Gut Health, Disease, Vit. D

Posted on January 3, 2021 by pprincetta

Story at-a-glance

A significant proportion of your immune system resides in your gastrointestinal tract. Harvard researchers have now identified the specific population of gut bacteria that modulate localized and systemic immune responses to ward off viral invaders
Bacteroides fragilis and other bacteria in the Bacteroides family initiate a signaling cascade that induces the release of interferon-beta, which protects against viral invasion by stimulating immune cells to attack the virus and causing virus-infected cells to self-destruct
Zonulin-mediated gut permeability plays a determining role in the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory diseases. Zonulin is produced in response to bad bacteria. It flushes the bacteria out by opening up the tight junctions
Aside from bacteria overgrowth, gluten is a powerful trigger of zonulin release as the zonulin pathway misinterprets gluten as a potential harmful component of a microorganism
Chronic inflammatory diseases associated with dysregulation of the zonulin pathway and leaky gut include autoimmune disorders, metabolic disorders, intestinal diseases, neuroinflammatory diseases and cancer of the brain and liver

More attention than ever is being put on your gut health, and understandably so, considering a significant proportion of your immune system resides in your gastrointestinal tract.¹ As such, optimizing your gut microbiome is a worthwhile pursuit that will have far-reaching effects on your physical health and emotional well-being.

Mounting scientific evidence also continues to suggest a large component of nutrition centers on nourishing health-promoting bacteria in your gut (and elsewhere in and on your body). In doing so, you keep harmful microbes in check and shore up your protection against chronic disease.

Disease Begins in Your Gut

ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, obesity, diabetes² and Parkinson’s disease are but a few of the conditions found to be influenced by your gut microbiome. One 2020 scientific review³ goes so far as to say that all inflammatory disease begins in the gut. Part of the blame is laid on excessive hygiene. In other words, we’re “too clean” for our own good.

But your diet also plays a crucial role. The paper specifically addresses the role of zonulin-mediated gut permeability in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs). According to the author, Dr. Alessio Fasano,⁴ a pediatric gastroenterologist, researcher and director of the Center for Celiac Research and Treatment:⁵

“Apart from genetic makeup and exposure to environmental triggers, inappropriate increase in intestinal permeability (which may be influenced by the composition of the gut microbiota), a ‘hyper-belligerent’ immune system responsible for the tolerance-immune response balance, and the composition of gut microbiome and its epigenetic influence on the host genomic expression have been identified as three additional elements in causing CIDs.

During the past decade, a growing number of publications have focused on human genetics, the gut microbiome, and proteomics, suggesting that loss of mucosal barrier function, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, may substantially affect antigen trafficking, ultimately influencing the close bidirectional interaction between gut microbiome and our immune system.

This cross-talk is highly influential in shaping the host gut immune system function and ultimately shifting genetic predisposition to clinical outcome. This observation led to a re-visitation of the possible causes of CIDs epidemics, suggesting a key pathogenic role of gut permeability.

Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown that the zonulin family, a group of proteins modulating gut permeability, is implicated in a variety of CIDs, including autoimmune, infective, metabolic, and tumoral diseases. These data offer novel therapeutic targets for a variety of CIDs in which the zonulin pathway is implicated in their pathogenesis.”

Bacteria, Not Genes, Rule Your Health Destiny

Fasano points out that we simply do not have enough genes to account for the myriad chronic diseases that can beset us. Genes also cannot explain the timing of disease onset. To solve these mysteries, we must look to the microbiome, he says, as “it is the interplay between us as individuals and the environment in which we live that dictates our clinical destiny.”

Aside from the microbes themselves, the condition of your intestinal mucosa also plays a significant role. “Although this enormous mucosal interface (200 m2) is not apparently visible, it plays a pivotal role through its dynamic interactions with a variety of factors coming from our surrounding environment, including microorganisms, nutrients, pollutants and other materials,” Fasano explains.

While intracellular tight junctions used to be thought of as static and impermeable, we now know this is not the case. As explained by Fasano, zonulin is a powerful modulator of intestinal permeability. However, while zonulin is a biomarker of gut permeability and plays a pathogenic role in in many chronic inflammatory diseases, not all CIDs are caused by leaky gut.

Proposed Chain of Events Leading to CID

The graphic below, included in Fasano’s review but originating from an earlier paper⁶ titled “Zonulin, a Regulator of Epithelial and Endothelial Barrier Functions, and Its Involvement in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases,” co-written by Fasano and Craig Sturgeon, details the “proposed chain of events leading to chronic inflammatory disease.”

Under normal circumstances, a healthy homeostasis is maintained in your gut lining such that when an antigen is encountered, no excess immune reaction occurs (anergy). Under No. 2 in the graph, gut dysbiosis is setting in (i.e., an imbalance in the number and diversity of your gut microflora), causing excess production of zonulin, which in turn makes the gut lining more permeable.

According to Fasano, the two most powerful triggers of zonulin release are bacteria overgrowth and gluten. Zonulin is produced in response to bad bacteria⁷ — it helps flush the bacteria out by opening up the tight junctions — so bacteria overgrowth makes sense. But why does it respond to gluten?

Interestingly enough, the zonulin pathway misinterprets gluten as a potential harmful component of a microorganism. That’s why gluten triggers zonulin release. While not mentioned by Fasano, the herbicide glyphosate also triggers zonulin, and is 10 times more potent than gluten!⁸

The subsequent permeability allows microbiota-derived antigen and endotoxin to migrate from the lumen to the lamina propria (the connective tissue that is part of the mucous membrane lining your intestine), thereby triggering inflammation.

As the process continues to worsen (No. 3 in the graph), your adaptive immune response kicks in, triggering the production of proinflammatory cytokines, including interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). These cytokines further worsen the permeability, thus creating a vicious cycle. Eventually (No. 4), mucosal tolerance is completely broken, resulting in the onset of a chronic inflammatory disease.

Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Linked to Leaky Gut

The specific chronic inflammatory disease that ultimately emerges at the end of all this depends in part on your genetic makeup, in part on the types of exposures you’ve had, and in part on the composition of your gut microbiome. As explained by Fasano:⁹

“Besides genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental triggers, the pathogenesis of a variety of CIDs seems to involve mutually influenced changes in gut permeability/Ag trafficking, immune activation, and changes in composition/function of the gut microbiome.

