Whatever Weren’t We Thinking?

by DanM@cowseatgrass · Published November 1, 2017 · Updated November 6, 2022

NotThinking The belief that you should treat physical and psychological symptoms of a disease as separate or unrelated issues is – although potentially highly profitable – most likely not the best approach to improving long-term metabolic health and well-being.

When perceived through a wide lens, you can see that mood and anxiety disorders, such as chronic depression or generalized anxiety (even schizophrenia and bipolar), go hand in hand with various physical symptoms or biochemical, metabolic conditions or diseases. And this is not just a coincidence.

‘Findings suggest that mental disorders are antecedent risk factors of certain physical diseases in early life, but also vice versa.’ (Tegethoff M, et al., 2016)

‘The most substantial associations included those between affective disorders and diseases of the digestive system…anxiety disorders and arthritis…anxiety disorders and heart diseases…mental disorders and physical diseases often co-occur in childhood.’

‘In…adults with MDD (major depressive disorder), we found that a single session of WBH [whole-body hyperthermia] was significantly associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms when measured 5 days after treatment.’

Despite this, metabolic issues continue to get treated as though they are mainly inconsequential rather than inseparable from mood-related illness. It includes digestive distress, ongoing low-level inflammation, oxidative stress, blood sugar dysregulation and hypothyroidism.

The problem is that if you get taught to switch off your thinking and not even begin considering the connections between all the different mental and physical symptoms of disease, you will less likely notice them. And even less likely that you will understand them.

But regardless, the truth of the matter is that psychological dysfunction or instability directly connects to metabolic performance, and this is reasonably easy to observe, in both directions, with the proper use of the scientific method.

It is not to suggest that emotional or spiritual matters are unimportant, but rather that things that can interfere with metabolism can also impact the mind. And something that affects psychological state also affects how the body functions. Knowing this can open the way for innovative treatment of diseases of all kinds.

‘Chronically high anxious arousal and inflammation increase one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes…’

‘…increased incidence of depression in patients with diabetes can be a consequence of central insulin resistance.’

‘…5HT [serotonin] release after stress showed a significant increase with helpless behavior…’

‘…significant proportion of patients with depression exhibit increased inflammation, as measured by…inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase reactants, such as C-reactive protein…’

‘…we expect the exogenous administration of a single dose of 400 mg pregnenolone to reduce [and normalize] the amplitude response of the amygdala that is known to be increased in lonely individuals.’

Unfortunately, the often contradictory nature of “official” methods of dealing with issues of mind and body gets fueled by a variety of entrenched belief systems, which interfere with the ability to see the natural simplicity of proper metabolic function, precluding many logical and predictably practical solutions.

There is very little good reason to think that treating physical symptoms needs to make psychological symptoms worse and vice versa—the opposite sounds like a far more reasonable premise.

‘Examination of metabolic disorders in treatment-refractory depression identified an unexpectedly large proportion of patients with potentially treatable abnormalities.’

‘When patients with depression were compared with healthy controls, depression was associated with higher oxidative stress MDA [breakdown product of PUFA] levels…’

Unfortunately, a great deal of modern, so-called established science relating to nutrition and treatment is the product of decades worth of politically influenced, industry-driven propaganda, often backed up by biased and poorly performed studies and sometimes fraudulently manipulated results.

Erroneous foundational theories regarding health and disease can be so deeply-rooted that they can sometimes be almost invisible. But whether or not they are perceived, they can influence decisions and outcomes. Unfortunately, unless false premises get brought to light, there is often no realization that they played any part.

‘Increased caloric intake since 1970…not due to added sugars (including HFCS)…rather…due to increased consumption of all caloric nutrients,especially fats and flour and cereals…’

‘One of the most nutritionally important features of plant lectins is their ability to survive digestion by the gastrointestinal tract of consumers…they can disrupt lipid, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, promote enlargement and/or atrophy of key internal organs and tissues and alter the hormonal and immunological status…’

‘…a number of fermentable fiber supplements including pectin, corn bran, oat bran, undegraded carageenan, agar, psyllium, guar gum, and alfalfa have been shown to enhance tumor development.’

