Image of anxious person holding their head, with header text "Why ashwagandha is not the solution for anxiety., by Hilary Beckwith, NTP, BCHN. hilarybeckwith.com"

Potential root causes of anxiety symptoms

I love ashwagandha!

In fact, I've used ashwagandha and a variety of other adaptogenic herbs recommended to me by an herbalist, to support my own healing and anxiety symptoms.

But what I'm also doing is finding and addressing the root causes of my symptoms. My anxiety and blood sugar issues were not caused by not taking ashwagandha, nor will they be resolved long-term by taking it.

Hi friends. I’m Hilary Beckwith, ex-dieter and holistic nutrition expert. Clients come to see me with signs of adrenal stress and inflammatory conditions, and my job is to find the root causes of their anxiety symptoms so we can address their symptoms more effectively, and fill in the gaps between what their doctor is saying, and what their body is saying.

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In this article, you’ll learn:

one commonly-overlooked cause of anxiety symptoms
my favorite lab test for finding root causes
long-term relief for anxiety symptoms

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the root cause you won’t see on your annual bloodwork

There are many potential causes for anxiety symptoms, many of which should be addressed by a mental health professional. If you are experiencing depression or anxiety symptoms, please seek help immediately from a qualified specialist.

In this article, I’ll be looking at one specific potential cause of anxiety symptoms in relation to gut health and nutrition. A factor that often gets overlooked by other healthcare professionals, because it’s not commonly tested for.

If you experience anxiety symptoms, blood sugar issues, and sleep issues, this is something worth considering.

I’m talking about… CLOSTRIDIA INFECTION.

Some species of clostridia bacteria are known to cause symptoms of anxiety, blood sugar issues, and sleep issues, due to their relationship with dopamine.

I'd bet good money that your GP is not testing for clostridia on your annual bloodwork (and that's why practitioners like me are here!)

a closer look at clostridia

The image below is a snapshot of specialized lab results from a person I worked with who had all of the symptoms mentioned above.

Specifically, we're looking at the 'HPHPA' marker.

You’ll notice that for HPHPA, 208 is the MAX we should see on this test. This test detected levels of 1511, it’s literally off the charts!

Here's what having high levels of HPHPA means for your anxiety symptoms:

HPHPA is a metabolite of a certain group of Clostridia bacteria found in the GI tract, including Clostridia sporogenes, Clostridia caloritolerans, and Clostridia botulinum, among others.

Additionally 4-cresol (also shown in the image above) is a metabolite produced specifically by Clostridia difficile (you may have heard this called “C-diff”).

High markers of HPHPA and/or 4-cresol means that there is a likely infection of certain types of clostridia bacteria in the GI tract.

These types of Clostridia are known to inhibit the enzyme responsible for breaking down dopamine, called dopamine-beta-hydroxylase.

Too much dopamine might seem like a good thing, right?

Dopamine feels great at the moment, but when it's chronically maxed, it infiltrates the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in a constant fight or flight response, modulated by the sympathetic nervous system.

PUT MORE SIMPLY:

Elevated Clostridia metabolites prevent the breakdown of dopamine, causing a chronically stimulated fight or flight response, potentially resulting in anxiety symptoms, sleep issues, and blood sugar issues.

addressing root causes for anxiety symptoms

I am a big advocate for seeking licensed professional support for your mental health and wellness. And to be clear, I do not claim to be a mental health professional, nor do I offer treatment from that perspective.

What I can (and do!) help with is supporting nutritional factors for signs and symptoms of neurotransmitter dysfunction and hormone imbalances, often rooted in the gut or diet.

I believe that addressing mental health and wellness often requires a multi-faceted approach that requires care from an integrative support team. So, in addition to your other licensed mental health practitioners, it may also be worth considering a nutritional approach to addressing your anxiety symptoms.

HERE’S WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE

If Clostridia infection has been detected on this specialized blood panel, this very well may be one factor in your anxiety symptoms, and the heightened fight or flight response may also be causing blood sugar issues and sleep issues.

Clostridia is a type of bacteria, and the types found here that disrupt dopamine breakdown, are found specifically in the digestive tract.

Eradicating Clostridia, or any type of bacterial overgrowth in the gut, requires a strategic and holistic approach.

The short-term fix would be a round or two of prescription antibiotics from your GP or other physician and/or anti-anxiety medications. These can both be helpful, but may not support the long-term issue.

THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION OFTEN ENTAILS:

addressing digestive health as a whole, including digestive enzymes, stomach acid support, intestinal tissue healing, bowel movements, and liver health
temporary restriction of carbs and sugars that feed bacteria
nutrients to break down biofilm, a sticky film in which the bacteria live and hide
potent antimicrobial botanicals shown to eradicate bacterial pathogens
carefully curated probiotics to rebuild the microbiome after we’ve killed off the invaders (antibiotics, even botanicals, kill all bacteria, even the beneficial ones)

FAST FORWARD

After 4 weeks of addressing root cause factors, we re-tested the client whose lab results were shown above, and found the HPHPA markers came down significantly: