Q. Can fear & anxiety be related to some imbalance in the body systems or vitamin deficiency?

A. I am thankful that you are thinking outside the standard box.

I am going to explain something that all doctors should understand; however, the strength of the pharmaceutical companies creates a blind eye.

Fear and anxiety are definitely related to biochemical imbalances in the body systems.

Biochemical imbalances are directly tied to nutritional imbalances and genetics.

Nutritional imbalances are due to dietary choices, digestive disorders, pathetic farming principles (GMO, herbicides, pesticides) and poorly nourished soils.

Genetics are directly tied to your parents, obviously. Less obviously, but significantly important, genetics are directly tied to epigenetics.

Epigenetics are directly tied to biochemical imbalances and nutrition. To learn more about Epigenetics, visit Wikipedia's article on epigenetics and Epigenome.

Thus, we are full circle.

Given that, you can see there is a lot of potential to calm fear and relieve anxiety by balancing and optimizing body systems.

Knowing where to start is a bit overwhelming and if you tackle all of it at once, it is definitely overwhelming.

Let me tell you about a HIV+ patient I had who was suicidal and depressed every other week and in the interim, he was breaking dishes in the house out of anger.

This is extreme. He was extreme. The first appointment we had together was pretty extreme.

But I stuck to the basics and those led to outstanding results.

After I had him sign a contract stating he would not take his own life, we began the appointment.

I inquired, "What is your diet?"

"I don't eat. I don't have time."

That is a common response for those suffering from anxiety, depression or other mood disorders.

I responded, "You have to eat something at some point. What do you eat when you do finally end up eating?"

"Donuts, ice cream, sugar basically."

Nice. I then asked him a question that I knew would floor him. "Do you often get cold sweats, shake and tremble?"

"Yes! I'm always getting cold and then start sweating like crazy. Been like this for years."

This guys nervous system was constantly in the sympathetic mode which is the 'fight or flight' mode. Adrenaline and cortisol are constantly being secreted by his body. These two hormones cause anxiety and fear.

I explained him that the body releases these hormones when people don't eat in order to maintain glucose flowing to the brain. If the brain doesn't get fuel, we faint, go into a coma and then die.

My recommendation to him was to eat protein every two hours and that would limit his sugar cravings. I knew he didn't have time to make a breakfast, lunch or dinner so we discussed how to make great tasting smoothie shakes in the morning or when he was in a rush, which energy bars he could use as meal replacements and what protein foods were excellent for on the go.

I scheduled him to see me in two weeks. I was nervous for him and his wife. You don't simply deal with suicidal patients or those who have intense anger lightly. Here I was simply prescribing a guy this extreme to eat protein every two hours during the day. No supplements. No medications. Given that he was HIV+, he was already taking a slew of medications and money was an issue otherwise I would have prescribed a number of additional nutrients.

I watched him walk out of the room to the appointment desk. He made the appointment. Good sign.

Two weeks later, he and his wife didn't even make it past the appointment desk when they checked in. She came over to me and gave me a huge hug and was crying. He came over and shook my hand rigorously and gave me a slap on my shoulder.

His wife said, "Thank you. I have my husband back."

He told me, "I didn't think it would work but I did it as I was so desperate. I couldn't believe how fast I recovered. Thank you."

This patient showed me the power of dietary intake and nutritional deficiencies.

If we can reverse suicidal tendencies and intense anger purely with diet, then what can't we reverse?

For you, I recommend the same with some additional suggestions. Write these down or print this out.

