Nutritional Therapy – Peace of Mind

by NIcki Miller. NT student

Most of us, as Nutritional Therapy students, know how important a good nutritional intake is to a persons’ mental as well as physical health. Working in a Mental Health NHS Trust myself, this becomes even more obvious and important an issue.

My work colleague and fellow Kevala student, Allison, and I recently went along to the Masterclass with Bill Walsh PhD in London which turned out to be a fascinating day. Bill Walsh PhD had come over from the Pfeiffer Treatment Centre in America to talk about the work they have been and are doing regarding nutritional support for schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, depression, autism and ADHD. He was invited to speak by the new not for profit education campaign, Food for the Brain, and was introduced by one of the founder members and a familiar face to us all, Patrick Holford.

There were so many interesting facts, figures and stories that it would be impossible to list them all, but here are just a few:

• Most of the aforementioned mental illnesses can be ascribed to chemical imbalances in the brain such as over and under methylation (the addition of methyl groups to another molecule, i.e. for synthesis of key hormones, metal metabolism, gene expression etc), disordered metal metabolism, toxics in the body, imbalanced EFAs and deficiency of Metallothionein (brings copper levels down, needed for development of brain cells, antioxidant)
• Key nutrients needed to help correct these imbalances include zinc, B vitamins (esp. B6 and B3), folic acid, methionine, EFAs, antioxidants and chromium.
• Common nutrients that are ‘overloaded’ in these illnesses include copper, folic acid, iron, methyl groups and toxic metals.
• Biochemical individuality is an essential consideration; we are all born deficient in some nutrients and overloaded in others.
• Specific supplement routines rather than standard multi-vitamin and mineral complexes are needed to treat these illnesses.
• 4% of people suffering with schizophrenia can be practically cured by removing wheat and gluten from their diet, and food sensitivities are important for over 50%.
• Removing gluten from the diet of children suffering with autism will often help significantly.

Bill Walsh PhD and the Pfeiffer Treatment Centre do fantastic scientifically evidence-based research and work, and it was a privilege to have the opportunity to hear such a knowledgeable man speak.

The Food for the Brain campaign has a really useful website (www.foodforthebrain.org) including forthcoming events, research, reports, news etc. There will be lots more in the media in the future so keep your eyes and ears peeled as it promises to really put nutritional therapy on the map, in a very positive way. In the words of the late Carl Pfeiffer MD PhD:

“For every drug that benefits a patient, there is a natural substance that can produce the same effect”

Here’s to healthy bodies and healthy minds too!!