Fall is a time of transition, and for many, transitions can be hard and even elicit anxiety. That’s why, I chose to talk about some physiologic root causes of anxiety this week. Physical drivers can be exacerbated by mental/emotional triggers, and by unsupportive thoughts and behaviors. This is a very important point to let sink in, as the root causes of anxiety are usually multi-faceted, and do best with a multi-dimensional approach, including functional medicine science, mental emotional support with a licensed therapist, and mainstream medicine. Now let’s dive in!
1. Cortisol Imbalance
Cortisol is our stress hormone, secreted by the adrenal glands that sit on top of your kidneys. Cortisol often gets a bad rap, but this hormone is essential for life, but it is meant to elevate in short, rare isolated situations, and then return to normal. When we have been living a “go-go-go” and “do-do-do” lifestyle, we tend to experience elevated cortisol all of the time, which can lead to anxiety. If this high stressed state continues for months, or years, then you are at risk for “burnout”. This is when our body, in its wisdom, recognizes that we can not thrive with high cortisol coursing through our bloodstream, so it turns down the dial on cortisol secretions. This will lead to fatigue and exhaustion, which should make us rest and recover. Unfortunately, most of us just grab a coffee and push through it. The problem with this is that when cortisol is low, we will depend on adrenaline surges for energy, which can cause more anxiety and inflammation in the body.
2. Insulin Resistance:
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar levels. If you are a carb lover or one of my sweet tooth peeps, listen up. When we eat sugar and carbs in excess it can lead to spikes and drops in blood sugar levels. When it is low, the body cues the stress hormones. Enter cortisol and adrenaline again, as well as anxiety. If you are curious about your own blood sugar levels: Ask your healthcare provider for fasting glucose, HbA1c% and fasting insulin in your blood work.
3. Mineral Imbalances:
Those that have been following me for a while may remember that when we are stressed, our body’s produce less digestive secretions, including stomach acid. We need stomach acid to break down our minerals and protein (amino acids). I could go on forever here, but a few examples associated with anxiety are suboptimal magnesium levels (magnesium supports the production of GABA: a calming neurotransmitter in the brain), zinc/copper imbalance (excess copper can be a root cause of anxiety. This is something not uncommon in those eating vegan and vegetarian diets), and low amino acids like tryptophan. Tryptophan is a precursor to the hormone serotonin, which affects mood, behavior, memory and pain perception.
4. Estrogen Dominance:
This can occur in men and women, as our body fat produces estrogen. It can be more common in women, particularly those in the perimenopausal years, and in some women suffering with PCOS and PMDD. This can lead to heavy painful periods, insomnia, and irritability. This is also because estrogen stimulates mast cells and histamine release in the body, which can lead to anxiety, migraines, hives, hay fever and heavier periods.
5. Gut Microbiome Imbalance:
We have already touched on this above when we discussed the effect of slowed digestion on mineral and protein digestion and absorption in the body. Also, prolonged high or low cortisol will lead to decreased immune function, allowing trouble making bugs in the gut to flourish, and decrease levels of “good” bacteria. Yeast for example, when overgrown in the gut, secretes toxins that can cause oxidative stress to the brain. Low levels of bifidobacteria can contribute to anxiety as it helps with production of GABA, our calming neurotransmitter!
This stuff is wild right?!! I love sharing this with you all, and my purpose is always to help you empower yourselves to heal. There is so much more interconnectedness in the body that we realize. Stay tuned for my next newsletter, where I will breakdown what you can do about these imbalances!
