A condition that is growing in awareness is Pyrolle disorder. This condition is associated with many types of problems but in particular mood imbalances, gut symptoms and behavioural issues in children. The diagnosis of conditions such as ADD/ADHD, food intolerances or anxiety may be related to Pyrolle disorder, so if you or someone you know has these health concerns, this might be something to look in to.

In my latest contribution to Western Sydney Mum’s Hub I talk about what Pyrolle disorder is, the symptoms you can look for as a clue, how to test for this condition and what you can do to help it with diet changes and herbal medicine.

Originally published here https://www.westernsydneymumshub.com.au/parenting/what-is-pyrolle-disorder.

So what is it?

Also referred to as pyroluria, mauve disorder or kryptopyrroluria, pyrolle disorder is a condition where there is an abnormal amount of the chemical hydroxyhermopyrrolin-2-one (HPL) excreted. Everyone produces this chemical in small amounts, however excretion of high levels may be linked to issues with the nervous system (usually resulting in mood and behavioural problems) and digestive complaints. When this occurs it is referred to as pyrolle disorder.

If you have ongoing issues with mental health, especially anxiety, this may be something to look into. It affects about 10% of the population and can be brought on by periods of stress, both emotional and physical, as stress causes the HPL chemical to be excreted very quickly.

It affects children and adults and can be a factor in various mental health issues, mostly anxiety, behavioural problems, ADHD, addictions and autism.

What are the Symptoms?

This condition can affect someone in a lot of different ways, mostly via the way it affects the nutrients zinc and B6 which are critical for health digestion, immune function, hormonal health and emotional balance. Not everyone experiences all the symptoms, but the expression of the condition could involve some or all of the following symptoms:

·         Anxiety

·         Depression

·         Mood swings

·         Low tolerance to stress

·         Sensitivity to noise and lights

·         A dramatic tendency (histrionic)

·         Pessimistic

·         Digestive complaints such as constipation or diarrhoea

·         Poor dream recall

·         White spots on nails

·         Poor appetite or nausea, especially mid morning

·         High tendency to stretch marks

·         Inability to tan or very pale skin

·         Skin complaints such as eczema, dry skin or rough skin on the back of the arms (keratosis pilaris)

·         Thinning hair and early greying of the hair

·         Sore joints

·         Irregular periods or delayed puberty

There can also be an allergy component to the condition as it affects histamine levels. I consider this helpful to test when supporting people with pyrolle disorder.

This condition has also been associated with other conditions such as autism , ADD/ADHD, allergies, alcoholism and additions, learning difficulties, epilepsy, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder and acute intermittent porphyria.

How is it tested?

A urine test that measures the levels of pyrroles (hydroxyhaemopyrrolin-2-one i.e. HPL) in the urine can give you a big indication whether this condition is an issue for you.

Most people should have low levels – less than 10mcg/dL of HPL in their urine. The upper limit of normal for HPL varies between 8-20 mcg/dL and levels greater than 20 mcg/dL are considered to be positive for pyrrole disorder. While that may be a positive test for pyrolle disorder, in clinic I have found that until levels get even higher then pyrolle disorder isn’t the main cause for the symptoms experienced and shouldn’t be the key focus of treatment.

Is it genetic?

There is a high likelihood that it is a genetic condition, with a 50% chance that if one parent has the condition that it will be passed onto the child.

Other genes can have a role in this condition such as MTHFR.

A lot of the time this condition may not be an issue, but in combination with stress, trauma or dietary/lifestyle issues it can become a bigger problem.

How is it treated?

A holistic approach is important, as there are often a combination of factors involved.

Usually repletion of the nutrients zinc and Vitamin B6 are important, but other nutrients such as magnesium, omega fatty acids and supporting B vitamins are important.

As the condition affects, and is affected by digestive health, the gut also needs to be supported with diet, and gut supporting nutrients and probiotics.

Diet for Pyrolle Disorder

Top foods to find zinc and B6

Zinc containing foods: Spinach, prawns, oysters, salmon, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, mushrooms, garlic, lima beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, peas, eggs, turkey, beef, lamb, liver, brown rice.

B6 containing foods: Sunflower seeds, pistachios, salmon, turkey, lean pork, beef, prunes, banana, avocado, spinach, fortified cereals, rice bran.

Top foods for GLA (gamma-linolenic acid)

Avocado, brazil nuts, hemp seeds, peanuts, chicken liver, pinenuts, spirulina, borage oil.

