363 Vitamin D & Pregnancy #2 [28 March 2016]

Rhonda Patrick, PhD, in an interview on mercola.com (14 March 2016) described three locations where vitamin D regulates serotonin production. Last week (#362) I discussed two of these – the brain and the gut. The third location is the placenta of a pregnant woman. Here, as in the gut, D turns off the gene that produces the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) which converts the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin.

In the gut vitamin D prevents overproduction of serotonin which activates T cells and could lead to inflammatory bowel disease. In the placenta, as I showed last week, serotonin is essential for normal brain development (in mouse studies serotonin deficiency causes autistic-like behavior). But excess serotonin is even more devastating for fetal development because of maternal autoimmunity. Patrick explains:

“Mothers of autistic children are four times more likely to have autoantibodies against fetal brain proteins in their blood. Studies have shown that a very strong autoimmune response in pregnant monkeys leads to abnormal fetal brain development.”

What happens is the mother’s immune cells attack the fetal brain tissue, resulting in brain damage or even miscarriage. This autoimmune response is prevented by a special type of immune cell called T regulatory (Treg) cells. Formation of Treg cells requires a molecule called kynurenine which is made from tryptophan. The problem is that tryptophan binds so strongly to the TPH enzyme that there is little or none available for the kynurenine pathway. Vitamin D slows the TPH enzyme leaving enough tryptophan for the production of Treg cells. Again, Vitamin D to the rescue.

This is in addition to the well-known role of vitamin D in fetal bone formation. A recent study found that supplementing with 1,000 IU of vitamin D increased bone mass in babies born in the winter. The bone mass increase may have been significant in all seasons had they used a higher dose like 4,000 IU. A 2012 study found 4,000 IU was safe during pregnancy and resulted in fewer premature births, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or infections than 400 or even 2,000 IU.

Note that based on old data, RDAs and prenatal vitamins are often limited to 400-600 IU. It is critical for pregnant women to have their D levels tested and to supplement as needed to maintain levels of 40-60 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/L).

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

362 Vitamin D & Pregnancy #1 [March 21 2016]

In April 2012 (#160) I reported on a study showing that maternal supplementation of 4,000 IU vitamin D daily was still too low to achieve sufficiency (20ng/ml) in all newborns. Recent findings show how important maternal D levels are to the developing fetus.

Rhonda Patrick, PhD, was interviewed on mercola.com (14 March 2016) on the role of D in the developing fetal brain. One of the more than 1,000 physiological processes regulated by vitamin D is the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) which converts the amino acid tryptophan into serotonin. Patrick discovered we have two different TPH genes – one in the brain and another in the gut which work independently – the serotonin they produce does not cross the blood-brain barrier. About 90% of our serotonin is produced in the gut, where it enables blood platelets to begin the clotting process that heals our cuts and bruises. The 10% of serotonin produced in the brain lifts our mood, enables impulse control, calms anxiety, and boosts memory.

Vitamin D regulates genes by attaching to the vitamin D receptor and either activating or deactivating the gene, depending on the receptor. Curiously vitamin D regulates the two different TPH genes in opposite ways. In the brain it turns the gene on, causing it to produce more TPH and therefore more serotonin. This is good. Insufficient serotonin in the brain results in impulsive behavior, depression, anxiety, and the inability to filter sensory stimuli (think ADHD).

In the gut, however, vitamin D turns the TPH gene off or slows it down. This is also good – we need some serotonin in the gut but not too much. Excess serotonin in the gut activates T cells which causes inflammation that can lead to inflammatory bowel disease. Vitamin D helps control this and clinically has been found to reduce inflammation in diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

In the developing fetus serotonin plays a much more important role. It acts as a brain morphogen, shaping the structure and wiring of the neurons in the developing brain. The fetus is completely dependent on the mother’s vitamin D levels for serotonin production. A maternal deficiency in vitamin D can have severe consequences for the fetal brain development, including autism. Low maternal D and serotonin levels have been linked to autism by many different researchers. More on this next week.

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.

309 The Tryptophan Story [9 March 2015]

I’ve been rereading a 2003 book by Jeffrey M. Smith: “Seeds of Deception – Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating”. Smith devotes Chapter 4 to the story of tryptophan (download the book here).

It is well known by genetic scientists, though rarely if ever acknowledged by the industry, that a common hazard of genetic engineering is the creation of new toxins or increased levels of known toxins. The tryptophan story is a good example of this phenomena.

The story begins in 1989 with an epidemic in the United States of a never before seen syndrome which included severe muscle pain, swelling, and a marked increase of a white blood cell called eosinophils. The CDC named it Eosinophelia-Myalgia Syndrome (EMS). The cases of EMS were linked to a tryptophan supplement manufactured by a Japanese pharmaceutical company, Showa Denko. Tryptophan is commonly extracted from fermented bacteria cultures. In December 1988 Showa Denko had started using a new genetically altered bacterium strain which greatly increased the production of tryptophan. No tryptophan by any other manufacturer was linked to EMS. Showa Denko eventually destroyed this bacteria strain and paid over $2 billion to more than 2,000 victims of EMS.

Michael Osterholm, one of the authors of an EMS study published in the New England J. Med., pointed out the obvious connection between the new strain of bacterium and EMS in an August 1990 Newsday article. The FDA immediately jumped to the defense of genetic engineering, blasting Osterholm for “propagating hysteria”. Instead of investigating the possibility of contamination by Showa Denko’s new bacterium, the FDA used the situation to attack the supplement industry, calling it “health fraud schemes”. The FDA successfully called for a ban of all tryptophan supplements except by subscription. Health Canada followed suit making tryptophan available in Canada by subscription only. This ban was not lifted until 2001 in the USA and 2011 in Canada. I wonder: if a contaminated batch of Aspirin killed 40 people, would all ASA products be banned for 10 or 20 years?

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.