Zonulin is a modulator of both epithelial and endothelial barrier functions … Gut dysbiosis may cause the release of zonulin leading to the passage of luminal contents across the epithelial barrier causing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that themselves cause increased permeability establishing a vicious loop leading to massive influx of dietary and microbial Ags triggering the activation of T cells.

Depending on the host genetic makeup, activated T cells may remain within the GI tract, causing CID of the gut … or migrate to several different organs to cause systemic CID.”

Chronic inflammatory diseases associated with dysregulation of the zonulin pathway include:

Autoimmune disorders such as Celiac disease, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and ankylosing spondylitis
Metabolic disorders such as obesity, insulin resistance, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, gestational diabetes, hyperlipidemia and Type 2 diabetes
Intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and environmental enteric dysfunction (a chronic disease affecting the proximal intestine)
Neuroinflammatory diseases such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and chronic fatigue/myalgic encephalomyelitis
Brain and liver cancers

Gut Microbes Influence Genes and Can Influence Cancer Risk

While the inclusion of cancer on that list may seem odd at first glance, some researchers believe the gut microbiome may actually end up being a game-changer for cancer prevention and treatment.

Not only have gut bacteria been shown to influence gene expression,^10,¹¹ turning some genes on and others off, research¹² published in 2018 found gut microbes actually control antitumor immune responses in your liver, and that antibiotics can alter the composition of immune cells in your liver, triggering tumor growth.

Harvard Medical School researchers have identified the specific population of gut microbes that modulates both localized and systemic immune response to ward off viral invaders.

Certain gut bacteria also promote inflammation, which is an underlying factor in virtually all cancers, whereas other bacteria quell it.¹³ The presence of certain gut bacteria has even been shown to boost the patient’s response to anticancer drugs.¹⁴

One way in which gut bacteria improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment is by activating your immune system and allowing it to function more efficiently. Researchers have actually found that when these specific microbes are absent, certain anticancer drugs may not work at all.

Gut Bacteria Are Part of Your Antiviral Defense

Gut bacteria are also involved in your antiviral defense, recent research¹⁵ shows. As reported by Harvard Medical School November 18, 2020:¹⁶

“For the first time, Harvard Medical School researchers have … identified the specific population of gut microbes that modulates both localized and systemic immune response to ward off viral invaders. The work … pinpoints a group of gut microbes, and a specific species within it, that causes immune cells to release virus-repelling chemicals known as type 1 interferons.

The researchers further identified the precise molecule — shared by many gut bacteria within that group — that unlocks the immune-protective cascade. That molecule, the researchers noted, is not difficult to isolate and could become the basis for drugs that boost antiviral immunity in humans.”

While the findings still need to be replicated and confirmed, they point to the possibility that you might be able to enhance your antiviral immunity by reseeding your gut with Bacteroides fragilis and other bacteria in the Bacteroides family.¹⁷

These bacteria initiate a signaling cascade that induces the release of interferon-beta that protect against viral invasion by stimulating immune cells to attack the virus and causing virus-infected cells to self-destruct.

“Specifically, … a molecule that resides on the bacterium’s surface triggers the release of interferon-beta by activating the so-called TLR4-TRIF signaling pathway,” Harvard explains.¹⁸ “This bacterial molecule stimulates an immune-signaling pathway initiated by one of the nine toll-like receptors (TLR) that are part of the innate immune system.”

The Role of Vitamin D

Recent research also highlights the role of vitamin D in gut health and systemic autoimmunity. The review article, published January 21, 2020, in Frontiers in Immunology, notes:¹⁹

“Autoimmune diseases tend to share a predisposition for vitamin D deficiency, which alters the microbiome and integrity of the gut epithelial barrier.

In this review, we summarize the influence of intestinal bacteria on the immune system, explore the microbial patterns that have emerged from studies on autoimmune diseases, and discuss how vitamin D deficiency may contribute to autoimmunity via its effects on the intestinal barrier function, microbiome composition, and/or direct effects on immune responses.”

As noted in this review, vitamin D has several direct and indirect regulatory effects on your immune system, including promoting regulatory T cells (Tregs), inhibiting differentiation of Th1 and Th17 cells, impairing development and function of B cells, reducing monocyte activation and stimulating antimicrobial peptides from immune cells.

That said, the relationship between vitamin D and autoimmunity is complicated. Aside from immunosuppression, vitamin D also appears to improve autoimmune disorders by the way it affects your microbiota composition and gut barrier.

The review cites research showing that your vitamin D status alters the composition of your gut microbiome. Generally speaking, vitamin D deficiency tends to increase Bacteriodetes and Proteobacteria while higher vitamin D intake tends to increase prevalence of Prevotella and reduce certain types of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes.

While research is still slim when it comes to vitamin D’s impact on gut bacteria, especially in patients with autoimmune disease, vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases are known comorbidities and vitamin D supplementation is often recommended for these patients.

Vitamin D Required for Tight Junction Maintenance

Better known is how vitamin D supports intestinal and immune cell defenses in the gut. In fact, vitamin D is one of the crucial components required for maintaining tight junctions. As explained in this review:²⁰

“The intestinal epithelium is in constant interaction with the external environment. Adequate barrier integrity and antimicrobial function at epithelial surfaces are critical in maintaining homeostasis and preventing invasion or overcolonization of particular microbial species.

A healthy intestinal epithelium and intact mucus layer are critical to protect against invasion by pathogenic organisms, and vitamin D helps to maintain this barrier function … Multiple studies found that vitamin D3/VDR signaling modulates tight junction protein quantity and distribution …

As a ‘leaky’ protein that allows movement of ions into the intestinal lumen, claudin-2 expression in the setting of functional vitamin D deficiency may contribute to colitis pathology …

Vitamin D upregulates antimicrobial peptide mRNA and protein expression including cathelicidin, defensins, and lysozyme … Antimicrobial peptides, primarily secreted by Paneth cells in the gut, are important mediators of microbiome composition … Defensins are secreted by epithelial cells, Paneth cells, and immune cells, and are important components of the innate immune response in the gut.”

