Nutrition for Anxiety/Depression, OCD, ASD and Fybromyalgia

Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression

• Vitamin D is associated with neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, serotonin) that affect brain function and development. A deficiency of Vitamin D is linked with depression.​
• Vitamin D and Immune System Health  Vitamin D is also required to create Interluken-2 which is required to make Defensin. Interluken-2 is a signaling molecule in the immune system. Defensin are active against bacteria, fungi and many enveloped and nonenveloped viruses.  So Vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy microbiome environment - which in turn is associated with good mental health (see below).

    Non-Dairy Sources of Vitamin D:

• Sunlight
• Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon
• Foods fortified with vitamin D like orange juice
• Beef liver
• Egg yolks

Lactobacilus for Depression/Anxiety

• Lactobacillus (probiotic bacteria) is required to make GABAb which has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety in mice.

    Non Dairy Sources of Lactobacillus:

• Non-pasteurized fermented vegetables, such as fermented cabbage and other vegetables found in Korean kimchi, sauerkraut and pickled vegetables.
• Non-pastteurized Miso, tempeh, umeboshi, which is a type of pickled plum, and pickles but only if they're not pasteurized or subjected to high heat.

B Fragilis for ASD and Obsessive Compulsive Behavior

• Bacteroides Fragilis (probiotic bacteria) has been shown to relieve obsessive compulsive behavior in mice. Austism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) symptoms have shown improvement with B fragis. Bacteroides may be passed from mother to child during vaginal birth and thus become part of the human flora in the earliest stages of life. Children born via C-section are at risk of being deficient in this probiotic.(1)  B fragilis is required for normal digestion, but can cause pathological infection outside of the gut. For this reason, and because it is an obigate anearobe, B fragilis is not available commercially.  Other than a clinical trial, the best way to increase B fragilis is to eat pre-biotic foods that help grow B fragilis within the gut.

​    Best Prebiotic Food Sources:

• Garlic
• Leeks
• Onions
• Legumes
• Vegetables
• Fruits

Anti-inflammatory Cytokines (Interleukin-10) for Depression and Fybromyalgia

• Proinflammatory cytokines are associated with depression and fibromyalgia. Anti-inflammatory cytokines disrupt the hyperexcitability of sensory neurons, and may be a non-opioid therapeutic approach for the treatment of chronic pain due to inflammation or peripheral nerve irritation.(2) (3)

    Interleukin-10 food sources:

• Sesame oil
• Cinnamon
• Garlic
• Cayenne/Capsicum
• Licorice