We’ve been discussing which toxins can cause mental health problems, and how you might be exposed to them. Today let’s discuss WHY toxins can cause depression, anxiety & affect the brain.

Remember your thoughts are affected by the chemicals that are in your brain. So if your brain is physically unwell, your brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) can be affected, which can lead to low mood, anger, mood swings, anxiety and fatigue.

Toxins can Cause Depression

Toxins and chemicals can cause depression in a large number of ways. Each toxin affects the nervous system and brain by a different mechanism, although each can have numerous affects. Let’s take a look at a few ways that certain toxins and chemicals can affect the function of the brain and cause depression.

4 Ways Toxins Impact the Brain

Toxins that Damage the Structure of the Brain

Mercury and lead are both known are neurotoxins because they are so toxic to nerve and brain cells. They can negatively affect intelligence, behavior, mood, and coordination. These heavy metals are known to damage the structure of the brain. There is also evidence that certain toxins including lead can stop the creation of new nerves (neurogenesis) in the adult brain.

The Level and Activity of Brain Neurotransmitters are Affected

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals in the brain that allow brain and nerve cells to communicate. Many toxins are known to affect the levels or the activity of these neurotransmitters.

For example, manganese is known to reduce dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. As you know if you don’t have enough serotonin you can have depression. Dopamine is the brain chemical that helps you enjoy pleasure- so if you have low levels of dopamine, it’s hard to enjoy life.

Toxins Promote Free Radical Damage and Inflammation of the Brain

Toxins such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury create free radical damage in the body. Free radical damage in the brain can lead to inflammation, damage, swelling, and death of nerve and brain cells.

Toxins Reduce Communication Between Brain Cells

Toxins can affect how the nerve and brain cells send and receive messages. Certain heavy metals, pesticides, and solvent chemicals actually reduce the ability of the nerves to send their (electrical) signals.

Toxins are just one physical cause of depression. To find out about the other physical causes of depression including hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, and food intolerances- get a copy of my free report. It includes a questionnaire so you can find out what physical imbalances are causing your depression (because everyone’s different).

Talk to you again soon.

All the best

Janelle

Dr Janelle Sinclair

BSc, MSc, PhD (Biochemistry), NZNMA

Are you a farmer, a florist, or pest exterminator? Or do you have an occupation or hobby that involves pesticides?

If the answer is Yes, and you are currently suffering from depression- you need to read this.

I’m doing a series on toxins and how they can cause depression. We’ve talked about the heavy metal lead, solvents in hairdressing, and other occupations that have high levels of toxin exposure.

Today we’re talking about Pesticides!

Pesticides and Depression

There’s evidence that  pesticide exposure may lead to ongoing depression. One recent study showed that those farmers who had previously had pesticide poisoning were 3x more likely to suffer from depression. Feeling ‘bothered’ and that ‘everything was an effort’ were the common complaints.

What’s the Problem with Pesticides?

Organochlorine pesticides are the pesticides of greatest concern. They are one of the chemicals that are called persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The body is can’t process these chemicals and they can take 10 to 100 years to breakdown (that’s why they are called persistent.)

These type of pesticides love fat (they are lipophilic), which means that that these chemicals get stored in our fat and fatty tissues. What’s this got to do with depression? Well the brain is a very fatty tissue and the pesticides can collect there. Unfortunately these chemicals can stay there in the brain for life and affect your mood, concentration and behaviour (that is if you don’t detoxify your body). Unfortunately, the normal bodies detox systems just can’t get rid of these toxic chemicals. I’ll discuss in a future blog about the best ways to detoxify the body, but lets talk about how you can come into contact with pesticides.

Have you Been Exposed to Pesticides?

The most common sources of pesticides include agricultural chemicals (sprays for your garden), non-organic foods, contaminated fish (the POPs are stored in their flesh,) flea spray, and contaminated water. Farmers, florists, gardeners, pesticide applicators, and veterinarians are exposed to pesticides on a daily basis.

What Next?

If you’re wondering whether pesticides could be the cause of your depression- please look into it further. The physical causes of depression are real. Toxins, food allergies, hormonal imbalances and nutrient deficiencies can cause depression. It’s very possible that the mood problems you are suffering from right now don’t have a psychological cause. By addressing the physical imbalances that are causing your brain to not function properly, you can break free from depression!

If you want to learn more about the physical causes of depression, and how to break free, get a copy of the report that I’ve written on the topic.

All the best. Talk to you soon.

Janelle

Dr Janelle Sinclair

BSc, MSc, PhD (Biochemistry), NZNMA

If you suffer from depression, anxiety, or mood swings has anyone ever asked you about your past occupations? Yes even jobs that you did 15 years ago?

You may not think so but it is relevant to your mental health!

In my last blog I suggested that you thought about your occupation and whether it could be a factor in your depression. At this stage I’m not talking about the stress that it may have caused you (which can lead to depression), but rather the toxic chemicals that you have been exposed to through it. Toxic chemicals can cause depression, anxiety and mood swings (as well as infertility and immune problems)- but this link is often overlooked.

Your past occupations matter

My advice also applies to occupations you have had in the past. What toxins or chemicals did you come into contact in your past jobs? Yes please consider all jobs- even up to 20 years ago!

The thing is that many toxic chemicals stay in the body. The liver often can’t get rid of these chemicals and therefore the body stores them in your fatty tissues (and that includes your brain). No wonder toxins can lead to depression.

I know it’s a scary thought- but better to know than not to know, I think.

So my suggestion?

Take a look at the list of occupations that have high levels of exposure to toxins from my last blog. If you think your job could play a role in your depression have a look around this blog site, and read the posts about toxic overload. In the next couple of weeks I’ll write some information on detoxification techniques which can help purify your body and brain, which will help you overcome your depression. Alternatively, check out my book which has got a complete chapter about toxins, depression, and how to detoxify your body.

Feel free to ask me a question about your present occupation or past occupation and I’ll let you know what I’ve discovered.

All the best

Dr Janelle