How Vitamin D May Contribute to Autoimmune Disease

According to the authors, vitamin D deficiency may contribute to autoimmune disease by affecting the microbiome and the immune system in the following manner:

Vitamin D deficiency or supplementation changes the microbiome, and manipulation of bacterial abundance or composition impacts disease manifestation.
Lack of vitamin D signaling due to dietary deficiency can impair physical and functional barrier integrity of the gut, thereby allowing bacterial interactions to either stimulate or inhibit immune responses.
Your innate immunologic defenses may be compromised if you are deficient in vitamin D.

How to Optimize Your Gut Microbiome

All of this information should really drive home the point that optimizing your gut flora and vitamin D level is of crucial importance for good health. By reseeding your gut with beneficial bacteria, you can keep pathogenic microbes and fungi in check and prevent them from taking over, and optimizing your vitamin D will help avoid leaky gut.

Regularly eating traditionally fermented and cultured foods is the easiest, most effective and least expensive way to make a significant impact on your gut microbiome. Healthy choices include lassi (an Indian yogurt drink), cultured grass fed organic milk products such as kefir and yogurt, natto (fermented soy) and fermented vegetables of all kinds.

Although I’m not a major proponent of taking many supplements (as I believe the majority of your nutrients need to come from food), probiotics are an exception if you don’t eat fermented foods on a regular basis. Spore-based probiotics, or sporebiotics, can be particularly helpful when you’re taking antibiotics. They’re also an excellent complement to regular probiotics.

Sporebiotics, which consist of the cell wall of bacillus spores, will help boost your immune tolerance, and because they do not contain any live bacillus strains, only its spores — the protective shell around the DNA and the working mechanism of that DNA — they are unaffected by antibiotics.

Antibiotics, as you may know, indiscriminately kill your gut bacteria, both good and bad. This is why secondary infections and lowered immune function are common side effects of taking antibiotics. Chronic low-dose exposure to antibiotics through your food also takes a toll on your gut microbiome, which can result in chronic ill health and increased risk of drug resistance. Last but not least, you also need to avoid things that disrupt or kill your microbiome, and this includes:

Antibiotics, unless absolutely necessary
Conventionally-raised meats and other animal products, as these animals are routinely fed low-dose antibiotics, plus genetically engineered and/or glyphosate-treated grains
Processed foods (as the excessive sugars feed pathogenic bacteria)
Chlorinated and/or fluoridated water
Antibacterial soap and products containing triclosan

How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve

Posted on May 23, 2017 by pprincetta

Over the years and most recently, I have posted a number of articles and posts about the Vagus Nerve and its connection to Heart, inflammation, Microbiome Gut, Brain, Memory, Cognition etc. This article written by Jordan Fallis, provides excellent information and perspective allowing you the opportunity to remain healthy.

How to Stimulate Your Vagus Nerve for Better Mental Health

January 21, 2017 Jordan Fallis

“By developing an understanding of the workings of your vagus nerve, you may find it possible to work with your nervous system rather than feel trapped when it works against you.”

— Dr. Arielle Schwartz, Clinical Psychologist

Stimulating my vagus nerve has played a key role in the management of my mental health over the years.

What exactly is the vagus nerve?

Originating from the Latin word “wanderer”, the vagus nerve lives up to its name as the longest nerve in the entire body. As the tenth cranial nerve,the Vagus is a major player in the parasympathetic (rest & digest) nervous system connecting your brain to the heart, gut (intestines and stomach) heart and lungs influencing heart rate, breathing ,memory, cognition and a host of other conditions.

Vagal tone

Vagal tone is an internal biological process that represents the activity of the vagus nerve. The tone of the vagus nerve is key to activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Vagal tone is measured by tracking your heart-rate alongside your breathing rate. Your heart-rate speeds up a little when your breathe in, and slows down a little when you breathe out. The bigger the difference between your inhalation heart-rate and your exhalation heart-rate, the higher your vagal tone. Higher vagal tone means that your body can relax faster after stress.

What is high vagal tone associated with?

High vagal tone improves the function of many body systems, causing better blood sugar regulation, reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, improved digestion via better production of stomach basic and digestive enzymes, and reduced migraines. Higher vagal tone is also associated with better mood, less anxiety and more stress resilience. One of the most interesting roles of the vagus nerve is that it essentially reads the gut microbiome and initiates a response to modulate inflammation based on whether or not it detects pathogenic versus non-pathogenic organisms. In this way, the gut microbiome can have an affect on your mood, stress levels and overall inflammation.

What is low vagal tone associated with?

Low vagal tone is associated with cardiovascular conditions and strokes, depression, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, cognitive impairment, and much higher rates of inflammatory conditions. Inflammatory conditions include all autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, endometriosis, autoimmune thyroid conditions, lupus and more).

How do we increase vagal tone?

But what you really need to pay special attention to is the “tone” of your vagus nerve.
Vagal tone is an internal biological process that represents the activity of the vagus nerve.

Increasing your vagal tone activates the parasympathetic nervous system, and having higher vagal tone means that your body can relax faster after stress.

In 2010, researchers discovered a positive feedback loop between high vagal tone, positive emotions, and good physical health. In other words, the more you increase your vagal tone, the more your physical and mental health will improve, and vice versa (5).

“It’s almost like yin and yang. The vagal response reduces stress. It reduces our heart rate and blood pressure. It changes the function of certain parts of the brain, stimulates digestion, all those things that happen when we are relaxed.”

— Dr. Mladen Golubic, MD, Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic

What’s interesting is that studies have even shown that vagal tone is passed on from mother to child. Mothers who are depressed, anxious and angry during their pregnancy have lower vagal activity. And once they give birth to their child, the newborn also has low vagal activity and low dopamine and serotonin levels (1-3).

Your vagal tone can be measured by tracking certain biological processes such as your heart rate, your breathing rate, and your heart rate variability (HRV). When your heart rate variability (HRV) is high, your vagal tone is also high. They are correlated with each other.

You can increase your HRV by using the EmWave2 device. Some researchers actually use the EmWave2 to measure vagal tone in their studies.

