The New Bible Cure for Depression & Anxiety (8 page)

L-theanine is a unique amino acid that produces a relaxation effect on the brain similar to a mild tranquilizer. L-theanine is found in black tea, but higher concentrations are generally found in green tea—and the higher the quality of green tea, the higher the concentration of L-theanine.

All praise to the God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

—2 Corinthians 1:3–4

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of L-theanine in 2004 compared theanine with Xanax. Sixteen volunteers took either 1mg of Xanax or 200 mg of theanine or placebo. Theanine, not the Xanax or placebo, induced relaxing effects that were evident at the initial measurement of whether a person felt tranquil versus troubled. Realize that 1 mg of Xanax is a significant dose, and most people use just 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg of Xanax.
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So, how does it work? Individuals experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia usually have low levels of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), an amino acid I will discuss next. Theanine actually helps to produce a calming effect by boosting these GABA levels while it helps to improve the mood by increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine.

In patients with anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, and other anxiety disorders, I generally recommend about 200 mg of L-theanine one to three times a day. Also, I will often combine L-theanine supplements with the amino acid GABA and with 10 mg of vitamin B-6.

L-theanine crosses the blood-brain barrier quite easily and does not cause drowsiness. However, because it does help people relax, I recommend taking L-theanine at bedtime and find that it is effective in treating people with insomnia.

GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid)

GABA is an amino acid that also actually functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Both GABA and L-theanine are two of my favorite supplements for helping to relieve anxiety, and they usually work very well together.

Psychiatrists use benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Ativan, and Valium to control anxiety symptoms, since these medications cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to GABA receptors in the brain, helping to alleviate anxiety. However, supplements of GABA and L-theanine have a brain-calming effect very similar to benzodiazepines without the addictive properties.

GABA generally works best when taken on an empty stomach about twenty or thirty minutes before a meal and taken only with water. I usually recommend 500–1,000 mg of GABA one to three times a day; many times I will combine it with L-theanine and 10 mg of vitamin B-6. However, individuals with severe anxiety may need even higher doses of GABA.

GABA also seems to work best with vitamin B-6, and that is why it is so important to take a daily comprehensive multivitamin containing at least 2–10 mg of vitamin B-6.

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and L-tryptophan

For anxiety, I usually recommend 5-HTP at a dose of about 50 mg three times a day or 150 mg taken at bedtime. However, if you decide to take L-tryptophan, I recommend taking two to three 500-mg capsules before bedtime on an empty stomach, taken with a small glass of juice. The sugar in the juice actually helps to enable the L-tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain where it can produce serotonin. You may eventually need up to 3,000 mg at bedtime; however, most people do well with 1,000–1,500 mg at bedtime. It usually takes about three to four weeks to see significant results.

There are numerous reasons I feel 5-HTP is superior to L-tryptophan, which are listed under my protocol for depression.

A
Bible Cure
Health Fact

What Is Tryptophan?

Briefly, tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in protein. It is a precursor, or building block, of 5-HTP, which in turn is ultimately converted to serotonin. Protein foods such as milk and poultry are rich sources of tryptophan. A lack of tryptophan flowing into the brain can result in depression, increased sensitivity to pain, and wakefulness.
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Kava kava

Kava kava is an herb that has been prescribed in Europe for years to treat depression, anxiety, and insomnia with fairly good results. Kava is nonaddictive and does not decrease mental functioning like antianxiety drugs, including Xanax and Valium. Kava is normally taken in a dose of approximately 45 to 90 mg of kavalactones three times a day.

Kava has also been used in the South Pacific islands for at least two thousand years without any known cases of liver damage. However, in 2002, there were at least sixty-eight suspected cases of kava-linked liver toxicity, including nine liver failures that resulted six liver transplants and three deaths. This resulted in countries in Europe, Asia, and even North America banning the sales of all kava products. However, many of these cases of liver toxicity involved the use of hepatotoxic drugs and/or alcohol with kava.
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In the United States, the FDA has issued warnings but has not instituted a ban on kava supplements. For this reason, even though kava does typically help people with depression and anxiety, I urge you to exercise extreme caution when taking these supplements.

Kava should not be used in anyone who has any liver problems or anyone taking any other substances that may affect the liver, including Tylenol and alcohol. If you develop dark urine or yellow discoloration of the eyes, which are both symptoms of jaundice, you should stop using kava supplements immediately and see your doctor for a liver function test. I also recommend that if you do choose to try kava, have your liver functions checked prior to starting this supplement, a month after taking it, and every three to four months thereafter.

Lemon balm and valerian root

Lemon balm is an herb that has been used for years for relieving anxiety and insomnia. I recommend a dose of 300 mg of lemon balm twice a day to help with anxiety.

A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of thirty subjects suffering from both insomnia and anxiety received 300 mg of lemon balm twice a day, for a total of 600 mg. After only fifteen days of treatment, the participants in this study who received the lemon balm reported a 49 percent decrease in their state of anxiety and a 72 percent decrease in anxiety-associated symptoms as well as a 39 percent decrease in insomnia.
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Lemon balm is usually used in combination with valerian root, an herb that has been used for thousands of years as a mild sedative. This is sold over the counter and usually helps individuals sleep, but it also may decrease anxiety especially when combined with lemon balm.

