Nutritional Therapies and Exercise Therapy
For our last blog post in interventional psychiatry, we are going to talk about three forms of therapy that each hold a unique place in the field; nutritional therapy and exercise therapy. Though each very different, they result in very similar changes in the brain -- neurotransmitters involved in mood increase and areas of the brain involved in mood regulation change and begin to look like a more healthy brain. One of the best things about these forms of therapy are that they have a low side effect profile and very few risks. Therefore, those who are elderly, pregnant, or cannot handle medication side effects may lean towards these forms of therapeutic intervention.
Nutritional supplements allow the body to naturally increase the neurotransmitters that are often depleted in those suffering from mental illness. Let’s walk through some of the major players when it comes to nutritional supplements. In the case of depression, a supplement called tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin which means that ingested it can restore serotonin levels leading to diminished depression (Lakhan and Vieira 2008). Tyrosine is an amino acid that can be converted into the amino acid phenylalanine. Both of these amino acids are converted into dopamine and norepinephrine, two neurotransmitters implicated in psychiatric illnesses (Lakhan and Vieira 2008). Even disorders that have a strong genetic link and rely strongly on medication management can still be helped by nutritional therapy. For example, Taurine is an amino acid made in the liver and is known to elicit a calming effect in the brain. It has been shown that a deficiency of this amino acid may increase manic episodes in bipolar patients (Lakhan and Vieira 2008). As you can see, the right nutrients can be vital for mental health. Serotonin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, which is lined with a hundred million nerve cells . Therefore, these neurons are highly influenced by bacteria. This limits inflammation, improves how well people absorb food, and activates neural pathways that are involved in both the gut and the brain (Selhub 2020). People with mental health problems will often be guided towards supplements that may supplement their therapy.
Exercise therapy has been shown to greatly impact one’s mental health and can be used as a therapeutic technique. Exercise isn’t just about getting your body in shape or looking good, it actually has real, physiological effects in the brain. For example, studies have shown that exercise improves sleep and releases neurotransmitters such as serotonin and endorphins, which are both implicated in mood, dampening of pain, and a feeling of calm (therapistaid). Furthermore, exercise can help fight antidepressant side effects. Because of antipsychotic induced weight gain in those with schizophrenia, may doctors implement exercise regiments that help to fight obesity (Sharma et. al 2006). Furthermore, exercise helps people keep a routine and discipline themselves. For those with depression for instance, it is extremely hard for them to initiate tasks on their own so when assigned exercise by a therapist, they begin to structure their lives. In a study by Pelham and Campagna, they noted that after a 12 week exercise course, 89% of patients felt that the therapy was valueable (Daley 2018). Compared to antidepressant therapy, exercise seems to be viewed extremely positively and is a treatment that should be utilized.
References
Harvard Health. (2020, March 26). Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
Sharma, Ashish, et al. “Exercise for Mental Health.” Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc., 2006, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/.
Daley, Amanda J. “Exercise Therapy and Mental Health in Clinical Populations: Is Exercise Therapy a Worthwhile Intervention?: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment.” Cambridge Core, Cambridge University Press, 2 Jan. 2018, www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/exercise-therapy-and-mental-health-in-clinical-populations-is-exercise-therapy-a-worthwhile-intervention/F73A667D4E5AE4484D8970EE7B86DF28.
Lakhan, Shaheen E, and Karen F Vieira. “Nutritional Therapies for Mental Disorders.” Nutrition Journal, BioMed Central, 21 Jan. 2008, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2248201/.