NOTE: If your vagal tone is low, don’t worry – you can take steps to increase it by stimulating your vagus nerve. This will allow you to more effectively respond to the emotional and physiological symptoms of your brain and mental illness.

Stimulating the vagus nerve and increasing vagal tone has been shown to help treat a wide variety of brain and mental health conditions, including:

Depression
Anxiety disorders
Alzheimer’s disease
Migraines
Fibromyalgia
Tinnitus
Alcohol addiction
Autism
Bulimia nervosa
Personality disorders
Heroin seeking behaviour
Poor memory
Mood disorders in the elderly
Multiple sclerosis
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Severe mental diseases
Traumatic brain injury
Chronic fatigue syndrome

For people with treatment-resistant depression, the FDA has even approved a surgically-implanted device that periodically stimulates the vagus nerve. And it works (6-9).

But you don’t need to go down that route.. You can enjoy the benefits of vagus nerve stimulation naturally by following these 13 steps.

1. Cold Exposure

Acute cold exposure has been shown to activate the vagus nerve and activate cholinergic neurons through vagus nerve pathways (10).

cold-exposure-shower-baths-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

Researchers have also found that exposing yourself to cold on a regular basis can lower your sympathetic “fight or flight” response and increase parasympathetic activity through the vagus nerve (11).

I often take cold showers and go outside in cold temperatures with minimal clothing.

Try finishing your next shower with at least 30 seconds of cold water and see how you feel. Then work your way up to longer periods of time.

It’s painful to do, but the lingering effects are worth it.

You can also ease yourself into it by simply sticking your face in ice cold water.

2. Deep and Slow Breathing

Deep and slow breathing is another way to stimulate your vagus nerve.

It’s been shown to reduce anxiety and increase the parasympathetic system by activating the vagus nerve (51-52).

Most people take about 10 to 14 breaths each minute. Taking about 6 breaths over the course of a minute is a great way to relieve stress. You should breathe in deeply from your diaphragm. When you do this, your stomach should expand outward. Your exhale should be long and slow. This is key to stimulating the vagus nerve and reaching a state of relaxation.

The best way to know if you’re on the right track is by using the EmWave2 device. It’s a biofeedback device that assist you in pacing your breathing. I previously wrote about the benefits of using the device here.

3. Singing, Humming, Chanting and Gargling

The vagus nerve is connected to your vocal cords and the muscles at the back of your throat.

Singing, humming, chanting and gargling can activate these muscles and stimulate your vagus nerve.

And this has been shown to increase heart-rate variability and vagal tone

I often gargle water before swallowing it. This is discussed more in Dr. Datis Kharrazian’s book, Why Isn’t My Brain Working?

4. Acupuncture

Acupuncture is another alternative treatment that has been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve (46).

ear-acupuncture-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

I’m a really big fan of auricular acupuncture. Auricular acupuncture is when needles are inserted into ear. I’d recommend trying to find a health practitioner in your area who provides it, especially if you’re weening off psychiatric medication. It really helped me the first time I came off antidepressants. I was surprised.

Research shows that ear acupuncture stimulates the vagus nerve, increases vagal activity and vagal tone, and can help treat “neurodegenerative diseases via vagal regulation” (45).

In my experience, ear acupuncture is more effective than regular acupuncture. I’m not sure why. I’ve just personally noticed more benefits from ear acupuncture.

I also use this acupuncture mat at home to relax before bed.

5. Yoga and Tai Chi

Yoga and tai chi are two “mind-body” relaxation techniques that work by stimulating the vagus nerve and increasing the activity of your parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system.

Studies have shown that yoga increases GABA, a calming neurotransmitter in your brain. Researchers believe it does this by “stimulating vagal afferents”, which increase activity in the parasympathetic nervous system (13-18).

Researchers have also found that yoga stimulates the vagal nerve and therefore should be practiced by people who struggle with depression and anxiety (19).

Despite all the great research, I’m personally not a big fan of yoga. A lot of people swear by it but it’s just not for me. I prefer tai chi.

Tai chi has also been shown to increase heart rate variability, and researchers think this means it can “enhance vagal modulation” (20).

6. Probiotics

It’s becoming increasingly clear to researchers that gut bacteria improve brain function by affecting the vagus nerve (27).

probiotics-bacteria-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

In one study, animals were given the probiotic Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, and researchers found positive changes to the GABA receptors in their brain, a reduction in stress hormones, and less depression and anxiety-like behaviour.

The researchers also concluded that these beneficial changes between the gut and the brain were facilitated by the vagus nerve. When the vagus nerve was removed in other mice, the addition of Lactobacillus Rhamnosus to their digestive systems failed to reduce anxiety, stress, and improve mood (25).

Another study found that the probiotic Bifidobacterium Longum normalized anxiety-like behavior in mice by acting through the vagus nerve (26).

I personally take the probiotic Prescript Assist. It’s my favourite probiotic.

But it doesn’t contain Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium Longum, which were used in the above studies. Here is one probiotic supplement that contains both. This one also contains both.

I previously wrote about some other ways you can increase the good bacteria in your gut. You can read about that here.

7. Meditation and Neurofeedback

Meditation is my favourite relaxation technique and it can stimulate the vagus nerve and increase vagal tone.

muse-headband-meditation-how-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

Research shows that meditation increases vagal tone and positive emotions, and promotes feelings of goodwill towards yourself (22, 23).

Another study found that meditation reduces sympathetic “fight or flight” activity and increases vagal modulation (21).

“OM” chanting, which is often done during meditation, has also been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve (24).

I couldn’t find any research demonstrating this, but in my experience, neurofeedback significantly increased my heart-rate variability and vagal tone as measured by my EmWave2.

Now that I’m done neurofeedback, I use the Muse headband to meditate. Similar to neurofeedback, it gives you real-time feedback on your brainwaves. I previously wrote about it here.

8. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that your body cannot produce itself. They are found primarily in fish and are necessary for the normal electrical functioning of your brain and nervous system.

salmon-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

They often appear in most of my posts because they are so critical for brain and mental health and affect so many aspects of wellness.

They’ve been shown to help people overcome addiction, repair a “leaky brain”, and even reverse cognitive decline.

But researchers have also discovered that omega-3 fatty acids increase vagal tone and vagal activity (35-37, 40).