Valerian works similarly to a benzodiazepine medication, stimulating activity of GABA receptors in the brain. However, because of valerian’s sedative properties, I do not recommend taking it during the day. It should only be taken at night.

Targeted Amino Acid Therapy

Targeted amino acid therapy is a term used to describe the use of supplemental amino acids and other nutrients to help balance brain chemicals (neurotransmitters). It begins with a special urine test, which provides a reliable means of measuring neurotransmitter levels in the body, which is typically indicative of neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Then combinations of amino acids and other nutrients are administered to patients in order to balance these neurotransmitter levels. The urine is usually checked about three to four months later to see how the patient is responding to therapy.

Since their discovery in the early 1900s, amino acids have been used to treat depression and other issues related to neurotransmitter imbalances. Even though prescription medications are more and more commonly used to treat these conditions, amino acid therapy remains a wonderful alternative for people seeking natural methods of balancing their brain chemistry.

I have found that targeted amino acid therapy usually provides significant relief to those patients with depression and anxiety and rarely causes side effects. (See Appendix B for more information.)

Depression and Hormones

Hormone replacement therapy is usually highly effective in treating middle-age individuals with both depression and anxiety. Both anxiety and insomnia are usually linked to an imbalance of progesterone and estrogen in the body in middle-aged individuals. Estrogen has an excitatory effect on the brain, whereas progesterone has a calming effect upon the brain. In other words, progesterone counterbalances the effects of estrogen.

Many women in the premenopausal period are estrogen-dominant, which means their bodies are producing too much estrogen and not enough progesterone. As a result, they usually suffer from insomnia and seem to be more prone to anxiety. Numerous studies have found progesterone to have antianxiety effects, acting on the GABA receptors on the brain. (As you recall, GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps with relaxation as well as sleep.)

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

—Ezekiel 36:26

For years, I have been recommending bioidentical hormone therapy for my female patients who suffer from low hormone levels. Unfortunately, most physicians use the synthetic forms of hormones. An example is Provera, a progestin or synthetic form of progesterone, which actually is linked to weight gain, fluid retention, and depression. Realize that synthetic progesterone will not help depression; however, bioidentical progesterone, which is the same type of progesterone that a woman’s ovaries produce, will usually help both insomnia and anxiety.

I encourage you to talk to your doctor or a physician trained in bioidentical hormone replacement about hormone therapy options. If your doctor is not open to the idea of natural bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, get a second opinion. (See Appendix B for help in finding a board-certified doctor who is knowledgeable in bioidentical hormone therapy.)

Progesterone

When female patients seek my advice for depression, anxiety, or insomnia, I typically start by checking hormone levels, especially on middle-aged females. If a woman has low progesterone levels and has problems sleeping, I will typically place her on 100 mg of progesterone in capsule form at bedtime. If she is not having insomnia but is having anxiety and her progesterone is low, I will typically place her on a bioidentical progesterone cream.

Estrogen

While progesterone has a calming effect, estrogen has an excitatory effect on the brain. Too
much
estrogen production, which is common in premenopause, will usually cause sleep disturbances and anxiety symptoms. Too
little
estrogen, which is common during menopause, is linked to depression. This is extremely important in treating perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Many women come to my practice being treated for depression and taking antidepressants such as Prozac. But in reality, all many have is a hormone imbalance. Over the years I have found that women with low estrogen experience significantly less depression when using bioidentical estrogen replacement therapy combined with bioidentical progesterone.

As with progesterone, I recommend bioidentical estrogen and not synthetic forms such as Premarin. Bioidentical estrogen should be administered in a transdermal cream or a patch since oral estrogen is associated with numerous side effects, including weight gain, high blood pressure, high carbohydrate cravings, and gallstones. Oral estrogen also interferes with tryptophan metabolism and serotonin metabolism.

Testosterone

Low testosterone levels are commonly associated with depression in men, including younger men with low testosterone levels. Studies have shown that older men with lower free testosterone levels in their blood are more prone to have problems with depression.
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I have found that long-term high cortisol levels caused from long-term stress, chronic insomnia, depression, and anxiety may be associated with low testosterone levels even in younger men. I have had some men as young as their late twenties with very low testosterone levels, usually from chronic stress, insomnia, and depression. There is an inverse relationship with cortisol and testosterone. Typically when cortisol levels increase for a prolonged period of time, testosterone levels decrease.

Unfortunately, most doctors check only the
total
testosterone and not the
free
testosterone. The total testosterone blood test measures all of the testosterone in the blood. However, much of that testosterone is usually bound to sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), making it inactive. Even if a person has normal levels of total testosterone, it is possible that the majority of this testosterone is bound or inactive; therefore the test results can be misleading. That is why it is more helpful to know how much of the unbound, active (“free”) form of testosterone a person has.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dis-couraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.