Neurotransmitter Replacement Therapy for Anti-Aging
This is a new, revolutionary concept of Neurotransmitter imbalance leading to diseases in the body, ranging from anxiety, depression, ADD to obesity and aging.
What are neurotransmitters and what do they do?
Nerve cells, or neurons, within the brain "talk" with each other through the use of selective chemicals called neurotransmitters. The electric current flows through a neuron, which releases the neurotransmitter at the end of this neuron cell and the neurotransmitter conveys the appropriate signal to the adjacent neuron. And the signal or information is carried to the target organ or cell.
This way, our brain uses these neurotransmitters to control our heart to beat, our lungs to breathe, and to control all other bodily functions. How well our neurons communicate with each other has a tremendous impact on our health, behavior, and emotional state.
When levels of neurotransmitters are out of balance, neurons do not communicate well, our brain cannot function at its optimum, and we may begin to experience signs of depression, anxiety, and cellular dysfunction al all and any level. This leads to diseases like obesity and aging.
Is neurotransmitter imbalance common? I’ve never heard of it.
As many as eight out of ten people have some level of neurotransmitter imbalance. I strongly believe that this may be one of the main reasons for the current epidemic of obesity and the rise in the numbers of people using anti-depressant medications.
What causes neurotransmitters to be out of balance?
Low neurotransmitter levels may be caused by stress, toxins around us, genetics, lifestyle choices, and unhealthy or restrictive diets. Exposure to neurotoxic substances such as heavy metals or pesticides can also cause problems with neurotransmitter communication.
There are many different kinds of neurotransmitters in our body and each provides a specific function, so an imbalance in one will cause a different set of symptoms than an imbalance in another.
Also, we are all unique individuals, so how we each react to a neurotransmitter imbalance can be very different.
For instance, a deficiency in the neurotransmitter serotonin may lead to depression or anxiety in one person, panic attacks in another, and cravings, obesity, or perhaps even hypertension in yet another. Dopamine receptor deficiency associated with obesity has been well reported in medical literature.
What is the best way to treat this imbalance?
Pharmaceutical medications can sometimes serve an important initial role when dealing with acute symptoms such as anxiety or depression, allowing a patient a quick return to normal or near-normal functioning. But for the long haul, neurotransmitter replacement therapy, on its own or in conjunction with other medication, has proven to be an especially effective and long-lasting treatment.
How does neurotransmitter replacement therapy work?
The body is capable of making its own neurotransmitters, provided it has the raw materials with which to do so. But the chronic stress, fast food diets, and increased workloads of our modern lifestyle can lead to a lack of the essential raw materials needed.
Our replacement protocols provide the body with those raw materials. For instance, the substance 5-HTP, which can be easily administered as a dietary supplement, is converted by the body into the neurotransmitter serotonin.
After a course of neurotransmitter replacement, patients taking a pharmaceutical medication for their condition can often reduce their dosage or eliminate the medication altogether.
(NOTE: Medication reduction or elimination should be done only under careful medical supervision.)
How do you determine which neurotransmitters are out of balance?
Testing prior to treatment is crucial to determine which neurotransmitters are too high or too low. This allows for targeting specific neurotransmitters in response to the patient's individual symptoms and needs.
Follow-up testing, regardless of the type of treatment chosen, assures that all neurotransmitters remain in a proper balance during the course of treatment.
Given their importance for maintaining good health, shouldn’t testing for a neurotransmitter imbalance be part of our routine healthcare regimen?
Yes! Neurotransmitters, and their precursors, are so important to our health and wellbeing that many medical professionals believe neurotransmitter testing should be a base component of all primary care.
Questions about Neurotransmitters and their role in maintaining your good health, call us today at 904-224-5000