13 replies to this topic

[world33]

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I have been suffering from debilitating morning anxiety to the point that I would feel constant fear for no specific reason around half an hour after waking up. That fear would release hormones in my body that would cause extreme brain fog, lack of concentration, extreme anxiety and the need to lay down/sleep almost all day in order not to feel that horrible way. The only time my anxiety would go was at the end of the day and during the night. That was the only time I could properly think and function. I tried exercising after waking up to release endorphins, taking 20mg escitalopram and a considerable amount of other supplements with the exception of benzos. Everything helped to a certain extent. However the thing that helped keep my anxiety under control the most was to cut on wheat/gluten products. Being Italian, I have been eating bread, pasta and pizza for all my life. Since I was a child I had cravings for wheat products and I could not have a meal without some white bread. The more I got older the more I felt fatigue, lethargy and slight joints pain after eating, especially refined, wheat products. I remember I even used to get hives (swollen hands or lips) after eating extremely refined bread (the one used for hot dogs for example). I never made the connection between my anxiety and the wheat/gluten products until I researched on the internet on possible causes for anxiety.
 
I strongly recommend anyone suffering from depression or anxiety to try cutting on wheat/gluten products (or any other food you might consider to be intolerant to, such as milk/lactose) for a month and see if it makes any difference on your level of depression/anxiety. It might not be the primary cause of your anxiety/depression but it may still helps and it is worth trying eliminating them for your diet. Search on the internet for food that contains gluten (beer for example) and eliminate them for a month and see how you go. During this time you can also try a curcumin supplement to see if it help with the inflammation of the gut and/or brain caused by the food intolerance.
 

SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE (new 2014 study)
Gluten May Cause Depression in Subjects With Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity
http://www.medscape....warticle/824492
 
OTHER RESOURCES
How Gluten Causes Depression/Anxiety
http://www.depressio...ession-anxiety/
 
SUPPLEMENTS THAT WORKED THE BEST FOR ME FOR MY ANXIETY
- 20mg escitalopram (SSRI)
- Rhodiola rosea extract (3% rosavins)
- a teaspoon of l-Tyrosine
- 10/20mg propranolol (beta blocker)
- Selank Nasal Spray
- Curcurmin (anti-inflammatory)

- LDN

For a list of other long term safe supplements for anxiety check ScienceGuy fabulous post:
TREATING ANXIETY SAFELY & EFFECTIVELY
http://www.longecity...ly-effectively/


Once again gluten/wheat intolerance might not be the primary cause of your anxiety/depression but cutting on those products it may still helps and it is worth trying

 

There are similar experiences to mine in this forum and I would appreciate if anybody else could tell their story and experience on cutting gluten/wheat products.

Edited by world33, 26 May 2014 - 02:37 AM.

[KimberCT]

Exactly the same here. Terrible morning anxiety that faded in the evening. It slowly got so bad that stress would trigger a panic attack.

23andme said I carry all the markers for celiac. Blood tests and biopsy were negative. I went ahead anyway with a gluten free diet. Four weeks later, no morning anxiety.

[world33]

Same here KimberCT. I did the test for celiac and it was negative. I did not experience panic attacks but severe morning anxiety thought. Have you been eating a lot of wheat products in your life? What age did your morning anxiety started? For me it started at 33 after a very stressful year in which I was retrenched, I had pneumonia and a long-course of strong antibiotics. The combination of all these stressful events slowly triggered my morning anxiety which started a few months later. I noticed relief from anxiety just a few days later I stopped eating gluten/wheat products probably because I started taking a curcumin supplement which is anti-inflammatory. These days if I really have to eat some wheat/gluten products I make sure to take the same curcumin supplements and anti-histamines at the same time. The secret is to eat them just on very rare and an occasional basis.

[KimberCT]

My anxiety was probably always present, but I just didn't know what I was feeling. It was always tied to morning nausea, so it'd day around age 17.

After a particularly stressful event, it kicked into high gear. I didn't know why I felt so bad at the time (26) and that gave me more anxiety.

[Samuraidream]

Interesting topic, guys.

I've been battling with mild to moderate depression, anxiety and OCD (pure O, though) for the last couple of years, but it got worse this summer...  SJW Kira Forte helped a lot, since I've been taking it for a month now. Eliminating caffeine for a couple of months also reduced my anxiety. Now I'm slowly re-introducing a small cup of butter coffee (aka bulletproof coffee) to my diet...

