Healing Nutrients for the Holidays
As we enter the holiday season, I’ve been thinking about a number of things that I want to clarify. I have spoken often about vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and amino acids. Today, I’ll clarify one very important nutrient, namely pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P), the active form of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). There is a European genetic weakness for P5P, which has resulted in a huge number of us being deficient in this important vitamin. Remember P5P is not the same as B6.
P5P is required for 13 amino acid reactions, and is the most important co-factor for perhaps 95% of the enzymes in our body. An enzyme is a protein-based molecule that catalyzes and speeds up a chemical reaction in living organisms. Without enzymes, life as we know it would not exist. Here are some examples. The amino acid L-tyrosine enters the brain and, in the presence of P5P, converts into the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine. The amino acid L-tryptophan enters the brain and, in the presence of P5P, converts into serotonin. Without enough P5P your brain will be deficient in dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The enzymes required for this biochemistry will not work without enough P5P.
Fatty Acids - A Good Thing
Fatty acid chemistry also requires P5P. Omega-3 fatty acids have made their way into mainstream medicine and the media. Omega-6 fatty acids remain in the dark for most people. The test I do through Genova Labs evaluates four omega-3 fatty acids and five omega-6 fatty acids.
While both sets of fatty acids have important, unique functions, one of the most important things to know is that almost every one of our 72 trillion cells has a lipid membrane. That cell membrane is made up of a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Lipids, or fats, can be in either a liquid form or a solid form. If you pour oil in a pan, it’s a liquid. If you leave it in the pan overnight, it will become a solid. We want our cell membranes to be fluid because, in that state, nutrients get into our cells easily and toxins are able to leave our cells easily. So it is important to have a good balance of both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
We develop fatty acid imbalances for three reasons: 1) We are not ingesting enough of these essential fatty acids, 2) We have digestive problems and, while we may be ingesting enough, we’re not able to digest and absorb 100% of what goes into our stomachs, and 3) We’re lacking the nutrients that activate the enzymes involved in fatty acid chemistry.
Here are the main omega-3 fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic Acid (ALA) turns into EPA, which turns into DHA. The top of this food chain is ALA. The main omega-6 fatty acids are: Linoleic Acid which turns into gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA). GLA turns into DGLA (the most important of these 5). DGLA turns into two other omega-6 fatty acids.
You don’t need to remember all those names, but it’s important to know that EPA and DHA (fish oil has a lot of these) are not the only vital essential fatty acids. If we want to have enough of the right fatty acids, we can supplement with: 1) EPA and DHA, 2) Flaxseed oil or hempseed oil for omega-6 fatty acids, and 3) DGLA to boost the key omega-6 fatty acid. A diet rich in salmon will give us healthful levels of omega-3’s. For optimal health, take a tablespoon of flax or hempseed oil twice a day.
The Best Form of P5P
For each of the conversions of the fatty acids, there is a specific enzyme, and every enzyme requires a number of nutritional co-factors. These fatty acid enzymes require B vitamins, vitamin C, various minerals (they differ with the different enzymes) — and P5P. If you are deficient in P5P, these enzymes will not work well. You may be eating healthful amounts of these essential fatty acids, but without enough P5P, the enzymes won’t work well, and you will end up deficient. In addition to their role in cell membranes, essential fatty acids, along with amino acids, make up steroids and sex hormones.
Do not buy P5P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) in health stores, where it may be called “Active B6.” P5P must be enteric-coated, so that it does not get broken down in stomach acids. In order to be effective, P5P has to make it into the small intestine. I have not seen enteric-coated P5P in a health store. This is a long description to get you to the point of not wasting money on a form of P5P that will not work. You can safely take 20 mg of P5P a day. Extensive nutritional lab work will reveal if there is a P5P deficiency and how great that problem is. I see many people with major P5P deficiencies, and I will often recommend 40 mg twice a day, depending on the lab results.
I treated an East Indian woman (from Arizona) who had lost all of her skin color. She was pale white. She was also depressed and in early kidney failure. The amino acid L-tyrosine is the precursor to melanin, our skin pigment. L-tyrosine is also the precursor to norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter that, when depleted, often leads to depression. One important lab finding was that she had very serious lead toxicity. The lead was killing the enzyme that converts L-tyrosine into melanin.
I put her on a comprehensive program to address all of her nutritional problems, and I put her on 80 mg of P5P twice a day (a huge dose) to see if we could save the key enzyme. She was given L-tyrosine in order to make melanin and also to restore her brain’s norepinephrine. Three months later her skin had returned to golden brown, her eyes were shining, and her depression was gone. Her skin was cured. More importantly her kidneys were saved. This was a challenging situation that could have ended very badly. Without the right kind of P5P, most likely she would have died.
You want nutraceutical grade enteric-coated P5P. Nutraceutical grade products have the highest purity and most of them are available only on the Internet. I don’t want to mention three or four good nutraceutical companies, because there are many good companies. Emerson Ecologics’ web site carries products from over 100 companies, so that is a place you can explore different companies.
Minimal Nutrition
In this polluted world with nutrient depleted soil, it’s not easy to get all the nutrition we need entirely from the grocery store. No matter how we get it, we all need minimal nutrition, before we begin repairing a variety of specific deficiencies. Minimal nutrition includes: 1) a multiple B vitamin, 2) a multivitamin, and 3) a multi-mineral with trace minerals. Make sure your diet is a good balance of healthful carbohydrates, protein, and healthful fats. Diets come and go, and my research has not revealed one that I totally believe in, so I won’t recommend any particular one. We each have unique nutritional needs. What is important is to be conscious of the macro (large) nutrients.
As a general rule, avoid food whose label has a long list of chemical ingredients and preservatives. Eat organic. Become more and more conscious of how various foods make you feel. If you feel lethargic or get a headache after eating a particular food, avoid it. You are either allergic to it or have a food intolerance to it.
Stress Relievers
During the holiday season, stress is generally high. You can counter that by increasing the amount of B vitamins you take, as these are our “stress vitamins.” Also increase the amount of vitamin C, as it is also a stress vitamin and an immune system booster. Enjoy the holidays. I’m not going to tell you what not to eat, but eat in moderation. Eat without guilt! Be like the French who truly love food. They eat lots of dairy, beef, and have a glass of wine with their meals. We consider that to be an unhealthful diet, but the French have less heart disease than do Americans. The French do not eat with guilt. They love to eat, and I believe it’s important to have a healthful, happy mind set to accompany the food we eat. The spirit of the season is made brighter by eating a guilt-free diet, so relax and enjoy!
David Gersten, M.D. practices Nutritional Medicine and Integrative Psychiatry out of his Encinitas office and can be reached at 760-633-3063. Please feel free to access 1,000 online pages about holistic health, amino acids, and nutritional therapy at www.aminoacidpower.com and www.imagerynet.com.