Mental Health and Functional Medicine

If anyone has battled a mental health disorder, you know firsthand the frustration you feel in being put on the medication merry-go-round.  For some, medication can be a lifesaver and has its place, however, for many, medication is not curative, and its effectiveness may decrease over time. Taking a functional medicine approach where the health of the patient is assessed from a multi-system viewpoint, we can address the true health issues that may be undermining one’s mental health.

We cannot separate mental health from physical health – the two are intricately interconnected.  Functional medicine is a system of medicine that views the human body as an orchestrated network of interconnected systems rather than individual systems functioning autonomously without any effect on each other. The basic goal of functional medicine is to determine if there are issues with digestive health, detoxification and elimination, immune system imbalances, hormonal imbalances, chronic inflammation, nutritional deficiencies and chronic infections.  We are not necessarily treating disease but, rather, improving the overall health of the patient by addressing underlying imbalances.  By virtue of improving one’s overall health, the disease improves or goes away completely.  I must say, naturopathic medicine has always taken this approach.  

Back to the issue of mental health.  Some of the key points that were addressed at this conference were the effect of infections on mental health such as various strains of clostridia, yeast, strep and parasites. These can affect mental health by “causing an alteration of the biochemistry of host metabolic pathways or induction of autoimmunity” (William Shaw, PhD). Through the induction of certain biochemical pathways, neurotransmitters responsible for healthy brain chemistry can be altered leading to depression, anxiety or OCD.  Nutritional deficiencies can also contribute to mental imbalances.  B12 deficiency has been linked to fatigue, anxiety, depression, panic disorders, OCD and paranoia.  Zinc deficiency has been associated with anorexia nervosa.  Zinc is a key mineral in hundreds of biochemical processes.  If it is deficient, many biochemical processes will not occur.  

There are also a variety of nutrients needed to support the production of neurotransmitters. B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, vitamin C and vitamin D all play key roles in neurotransmitter production.  Deficiencies of essential fatty acids and cholesterol have been associated with increased irritability, ADD/ADHD, autism, and depression. EFAs and cholesterol have an influence on cell membrane fluidity and the support of healthy brain tissue.  Fluidity of cell membranes is crucial to cellular detoxification and uptake of nutrients.  Everything starts at the cellular level – if our cells aren’t healthy, we aren’t healthy.

The role of food allergies is also important. Most skin allergy testing only looks at the body’s immediate response (IgE) to an allergen.  If there is no reaction within a few minutes, it is assumed that there is no allergy. However, the body does have a delayed immune response which is less obviously linked to any particular allergen since these responses can occur up 72 hours later (IgG). Behavioral issues with children can often be associated with this type of delayed hypersensitivity reaction. The common offenders are usually the foods that the child consumes a lot of – wheat, gluten and dairy.  There are many correlations between food allergies and depression, anxiety, acute psychoses, autism and schizophrenia.  

Other topics of discussion include metal and chemical toxicity, hormone imbalances and poor digestion and absorption. The human brain is very susceptible to the effects of toxins because it is primarily composed of fatty tissue, and most toxins are fat soluble so will end up being stored in brain and other fatty tissue. The brain is also very metabolically active, so the effect of these toxins is accentuated in the brain and nervous system. Exposure to just about any toxin in high or repeated dosages can contribute to mental health disorders.

Hormone imbalances can also be associated with anxiety, depression and OCD. It is important to consider subclinical hypothyroidism and its association with depression.  Many patients present with a strong clinical picture supporting low thyroid function but are not treated because their TSH is within the lab’s reference range.  Low sex and adrenal hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, cortisol) are also associated with mental health disorders. Treating hormone imbalances can often relieve or cure mental health issues.

Digestive issues such as low stomach acid and chronic inflammation can lead to poor digestion and assimilation of vitamins and minerals needed to support healthy brain function. Food allergies, gluten sensitivity and infections can lead to chronic intestinal inflammation and poor elimination. Poor digestion and elimination can be the underlying cause of many disorders and should always be investigated and treated appropriately.

By providing a holistic and integrated approach to mental health disorders, we can better address the whole health of the person and bring about a significant change in their physical as well as mental health.