Mental Health Biochemistry & Nutrients
Symptoms of mental health are often associated with underlying biochemical imbalances. BBH trains medical doctors and health practitioners to use a core set of pathology (blood and urine) tests to help identify biochemical imbalances. The results, in conjunction with patient’s symptoms and a detailed patient history, all assist in developing personalised treatment plans. Regular monitoring, through follow-up testing tracks patients’ progress to adjust treatment as needed, for optimal healing.
All health practitioners have a duty of care to complete a full medical history before selecting pathology to aid assessment and treatment planning. They have a duty of care to prioritise management of acute symptoms. At the same time, trained practitioners will investigate causes and biochemical changes and manage both the causes and the biochemical repair process.
BBH advocates nutrient supplementation only be undertaken after blood and urine testing to determine levels, and supplementation targeting only those which are not optimal.
People with any form of mental distress should be cautious in supplementation and work with health practitioners trained in nutrient rebalancing. Incorrect supplementation can increase symptoms, sometimes with unhelpful results.
Testing for nutrients assists in directing appropriate choice of psychotropic drugs. This can also be supported by pharmacogenetics testing.
Supplementation takes time to restore normal levels. Symptom reduction should follow return to normal nutrient levels, and should be monitored regularly. Some people can take years to restore levels, others a few weeks. Nutrients are in overdemand at times of major life events, and short-term supplementation can be used to keep levels optimal.
Long term biochemical disruption can make changes to patients’ DNA. This may mean supplementation, still accompanied by regular blood and urine testing to ensure levels are optimal, may be necessary for the long term.
At times, higher doses than recommended daily allowances are required to return to normal levels. These should be monitored by experienced health practitioners and testing conducted regularly to monitor progress.
Three supplements need to be highlighted. BBH training and this website will explain more.
Bio Balance Health is not a medical practice; we train medical doctors and health practitioners in these skills to incorporate into their own practice. Many trained doctors have long wait lists because of the positive experiences for their patients.
The same symptoms, and more, when used by a Bio Balance Health trained doctor are clustered into groups related to their biochemistry. This approach was developed by Psychiatrist Dr Carl Pfeiffer and continued by Chemical Engineer/ Mathematician, William J Walsh, PhD. Bill’s skill developed patterns related to the biochemistry and developed the use of the appropriate nutrients, for each individual, in high enough doses to supply the co-factors and co-enzymes needed, to stimulate repair and return to closer normal functioning. These concepts form the basis of BBH material, which has been further advanced through research and referencing of all training materials.
This has resulted in improved patient outcomes (Effectiveness of Targeted Nutrient Therapy) and an enhancement of the effect of psychiatric medication.
B6 can cause symptoms both when in excess and not enough. It is an essential nutrient. B6 toxicity can be debilitating so supplementing to increase must be monitored by regular testing. It is NOT associated with the pyrrole measure.
Zinc is essential for hundreds of processes in the body. Lack of zinc can increase storage of heavy metals. Supplementation by zinc can trigger a release of these metals, creating an oxidative burst with uncomfortable side effects. This does pass, often in about three weeks. This is a good sign to show the zinc treatment is working and the body is starting to detox. Symptoms may be eased by starting on a lower dose and gradually increasing to the prescribed level. Zinc supplementation may need to be in excess of the daily recommended levels to become adequate to restore function, to be adequate to reduce excess oxidative stress load, and adequate to return zinc to required storage levels. When these parameters are met, then normal supplementing may maintain optimal levels, with regular testing to indicate supplementation changes.
Iron has an important role in quenching oxidative stress, particularly hydrogen peroxide, as well as its role in oxygen transportation. As there is a cross-correlation, full iron levels, oxidative stress biomarker (AAL pyrroles in urine) levels, and inflammatory markers should be measured together. Iron level restoration is safest with dietary intake. Oral or IV iron supplementation can trigger an oxidative flood. This is why zinc and copper levels are measured with iron. Practitioners confident in iron supplementation should manage this process.
Zinc and Mental Health Disorders
In our extensive experience working with patients with various mental health disorders, BBH trained doctors have consistently observed a common biochemical imbalance of low zinc levels. Correcting this deficiency is an important therapeutic task in the treatment protocols.
Drawing from our own work and peer reviewed research from multiple centres we are confident to state the following:
Low zinc levels can be a predictor of treatment-resistant depression. The combination of zinc supplementation with SSRI medication is more effective in treating depression compared to zinc plus placebo.
When we started this work in 2004 conventional pathology companies cited the mean plasma zinc concentration in the general population as 20mm/l, however our findings among mental health patients revealed a mean zinc level of 14mm/l. Over time, as BBH trained doctors continued to assess thousands of zinc levels in mental health patients, pathology companies adjusted their reference ranges to reflect this lower mean plasma zinc level of 14mm/l. This adjustment likely reflects not only a decline in zinc levels due to inadequate dietary intake, but also the disproportionately high percentage of samples originating from mental health patients. BBH-trained doctors recognise that stabilisation of mental health symptoms hinges upon correcting zinc deficiency, with the target plasma level approaching 20mm/l.
Zinc forms an integral component of the core tests utilised by BBH-trained practitioners. While zinc supplementation may initially trigger detoxification symptoms in some individuals, these reactions can be managed by adjusting dosage and gradually increasing supplementation in smaller increments. Supplementing with antioxidants, such as Iron and Vitamin C, can also aid in managing these reactions. Regular testing of zinc levels is recommended until symptoms stabilise, followed by regular assessments to ensure ongoing balance.
It’s important to note that zinc testing should not be conducted in isolation, but rather as part of a comprehensive panel of core fundamental tests recommended by BBH. Addressing zinc deficiency as a foundational aspect of mental health treatment, aims to optimise patient outcomes and promote general well-being.
