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Could Amino Acids Offer a Natural
Treatment for Agoraphobia?
by Stephen Price
Amino
acids could provide a natural treatment
for depression and anxiety disorders -
according to an article posted by John
Salerno, PhD, and Lauren Salani in the
Asbury Press on June 15, 2006.
That's because amino acids are the
building blocks of neurotransmitters in
the brain, which vitally influence our
moods, behavior, and the state of our
overall health. Depletion of
neurotransmitters often leads to mood
imbalances, resulting in depression and
anxiety.
Serotonin, Norepinephrine,
Epinephrine, GABA, Dopamine, Histamine
and PEA are a few neurotransmitters that
can cause depression or nervous
excitement. These neurotransmitters
carry messages back and forth between
the nerve cells in the brain.
Correcting
neurotransmitter imbalances is key to getting depression and
anxiety disorders like agoraphobia under control. Many people
with depression, anxiety, or agoraphobia are prescribed
medications that either alter
neurotransmitter release or imitate
their function in the body.
Medications like Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft act to increase the
time a neurotransmitter, such as
serotonin, will stay in-between the
nerve cells to increase the action.
However, taking such medications can
lead to long term problems like
tolerance, side effects, and withdrawal
symptoms.
According to Salerno
and Salini's article, an alternative to drug therapy might
be "targeting the amino acids which are the
building blocks of these
excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmitters
and providing these amino-acids at
therapeutic levels so the body can start
synthesizing its own supply and
self-correct it's own imbalances."
A
breakthrough in understanding the role
of amino acids in maintaining the
correct balance of neurotransmitters
would be revolutionary in the treatment
of depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia.
Most people who suffer chronically from
mood-related disorders are really just
suffering from a neurotransmitter
imbalance.
Amino acids offer the
possibility of treating these disorders naturally, by
addressing their most basic physiological roots.
John Salerno, Ph.D. and Lauren Salani,
BCIA,C are members of the Behavioral
Medicine and Psychophysiology Team at
Physicians for Alternative Medicine,
P.C.
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