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Host: For our viewers, we're going to get into neurotransmitters — the chemicals in your body, especially in the brain, that control so many bodily functions. Many of you are aware that they control mood and memory, but there's so much more to it than that. Your metabolism, how your digestion functions — Dr. Shallenberger has done a lot of work in this area, and we're going to get into the specifics of how neurotransmitter therapy can help you.
So, Dr. Shallenberger, can you give the viewers a bit more of an overview? What are neurotransmitters, how do they affect the many different areas of the body, and how are we able to help people with this approach in medicine?
Dr. Shallenberger: I think this topic, Mark, is probably the most important single topic we could cover today, because it cuts to the very core of the relationship between stress and health. As I'm sure you know — and pretty much any doctor who's been around long enough knows — stress plays one of the biggest roles in what makes us healthy and what makes us sick. The connection is that your nervous system runs your entire body. It controls your immune system, your digestion — everything is regulated by your nervous system. But what regulates the nervous system is neurotransmitters.
They're chemicals — you can call them brain chemicals if you wish — but they're not only in the brain. They're also in what we call the periphery, distributed throughout your entire body via the nervous system. These chemicals must maintain a balance, and they're going to get out of balance all the time. When we're stressed, when an accident happens, when we're fighting an illness — the body is going to fall out of homeostasis and these brain chemicals are going to become unbalanced. What needs to happen is that we have systems to bring them back into balance. If we don't, that's when you hear a patient say, "I was doing just fine until this happened" — "I got a really bad infection," or "I had a very bad emotional trauma," or "I had a bad injury" — and then I never bounced back. That represents an imbalance of these neurotransmitters. And the really powerful thing is that you can bring them back into balance using natural therapies.
Dr. Stengler: Well, let's contrast that with conventional medicine. Conventional medicine does acknowledge that neurotransmitter imbalance exists. Common conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are treated with many different types of psychiatric drugs. Some people certainly get symptom relief, but there's a whole host of serious side effects that can range from suicidal thoughts to weight gain to changes in the immune system. But as you said, we do have natural ways to balance these neurotransmitters. Let's talk more about that.
Dr. Shallenberger: Yes. Although there is a multiplicity of chemicals in the nervous system involved in this, all of these chemicals can be modulated by just four amino acids: cysteine, tyrosine, 5-HTP, and L-dopa. By finding the right mix of those for a given person, you can bring them out of depression, bipolar situations, cognitive disorders like memory loss, ADHD, hyperactivity, social syndromes, obsessive-compulsive disorder — but also a host of other conditions, anywhere from Crohn's disease to restless leg syndrome to seizure disorders. All of these can fall under the umbrella of neurotransmitter imbalance.
Dr. Stengler: Sleep problems?
Dr. Shallenberger: Absolutely — insomnia. Irritable bowel syndrome. Think of anything that's related to stress. If it's related to stress, it's likely due to an imbalance of these neurotransmitters that never corrected itself.
Dr. Stengler: And so the unique thing about the natural approach Dr. Shallenberger is describing is that we can use these amino acids as precursors — as nutrition, if you will — so the brain, the gut, and other areas of the body can make these neurotransmitters on their own. Because you're not forcing it on the body, you don't get the side effects you do with the drugs.
At the Stengler Center, a variety of treatments are offered — from nutritional counseling to hormone balancing, from intravenous nutrient therapy to breakthrough weight loss programs, from muscle and joint treatment to cardiovascular support. Our physicians also specialize in chronic fatigue therapy, diabetes treatment, integrative cancer support, mood balancing, and more.
For a complete list of treatments offered and conditions addressed at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine, please visit our website, or call or email the clinic with any questions you may have.
Watch Dr. Mark Stengler interview natural health expert, Dr. Frank Shallenberger, regarding the important role neurotransmitters play in managing the body's response to stress. The nervous system controls all major functions in the body. Neurotransmitters regulate the nervous system. These "brain chemicals" are found throughout the body. Stress can throw neurotransmitters out of balance. When this happens, the body strives to re-establish balance. It can be difficult to rebound from health stresses with imbalanced neurotransmitters. Natural therapies can help balance neurotransmitters without many of the harmful side effects found with drug therapies.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD: And for the viewers we're going to get into Neurotransmitters; those are the chemicals in your body, especially in the brain which controls so many of the body functions. Many of you are aware that it controls, mood, memory, but there's so much more to it than that. Your metabolism, how your digestion functions and Dr. Shallenberger has done a lot of work in this area and we're gonna get more of the specifics of how Neurotransmitter therapy can help you. So, Dr. Shallenberger, maybe you can give the viewers a little bit more of an overview on how to skim the surface [here] really, what are Neurotransmitters? What are these chemicals, going to how they affect the many different areas of the body and then how in Medicine we’re able to help people with this type of approach?
