An amazing statement at the end of the abstract of this article (open access article):
“The main areas of serotonin research provide no consistent evidence of there being an association between serotonin and depression, and no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations.”
(Moncrieff, J., Cooper, R.E., Stockmann, T. et al. The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence. Mol Psychiatry (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01661-0)
And, to make it worse, look at this last sentence:
“Some evidence was consistent with the possibility that long-term antidepressant use reduces serotonin concentration.”
Meaning that when you supplement serotonin, your brain starts making less! This achieves the exact opposite results from what is desired, and this explains why so many people end up taking multiple serotonin medications for depression, which can lead to serotonin syndrome, a killer that killed my mother!
Importantly, migraineurs often end up being placed on antidepressants under the pretense that migraine too is a serotonin deficiency, just like depression. But we know that migraine not a serotonin deficiency. Migraine is a genetic condition caused by various conditions that initiate an electrolyte imbalance and the brain simply ends up running low on salt. The Stanton Migraine Protocol(R) works perfectly for migraine reduction and prevention without the use of any medications.
In fact, since we now understand that if antidepressants are prescribed, the end result is having less serotonin in the brain than what was there before! So what serotonin supplementation achieves is less serotonin made by the brain! The exact opposite of what is intended.
I have been a member of Quora for many years. I get “request for answer” from many Quora subscribers every single day and about 90% of the requests are associated with migraines, asking pretty much the same questions. Of course, I am requested for the answer since I am a migraine specialist! Now… the problem is that every time I get basically the same questions (3-5 times a day), I provide the same answers with the same links. I created a “form answer” of sorts that answers the same questions all the time, with links to my talks, papers, etc.
Apparently Quora wants responses to provide different links to the same questions! Does that make any sense to you? Not to me! I think it is stupid! You’d think it is only the algorithm, right? Nope! The person responding to me said the same thing: we want different links and answers to the same questions. Yep! Quora for you! The only reason I haven’t yet given up on their stupidity is because I feel sorry for the members who are asking honest questions. If I can help them, I feel I should. But there is a limit.
I decided to post all my Quora answers here and also on some of my other blogs, and once in a while I will link here, sometimes to other blogs, and sometimes provide the full info on Quora. All will still contain the same information though… lol.. This is my last effort on Quora. If I fail in this, I just drop them like a cold stone. I don’t need them at all! And I hope the people looking for help with their migraines will find me through other platforms.
Below, those with migraines will find all the answers they need to learn how to abort and prevent their migraines without any medicine.
What is a Migraine & How to Prevent it
Migraine is preventable. Migraine is a genetic condition, which sets up an extreme sensitivity to carbohydrates and a need for much higher sodium content of the electrolyte than typical. The solution to this sensitivity is that if you stop consuming carbohydrates and increase salt and water, you can prevent migraines.
Migraine is caused by an electrolyte imbalance as a result of the over-activity of the sensory neurons. In a migraineur’s brain, the sensory neurons have much more connections than the same neurons in a typical non-migraine brain. This is why migraineurs tend to be overstimulated by strong bright lights, strong odors, loud sounds, more sensitive to touch, and some (like me) also are super-tasters, so more sensitive to spices. More connections mean more “chatter” and so a healthy myelin system is essential. Because of the hyper-reaction of the brain to sensory stimulus, it generates more voltage—voltage is communication in the brain—and that extra voltage uses more sodium. Migraineurs need more salt in their diet to counter this effect. Migraineurs are also glucose sensitive (carbs intolerant) because glucose removes sodium and water from cells—therefore, carbs reduce sodium even more, causing a migraine.
There are several video interviews on which I have discussed the cause, prevention, and treatment of migraines without medicines. Here are a few of them:
3 lecture hours on migraine plus an hour of personal interview. These classes are for healthcare providers, and offer continuing education credit: https://nutrition-network.org/neurology/ This class requires payment to the organization of Nutrition Network.
I talked about the cause of migraines and how to treat and prevent it without medicines. This course is for CED for medical professionals. This organization requires a membership that is not free.
The Daily Mail (UK): “Can you cure migraines by eating more SALT? That’s the controversial suggestion by one US neuroscientist – but what do leading experts think?” Can you cure migraines by eating more SALT? That’s the controversial suggestion by one US neuroscientist – but what do leading experts think? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6008119/Can-cure-migraines-eating-SALT.html
I keep on forgetting to upload the latest interviews here. There are just so many and more are coming. Here is the latest! Enjoy and let me know if you have any comments or questions:
Screen capture from google with search word “nutrients”
We often discuss what foods we should be eating based on macronutrient contents, such as protein, fat, and carbohydrate. We also discuss that potassium and sodium should be in a particular ratio, but we seldom if ever discuss foods in terms of their micronutrients.
The paper “Priority micronutrient density in foods” by Ty Beal and Flaminia Ortezi (see: DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-701840/v2) focuses on certain micronutrients and generated various graphs and tables, of which I include here a couple and explain what they mean and how to understand them. The nutrients they were looking at were iron, zinc, folate (B9), vitamin A, calcium, and cobalamin (B12).
What these scientists did was look at these micronutrients from the perspective of how many calories worth of a particular food you would have to consume to get 1/3rd or 1/6th of the RDA, which they named here as AR, meaning average requirements. Of course, this article is limited within those micronutrients of interest to them, so this paper doesn’t contain potassium or sodium or selenium, and others nutrients, for example. With all its limitation, I think it provides a great understanding of what foods to eat most and why, and it also points out if there is a fallacy in the plant-based climate saving plan.
The Myth of the modern interpretation of the Mediterranean Diet goes back to Ancel Keys. He also decided that the meals served in Greece during Lent was THE ideal diet. Yep, it’s stupid, but it took off and now people believe it. How does the saying go? If enough people repeat something that never happened, it will become the truth and the law.
While most of the interviews I am asked for are about migraine, every now and then the discussion moves to other interesting areas. This podcast is about protein: what kind of protein, how much, age differences, and the many caveats of a healthy life by a high animal-protein diet. Why animal protein? Because the only plant protein that is complete in all amino acids is soy, which is full of goitrogens that kill the thyroid, and estrogen, which creates man-boobs. Because plant-proteins are incomplete, to start protein synthesis, you need to mix and match many plants that in sum will provide the right amino acids. To do this, you need to have a professional dietitian guide you. Animal proteins are always complete so you can just sit down and eat without any planning A winning strategy as far as I am concerned.
The link to the interview is here. Enjoy and ask questions!
Comments are welcome, as always, and are moderated for appropriateness.
Do doctors know what antibiotics they shouldn’t prescribe for simple infection?
It appears that most doctors don’t follow FDA regulations and especially don’t read updated regulations. There is an extended black box warning on all fluoroquinolone class antibiotics, which are:
So, for our newcomers who are still wondering if this protocol will really work, I had another huge day yesterday. The pastor of our church is a good friend and also a neighbor who lives right across the street from us. As many of you know The central states were hit with a terrific wind storm and even a few tornadoes yesterday. I was enjoying a pajama day and just taking it easy, hadn’t even had lunch yet, when Pastor’s wife called to tell me that her husband had had a heart attack and was to be air flighted to the heart hospital 2 hours away. She had made a reservation in a hotel adjoining the hospital but because of extensive surgery 6 days ago she wasn’t able to drive. So she wanted to know if I could drive her to the hospital.
So, I rushed to get dressed and fed and when she had her bags ready I we took off in her car and my hubby followed in ours so that we could leave our her car for her and her daughter who was flying in from Virginia to help her. We got about 45 minutes away and encountered rain. The further we drove the harder the rain came down. We drover for 2 hours in the rain and lightning and sometimes visibility was so poor I could only see 4 or 5 cars ahead of me. What was normally a 2 hour drive took 2 1/2 hours.
Needless to say, when we reached our destination my neck and shoulders were in knots! When we reached the city the hospital is in we encountered down-pouring rain, lightning, 54 degree temps, and fog. But, we had arrived safely and all went in to see how pastor was doing. I have to say that for a man who had just had a heart attack and a procedure to put in 2 stents he looked really good and was in good spirits.
I went to the hotel with pastor’s wife to help her with baggage since she isn’t supposed to be lifting anything. After I got her situated we went back to the hospital where she returned to her husband and I found mine so we could head home. We left the hospital at 8 pm in a downpour and it was still 50 degrees when we left. By the time we reached our truck I was soaked to the skin. We had a 2 hour drive to get home if road condition and rain were OK.
We got a little way from town and the temp had dropped to 28 and the rain had turned to snow. We did encounter a short section that was icy but not too bad. We got to the halfway point and stopped for supper. It was snowing pretty bad by now and we had been warned that there were blizzard conditions just 10 minutes from our home. So we checked the weather and found that there were sections of whiteout between our town and where we stopped. Also the interstate was closed from our town to the western border. There was a group of truckers at the table across from us and they advised us to stay put as they had just driven from the west and were waiting out the night themselves because of road conditions.
We got a room and stayed put for the night. I didn’t have my pillow or my sleep mask but was so tired I did fall right to sleep. Because hubby has to be at work by 6 am we got up at 5 to head home. I woke with a bit of a cervi headache but it was tolerable and after a few stretches I was good to go. Thankfully roads were clear and the rest of the drive home has uneventful. We got home and I went back to bed as hubby left for work.
Thankfully I had kept up with my hydration and had carried extra salt pills just in case. Through this grueling trip I experienced no prodromes and no hint of a migraine. So for of you who are wondering if this protocol really works, I can honestly tell you it absolutely does!
I still remember how frustrated I was 4 1/2 years ago when I started this journey. I recall many a post I made through tears and how kind Kristin, Terri, and Angela were in responding and helping me through my questions and concerns. It was so worth it all though as I now have a life that is so much more fulfilling. I can be spontaneous and not worry that events like this will through me into a multi day scourge of pain. I can live my life so much fuller than I ever have before. Since my migraines started as a toddler I still find this to be the most amazing thing I have ever experience and I will forever be grateful for the time and work that Angela and the admins here put into this and into all of us! ❤
This is a discussion-type lecture via zoom with members of the Nutrition Collective in the UK. Anyone can register if you wish to join. It starts at 6 PM UK time, 10 AM Pacific time on Wednesday this week, 8th of December, 2021!
Register, watch the presentation, and then ask your questions! 🥰 I am looking forward to seeing you there.
Medical and healthcare professionals earn credits for this course. Please see details at the website.
Clueless Doctors & Scientists 