The Brain Nutrients and Depression: Presentation by A. Patrick Jonas, MD

The Brain, Nutrients and Depression.         A. Patrick Jonas, MD

Institute of Holistic Leadership September 27, 2018

Outline

The Brain. The last frontier?  Nutrient Power by William Walsh, PhD

Nutrients:  Food, supplements, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients= nutraceuticals

Depression:  Definition(s)

           6 types: Undermethylation, Folate Deficiency, Copper Overload, Pyrrole Disorder, Toxic, Other

Neurons- cells that process signals at 200 mph.  100 B in the brain

           4-100 microns diameter.  Up to 4 inches in length. Act as tiny battery cells

           Long axon transmit electrochemical signal across synapse to other cell.

           1000 hair-like dendrites branching from the cell body, receiving chemical messages

           100 T receptors in average brain

Neurotransmitters: are made, packaged into vesicles, release into synapse, interact w/adjacent cell,      reuptake, death

Most psychiatric meds alter neurotransmitter activity at synapses.  e.g., SSRI’s disable transporters

Nutrients

           Top six biochemical imbalances in brain disorders

           Copper overload, Vitamin B-6 Deficiency, Zinc deficiency, Methyl/folate imbalances, Oxidative stress overload, Amino acid imbalances

Methylation Pathway Model by Amy Yasko, PhD - See Handout

Spectracell Depression Wheel --See Handout

Epigenetics:  DNA wraps around histones which have “tails”, where chemicals may adhere.   Methyl groups- tighten DNA wrap around histone and decrease expression of genes

           Delivered by SAMe to histones

Acetyl groups- loosen DNA wrap around histone and increase gene expression

           Delivered by acetyl coenzyme A to histones, delivers hi energy acetyl groups to mitochondria for processing in the citric acid cycle.

Neurotransmitter Transporter Proteins.  Methyl vs Acetyl for histone tails.  Gene expression of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine transporters dependent on M vs. A competition.  E.g.,histone methylation promoters are natural SSRI’s

Nutrient therapy and epigenetics:  Methionine and SAMe, Folic Acid, Niacin (B-3), other nutrients.

Epigenetic disorders:  Autism, Depression, Schizoaffective Disorder, Paranoid Schizophrenia, OCD, ASPD, Anorexia, OCP

Transgenerational Epigenetic Inheritance

The Clinical Process hx and pe, labs, diagnosis, treatment, aftercare

Nutrients and Neurotransmitters

                                 Increased Activity                                 Decreased Activity

Serotonin

Dopamine

Norepinephrine

NMDA

GABA

Response times vary

           Pyrrole Disorder

           Zinc Deficiency

           Copper Overload

Overmethylation

Undermethylation

Toxic Metal Overload

Depression:  Undermethylation, folate deficiency, copper overload, pyrrole disorder, toxic, other

Schizophrenia:   overmethylated, undermethylated, pyrrole disorder

Autism:  Zinc deficiency, copper overload, B-6 Deficiency, Elevated toxic metals, oxidative stress, undermethylation

Behavioral Disorders and ADHD (94% with chemical imbalances):  Abnormal copper and zinc levels in violent persons, copper and zinc and Vitamin B-6