Nutritional Medicine/ Orthomolecular Medicine and Optimal Neurotransmitter Support: What we do for our souls and the souls of others does not die with us, but lives in eternity. Let your food be your medicine, let your medicine be your food. Hippocrates The physician of tomorrow will encourage his patient about nutrition. Henry Ford Most diseases have a biochemical or nutrition basis, yet I must have overslept for quite a long time in medical school, because I missed this important point in my medical training RFBMD

183 different neurotransmitters have been identified in the brain, and yet they all have to function as one system. The serotonin and catecholamine systems work together in a co-dependent method, one deficiency or one component will affect all components. Low or high levels will cause numerous syndrome and diseases, of which anxiety, and depression. Adding to the confusion of symptoms is the variable effect of hormones that interplay.

Obesity, insatiable appetite, and stress are often an underlying neurotransmitter dysfunction. There appears to be a connection with norepinephrine, serotonin and obesity with appetite suppression.
The frequency of Anxiety Disorder is very common, and like depression is likely genetic or genomic vulnerability. It appears to have a lifetime incidence in women at 20% and in men about 12%. It is important to note that depression follows with other illnesses such as chronic fatigue, pain, and post partum issues.

There are many other options besides just taking serotonin uptake inhibitors, a novel way to treat the depression and anxiety; however, the primary goals of the medication are not being effective by just treating with signs and symptoms. The physician should treat the cause of the problem, which may be as follows: Nutritional deficiencies and insufficiencies, neural system damage, kidney dysfunction, neurotransmitter depletion.

Dr. Fortier-Bensen can work with your psychiatrist, to support the systems involved, evaluate lifestyle factors in reducing depression, using acupuncture, nutritional assessment, and homeopathy to help you with individualizing treatment.

Often your attempt to take vitamins that are suggested by a store clerk will not allow you to make a clear empirical choice; by using lab tests a therapeutic dosing range can be established. NUTRIENT POOR DIETS LEAD TO POOR NEUROTRANSMITTER LEVELS.

Please call to have this difficulty dealt with early, and think about this for children. Addiction and depression and anxiety unfortunately end up in an interface.

Rather than exposing teens with depression to nutritional, or hormonal support, they are exposed by “businessmen” who offer them alcohol, cigarettes, or other drugs, unregulated by prescriptions. Nicotine, caffeine, marijuana are substances which have receptors in the brain. They are often used to “kick a dying horse” of our adrenal glands, either overwhelmed with high cortisol levels or a chronic fatigue syndrome or thyroid dysfunction.

Remember that food additives, colors and preservatives will affect people and cause lack of focus and depression.

Call today to speak with someone on staff to begin a different approach to Depression and Anxiety.