Have you recently noticed signs of declining mental performance or even brain fog?
Or you can’t seem to remember things that easily anymore?
Possible other symptoms of decreased mental performance:
feelings of sadness, helplessness, worthlessness, or emptiness
overeating or a loss of appetite
insomnia or sleeping too much
restlessness
Irritability
Feeling anxious, lack of confidence, or self-doubt
a feeling of impending doom or danger
These could all be based on a deficiency of neurotransmitters.
What are Neurotransmitters?
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that your body can't function without. Their job is to carry chemical signals (“messages”) from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell. The next target cell can be another nerve cell, a muscle cell or a gland.
It is an elegant signal processing system based on biochemical processes. These neurotransmitters fire when there is brain activity. Your body needs to create massive amounts of them in fractions of milliseconds, but also needs to break them down efficiently afterward.
A few popular neurotransmitters you may have heard of:
Dopamine (regulates mood, sleep patterns, sexuality, anxiety, appetite and pain)
Serotonin (plays a role in your body’s reward system, which includes feeling pleasure, helps with focus, concentration, memory, sleep, mood and motivation)
Adrenaline (responsible for your body’s so-called “fight-or-flight response” to fear and stress)
It is quite fascinating when you dive deeper into this topic.
For example, if you don’t have enough neurotransmitters, your brain can’t create focus, or in general you may encounter some of the symptoms mentioned above.
What possible causes of an imbalance of neurotransmitters?
Are you struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Your body may be paying the price.
Chronic stress, a lack of essential nutrients, and genetic variations (SNPs) can all lead to imbalanced neurotransmitters. Chronic stress can result in a reduction in available methylation groups, while a deficiency in vital cofactors such as minerals, vitamins, or amino acids can also cause issues.
Genetic variations related to neurotransmitter creation and breakdown, such as the methylation process, can also play a pivotal role. It's essential to prioritize self-care and ensure your body is receiving the necessary nutrients to maintain a healthy balance.
However, there are multiple ways to test the levels of your neurotransmitters and related cofactors through non-invasive lab testing.
Also, with various basic DNA testing you can look for relevant genes related to the creation and breakdown of these neurotransmitters and determine how they are affected.
The topic is quite complex.
The good news is that you have a lot of options to support your body in achieving healthy levels of neurotransmitters. Functional epigenetics is a powerful and effective method that is scientifically based and through the synergies of functional medicine, biochemistry and nutrients you can optimally support your genes.
Balancing your neurotransmitters happens as a “side effect” so to speak.
Take Action
I have recently also started offering an epigenetics starter package, where you can get started specifically with functional epigenetics. It is called
Designed for techies looking to upgrade their overall performance levels, this coaching program draws upon years of experience and uses a diverse blend of functional epigenetics, biohacking, and the latest findings of personalized (micro) nutrients.
I would also be happy to offer further options. You are welcome to schedule an exploratory 15-minute discovery call here to find out what could be specifically relevant in your case.