Dr. Frank Shallenberger MD: I think this topic, Mark, is probably the most important single topic we could even have today because this cuts to the very core of the relationship between stress and health. And as I'm sure you know and pretty much any doctors that have been around the block know, stress plays one of the biggest roles on what makes us healthy, what makes us sick. And the connection is that your nervous system runs your entire body; it controls your immune system, it controls your digestive… everything that's in, is regulated by your nervous system but what regulates the nervous system is Neurotransmitters. And they're chemicals, you can call them brain chemicals if you wish, but they're chemicals that are not only in the brain but they're all in what we call the “Periphery” but through your nervous system throughout your entire body. And these chemicals must maintain a balance and now they're going to get out of balance all the time. So, when we're stressed or when an accident happens, when we're fighting an illness or whatever, the body's going to run out of Homeostasis and these brain chemicals are going to become out of balance and what better happen is we better have systems to put them back into balance because if we don't, that's going to be the occasion where you hear a patient say, “you know, I was doing just fine until this happened”, you know, “I got a really bad infection”, or “I had a very bad emotional trauma” or you know, “I had a bad injury or accident” and then nothing came back, I didn't bounce back, I didn't come back from this and this represents then an imbalance of these Neurotransmitters. And the really interesting thing, the really powerful thing is, that you can bring them back into a balance using natural therapies.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD: Right. Well, let's contrast that with conventional medicine right now. Conventional medicine obviously does acknowledge that Neurotransmitter imbalance exists; common conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disease, obsessive compulsive disorder, there are many many different types of drugs which are used which are called psychiatric drugs and some people who certainly get symptom relief, obviously there's a whole host of different serious side-effects you can get from these medications that range from suicidal thoughts, to weight gain, to changes in your immune system but the beauty is, like you said, we do have natural ways to balance up these neurotransmitters. So, let's talk more about that.
Dr. Frank Shallenberger MD: Ok. Yes, basically although there is a multiplicity of chemicals in the nervous system that are involved in this. These chemicals can be modulated by four (4) Amino Acids. All of these chemicals can be modulated or changed or corrected by only four (4) Amino Acids and that would be Cysteine, Tyrosine, 5-HTP and L-DOPA. So, by finding the right mix of those for a given person, you can pull them out of well, depression, bipolar situations, you can pull them out of mental cognitive disorders like memory loss, you can pull them out of, you know, ADHD, hyperactivity, social syndromes, you mentioned obsessive-compulsion. But also, a host of other illnesses anywhere from Crohn's disease, to restless leg syndrome, to seizure disorders, all of these things come under the purvey of Neurotransmitter imbalance.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD: Sleep problems?
Dr. Frank Shallenberger MD: Yeah, absolutely, Insomnia.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD: Yeah, irritable bowel syndrome?
Dr. Frank Shallenberger MD: Think of anything that certainly is related to stress. If it's related to stress, it's due to an imbalance of these neurotransmitters that never bounce back.
Dr. Mark Stengler NMD: And so the unique thing with the natural approach Dr. Shallenberger is talking about, we can use these Amino Acids basically as precursors or nutrition, if you will; so, the brain, the gut, the other areas of the body can make these neurotransmitters on its own and because you're not forcing it on the body, you don't get the side-effects you do with the drugs.
Narrator: At the Stengler Center, a variety of treatments are offered; from Nutritional counseling to Hormone balancing, from Intravenous nutrient therapy to breakthrough-weight-loss programs, from muscle and joint treatment to Cardiovascular support. Our physicians also specialize in Chronic Fatigue therapy, Diabetes treatment, Integrative Cancer support, mood balancing and more. For a complete list of treatments offered and conditions addressed at the Stengler Center for Integrative Medicine, please visit our website, call or email the clinic with any questions you may have.