Ambiguous prescriptions like “all things in moderation”, “have a balanced diet”, “eat your vegetables”, “follow a clean eating meal plan”, or “consume lots of healthy high-fiber foods” are common. But they are misleading, are generally empty of any beneficial information, and are primarily based on incorrect interpretations with regards to nutritional science.

The moderation doctrine can, over time, quickly move a person into the realm of calorie restriction and under-fueling when what is often needed is better quality fuel and more of it.

‘…dieting is ineffective because it is a stressor…Chronic stress, in addition to promoting weight gain, has been linked with a host of negative health outcomes such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and impaired immune functioning…’

‘…lowering levels of…serotonin…reduces obesity and its complications by increasing brown adipose tissue (BAT) energy expenditure.’

The idea of simply eating a balanced diet to improve health no longer seems so helpful upon closer examination of the underlying scientific theories behind reasons given for recommending the types and quantities of foods making up the balance.

‘HFCS has the same sugars composition as other “benign” fructose-glucose sweeteners such as sucrose, honey, and fruit juice concentrates and dietary sources such as fruits and juices…’

‘…presence of…anti-nutritional and toxic factors in food legumes…substances include proteolytic inhibitors, phytohemagglutinins, lathyrogens, cyanogenetic compounds, compounds causing favism, factors affecting digestibility and saponins…’

‘…significant change in the Western diet, concurrent with the obesity epidemic, was a substitution of saturated fatty acids with polyunsaturated, specifically linoleic acid (LA)…The diet with 22.5% LA caused greater bodyweight gain, decreased activity, and insulin resistance compared to control and 1% LA…’

‘…sugar may provide the fuel needed to meet the energetic demands of stress, which may reduce the need for glucocorticoid-driven energy catabolism and mobilization of the body’s energy stores…’

High-fibre, vegetable-filled, “clean eating” is anything but clean. It relies upon poor quality “science” that ignores the digestion-interfering, stress-promoting, bacteria-feeding, inflammatory effects of excessive intake of anti-metabolic substances found in many kinds of veggies, mainly when eaten raw.

It becomes even more challenging to discover the severe harm these notions can do because of the vast amounts of poor-quality studies attempting to frame all sorts of biochemical substances which rise under stress as being responsible for improving metabolic health.

Serotonin is an excellent example. Unfortunately, it gets inappropriately referred to as the “happiness hormone”, implying that psychological dysfunction results from insufficient serotonin availability.

However, more and more scientific experiments are finding what has been scientifically demonstrated many times over many years, that serotonin is a promoter of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and general mood dysregulation.

‘…these data reveal a discrete 5-HT responsive circuit…that underlies pathological anxiety and fear associated with a hyperserotonergic state…SSRIs are currently a first-line treatment for anxiety and panic disorders but can acutely exacerbate symptoms, resulting in poor therapeutic compliance.’

The idea that rising serotonin improves mind states makes even less sense in light of the well-understood physiological relationship between high serotonin and many metabolic issues. It includes digestive distress, chronic inflammation, the promotion of degenerative disease states, obesity and cancer.

Add to that an awareness of the relationship between increased bacterial endotoxin and rising serotonin (and other stress substances like nitric oxide and estrogen) in connection with digestion and psychological state, and the idea that depression or anxiety is a low serotonin condition holds little water.

‘More than 90% of the body’s 5-HT (serotonin) is synthesized in the gut…the microbiota promotes 5-HT biosynthesis…targeting the microbiota can serve as a tractable approach for…treating 5-HT-related disease symptoms.’

‘…96 patients undergoing liver resection for malignant liver tumors…Patients with high IP5-HT [intra-platelet serotonin] levels…exhibited a reduction in morbidity, severe morbidity and LD [liver dysfunction]…patients receiving selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment…displayed…an increase in postoperative morbidity…’

‘…results suggest that endogenously released 5-HT [serotonin] activates 5-HT2A receptors to aggravate cerulein-induced pancreatitis. We propose that selective 5-HT2A antagonists may provide a new therapy for acute pancreatitis.’