Studies shown that they reduce heart rate and increase heart rate variability, which means they likely stimulate the vagus nerve (34, 38, 39).

And high fish consumption is also associated with “enhanced vagal activity and parasympathetic predominance” (35).

This why I eat lots of wild-caught salmon and supplement with this krill oil.

9. Exercise

I’ve already discussed how exercise increases your brain’s growth hormone, supports your brain’s mitochondria, and helps reverse cognitive decline.

But it’s also been shown to stimulate the vagus nerve, which may explain its beneficial brain and mental health effects (28).

exercise-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

Many brain health experts recommend exercise as their number one piece of advice for optimal brain health.

This is my exercise routine:

Lift heavy weights 1-4 times per week
High-intensity interval sprinting 1-2 times per week
Walk as much as I can (ideally 30-60 minutes every day)

Walking, weightlifting and sprinting are the best forms of exercise, but you should choose a sport or exercise routine that you enjoy, so that you’ll stick with it consistently.

10. Zinc

As I’ve discussed before, zinc is an essential mineral for mental health, especially if you struggle with chronic anxiety.

One study shows that zinc increases vagus nerve stimulation in zinc-deficient rats (41).

It’s estimated that 2 billion people in the world are deficient in zinc, and six different studies show that subclinical deficiency of zinc impairs brain function in children and adults (42-44).

zinc-oysters-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

So, if you struggle with a brain or mental health disorder, it’s quite possible that you’re deficient.

Some of the best food sources of zinc include oysters, grass-fed beef, pumpkin seeds, cashews, mushrooms and spinach.

However, I still recommend at least short-term supplementation to ensure you get enough. I regularly supplement with zinc picolinate, one of the most absorbable forms of zinc, especially after any alcohol consumption. You can get it here or here.

It’s also available in this high-quality multimineral.

Check out my previous post about zinc and copper if you’re interested in discovering more steps you can take to increase your zinc levels.

11. Massage

Research shows that massages can stimulate the vagus nerve, and increase vagal activity and vagal tone (31-32).

massage-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

The vagus nerve can also be stimulated by massaging several specific areas of the body.

Foot massages (reflexology) have been shown to increase vagal modulation and heart rate variability, and decrease the “fight or flight” sympathetic response (29).

Massaging the carotid sinus, an area located near the right side of your throat, can also stimulate the vagus nerve to reduce seizures (30).

I personally get a massage from a registered massage therapist every couple of months.

12. Socializing and Laughing

I’ve already discussed how socializing and laughing can reduce your body’s main stress hormone.

Laughing-socializing-How-to-Stimulate-Your-Vagus-Nerve-for-Better-Mental-Health-brain-vns-ways-treatment-activate-natural-foods-depression-anxiety-stress-heart-rate-variability-yoga-massage-vagal-tone-dysfunction

And now I’ve learned that they are likely doing this by stimulating the vagus nerve.

Researchers have discovered that reflecting on positive social connections improves vagal tone and increases positive emotions (47, 48).

Laughter has been shown to increase heart-rate variability and improve mood (49).

And vagus nerve stimulation often leads to laughter as a side effect, suggesting that they are connected and influence one another (50).

So my advice is to hang out and laugh with your friends as much as possible. Although I should probably be taking my own advice here, as I’m an introvert and often avoid socializing too much.

13. Intermittent Fasting

On most days, I don’t eat breakfast at all, and then “break my fast” by eating my first meal of the day around 2 or 3 p.m. That means I eat all my food for the day within an 8-hour window.

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There are many health benefits to doing this. As I’ve discussed before, intermittent fasting can boost your brain’s growth hormone, improve mitochondrial function, and may help some people overcome brain fog and cognitive decline.

Research also shows that fasting and caloric restriction increase heart rate variability, which is an indicator that it increases parasympathetic activity and vagal tone (33).

The best way to start fasting is simply by eating dinner around 6, not eating anything after that before bed, and then eating a regular breakfast the next day. That should give you about 12-14 hours of fasting time.

Conclusion

You don’t have to be controlled by your body and mind. You have the power to tell them what to do.

By stimulating the vagus nerve, you can send a message to you body that it’s time to relax and de-stress, which leads to long-term improvements in mood, wellbeing and resilience.

Increasing my vagal tone has allowed me to overcome anxiety and depression, and better manage them when they arise.

Overall, I hope you implement some of the above steps into your daily life, and they allow you to live more optimally.

Live Optimally,

Jordan Fallis

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First of all, the vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body which originates in the brain as cranial nerve ten, travels down the from go the neck and then passes around the digestive system, liver, spleen, pancreas, heart and lungs. This nerve is a major player in the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the ‘rest and digest’ part (opposite to the sympathetic nervous system which is ‘fight of flight’).

Vagal tone

The tone of the vagus nerve is key to activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Vagal tone is measured by tracking your heart-rate alongside your breathing rate. Your heart-rate speeds up a little when your breathe in, and slows down a little when you breathe out. The bigger the difference between your inhalation heart-rate and your exhalation heart-rate, the higher your vagal tone. Higher vagal tone means that your body can relax faster after stress.

What is high vagal tone associated with?

What is low vagal tone associated with?

How do we increase vagal tone?

In the article above, vagal tone was increased through a device that stimulated the vagus nerve. The good news is that you have access to this on your own, but it does require regular practice. To some degree, you are genetically predisposed to varying levels of vagal tone, but this still doesn’t mean that you can’t change it. Here are some ways to tone the vagus nerve:

Slow, rhythmic, diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing from your diaphragm, rather than shallowly from the top of the lungs stimulates and tones the vagus nerve.
Humming. Since the vagus nerve is connected to the vocal cords, humming mechanically stimulates it. You can hum a song, or even better repeat the sound ‘OM’.
Speaking. Similarly speaking is helpful for vagal tone, due to the connection to the vocal cords.
Washing your face with cold water. The mechanism her is not known, but cold water on your face stimulates the vagus nerve.
Meditation, especially loving kindness meditation which promotes feelings of goodwill towards yourself and others. A 2010 study by Barbara Fredrickson and Bethany Kik found that increasing positive emotions led to increased social closeness, and an improvement in vagal tone.
Balancing the gut microbiome. The presence of healthy bacteria in the gut creates a positive feedback loop through the vagus nerve, increasing its tone.
Qigong, Tai Chi, Yoga, Chill Out, (added by Dr. P)

The implications of such simple and basic practices on your overall health, and in particular on inflammation are far-reaching. If you suffer from an inflammatory condition, digestive upset, high blood pressure or depression, a closer look at vagal tone is highly recommended. We’ve known for years that breathing exercises and meditation are helpful for our health, but it is so fascinating to learn the mechanism by which they work. I hope this short article has inspired you to begin a meditation practice, as it has for me, and also to look for other means to manage the body’s inflammatory response.

