leafy vegetables, canola, soy, and
  walnut oil.
• Linoleic acid (LA) belongs to the omega-6 fatty
  acid family. LA is found in the oils of seeds and
  nuts. Main food sources of omega 6 LA include
  expeller cold-pressed sunflower, safflower, corn
  and sesame oils

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• The most abundant fat in the brain is DHA
  (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid.
  Good dietary sources of DHA come from high-fat,
  cold water fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel
  and trout. DHA made from microalgae is also
  available in supplement capsules. DHA is
  identical to that found in neuron membranes.

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• Acetylcholine helpful in learning and memory.
  Made from B vitamins choline, found in eggs and
  organ meats, lecithin, and legumes/ 5 grams per
  day recommended dosage.
• (Alzheimers is due in part to low acetylcholine
  as a result of death of the cholinergic neurons
  that make it).
• B Vitamins aids in manufacturing
  neurotransmitters and regulating energy release
  in brain cells.
• Thiamin (B1) Riboflavin (B2)
• Niacin, pyridoxine (B6) Folic acid, biotin,
• cobalimin
  (B12)

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• Supplements helpful to Brain Functioning
• Multivitamins can raise non-verbal IQ scores
• Antioxidants help clean up the brain like rust
  cleaners to help keep the rust off our brain
  matter.(prunes, raisins, blueberries,
  blackberries, garlic, cooked kale, cranberries,
  strawberries, raw spinach, raspberries).

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• Omega-3 helps brain functioning and mood.(tuna,
  salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, oysters,
  walnuts, flax seed oil).
• Selenium naturally elevates mood. (grains,
  garlic, meat, seafood and Brazil nuts).
• Vitamin E blood circulation and heart
  conditions.
• Folic Acid low levels result in depression and
  increases the risk for Alzheimers disease.
  (supplements)

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• Ginko Biloba helps prevent memory loss.
  Increases circulation of oxygen and blood to the
  brain.
• Phosphatidylserine stimulates acetylcholine and
  improves memory.
• Chromium suppresses a sharp rise in blood
  sugar.
• B Vitamins helps combat stress. Improves
  memory and brain development.

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• If you listen to your body when it whispers, you
  wont have to listen to it when it screams at
  you.