‘…serotonin has more recently emerged as a growth factor for human tumor cells of different origins (carcinomas, glioma and carcinoids). Several data are also available on serotonin involvement in cancer cell migration, metastatic dissemination and tumor angiogenesis…The results of several studies showed that serotonin levels in the tumor played a crucial role in cancer progression.’

Even though the proposition that there is a causal connection between rising serotonin and the development of learned helplessness (or mood disorder symptoms in general) is not new, this information has done little to interfere with the sale of profitable pharmaceutical products specifically intended to increase 5-HT.

There is no good reason to believe that more of a substance that directly suppresses metabolism (including brain metabolism) would be necessary to improve psychological issues unless you also think that a “deficiency” is terrible for metabolism. In this case, you must accept that suppressing metabolism is the way to fix health issues. Some people suggest this; however, I am yet to hear an argument that sounds logical and convincing. The fact that serotonin can promote brain tumours should be enough information alone.

‘…increasing extracellular serotonin, SSRIs disrupt energy homeostasis and often worsen symptoms during acute treatment…symptom reduction is not achieved by the direct pharmacological properties of SSRIs, but by the brain’s compensatory responses that attempt to restore energy homeostasis. These responses take several weeks to develop, which explains why SSRIs have a therapeutic delay.’

When drugs fail to have their desired effect – or even when they cause a significant worsening of symptoms known to result from chronic stress and serotonin issues – results tend to be disregarded or rationalized away as unrelated “side-effects”.

‘…adverse effects studied were reported by over half the participants; most frequently Sexual Difficulties (62%) and Feeling Emotionally Numb (60%). Percentages for other effects included: Feeling Not Like Myself – 52%, Reduction In Positive Feelings – 42%, Caring Less About Others – 39%, Suicidality – 39% and Withdrawal Effects – 55%.’

‘…use of SSRIs and more generally of antidepressants with strong inhibition of serotonin reuptake are associated with an increased risk for ICH [intracranial hemorrhage], particularly in the first 30 days of use…’

‘In patients with diabetes, preadmission SSRI use was associated with increased mortality following ischaemic stroke, compared with nonuse.’

Biased and inaccurate observation and reporting of treatment results and effects can fuel a murkiness regarding interrelated problems. Moreover, it makes it very difficult to use logical investigation and holistic understanding to solve numerous complaints simultaneously.

‘Pregnenolone (PREG) and L-Theanine (LT) have shown ameliorative effects on various schizophrenia symptoms…blunted affect, alogia, and anhedonia…were found to be significantly improved…PREG-LT also significantly associated with a reduction of anxiety scores such as anxious mood, tension, and cardiovascular symptoms…and elevation of general functioning…’

‘…our findings show that prostaglandin-mediated modulation of serotonergic transmission controls the affective component of inflammatory pain.’

‘…rapid recovery (less than 7 days) from major depression using 125-300 mg of magnesium…with each meal and at bedtime. Magnesium was found usually effective for treatment of depression in general use. Related and accompanying mental illnesses in these case histories including traumatic brain injury, headache, suicidal ideation, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, postpartum depression, cocaine, alcohol and tobacco abuse, hypersensitivity to calcium, short-term memory loss and IQ loss were also benefited.’

Little wonder confusion arises when consuming “health foods” – promoted as healthy because they raise serotonin and nitric oxide or are high in harmful polyunsaturated fats – cause obvious digestive distress and other symptoms and worsen anxiety and depressive feelings.

The chances of believing something that makes you feel sick is helping you go up if there is a disconnect between biology and popularly promoted approaches to health and well-being.

A more comprehensive look at the history of physiology can make it easier to see the interrelationship between symptoms that, more and more today, are being treated as if they are isolated, unrelated conditions.

