Nicky Seabrook is a qualified Nutritional Therapist with previous experience of working as a Dietician in General Practice. Nicky offers nutritional therapy to clients with a variety of conditions and needs, but is particularly interested in supporting people with mental health issues, those seeking to improve overall emotional well-being, and children’s health and well-being.
In this article, Nicky outlines four key diagnostic tests that help to identify specific imbalances in people suffering with poor mental and emotional health. These tests, which are only available privately at this point in time, can be very useful to help a Nutritional Therapist or Naturopath determine which treatment might give the best outcomes for their clients.
Nutritional Testing to Support Mental Health
How would you describe your mental health and emotional wellbeing? Do you feel anxious and disconnected? Depressed and unable to sleep? Depressed but can sleep easily? Difficulty in concentrating? Prone to aggressive outbursts? Unable to remember things? Or emotionally unstable and craving sweet foods?
Groups of symptoms often occur together and this can help Nutritional Therapists to recognise an underlying biochemical imbalance present. For example, excessive sweating, nervousness, anxiety, irritability and insomnia are common symptoms suggesting that the adrenal glands are working over time or exhausted. Similarly, someone with depression who has obsessive tendencies, craves sweet foods and suffers with mood swings is more likely to be suffering from a serotonin deficiency.
Tests available to support mental health and emotional wellbeing
Most of us who go to our doctor with a physical pain or symptom are commonly offered a blood test to help the doctor confirm a diagnosis. Few of us, however, expect the same approach if we go along feeling depressed or anxious. There are no standard biochemical tests available on the NHS to help doctors decide which drug treatment might be the most appropriate.
There are, however a few tests available privately which can identify imbalances in people suffering with poor mental and emotional health. These can be very useful to help a Nutritional Therapist or Naturopath determine which treatment might give the best outcomes for their clients.
Below are descriptions of four tests which are available and widely used by
Nutritional Therapists.
- Measurement of Essential fatty Acid levels (blood test)
- Measurement of Homocysteine levels (blood test)
- Measuring for Pyruloria (urine test)
- Assessing adrenal health using the Adrenal Stress Test (saliva test)
Measurement of Essential Fatty Acid levels
Essential fats especially Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and Docohexanoic acid (DHA), which are members of the omega 3 family, are known to be crucial to brain function and structure and a deficiency of these fatty acids has been linked to various conditions including: hyperactivity, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, autism and bipolar disorder. Omega 3 fats help to build the neuronal connections in the brain and there are now several published controlled trials to show that supplementation with EPA can work as well as antidepressant drugs and without the side effects. Several nutritional laboratories in the UK measure essential fatty acid levels in the blood.
Measurement of Homocysteine levels
Methylation is a process in the body which is critical for keeping hormone and neurotransmitter levels in check. Poor methylation, which can result from a lack of B vitamins or a specific genetic fault, can cause mood swings, a feeling of disconnectedness, delusions and anxiety. To check whether you are methylating normally, a blood test can be carried out to measure the level of a protein called homocysteine in your blood. If this is high this is an indication that you are not methylating sufficiently for optimum health. A specific supplement of B vitamins can support normal methylation and reduce homocysteine levels to normal.
Pyroluria
Many people experiencing mental illness are deficient in vitamin B6 and zinc. However this is often not an ordinary deficiency that can be corrected by eating the right foods: it is the result of a higher than normal production of a group of chemicals called ‘pyroles’ in the body. Pyroles rob the body of zinc and vitamin B6 and so they must be supplemented in the diet in order for a person with Pyroluria to stay healthy. Schizophrenics are believed to be particularly at risk from this biochemical disorder. To test for Pyroluria there is a simple, inexpensive urine test which can be carried out at a private laboratory.
Adrenal stress test
The adrenal glands produce three motivating neurotransmitters and cortisol which helps the body to deal with day to day stress. If someone is experiencing a period of prolonged stress this can lead to permanently high levels of adrenalin and cortisol and create feelings of nervousness, irritability and muscle tension in the body.
How well the adrenal glands are coping with stress can be measured: the adrenal stress test involves providing 4 samples of saliva over a16 hour period and sending them off to a laboratory where measurements of cortisol and DHEA are carried out. The results give valuable information about the health of the adrenal glands and what treatment is best to restore the adrenal glands to full health.
What happens after testing?
After going through the testing process, a Nutritional Therapist can work with you to develop an ongoing nutrition plan that will address any deficiencies and support you to stay mentally and emotionally well.
For further information about testing and to find out how improved nutrition could benefit your mental health, email Nicky Seabrook via email or find out more on her web site.
Find out more about the UK laboratories that carry out the diagnostic tests listed above:
