Re: Everything I've learned about adrenal fatigue...

Learning to eat well is a lifelong study, but a good place to start is the website of the Weston A. Price Foundation: http://www.westonaprice.org/

The Weston Price Foundation has been discredited thoroughly.  They are merely spokespeople for their sponsors, the beef and dairy industries.

The WAP isn't right about everything, but they're an amazing resource for someone who is just beginning to learn about "real food."

As for the claim that they're funded by the beef and dairy industries, this seems to be a baseless accusation that originated from the vegan community, especially Dr. Joel Fuhrman. If you have any evidence regarding this, I would be very interested!

It doesn't seem plausible because the WAP warns against eating conventional meat and dairy. So who would be backing them? There is no rich and powerful organization of small, grass-fed farmers with millions of dollars!

High-quality meats and eggs. Organ meats, especially liver.

There are several things that need to be kept in mind about liver.  First of all it is the body's filter, which is full of what the body was trying to get rid of in the first place.  Secondly it is about 7 times higher in cholesterol than red meat.  Although cholesterol is essential to health, it can also pose problems in high doses.  In particular with hormonal balance.  And it can lead to the use of statin drugs, which can cause muscles deterioration, liver damage and heart failure.  Another issue with liver is the fact that it is high in iron.  This can be extremely dangerous to people with hemochromotosis.  In addition iron can feed certain pathogens and cancer and well as promote damaging oxidation.  Unless a person is losing blood on a regular basis, such as internal bleeding or menstruation, it is very easy to overload on iron since the body does not have any efficient way of reducing iron stores.

Valid points. Liver today is not the same thing as liver from 100 years ago. Don't go overboard! Personally, I only eat 1/2 oz per day at most. And I prefer chicken liver, since it has much less iron and copper than beef liver.

Drink enough water, but not TOO MUCH water. It's just extra work for the kidneys. Take 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (not refined salt) in water when you wake up, maybe another 1/4 teaspoon at noon.

A mined trace mineral salt like Real Salt would be a better choice since it is less contaminated with heavy metals.

It's a tough call, really. Sea salt could have more heavy metals, but it also has more minerals. So it's a trade-off. I see sea salt as no more dangerous than eating seaweed.

As for mined land salts, pink Hawaiian salt and Himalayan salt are great. There's also a black salt from India that smells like rotten eggs due to sulfur, but the smell goes away when you cook it!

When it comes to vitamins, more is not better.

I totally agree with this.  These people megadosing on vitamin C are not doing themselves any favors.  They are simply putting their systems under more stress as the body has to work harder to eliminate the excess vitamin C and oxalic acid it breaks down in to.  Oxalic acid is a strong tissue irritant and can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones as it binds to calcium also preventing the body from utilizing it.

And keep in mind that natural sources are generally better than the synthetic ascorbic acid commonly sold as vitamin C.  With few exceptions, such as camu camu, natural vitamin C sources tend to be much stronger and more stable than synthetic vitamin C, so less is required than the synthetic.

True. However, the most important thing is sustainability. For most people, taking ascorbic acid capsules is easier than taking strong-tasting food powders.

Personally, I take 1500 mg of Vitamin C, in addition to small amounts of camu camu, rosehips, etc.

99% of the information out there concerning adrenal fatigue and herbs is wrong wrong wrong. And it's a shame.

First of all, "adaptogenic herbs" DO NOT help people with low cortisol. This is misinformation that's been repeated so many times that practitioners think it's true. It just goes to show you that most health practitioners are parrots who simply repeat what they hear.

Adaptogenic herbs like ginseng, eleuthero, ashwaganda, rhodiola, maca, cordyceps, and schizandra, LOWER cortisol. That is why they're so effective for people with HIGH cortisol.

People say that adaptogens can both lower and raise cortisol, but this is NOT true. Anyone with low cortisol can easily prove this by trying adaptogens; it may make them feel "something" at first, but it will eventually cause them to crash. 

It makes sense, if you think about it. How could a plant do both? How could it figure out whether you have low cortisol or high cortisol? 

This is something I strongly disagree with.  Adaptogens do not have a brain to know if you need to raise or lower cortisol, but they can still balance cortisol levels.  The way they do this is by strengthening the adrenal glands.  This allows the adrenal glands to produce the cortisol the body requires.  On the other hand strengthening the adrenals prevents the over release of both cortisol and epinephrine during times of stress.  This is why adaptogens help us to adapt to stress.  This also means they DO NOT reduce cortisol, they simply prevent excess excretion during stressful periods.  So they do have a regulatory effect on cortisol levels.

On the other hand there are different adaptogens, and some are slightly  to strongly stimulatory to the central nervous system, which is not a good idea with severe adrenal fatigue.  These include the Panax ginsengs, American licorice root (but not Chinese licorice root, which is calming) and rhodiola (Arctic root).

It may be possible that SOME AFers do okay with SOME adaptogens. There are always exceptions to the rule.

I just wanted to clear up the popular misconception (repeated by almost all health practitioners) that so-called "adaptogenic herbs" are all beneficial for low cortisol. Adaptogens have a wide range of effects, including shifting neurotransmitters. One can't simply put all of the adaptogens in a single box and say, "Take those!"

A lot of the information regarding adaptogens is simply marketing.

Licorice root can mimic the effect of cortisol in our body, which is why some practitioners use it. However, it has the same side effects of cortisol supplementation, including water retention and electrolyte imbalance.

There is more to this.  First of all the steroidal component of licorice root also prolongs the effects of the adrenal's cortisol, which gives the adrenals a bit of a break.

Supposedly taking hydrocortisone gives the adrenals a "break," but this doesn't always work out in practice.

As for side effects these effects take at least 50 grams a day over 6 months to cause water retention, loss of potassium and high blood pressure.  That is the equivalent of 1 bottle of 100, 500mg capsules a day.  It would be pretty hard to consume that much licorice root over 6 months.  And even if a person did these side effects can be easily avoided by increasing potassium intake.  This is why I use potassium containing herbs in conjunction with licorice root.

For every herb, there will be people who are sensitive to it. I've talked to AFers who had side effects from even small amounts of licorice. Everyone needs to have their own experience.

(Traditional Chinese formulas may contain tiny amounts of adaptogenic herbs, but this is okay. You need to stay away from the modern "adrenal" formulas that have large amounts of adaptogens.)

Again I disagree.  The Chinese are very big on adaptogens and in very high doses.  Most of their formulas contain adaptogens, especially licorice root in various forms such as gan cao and gan cao zhi.  And the recommended dose for most Chinese herbs or herbal formulas is around 15-20 grams per dose.  This is a very hefty dose.  Even with my adaptogen formula I only recommend 1.5-2 grams.

Not to mince words, but I wouldn't define licorice as an adaptogen, as the word is popularly used. And it's usually only used in small amounts, as a "harmonizer."

As for doses of 15-20 grams, that would be for boiling a decoction. If taking the powdered herbs, the dose would be similar to the recommended 1.5-2 grams.

I couldn't imagine eating 15-20 grams of crude herb!

Glandulars are a tricky topic, since there are many different kinds.

Glandulars should be avoided altogether since they can atrophy the glands they substitute for, especially in high doses or long term use.  A great example of this was a lady I knew who was given adrenal glandular for her asthma, which adrenal dysfunction plays a big role in.  The glandualr atrophied her adrenals so bad that every time she tried to come off the glandular she would experience severe asthma attacks worse than the ones she got before starting on the glandular.

As with everything, it depends on the person. There are countless AFers who healed using glandulars. In my opinion, glandulars with as little hormones as possible would be the best. 

To boost serotonin, you can take 5-HTP or L-tryptophan. These supply the raw material that serotonin is manufactured from. 5-HTP seems to be preferred by most practitioners, but some people don't do well with it, so tryptophan is another option. In rare occasions, a person who can't take either of these can try St. John's Wort. SJW doesn't provide as many benefits as 5-HTP or tryptophan, but it still helps.

I think one reason why AFers have trouble sleeping is low serotonin, since sufficient serotonin is needed to make melatonin.

Just wanted to point out to be careful with trying to raise serotonin since there are side effects to elevated serotonin, which can include heart valve damage, fatigue and loss of libido.

Elevated serotonin is extremely dangerous. Which is why I recommend getting tested first. You do not want to mess around with NTs!

To boost dopamine, you can take L-phenylalanine.

To boost norepinephrine, you can take L-tyrosine.

These are interchangable.  Phenylalanine breaks down in to tyrosine.  Then tyrosine can be converted in to dopamine or norepinephrine as well as epinephrine (adrenaline).  Phenylalanine can raise blood pressure in some in individuals and is contradicted in people with phenylketonuria (PKU).  In these cases tyrosine is a better choice.

In theory, yes. However, the conversion rate will be different for different people. Personally, I showed low levels of phenylalanine and tyrosine, so I take both. They definitely have different effects.

Also note that phenylalanine lowers serotonin levels.

Yes, all of the NTs affect each other, which is why one must formulate a balanced, personalized plan. I wouldn't take any excitatory NTs 2 days in a row, since the receptors down-regulate quickly.

To boost GABA, you can take GABA.

Glycine and taurine also work and are easier to absorb.  Regardless of which is used make sure to take the amino acids on an empty stomach at least 30 minutes before meals.

They all seem to be effective, for different people. Taurine taken over long periods (6 months) seems to cause heart pain for some.

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