Presenter: Emily Wolbers, ND
Original Date: February 10, 2024

In the United States, approximately 1 in 4 adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder. Mental illness will affect up to half of all Americans at some point within their lifetime1. Conventional pharmacotherapy is often the first line of treatment; however, it is unsuccessful for many. Research indicates that medication is often not more effective than placebo, and for those whom it helps, there are high rates of symptom relapse. When pharmaceuticals fall short, there is need for a different approach to mental wellbeing that can be used alongside or in lieu of medication. A growing body of evidence supports nutritional strategies to improve mood and mental health including dietary changes, vitamin supplementation, herbal medicines, amino acid therapy, and nutraceuticals. One mechanism of action underlying the effectiveness of these approaches is that they can improve neurotransmitter balance. While the serotonin theory of depression falls out of favor due to a dearth of meta-analyses associating low serotonin with depression2, depression and mental illnesses are rarely due to a deficiency in one single marker. There are in fact a multitude of different neurotransmitter imbalances – and other underlying causes -- contributing to mental disorders. For example, depression can be associated with high or low serotonin, low catecholamines3, high glutamate, and low phenethylamine. Other related underlying causes of depression include low brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), inflammation, which can lead to neurotransmitter depletion, and nutrient deficient diets.

Dr. Emily Wolbers received her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine & a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Bradley University. She opened her private practice, QC Natural Health, in 2018, which currently has two locations: one in Portland, Oregon and the other in Davenport, IA, both with a focus on gastrointestinal health, specifically the gut-brain connection, holistic nutrition, and the microbiome. She serves as an NUNM preceptor where she supervises students in her private practice. Dr. Wolbers also facilitates mindfulness & yoga in the community and often brings this medicine into her treatment plans.