NOTE: Chiropractic Adjustments are infamous for stimulating the Vagus Nerve as it passes close to the Cervical 1 Vertebrae (Atlas)

Additional Links:

How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve for Better Optimal Health

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Dramatically Reduces Inflammation

Here’s how stress in your brain may cause heart troubles

Transcendental Meditation

Full Catastro phe Living written by the developer of this technique Jon Kabat-Zinn

I have asked my folks to purchase the book Human Heart/Cosmic Heart by Thomas Cowan MD to further their understanding of how the heart works and what we can do to prevent America’s # 1 killer heart disease

References:

Forsythe P, Bienenstock J, Kunze WA.Vagal pathways for microbiome-brain-gut axis communication. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2014;817:115-33.

Kok, B, Fredrickson, B, Coffey, K, et al. How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone. Psychological Science 2013 24: 1123

Cholesterol Buzz

Posted on January 23, 2017 by pprincetta

To a great degree, the battle of dietary recommendations for cholesterol and other fats have hinged on the belief that serum cholesterol levels are a direct predictor of cardiovascular disease. Despite the broad awareness and even larger acceptance of this theory, science still struggles to authenticate this claim. Dietary cholesterol and saturated fats do, indeed, influence serum cholesterol levels, but is that truly a good predictor of cardiovascular risk? If history has any say in the matter, decades of fat-free marketing, food products, and diet plans haven’t seemed to curtail the mortality rate, and cardiovascular disease still remains the number one cause of death in this country. Dietary guidelines continue to push for an increase in omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in place of saturated fats, but again, this advice is rooted in the so-called improvement in serum cholesterol ratios, resulting from this shift in dietary fat, even in the absence of cardiovascular improvements. We have even explored the effects of replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates on cardiovascular risk factors, and not surprisingly, that has not yielded positive results either. In fact, replacing saturated fats with carbohydrates has worsened cardiovascular risks by increasing small, dense low-density lipoprotein particles, which are more indicative of cardiovascular events than large LDL particles, which are produced by dietary saturated fats.Slowly, studies are emerging with fresh ideas pointing to oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction – not hyperlipidemia – as major risk factors in cardiovascular disease. These same factors are associated with insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes, making an obvious connection between the epidemic of deranged blood sugar levels and cardiovascular dysfunction – a.k.a. the phenomenon of metabolic syndrome. So why doesn’t the mainstream mindset focus on restricting inflammatory foods and processed foodstuffs that increase oxidative stress, in favor of antioxidant-rich produce and fiber-filled legumes? Why has the focus persistently been upon cholesterol?

As alternative health care practitioners already know, it is high time that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stop demonizing eggs and begin targeting some of the commodity crops for the cardiovascular mortality rates in this country. When 1032 participants were studied for 5 years in the prospective, population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, it was found that “egg or cholesterol intakes were not associated with increased CAD risk, even in ApoE4 carriers (i.e., in highly susceptible individuals)” and yet, recommendations to limit these items have been central to American dietary guidelines for decades. At the same time, evidence points to dietary sugars as being a more influential factor on cardiometabolic risks, independent of obesity. The OmniCarb study, one of the largest studies “to test effects of high- versus low-GI diets in the context of moderate- and low-CHO diets” showed that higher total carbohydrate consumption, rather than glycemic index, contributed more negatively to cardiovascular risks. In an era and nation where carbohydrate and sugar consumption has extended beyond the ceiling level, why isn’t the focus shifting to these food groups? Studies on the effects of carbohydrates on cardiovascular disease have been strangely stifled, but to the keen observer, this should not come as a surprise. After all, grains and sugar are commodity foodstuffs heavily subsidized by the government, so who would fund studies that would link these foodstuffs to America’s top cause of mortality?

While we can be thankful that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has finally taken the long overdue step of acknowledging that cholesterol and eggs are not a health trap, and changing dietary guidelines accordingly, it will take years to remove long held beliefs regarding cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, the next time a patient proudly exclaims that their doctor has given them a “clean bill of health” based on a standard lipid profile, a prime opportunity stands waiting for you to re-educate, one patient at a time.

Philosophy of Functional Medicine

Posted on April 23, 2016 by pprincetta

Philosophy of Functional Medicine

The 4 P’s of Functional Medicine

Predictive—decades in advance
Proactive—-create health
Preventative—don’t get sick to begin with
Personalized—each person is unique

Functional medicine is all about understanding the causes of illness

“Causative Medicine” vs “Reactionary Medicine”

Diet Lifestyle Stress

Toxicity Inflammation Methylation

Dental Intestinal Microbiome Genetics/Epigenetics

Health Care at its Very Best!

