by Dr. Taggy Bensaïd | Depression, General Health, Hormones, Prescription Drugs
In our fast-paced world, antibiotics have become a go-to solution for many infections. While they can be life-saving, their overuse often comes with unintended consequences for our health.
As a holistic doctor, I see many patients struggling with issues linked to antibiotic overuse, and I want to shed light on how these medications can disrupt the delicate balance of your microbiome, hormones, and even affect behaviors.
The connection between gut health, mental well-being, and hormonal balance is a growing area of research. The microbiome—your body’s ecosystem of beneficial bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms—plays a central role in regulating these systems. When antibiotics disrupt this delicate balance, the effects ripple throughout the body and impact not only physical health but also emotional, hormonal, and behavioral health.
The Gut-Brain Connection and Mental Health
The gut and brain are in constant communication through a bidirectional network called the **gut-brain axis**, which involves the vagus nerve, immune system, and signaling molecules like neurotransmitters.
1. Impact on Neurotransmitter Production
- The gut microbiome is responsible for producing 95% of the body’s serotonin (the “feel-good” neurotransmitter) and over 50% of the dopamine (linked to motivation and reward).
- Disrupting gut flora through antibiotics can lead to reduced production of these neurotransmitters, resulting in mood imbalances like depression, anxiety, and irritability.
2. Increased Inflammation
- Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis often leads to a leaky gut, allowing toxins and inflammatory molecules (like lipopolysaccharides) to enter the bloodstream.
- These inflammatory signals can cross the blood-brain barrier, contributing to neuroinflammation, which has been linked to conditions like anxiety, depression, and even neurodegenerative diseases.
3. Behavioral Changes
- Studies show that altering the gut microbiome can affect behavior, including increased stress sensitivity and changes in social interaction. Antibiotic use has been linked to increased aggression and reduced cognitive flexibility.
4. Increased Risk of Mental Health Disorders
- Research suggests a connection between long-term antibiotic use and a higher risk of developing mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, major depression, and bipolar disorder.
- This could stem from both microbiome disruption and nutrient deficiencies caused by antibiotics, which impair the absorption of key vitamins like B12 and magnesium.
Hormonal Imbalances Caused by Antibiotic Overuse
The microbiome also plays a critical role in hormone metabolism. When antibiotics disrupt this system, hormonal balance is thrown off, leading to:
1. Estrogen Imbalance
- The gut microbiome helps regulate estrogen levels through the **estrobolome**, a collection of bacteria responsible for metabolizing estrogen.
- Dysbiosis can lead to elevated or insufficient estrogen levels, which may cause symptoms such as:
- Irregular periods
- Severe PMS or PMDD
- Increased risk of estrogen-dominant conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, and breast cancer
2. Cortisol Dysregulation
- Chronic gut inflammation from dysbiosis can overstimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to elevated cortisol levels.
- Prolonged high cortisol contributes to adrenal fatigue, disrupted sleep patterns, and increased anxiety.
3. Thyroid Function
- The microbiome influences thyroid hormone conversion. A compromised gut can impair the conversion of T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) into T3 (active thyroid hormone), leading to symptoms of hypothyroidism such as fatigue, weight gain, and depression.
4. Reproductive Hormones
- An unhealthy gut can disrupt the balance of progesterone and testosterone, potentially causing:
- Low libido
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
- Fertility challenges
Behavioral Changes and Antibiotics
The interplay between microbiome health and behavior is complex. Here are some notable ways in which antibiotic use can lead to changes in behavior:
1. Mood Swings and Irritability
- Dysbiosis can cause rapid changes in mood due to fluctuations in neurotransmitter levels and increased inflammation.
- Many people report feeling “off” or irritable during or after a course of antibiotics.
2. Cravings for Unhealthy Foods
- Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis often promotes the overgrowth of yeast and harmful pathogens that thrive on sugar.
- This leads to intense sugar and carbohydrate cravings, further perpetuating poor gut health.
3. Fatigue and Cognitive Fog
- Imbalances in the gut microbiome can interfere with nutrient absorption (e.g., B vitamins, iron, and magnesium), leading to fatigue and brain fog.
- This also impacts memory, concentration, and decision-making abilities.
4. Stress and Anxiety
- Disrupted gut health increases the stress response, making individuals more sensitive to everyday stressors.
- Studies have shown that a healthy microbiome helps regulate the body’s stress response via the HPA axis.
