It's time to take a moment to address your health so you can feel your best which in turn will give you the energy and resilience to help others. If you’ve been feeling like you can’t get through the day without your coffee (or other caffeine laden drink), a glass of wine or are experiencing cravings for sugar or carbohydrates and maybe you are feeling tired but wired, it is time to explore whether your constant on the go lifestyle is creating chronic stress and is impacting your adrenal glands.
I know first hand how improving adrenal health can at times seem impossible, especially when conventional advice isn’t practical for parents and practitioners busy looking after others. In this special episode, Dr. Izabella Wentz and I are debunking adrenal fatigue or what Dr. Wentz more appropriately calls adrenal dysfunction myths in the most comprehensive way so you can better understand the root causes of the symptoms you may be experiencing. Dr. Wentz shares practical and actionable advice from her Adrenal Transformation Protocol, so you too, can get back to feeling your best without having to “press pause” on your life.
Don't miss this episode and dive into the enlightening conversation to learn about adrenal and thyroid dysfunction, its symptoms, and how Dr. Wentz's protocol has already transformed thousands of lives.
When we are addressing such complex issues with our children’s neurological health we must always circle back to the foundations of health and how imbalances there may be the root cause of our children’s symptoms of mitochondrial dysfunction in anxiety. Nothing is more foundational than looking at cellular health and in particular, cellular metabolism, the ability of our cells to make sufficient energy for the tissues/organs/systems that are made of the cells to do their jobs. After all, the brain is one of the highest consumers of energy in the human body!
Although there is still a need for more research, there are many indicators that we need to look at mitochondrial dysfunction as a key link to anxiety. Given the role of the gut-brain axis in brain health, it is not entirely surprising that the gut microbiome can both be impacted by poor mitochondrial health and disruption in the microbiome can lead to poor mitochondrial health. This bi-directional link between anxiety and mitochondrial dysfunction is the topic I discuss during my interview with Trudy Scott, CN for the Anxiety Summit 5.
What is the gut-brain axis?
The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional communication network that links the enteric, central and autonomic nervous systems. In a 2015 review article published in the Annals of Gastroenterology, the authors concluded that “Strong evidence suggests that gut microbiota has an important role in bidirectional interactions between the gut and the nervous system. It interacts with CNS by regulating brain chemistry and influencing neuro-endocrine systems associated with stress response, anxiety and memory function.”1
What are mitochondria and their role in the gut and the brain?
Mitochondria are descendants of aerobic bacteria that entered (literally and functionally) into a mutualistic partnership with ancient anaerobic microbes. “Nutrient metabolism is a function shared by both the microbiome and mitochondria. In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the gut microbiome produces metabolites that influence mitochondrial function and biogenesis (i.e., mitochondrial replication within a cell to increase ATP production.)”2 Therefore if your child’s microbiome is out of balance (dysbiosis) then this, in turn, will negatively impact their mitochondrial function.
Mitochondria are responsible for the production of ATP, adenosine triphosphate, which is the body’s energy currency. It’s used to transfer the chemical energy needed for all metabolic reactions in the body.
Mitochondria are found in every cell—from five hundred to two thousand per cell, depending on the type of tissue the cell is found in and how energy-dependent that tissue is. Mitochondria even have their own DNA. (In other words, they are important.) The mitochondria break nutrients down to produce ATP, a process that generates free radicals within the mitochondria called reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Free radicals are oxidative molecules that must be neutralized by antioxidants or they damage cells and tissue. The body’s master antioxidant, glutathione, is the primary antioxidant that neutralizes reactive oxygen species to reduce oxidative damage to the mitochondria
Bottom line is if we have an imbalance of ROS and antioxidants this results in oxidative stress which impairs mitochondrial function.
What happens when mitochondria are impaired? How does this relate to symptoms of anxiety?
In the July 2019 issue of Trends in Neuroscience, a review article concludes that mitochondria are now being recognized as modulators in anxiety-related behaviour. There is a bidirectional link between mitochondria and anxiety.
Specifically, they state that: “Mitochondrial, energy metabolism and oxidative stress alterations are observed in high anxiety and conversely changed mitochondrial function can lead to heightened anxiety symptoms.”3
An increasing number of studies are revealing that several other mitochondrial-related functions, such as oxidative stress, apoptosis, neurosteroid production and mitochondrial biogenesis are also altered in individuals with high anxiety.4 A case study series published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry Clinical Neuroscience, case study series evaluating mitochondrial dysfunction present in various psychiatric conditions including anxiety also identified how mitochondrial dysfunction is reported to be present in 70 of adult patients reporting a major psychiatric disorder and 50 of children with a mitochondrial disorder have depression.5
As a parent of a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder, I was often overwhelmed by the options for therapies, tests and protocols that we should consider. It can be unnerving and have us question which path we should take for our child. Part of the process of determining the right path is being educated on these options. Having trusted practitioners to explain these therapies is crucial to our understanding of what to do next.
Photobiomodulation–low level laser therapy is one of the options to consider (and definitely one of my favorites) but it often brings up concerns about safety and questions about how it can truly help with brain function. This is why I reached out to Dr. Brandon Crawford to interview him for the Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder Summit. Dr. Crawford is an expert in the field and is able to explain the use of Low Level Lasers in neurodevelopmental disorders and how this might be a good fit for your child too.
I decided I wanted to share this interview from the summit with the My Child Will Thrive Podcast listeners which is why I’ve released the full interview from the summit on the podcast this week, too.
If you’d like to learn more about the summit and sign up for complimentary access to all the interviews, head over to mychildwillthrive.com/summit.
Many years passed before I realized that my daughter might have mitochondrial dysfunction. I attributed her main symptoms—fatigue and slow processing speed—to a number of different causes, none of them related to those tiny organelles inside her cells that I had learned about back in high school biology class.
But as the years went by and I dove into the science surrounding my daughter’s health, I learned that she—and many children just like her—may have mitochondrial dysfunction. When I learned about the signs and symptoms of the condition, my radar went up. Today, I'll share with you details about mitochondrial dysfunction—what you need to know to help your child.
What if someone told you that a particular type of food or food additive was causing your child’s symptoms? It could even be something as simple as the daily apple your child eats. Phenols including salicylates and other food chemicals such as amines and glutamates are compounds found in many foods and additives that could be a major contributor to your child’s symptoms. Find out How Common Foods Can Trigger Your Child’s Symptoms and what you can do to identify what foods your child should avoid. (more…)
Hi, I'm Tara
I'm passionate about helping parents like you because I have been in your shoes. My Child Will Thrive is the resource I wish I had found years ago.
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