Dr. Princetta is 100% Result Driven

Here’s How:

Takes the time to know and understand each patient on all levels
Treats, Educates, Engages, Empowers the patient to Get Well and Stay Well
Addresses the Spiritual, Mental, and Emotional components of Physical illness
Takes the time to research conditions and solutions that are outside the box
Has an absolute understanding of True Cellular Detoxification
Has an absolutely acute understanding of the Art of Chiropractic
Recommends state-of-the-art supplementation wisely and judiciously
Has an excellent background regarding Wholesome Foods

Dr. P’s Primary Goals:

Keep the Mind Sharp and the Brain Healthy (#1 on the list)
Reduce Inflammation/Remove Oxidative Stress
Restore the Intestinal Microbiome (the gut is the 2nd brain) “I fee it in my gut”
Support the Liver (over 1450ml of blood pass through the liver every minute)
Support the Heart Muscle (still the # 1 cause of death male & female)
Increase ATP–Energy Production of Cells
Restore Methylation (Methylation turns good genes on and bad genes off)
Repair/Restore DNA Expression
Maintain Healthy Blood Glucose Levels
Support Bone Density

The 5 R’s of Cellular Healing:

Remove the Source (Treat the causes not the symptoms)
Regenerate Cell Membranes (Mitochondria)
Restore Cellular Energy
Reduce Inflammation
Re-establish Methylation

Dietary Suggestions: Discussed on an individualize basis— no two people are alike

Eliminate the causes of Inflammation:

Sugar and Grains—sugar is secretly embedded in most every food we eat
Vegetable/Omega 6 Oils such as Canola, Sunflower, Safflower, Palm, Cottonseed and Soybean. Soybean oil is 50% linoleic acid which is a strong pro-inflammatory. These oils exist in cookies, crackers, chips, muffins, cake mixes. They are driving Omega 6 levels through the roof and the inflammation caused by them is why Heart Disease is the # 1 cause of death in the US

GENUINE AND LASTING HEALING REQUIRES DISCIPLINED ATTENTION TO DIET & PSYCHE

I am available for consultation via e-mail, phone and travel.

Menstrual Cramps

Posted on February 13, 2015 by pprincetta

Menstrual Cramps

Ever think that menstrual cramps are just a fact of life? That every woman has them? And even if they don’t, that you are just one of the unlucky ones? I call BS! Cramps are actually a symptom of an underlying problem. They can be cured. The only thing that is required for that is to look at the underlying causes. Once those are taken care of, the cramps almost always go away, or at least are eased considerably.

An important side note before getting started is that the same problems that cause cramping are the ones that cause a heavy menstrual flow. Managing to cure one almost definitely cures the other (presuming that what is being handled is primary dysmenorrhea, not a form of secondary dysmenorrhea caused by an underlying physiological abnormality). This would be helpful for a lot of women. Heavy blood flow reduces iron levels and can make women weak, woozy, and anemic. What’s worse, a heavy period is arguably the biggest pain in the ass on the planet.

There are three respects in which a natural, paleo approach can ease the pain of and even cure menstrual cramps. They are curing micronutrient deficiencies, cooling inflammation, and restoring hormonal balance.

Micronutrient deficiencies, cramping, and a Paleo diet

Micronutrient deficiencies are a problem for menstrual cramping because micronutrients are key components in the contraction and relaxation of muscle tissue. Electrolytes in particular, which would be potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium, all have well known muscle-relaxing effects. In fact, deficiencies in any of these nutrients is the primary cause of muscle cramping elsewhere in the body. Magnesium especially. With adequate intake of each of these nutrients, as well as the whole slew of micronutrients and vitamins that are enriched on a paleo diet, the intense pain of abdominal muscle cramping can be eased.

A paleo diet maximizes micronutrient intake by the simple fact of keeping a woman’s diet within the range of whole foods. This helps first by eliminating sources of empty calories. Empty calories include all desserts, breads, baked goods, sodas, and wheat products. They contain almost nothing of nutritional value, except for perhaps some B vitamins and a bit of these micronutrients, but all of these nutrients can be obtained from animal and other plant products in much higher quantities.

Moreover, empty calories, particularly wheat-based calories, have downright negative effects on nutrient absorption. Wheat foods contain proteins called lectins, which bind with micronutrients strongly enough that they prevent normal digestive chemicals from being able to absorb the micronutrients themselves. For this reason, empty calorie foods such as bread can actually make an individual’s micronutrients pass right through her. When a woman replaces these empty, or even micronutrient-stealing calories with vegetables and animal products, she naturally increases her intake of just about every vitamin and mineral. Foods that are particularly rich in magnesium include nuts, cruciferous vegetables, and halibut. Foods rich in calcium include sardines, dairy products, cruciferous vegetables, and meats. Foods richest in potassium are bananas, avocadoes, tomatoes, cruciferous greens, and salmon. Organic vegetables have higher proportions of nutrients than inorganic ones.

Vitamin E has been shown by itself to reduce the pain of menstrual crampingGood sources of vitamin E are cruciferous vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, and chard, almonds, peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, and carrots. Vitamin E is also available in high amounts in meat products. Most importantly for paleo dieters, vitamin E is four times as concentrated in grass fed meats than feed lot meat.

Inflammation, cramping, and a paleo diet

A paleo diet is inherently anti-inflammatory. Inflammatory agents include gluten, other wheat proteins, sugar, particularly fructose, and omega-6 PUFAs which are found in almost all vegetable oils. A paleo diet is absent of these. As a matter of fact, calling a paleo diet an “anti-inflammatory” diet is spot on. The whole point of adopting a paleo diet is to reduce the inflammation that comes from eating toxins. Yet the benefit of a paleo diet is not just in toxin removal; it is also in the addition of helpful molecules. Paleo diets active include anti-inflammatory foods such as grass-fed ruminants, seafood, and vitamin- and anti-oxidant- rich plant products.

Reducing inflammation reduces the body’s hyper-reactivity to uterine physiology. With a calmed immune system, a woman’s body will not leap into inflammatory hyper-drive.

The most important molecule to focus on in a discussion of muscle contractions and menstruation is prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is an inflammatory eicosanoid, and it’s responsible for the contraction of muscles around the uterus at the time of menstruation.

The precursor to prostaglandin is arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid. Arachidonic acid has positive effects in the body, since the inflammatory process is necessary for homeostasis and maintaining optimal health, but when consumed in excess, it provides ample material for the body to mount inflammatory processes. Arachidonic acid is found naturally in animal products, particularly meat and egg yolks. This has caused many conventional nutritionists to demonize meat and egg yolks. Yet AA is also derived from the consumption of linoleic acid, another fatty acid, and linoleic acid is found in great amounts in soy, corn, and vegetable oils. A natural level of consumption of AA is optimal, and should be ingested in the natural, animal forms. With this kind of diet, the ratio of omega 6 fats to omega 3 fats is ~ 3:1 or 2:1, which is considered by most researchers today to be the optimal ratio. When vegetable oils are regularly consumed, the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats can spike to average American levels, ~ 20:1. That incites the painful, inflammatory response. No questions about it.