‘Cyproheptadine was effective in improving symptoms of functional abdominal pain, functional dyspepsia, in a relatively larger number of patients. Patients in smaller numbers had significant improvement 13/18 (72%) abdominal migraine, 10/10 (100%) IBS, and 6/8 (75%) cyclic vomiting syndrome. This is the first time report of improvement in IBS.’

‘There was a significantly stronger expression of serotonin in the prickle cells, sweat gland cells, sebaceous gland cells, and hair roots of the lesions in patients with chronic eczema. There was no positive expression of serotonin in normal skin.’

‘Stress and stress-induced anxiety play a major role in functional intestinal disorders…our data propose a therapeutic use of Lys [l-lysine] in the treatment of stress-related intestinal disorders, in which 5-HT sensitization and concurrent anxiety disorder are diagnosed.’

‘…data support the hypothesis that 5-HT2B [serotonin] receptors located on endothelial cells of meningeal blood vessels trigger migraine headache through the formation of nitric oxide.’

When the biochemistry of stress gets discussed honestly, logically and holistically, interactions often misunderstood or ignored can begin to be seen as clues for improving metabolism. It includes excess estrogen or serotonin regarding stress and disease, the relationship between sugar and salt consumption with mood regulation, and the inflammatory effects of the breakdown of PUFAs and metabolic illness in general.

‘Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men…instances of depression in females are associated with levels of reproductive hormones and their fluctuations across time…the change in level of estrogen is critical…exposure to the stressor…increases estrogen…evidence that a disruption in the HPA activity is associated with depression, at least in males…’

‘…evidence that consumption of beverages sweetened with sugar, but not the artificial sweetener aspartame, inhibits stress-induced cortisol secretion in humans….sugar consumption…associated with greater activation of the hippocampus, which is typically inhibited during acute stress…’

‘…evidence for direct estrogenic regulation of CRF gene expression provides a compelling mechanism for sexual dimorphism of stress reactivity and prevalence of stress-related psychopathology in women…’

‘Several studies have shown a positive association between depression and obesity…Selected sex hormone parameters were significantly different in overweight and obese compared to normal weight males…Depressive symptomatology was associated with increased estradiol levels in younger men, regardless of BMI.’

A better understanding of metabolic function would logically and predictably show how things work together more rather than less.

‘…progesterone treatment decreased serum corticosterone compared to the controls and sham….results indicate that single dose progesterone may be effective for treating anxiety caused by TBI (traumatic brain injury).’

Unfortunately, whilst the objectives of industry and government remain the driving force behind decisions over what to produce and promote, it’s unlikely biological principles relating to nutrition and disease (pointing to standard approaches to a multitude of health-related problems) will play a large part.

I’m not a doctor or scientist; none of this is advice. However, as long as misinformation and confusion are the driving force behind what is considered safe or beneficial, it’s unlikely official approaches to treatment and prevention of disease (physical and psychological) will include good information for the holistic improvement of metabolism.

‘…results strongly implicate 5-HT engagement…in acute SSRI induced aversive behaviours…and could potentially be involved in the early adverse events seen in clinical populations…’

‘The time differential between the onset of 5HT reuptake inhibition by SSRIs (minutes) and onset of their antidepressant efficacy (weeks to months), when considered with their overall poor therapeutic effectiveness, has cast some doubt on the role of 5HT in depression…’

Many still believe that “they’re searching for a cure” and that “they have our best interests at heart”, but what if that’s just another product of conditioned, unexamined thought bubbles?

Copyright 2021, by Dan M @ CowsEatGrass. All rights reserved (except for quotations and images having their own protected copyrights). This copyright protects author-publisher Dan M’s right to future publication of his work in any manner, in any and all media — utilizing technology now known or hereafter devised — throughout the world in perpetuity. Everything described in this publication is for information purposes only. The author-publisher, Dan M, is not directly or indirectly presenting or recommending any part of this publication’s data as a diagnosis or prescription for any ailment of any reader. If anyone uses this information without the advice of their professional health adviser, they are prescribing for themselves, and the author- publisher assumes no responsibility or liability. Persons using any of this data do so at their own risk and must take personal responsibility for what they don’t know as well as for what they do know.