Anyways, I've recently noticed that my mood and obsessive thoughts bother me only on certain days and/or occasions. I'll start writing down what I eat from now on and see if there's a pattern. I will also get tested next week to see if there's some underlying allergies I was not aware of. At this point, I have a feeling that I either have issues with blood sugar or that breads and similar products (especially white bread) make me tired, moody, often gassy/bloated and fatigued 20 to 60 min after I've eaten.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. Let's keep each other posted.

[world33]

Samurai have you done a 23andme.com genetic test and plugged the raw data into nutrahacker.com? I discovered I am C667t homozygous and I am not able to convert folate into the active form l-methylfolate so I have to supplement with it. I also discovered that I am rs1801181 homozygous and have sulfites sensitivity. Manganese, molbydenum, b12 hydroxycobalamin injections and l-methylfolate suggested by nutrahacker.com have made a great difference in my wellbeing. I still limit gluten to the minimum even if I do not have celiac markers. I strongly recommend you to look into the genetic testing to find the right supplements depending on your mutations.

[Area-1255]

Wheat intake is correlated to dopamine-beta-hydroxylase enzyme concentration; some hydrolyzed wheat proteins and even processed wheat can reduce DBH activity in the adrenal glands and also block the conversion of glutamate -- > GABA ; thus high wheat diets lead to more glutamate and dopamine. 

https://www.jstage.j..._3_209/_article

http://www.omim.org/entry/609312

[gamesguru]

Wheat intake is correlated to dopamine-beta-hydroxylase enzyme concentration;

thus high wheat diets lead to more dopamine.

correct me if i'm wrong but,

DBH↑    ⇒       dopamine ↓         and        norepinephrine ↑

---------------------------------------------------------

[Area-1255]

that's correct, and if you read the study - wheat decreases DBH.

 

Wheat intake is correlated to dopamine-beta-hydroxylase enzyme concentration;

thus high wheat diets lead to more dopamine.

correct me if i'm wrong but,

DBH↑    ⇒       dopamine ↓         and        norepinephrine ↑

---------------------------------------------------------

 

 

[gamesguru]

note the magnesium content on the sprouted bread...

Edited by gamesguru, 01 October 2015 - 02:46 AM.

[Area-1255]

Yeah, I like "Men's Bread" and stuff like that as well - in fact, you just reminded me to get more of it. 

Grains should be collaborated properly with other proteins though ; try to eat them only once or twice a day; most protein should come from seafood and beef and the carbs should be ideally whole oats,, preferably organic whole oats without sweeteners..you can always add custom organic sweeteners and spices...etc

note the magnesium content on the sprouted bread...

 

[gamesguru]

Maybe part of the reason I'm not gaining weight is cause I like to snack on toast?  This then ruins my appetite, while increasing metabolism but not plasma protein.

 

Rice and oats are both good, even interchangeable, no [i never got hooked on oatmeal]?

And what's wrong with chicken, even dark meat?

And which seafood is both affordable and pure?

[Area-1255]

Maybe part of the reason I'm not gaining weight is cause I like to snack on toast?  This then ruins my appetite, while increasing metabolism but not plasma protein.

 

Rice and oats are both good, even interchangeable, no [i never got hooked on oatmeal]?

And what's wrong with chicken, even dark meat?

And which seafood is both affordable and pure?

1.) Yes, the grains and nuts tend to suppress appetite..so absolutely, that's why bodybuilders often avoid nut proteins and such...because it kills appetite.

2.) Chicken is fine, it contains high amounts of Histidine and Lysine..but for those with allergies you might want to eat less..

3.) Tuna a couple times a week is not bad....but you could also do crab meat although this is expensive...sardines are very healthy and contain CoQ 10 .

[gamesguru]

maybe though nuts and grains have other benefits on health, inflammation, etc... and i could sacrifice some of my disgusting anabolism for the sake of general health?  that's my way of justifying snacking hehe.

i have bad eczema on my hands, in association with high histamine foods (tomatoes, cheese, chocolate are all painful)... so this is useful, i may cut out chicken if i can afford it...

dark meat has taurine which balances out the anti-heart effects of the sat fat

 

I do salmon, but like once a month, cause of its vitamin D, and greater omega-3 content than most tuna brands.  Not as nutritious as sardines, but almost... and tastier.  The wildplanet tuna, which has a ridiculous omega-3 content claim, is way expensive when not on sale.  Not sure whether their sardines are also superior, but they taste superior I just gave them the BOTD on quality control.  I did have one brand of "mature" sardines, I never realized the thing I thought was the liver was actually the egg sack, roe that become large and chewy in the mature fish... never again.