In the previous post, we discussed how damaged neurons can lead to neurotransmitter imbalance. A neurotransmitter imbalance can lead to symptoms such as mood swings, headaches/migraines, OCD tendencies, decreased focus/concentration, decreased memory, anxiety, sleep imbalances, hormone imbalances, food cravings and increased pain amongst others. In this post, we’ll discuss how the neurons can get damaged and briefly discuss what you can do to help.
How are neuron bundles damaged?
Bundles of monoamine neurons can be impaired from neurotoxin exposures, trauma or biological insult.56 The most comprehensive listing located reveals 1,179 known neurotoxins.39 That’s a lot of different ways to damage/destroy our brains.
In addition, everyone is different: susceptibility of each individual to these neurotoxins is based on genetic predisposition, environmental influences, synergy between chemicals or other predisposing factors. This means that some individuals may experience neurotoxicity from many unlisted substances and at lower than threshold doses of known neurotoxins.
The bundle damage theory assumes that neurotoxins are the leading cause of monoamine bundle damage leading to the following speculation:
- The bundle damage theory explains the lack of efficacy seen in the treatment of elderly with reuptake inhibitors who presumably have greater cumulative life time effects from neurotoxins and other events that cause neuron damage. In the end these people need to have neurotransmitter levels established that are much higher than can be achieved with reuptake inhibitors alone.
- With repeated insult more damage occurs; this is cumulative. When this damage is at the point where the neurotransmitter levels needed to control disease symptoms cannot be achieved with the use of reuptake inhibitors alone from a clinical stand point it appears that the drug is not working. This may explain why about 90% of adults treated with reuptake inhibitors achieve results no better than placebo.
- The bundle damage theory may also explain why developed countries have a higher rate of depression (and other neurotransmitter related disorders like trichotillomania) because the population of these countries are being exposed at a higher rate to neurotoxins.
Since insult exposure may be ongoing in people with neurotransmitter related disorders, optimizing nutritional status is very important. A diet and nutrition program incorporating broad based antioxidant nutrients, particularly those that minimize damage to DNA, will improve neuronal ability to minimize and recover from toxic insult; this can be vital in the long term success of amino acid therapy.
Now that you have a basis of how these disorders develop, the next few posts will cover the methods used to affect neurotransmitter balance.
References
56. Viral etiology for Parkinson’s disease–a possible role of influenza A virus infection. Jpn J Infect Dis. 1999 Jun;52(3):89-98 Takahashi M, Yamada T.
39. Polluting our future: Chemical Pollution in the U.S. that Affects Child Development and Learning in September of 2000 under the joint efforts of The National Environmental Trust, Physicians for Social Responsibility, The Learning Disabilities Association of America.