Hormone balance, estrogen dominance, stress, and a paleo diet

The final and most important piece of the puzzle is hormone balance. When hormones get out of balance, which is really easy for women today, many things can go wrong. A woman’s reproductive system is not to be messed with.

What goes wrong with menstrual cramping is that the uterine lining becomes too thick. With a larger lining, more tissue exists to produce prostaglandin. Moreover, more tissue needs to be shed, so more and more material needs to be squeezed through a smaller space (women with narrow cervixes are more prone to menstrual cramping). This also, as I hinted at above, means that the exorcised material will be heavier, and the period will last longer.

Estrogen is responsible for the thickening uterus. Therefore, estrogen dominance is the primary problem that most women with menstrual cramps suffer from. Estrogen causes their reproductive organs to go into productive hyper-drive, and their abdominal muscles suffer the results. If estrogen can be brought back down, a woman’s menstrual problems often cease.

Estrogen dominance is caused primarily by two factors: it is caused 1) by the consumption of phytoestrogens, and 2) it is caused by stress.

Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring plant chemicals that resemble, but are not identical to, a woman’s natural estrogen. What this means is that phytoestrogens enter a woman’s body through her diet and act as estrogen in her body. In some ways this phenomenon enhances normal estrogen functioning, and in other ways it inhibits the activity and signalling of true estrogen, since it confuses the body’s normal accounting mechanisms. With both phytoestrogens and true estrogens in the blood, the reproductive organs and hypothalamic receptors do not know how much estrogen to produce. Sometimes the pituitary will detect the phytoestrogens in the blood and go ahead and decrease it’s production of estrogen, such that a relative balance between estrogen-like chemicals and the rest of a female’s hormones is maintained in the bloodstream, yet other times the pituitary does not detect the phytoestrogens, and it goes on pumping out as much estrogen as it had previously. In this case, way too much estrogen is floating around in a woman’s bloodstream, and it’s causing all sort of reproductive havoc. This results in menstrual cramping. It is also a factor in PMS, PMDD, mood disorders, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and breast cancer.

Foods that contain phytoestrogens are legumes, nuts, and seeds. These should be avoided by all women. The worst of all of them, however, is soy, and is should be avoided at all costs by all women. Sometimes soy and other phytoestrogens are recommended to women during menopause to mitigate their symptoms, and this does sometimes help with hot flashes and the like. However, almost always soy leads to decreased ovulation, irregular menstruation, and impaired fertility. Phytoestrogens may resemble estrogen, but they are not estrogen, and that confusion has plagued the medical establishment and struggling women alike for decades.

A paleo diet eschews soy, legumes, and goes light on nuts and seeds. For this reason, it is helpful in restoring hormonal imbalance. A paleo diet also eliminates the toxins I mentioned above which contribute to systemic inflammation, which in turn can incite estrogen production, so in this way it helps restores balance. And finally, a paleo diet emphasizes natural, grass-fed animal consumption against feed-lot consumption, which minimizes the amount of foreign hormones and foreign hormone disruptors that are often injected into or fed to feed-lot livestock.

A paleo diet also emphasizes organic vegetables, or at the very least washing and peeling vegetables. Conventionally-grown vegetables are often coated in fertilizers and such that contain potent endocrine disruptors. It is important, especially during a person’s developmental years, to be as removed from these toxins as possible.

A second cause of estrogen dominance is stress. Physiological stress from consumption of modern toxins as well as emotional stress from modern living results in a decrease in progesterone production and an increase in estrogen production. The term “estrogen dominance” was first coined by Dr. Lee , and what it means is that estrogen is higher than the other hormones in the body. In his book, he talks mostly about how much faster progesterone production falls off in menopause than estrogen production does (by 120 times!). Estrogen levels may rise in response to stress, but it’s also important to note that estrogen dominance can also mean that estrogen levels stay the same while progesterone and testosterone levels fall. The only way to insure that progesterone secretion does not stop is to have the healthiest possible functioning HPA axis. This means reducing stress, both of the emotional kind and the physiological kind.

This being the case, a paleo diet is the optimal course of action. It markedly reduces all kinds of stress: it eliminates toxins, for example, but it also restores blood sugar balance by eliminating sugar from the diet, which improves mood, and it optimizes dopamine, serotonin, and GABA functioning, all of which are necessary for being in a good mood and having a healthy HPA axis, too.

A caveat: the female response to stress is complicated, and it does not always result in estrogen dominance. It can, for example, result instead in adrenal fatigue, or in stress-induced hypothalamic amenorrhea. In both of these cases, hormonal disruption does not lead to estrogen dominance. Yet in women with menstrual cramps, it is almost certain that this is the case, since excess estrogen is what causes uterine excess.

As a final note on hormone balance, being overweight contributes to estrogen dominance. Almost all human cells carry an enzyme called aromatase. What aromatase does is convert testosterone into estrogen. This means that if aromatase activity has increased in a woman, her estrogen levels will spike, but her progesterone levels will remain the same. The reason this happens in overweight women is because aromatase is highly active in fat cells. Worse than that, however, is the fact that aromatase activity begets more aromatase activity, such that being overweight can create a vicious cycle of fat gain and estrogen production. Many overweight women exist in a state of constant aromatization and estrogen production. One way to mitigate this problem is to stop consuming aromatase-exciting foods such as soy, and to instead eat foods such as cruciferous vegetables which activate enzymes in the liver responsible for clearing excess estrogen out of a woman’s body. Another way to mitigate this problem is with natural, non-restrictive weight loss. A paleo diet provides just such a template.

Exercise

One final way to restore hormonal balance and alleviate menstrual pain is with exercise. Exercise boosts serotonin levels, and serotonin helps with the pain response. Moreover, moderate exercise improves mood and mental clarity, improves glucose sensitivity, and better prepares the body to handle other stressors that come its way.

All that said…

hormone balance takes time. Sometimes results can be seen immediately, but sometimes the body needs months to heal and to readjust the sensitivity of its hormone receptors. For this reason, all of these steps help with menstrual pain, but patience and stress-reduction are possibly the most crucial steps of all.