1. Eat smaller meals more often and make sure they have some form of protein with them. Beans, quinoa, nuts, seeds, grain butters, quality meal replacement energy bars, whey protein powders. One needs to eat around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 0.37 grams of protein per pound. So for a person weighing 150 pounds, should eat 55 grams of protein a day. I recommend healthy forms of protein like grass fed beef, wild salmon, whole grains like quinoa, chia seeds, hemp, beans and nut butters.
2. Determine your fears and causes of anxiety. What are they? Write them all down. Look at them. Then sort them with the easiest fear to conquer to the most difficult. Put the easiest fear to conquer on the top. Why do you fear that? Why does it make you anxious? Is it reasonable that you are scared of it? Can it harm you? Has it harmed you? What can you do to prevent it from scaring you? There is a great system to conquer fears and anxieties. It is called Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT for short. I highly recommend it. You may even do it over the phone with a credible EFT practitioner. 
3. Refill your likely magnesium and vitamin B6 deficiency. Magnesium is commonly low in everyone and even more so in those suffering from anxiety and fear. Vitamin B6 is commonly low in those suffering from imbalanced moods such as anxiety and fear. It is interesting to note that research shows magnesium being better absorbed with the active co-enzyme form of vitamin B6 which is known as pyridoxal-5-phosphate. This active co-enzyme form of Vitamin B6 is so potent that the drug companies are trying to take it back as a prescription drug. Let's hope they lose as if they get it, it will cost a fortune. You may find that Magnesium Plus by Seeking Health contains the active co-enzyme form of Vitamin B6 and the chelated form of Magnesium as magnesium glycinate. This form of magnesium is well tolerated and is highly absorbed. I recommend you start with 1 capsule at night time and see how you do. If not improvement or only slight, take 1 capsule at evening and another in the AM on rising. If you notice more improvement but not yet quite enough, take 1 capsule three times a day. I prefer to start slowly with effective supplementation instead of jolting the body systems.
4. Calm the mind. Meditation is fantastic. Try to practice as often as you can. It is quite easy to do. I recommend sitting on a comfortable quiet area with fresh air. Place a cushion under your buttocks in order to elevate you a little. This seems to work better as it aligns your spine well. Then focus on something about 3 feet in front of you that is stationary. Stay focused on it and do not wander your gaze. If thoughts enter your mind, let them in and out. Don't focus on the thoughts. Simply let them flow through. Practice longer and longer each day and get comfortable with it.
5. Restore the health of your membranes. Research shows that high doses of EPA and DHA calm anxiety. I have attached a full study to this article for you. Scroll below to download it. I recommend a high potency fish oil that is high in EPA and DHA. The dose I recommend is a minimum of 3 grams a day of omega 3 oils. I suggest you take 2 teaspoons with a meal a day of Finest Pure Fish Oil by Pharmax. It tastes great, is tested for toxins and is potent. To make the fish oil go down easily, I recommend making a smoothie. Add 2 cups of filtered water, a whey protein powder of your choice, 2 teaspoons of fish oil, frozen blueberries or raspberries or other fruits of your choice, a touch of agave nectar or maple syrup, blend and enjoy. If you prefer fish oil capsules, I recommend Finest Pure Fish Oil capsules by Pharmax.
6. Restore basic nutrients with a complete multivitamin. Numerous nutrients are needed in order to make neurotransmitters. If any one nutrient is missing, the biochemistry won't work. It is like starting your car. If you have a nice car, the keys, doors unlocked, and all parts are operating well. You start it but ...you can't go anywhere. There is a car behind you that is not yours. It won't move. You cannot go anywhere. That is the same thing with making neurotransmitters. You can have the right amino acids to build the neurotransmitters, you have the magnesium, you have the fish oil, and the magnesium. But...no zinc. No riboflavin. No CoQ10. Reaction is stuck. You don't see any improvement and get mad that you're still anxious and fearful. A quality multivitamin will have many of the requirements you need. I recommend the Pharmax Four Pillars No Iron for men or the Pharmax Four Pillars for women.

As with any condition, I recommend you evaluate the causes of your symptoms. Read this article and use the chart to determine what is causing your symptoms.

These recommendations will greatly reduce or eliminate your anxiety.

Please post further questions, comments or follow up, do post a comment below.

If you'd like a free 15 minute phone consult with me to go over this information, schedule a phone consult with me.

Dr Ben

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