Mind and Body

Just a quick FYI: In case you don't get TIME magazine, or even if you do, but just don't read it, I highly recommend the latest edition dated Jan.29th. It covers many facets of brain science and the study of the mind, including my practice favorite.... how stress affects the brain.

Happy New Year and Synergy for all!

I had a patient ask me why taking B6 with 5HTP makes it work better, and ironically just received this condensed reader friendly explanation of why from a nutraceutical company...so here it is. May 2007 find all your neurotransmitters working synergistically.

Serotonin production is tightly regulated in the body. Serotonin taken orally does not pass into the serotonergic pathways of the central nervous system because it does not cross the blood-brain barrier. However, 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), from which serotonin is synthesized, can and does cross the blood-brain barrier. Production of serotonin from 5 HTP requires a decarboxylase enzyme that is dependent on vitamin B6. One product of serotonin breakdown is 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5 HIAA) which is excreted in the urine. Serotonin and 5 HIAA are sometimes produced in excess amounts by certain tumors or cancers. Certain drugs are capable of leading to overproduction of serotonin such as ecstasy. Click here for neurotransmitter chart.