Talk to your practitioner on How to Prevent and Reverse These Effects through:
1. Supporting Your Gut Before, During, and After Antibiotic: the use of a supplement like Glutathione and Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast, can be especially helpful in maintaining gut balance.
2. Adopt a Gut-Healthy Diet
- Talk to your practitioner about the ideal diet for you, but focusing on avoiding inflammatory foods such as sugar, refined carbohydrates, and dairy can help starve unhealthy organisms.
3. Consider Testing and Targeted Interventions
- Ask your practitioner about further functional testing to assess gut health, hormone levels, and nutrient deficiencies.
If you’ve experienced chronic health issues after antibiotic use—such as recurrent infections, digestive problems, or hormonal imbalances—it may be time to talk to one of our practitioners about it. The right holistic testing like our Gut Zoomer or Nutrafol tests for gut dysbiosis or leaky gut syndrome can help identify specific imbalances, guiding a personalized plan to restore your health.
Dr. Taggy, ND
by Dr. Amanda Childress | Depression, Stress and Anxiety Articles
Anxiety is a condition that is very disruptive to daily life.
Could there be a nutritional component to anxiety?
Over the years, I have talked to hundreds of anxiety sufferers. Each case is very different. However, there is one common thread all these cases share …nutritional deficiency. There is a nutritional component to anxiety sufferers.
How is anxiety related to nutrition?
Regardless of whether nutritional deficiencies are the cause of your anxiety or an after effect, there is always a nutritional component. If you are anxious, your hormonal organs and glands are working overtime. As a result, your system burns through your nutritional reserves at an accelerated pace. The more your nutritional reserves deplete, the harder time your body has physically coping with anxiety which can make anxiety much worse. Thus, there’s a link between anxiety and vitamin deficiency. This continuous nutrient depletion is a terrible downward spiral!
Cause of Anxiety
Each person describes/experiences anxiety differently. Thus, it stands to reason that there are different causes to blame. Obviously, stressful and uncertain circumstances can spur or exacerbate anxiety. There are mental/emotional components in many cases. The majority of cases also have a physical component. Did you know that a symptom of B vitamin deficiency is emotional disturbances and feelings of impending doom? Low blood sugar can also present as anxiety.
How do you know if your anxiety has a physical component?
Some signs often point to the physical cause of anxiety. An excellent way to determine this is to reflect on this question:
What does your anxiety feel like?
Truly reflect on this question. Think not only about how you feel emotionally, but how your body feels. If you experience physical effects of the anxiety, such as chest pain, shakiness or stomach pains (just to name a few), chances are there’s something physical going on.
How can I improve my anxiety through nutrition?
There’s so much you can do naturally to feel better and improve anxiety! Low blood sugar is such a huge component so make sure you are eating protein for breakfast and not skipping meals. Cutting out white sugar (Confused about sugar? This should help. Blog) and refined carbs can be a lifesaver as well! Natural Calm is a safe and broadly available nutritional supplement that can alleviate anxiety and promote good sleep. It is a magnesium powder drink. You can buy it through your practitioner at The NHCAA or at most health food stores. As B vitamin deficiency is so prevalent in anxiety cases, a whole food sourced vitamin B for anxiety can also be very helpful. Quality matters, so steer clear of synthetic B vitamins for anxiety! They can be overstimulating and can create other deficiencies. If you have done the above actions and you still have symptoms or if your anxiety is severe, don’t despair!
These different types of stress signs indicate that you need to take targeted supplementation for your trouble areas. As there are many causes, you should consult with an NHCAA practitioner to find out the best route for you and to understand vitamin B and anxiety.
Call 734-302-7575 to set an appointment with me!
Or sign up using the New Patient Form.
Yours in Health.
Amanda Childress, Holistic PharmD
Medications vs. Nutritional Healing
Dr. Amanda, Pharmacist and NHCAA Practitioner, tells what medications do to the body and how nutritional healing is a better alternative in most cases.
by Dr. Amanda Childress | Depression, Prescription Drugs
Do you have “side effects” from the drugs you are taking?
Reduce prescription drugs’ side effects by reading these five steps written by a holistic pharmacist!
The definition of a side effect of a drug is any effect other than the intended effect. Anything that happens as a result of a drug that is undesirable is labeled as a “side effect.”
Side effects of prescription drugs are unavoidable. As a Doctor of Pharmacy, I know medicine and drugs have the ability to help people who need them. However, their good effects are very limited. Helping people reduce the need for most if not all, prescription drugs should be the true goal of healthcare. Here is a list of tips to reduce your medications’ side effects and hopefully minimize the need for any or most of them. Learn how to reduce the side effects of medicine below.
- Make healthy lifestyle changes. The primary change that aids in reducing the side effects of medicine on the body is a healthy diet. Healthy eating is rich in protein, healthy fats, vegetables and low in carbohydrates, processed foods, and sugar. I cannot think of a single medical condition that is not aggravated by eating sugar and refined carbohydrates. Other healthy changes include drinking plenty of water, using Celtic sea salt instead of table salt and exercise regularly.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about lowering and potentially weaning off your prescriptions. Most drugs cause more side effects at higher doses. In my experience, many people are at a much higher dose than needed for symptom relief. In fact, it’s been my observation that less than 5 percent of all drugs prescribed are necessary.
- Take gentle detoxification supplements. Medications must be filtered out of the body and eliminated. If the body is not efficiently clearing these substances out, it can increase the pharmaceutical drugs’ side effects. Most drugs are eliminated primarily by the kidneys or the liver. There are many whole food and herbal supplements that can support the body in these filtering functions. Whenever drug detoxification is involved, you should be monitored by a licensed health care practitioner well versed in the application of supplements for detoxification.
- Educate yourself. Make sure you read and research all side effects of your prescription drugs online or in the packaging from the pharmacy. You need to be able quickly to identify what is happening if you do experience “side effects” from medication. Make sure to check online many medicines’ side effects go unreported and do not make it into the official labeling. You can just type the drug name plus the word “side effects.” Another resource is www.askapatient.com.
- Heal your body naturally for symptom relief. The majority of medications target symptoms and do not facilitate healing. When you have a symptom, it is a cry for help from your body. This S.O.S. is an indication of underlying organ dysfunction and nutritional deficiencies. A targeted whole food supplement program individualized for you through Nutrition Response Testing will help support and heal the stressed organs.
I am a trained pharmacist and NRT practitioner. I have helped many improve their health by getting off drugs and implementing a whole food program along with the appropriate supplements specific to their body’s needs.
Dr. Amanda
Your Wholistic Pharmacist
Read Dr. Amanda’s Bio
by Kerry Cradit | Depression
Got the Winter Blues?
Are there natural ways to defeat depression?
The colder, darker months of winter have arrived. I’m ready for a sunny destination vacation! How about you?
If that’s not in your plan for the next couple of months here are some winter depression tips and ideas to help you defeat depression.
- Get plenty of rest. Our schedules are often blamed for not getting enough hours of sleep. Try to make sure that you are sleeping enough (it’s when your body heals). And, that your sleep is restful. You shouldn’t wake up tired. If you are getting up to use the bathroom in the night or tossing and turning or having trouble falling or staying asleep your body is trying to tell you something is out of balance. Nutrition Response Testing can help find out why.
- Eat good food. Fill up with veggies, protein, and good fats and limit sugar and grains. Fat and protein are especially important for better body function in winter. Coconut oil, olive oil, fish oils, flax, avocado, and butter will all make your brain work better, help you stay warmer and help with dry winter skin.
- Get the right nutrition for your body. But, by supplying the correct nutrition to make the body work better, the stress will affect you less. Plus, I’ve got a simple formula for reducing stress I’ll be giving you in next week’s article.
- Reduce your stress. Many people blame stress for their sadness, low energy, and irritability. The truth is stress is all around us and affects our bodies on a daily basis. It depletes us of stores of vitamins and minerals and puts us at risk for health problems. Reducing what stress you have can be helpful.
- Get checked (at The NHCAA) for Vitamin D. Adequate stores of Vitamin D in your body is a health insurance policy. Being low in Vitamin D puts you at risk for bone diseases and fractures, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, tooth and gum problems, decreased immunity, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. In the Winter with less exposure to the sun and our Vitamin D levels is low depression symptoms can increase.
The symptoms of depression and anxiety and fatigue that many people feel during the winter are real. They indicate that something is not going well with some areas of the body. They are a cue that your body needs something and that something is not a prescription. You are not deficient in antidepressants. There are more natural ways to get rid of seasonal depression.
Yours in Health, Kerry
Read Kerry’s Bio