Foods to avoid:

Those which are difficult to digest and are classed as inflammatory. This often includes gluten, dairy, alcohol, heavily processed or sugar rich foods and anything that contains chemicals or is overly refined. Some people respond best to a paleo style diet, or one free from grains.

Herbal medicine for Pyrolle Disorder

The symptoms of the condition vary for everyone, and so herbal medicine can be targeted to this. It may involve using herbs to support concentration and memory such as Bacopa, digestive health such as Gentian, Ginger, Dandelion root, Chamomile and Lemon Balm, or to reduce anxiety such as Passionflower. A herbalist can individualise a formula to the person.

If you think this may be an issue for you, seek help from a qualified health practitioner with experience in this area.

The post What is Pyrolle Disorder? appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Perhaps you’ve heard about one of the latest health buzzes when it comes to mental health – a cheeky enzyme known as MTHFR (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase).

If you have a mutation in this gene then it can cause your methylation processes to work too much, too little, or not enough at all.  Methylation is essentially a process that occurs where DNA gets tagged with a ‘methyl group’ which lets the rest of the body know not to read that particular bit of DNA.  It’s also involved in the production of neurotransmitters, detoxification of chemicals, nerve health and processing of certain hormones and nutrients, to name just a few.

When the MTHFR genes work properly, you have adequate enzyme activity and that means you can more efficiently make proteins, use antioxidants, metabolize hormones, enjoy more stable brain chemistry, better eliminate toxins and heavy metals, and manage inflammation.  So if you’ve got a problem with this gene, it really can be a bugger.

How does it affect your mood?

Many people with the MTHFR gene experience mood imbalances.  This gene affects your mood in a few ways.

Reduced MTHFR enzyme means that you cannot make and recycle a very important antioxidant, glutathione effectively.  Glutathione is responsible for a vast array of activities in the body and low levels have been associated with conditions such as depression, inflammation, bipolar, chronic fatigue syndrome and autism.

If your body cannot methylate the chemical homocysteine (you can find out if this is too high via a blood test) that results in decreased production of SAMe.  This leads to decreased production of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters all responsible for mood balance.

If there is a reduced ability to detoxify chemicals and heavy metals (which is a factor for those with the MTHFR gene) this can also affect your mood.  Digestive and liver health can have an indirect affect on your mental health, for several reasons such as the health of your gut flora, increased inflammation and an impact on your neurotransmitters.  Digestive health problems have been linked to mental health problems in several studies.  Click here to read more.

A lot of people with MTHFR gene also have a condition called Pyroluria (also known as Pyrolle disorder, Mauve factor, Kryptopyrrole, Kryptopyrroluria.  People with this condition produce excess amounts of a substance called Pyrolles which bind to certain nutrients such as Vitamin B6, Biotin Zinc and GLA (an essential fatty acid).  There are several conditions associated with this disorder but namely it is involved in several mental health conditions such as Bipolar, Schizophrenia, Manic depression and ADD/ADHD.  This condition is also strongly linked to the state of the digestive system.

MTHFR and Folate

One of the main issues we have come to understand with MTHFR is that people with this gene cannot process folic acid into folate effectively and so cannot handle synthetic forms of the nutrient.  This can become a bit of an issue because synthetic folic acid is in pretty much every multi-vitamin, and a lot of foods are fortified with it.  If you are consuming synthetic folic acid and you can’t process it, it clogs up a lot of the pathways that require folate and as a result a lot of health complications arise.  You can also be prone to problems relating to deficiencies of folate, such as miscarriage and neural tube defects.

Photo by Braňo on Unsplash

People with MTHFR require a special activated form of this nutrient, the type found naturally in some foods.   How much depends on the level of the gene mutations present (there’s a lot of variety that you can have) and your diet and lifestyle can have a big impact on it as well – it’s completely possible to have this gene and be symptom free and healthy if your diet and lifestyle is fine, and the gene hasn’t been ‘switched on’ (usually by stressful events).  In Australia the closest to natural folate that we have available is folinic acid (calcium folinate) supplements, however this may still be difficult to metabolise for those who have very poor methylation.

Getting tested

If you suspect that you have this gene, then you can easily get yourself tested via labs such as Healthscope, Nutripath or 23 and Me.  You may like to get this organized with a health practitioner who is knowledgeable in the realm of MTHFR, so they can guide you with treatment if needed.

Learn more: MTHFR_Related_Health_Problems

The post MTHFR and your Mood appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.