How Are Neurotransmitters Made?

Each neurotransmitter is made from a specific amino acid through a series of steps that require specific nutrients (called cofactors). Taking these amino acids and cofactors is the only way to improve neurotransmitter levels and function in the brain because the neurotransmitters themselves cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.

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Imbalances in Neurotransmitters Often Cause Disease Symptoms

Neurotransmitters are a class of chemical messengers in the body that help regulate, either directly or indirectly, most of the other systems and functions in the body. If there are imbalances in these neurotransmitters, many bodily functions will start to function inappropriately, which can lead to a number of unpleasant or debilitating symptoms.

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Excitatory Neurotransmitters

As we discussed in our previous posts, most neurotransmitters are classified as either inhibitory or excitatory. Inhibitory neurotransmitters slow down the flow of information by calming and reducing the activity of neurons; they help to bring balance to the body. Excitatory neurotransmitters generally increase the flow of information. It is the balance between the inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters that has the greatest effect on your body functions. We discussed inhibitory neurotransmitters in a previous post; this post will deal with excitatory neurotransmitters.

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Inhibitory Neurotransmitters

Most neurotransmitters are classified in one of two types – inhibitory and excitatory. Inhibitory neurotransmitters slow down the flow of information by calming and reducing the activity of neurons; they help to bring balance to the body. Excitatory neurotransmitters generally increase the flow of information. It is the balance between the inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters that has the greatest effect on your body functions. This post will deal with inhibitory neurotransmitters; we will discuss excitatory neurotransmitters in a future post.

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What is a Neurotransmitter?

Neurotransmitters are basically chemical messengers that help relay information throughout the body. They transmit information through nerve cells called neurons. more »

Amino Acid Therapy – CysReplete

This post is a little more technical; if you aren’t interested in the science, read the first and the last paragraph. For the rest of you, have at it.

CysReplete is a formula that is used in conjunction with any balanced amino acid therapy. CysReplete contains only L-cysteine, selenium and folate. CysReplete is necessary for two main reasons: (1) using tyrosine or L-dopa (i.e., Mucuna pruriens) without CysReplete can deplete the sulfur amino acid system and (2) to prevent neurotoxicity due to methylmercury.

The methionine-homocysteine cycle is the primary sulfur amino acid system in the body. Using tyrosine or L-dopa leads to a depletion of sulfur in this system, which can cause heart irregularities, pain, decreased immune function and insomnia. Luckily, there is a simple strategy to remedy this depletion: take sulfur.

S-adenosyl-methionine, also known as SAMe can be used for this purpose; however SAMe is quite expensive at the doses needed (about 4500 mg/day). We have found cysteine to work equally as well at a substantial cost savings.

The selenium is added to the formula to prevent cysteine (or any sulfur amino acids) from creating an environment that contributes to neurotoxicity from methylmercury. Methylmercury is formed in the body if body stores of mercury come into contact with a methyl donor, such as SAMe or cysteine. Methylmercury is a much more toxic and dangerous substances than elemental mercury, as it can cross the blood-brain-barrier and studies have shown that administration of sulfur-containing amino acids can increase the concentration of methylmercury in the brain. However, selenium irreversibly binds to methylmercury rendering the methylmercury biologically inactive and non-toxic. Therefore, by providing the body with sufficient selenium along with adequate sulfur amino acids, such as cysteine, the potential danger of methylmercury exposure is avoided.

Folic acid is required in order to provide optimal function of the folic acid cycle which keeps the methionine-homocysteine cycle functioning properly. Folic acid also plays a vital role in keeping homocysteine levels in check..

CysReplete is an important component of any balanced amino acid therapy program and needs to be included any time a person takes tyrosine or L-dopa (Mucuna pruriens) to insure optimal long-term care.

Lifestyle Habits to Help Improve Sleep

Recently, we did a post on the negative impacts lack of sleep can have on increasing the symptoms of trichotillomania (see Can Skimping on Sleep make Trichotillomania Worse?). This happens due to the relationship between sleep and neurotransmitter levels – if you sleep less (or erratically), your neurotransmitter levels will likely become imbalanced, which will increase your urge to pull.

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Trichotillomania and Food Cravings

Many people that suffer from trichotillomania also experience other symptoms of neurotransmitter imbalance, which can include any of the following:

In particular, we have been seeing a lot of people suffering from trichotillomania that also have insatiable cravings for sweets and/or simple carbohydrates, including breads, cookies, candy, chips, pastries and similar foods. Most people that have this combination of sugar cravings and trichotillomania don’t realize they are connected, and they often feel helpless on both accounts. However, I am here to tell you that not only are they related, they can both be resolved using the same techniques.

Balanced Amino Acid Therapy

Both the urge to pull and cravings for sugar and sweets are regulated by your brain chemistry. The chemical messengers responsible for this regulation are called neurotransmitters, which include serotonin and dopamine. Imbalances in your neurotransmitter function will cause miscommunication, which often leads to symptoms including the urge to pull, cravings and any number of the conditions listed above. However, restoring proper neurotransmitter balance will improve communication and alleviate these conditions.

One of the keys to establishing proper neurotransmitter function is the employment of balanced amino acid therapy. This means that a health care professional trained in the proper use of amino acids will help you determine exactly the right mix of amino acids and cofactors you need in order to establish optimal neurotransmitter function. Once this occurs, not only will your urge to pull disappear, your cravings will also be substantially reduced or eliminated altogether. This occurs because you are addressing the root cause of your problems, and by digging down to the root, you can manage a whole host of symptoms due to neurotransmitter imbalance.

The Importance of Using Balanced Amino Acids

I have been many emails asking how to achieve proper neurotransmitter balance using amino acid therapy. It seems that many people are attempting to take their own mixture of amino acids in an attempt to alleviate their urges to pull. This trial-and-error method is bound to fail in most cases and can lead to greater imbalances. This is because taking amino acids that are not properly balanced for each individual will cause depletion of competing systems over time.

Amino Acid Synthesis

I believe the reason for so much confusion comes from the fact that the synthesis of monoamine neurotransmitters, including serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, seems so straightforward:

From an intuitive standpoint, taking 5-HTP would seem to be the perfect way to increase serotonin and taking L-tyrosine or L-dopa would seem the ideal way to increase levels of dopamine. Unfortunately, this is one instance where the simple answer doesn’t play out in practice.

Synthesis Interactions

A thorough review of peer-reviewed literature shows several interactions occur in the actual synthesis of neurotransmitters from amino acids:

As you can see, giving only 5-HTP, L-dopa, L-tyrosine or L-tryptophan can deplete the monoamine neurotransmitters along with their amino acids, making the overall situation worse. Based on this data, the odds of a person obtaining the correct balance of amino acids to achieve proper neurotransmitter function are virtually zero. Once more, the probability of a person using trial-and-error to try and establish proper neurotransmitter function causing further imbalance is incredibly high. This highlights the need for professional guidance in regards to establishing the optimal amino acid dosing for each person.

Professional Guidance

Although resolving this situation isn’t as easy as it seems, a solution does exist. The science of amino acid therapy has grown by leaps and bounds over the past six years, due in large part to the work of Marty Hinz, MD and his staff at NeuroResearch, Inc. Dr. Hinz’s work has shown that with proper training, achieving optimal neurotransmitter function is possible using properly balanced amino acid therapy along with functional testing as needed. We have been using this approach for almost a decade with tremendous success and can help you achieve the resolution you are looking for.

A Novel Way to Improve Trichotillomania

We talk a lot about using amino acid therapy to help correct underlying neurotransmitter imbalances to help people overcome trichotillomania and other disorders related to neurotransmitter imbalance, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, ADD/ADHD, migraines, obesity, fibromyalgia and insomnia. However, recent research has shown that you may be able to fine-tune your neurotransmitter levels by using the right combination of probiotics.

Probiotics – good for your (brain) health

Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that normally reside in your gut. It is known that if  these bacteria become imbalanced in some way (due to illness, improper diet or toxin exposure), a condition called “dysbiosis” results, which can have many dire consequences including decreased immunity, improper immune function, food allergies, inflammation, indigestion and numerous other physical disorders. However, until recently it was not known that these bacteria can also generate neurotransmitters that can also affect your brain, impacting your mental and emotional states.

Researchers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center found that the following bacteria can produce neurotransmitters in the gut:

This could mean that the microbial balance in your gut could be a key player in improving and maintaining your neurotransmitter levels, and therefore alleviating the urge to pull. It also provides more scientific evidence for something that we routinely see in the clinic – that many people with gastrointestinal disorders develop or have one or more disorders related to neurotransmitter imbalance and that correctly the underlying gastrointestinal disorder is imperative to long-term recovery. Think of it like this – the gastrointestinal disorder (like IBS, Crohn’s disease, food allergies or Celiac’s disease) is like a hole in a bucket, causing neurotransmitter levels to decline (or become imbalanced). In order to fill the bucket back up (using amino acid therapy) over time, you have to first fix the whole.

Certain gastrointestinal disorders create neurotransmitter imbalances through inflammatory, immune or genetic influences. This research provides another potential way to explain, and address, the resulting neurotransmitter dysfunction. Obviously, more research needs to be done to define just how this can be useful in real life, but for now, it seems logical that anyone that suffers from trich or other disorders associated with neurotransmitter imbalance must heal any underlying gut issues while restoring proper neurotransmitter balance using amino acid therapy to achieve long term success.