Your brain contains complex chemical networks of neurons, neurotransmitters and receptors that work together to communicate messages for mood, body movement and behavior. These communication systems are fueled by macronutrients, such as protein and carbohydrates, and micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, obtained from the foods you eat. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a mental health condition resulting from low neurotransmitter levels that may improve with changes in nutrition habits.
About OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects over 2 percent of the American population. It is an anxiety-based condition that involves the intrusion of irrational or unwanted thoughts, or obsessions, followed by the urge to complete repetitive rituals, or compulsions, on a persistent basis. Symptoms of OCD often begin in childhood, adolescence or young adulthood, and the exact cause is unknown. However, the condition is not caused by poor choices, personality defects or bad parenting as once believed. Doctors know that it significantly impacts communication systems in your brain. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic condition that is commonly treated with medication and behavior therapy, but it is not known to be curable. Common themes in OCD center on feeling contaminated, being anxious about possible harm to self or loved ones, body imperfections or sexual preoccupation. The perpetual obsessions increase anxiety, and the anxiety escalates until the compulsion is carried out. This happens in a cycle that does not end without intervention.
Formation of Neurotransmitters
In the brain, you have multitudes of nerve cells that communicate among each other using axon terminals, which extend from the body of the brain cells. Neurons aid in the electrical activity of your brain and are located within the cell body, but neurons cannot be reached without the help of biochemical messengers, or neurotransmitters. At the end of the axon is a gap, or synapse, which is where chemical communication takes place to tell the neighboring axon specific messages that are then carried up to the neuron in the cell body. The message from the first cell body relayed to the next can produce chemical changes resulting in the formation of new neurotransmitters. In OCD, a problem between the formation of neurotransmitters and neuron signaling is prominent.
Neurotransmitters and OCD
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, OCD largely results from a chemical imbalance in the brain. Specifically, low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are linked to the condition, but dopamine and norepinephrine may also play a small role. Damage to the frontal lobes of the brain from injury or lack of neuron signaling from low serotonin levels are also implicated in the cognitive and behavior changes associated with OCD. Serotonin is important for mood regulation, sleep, learning and calmness. It is synthesized from the chemical tryptophan, an amino acid derived from foods containing B vitamins. Medications to treat OCD, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors -- or SSRIs -- aim to raise serotonin levels in the brain and reduce the symptoms of OCD. Research is ongoing to determine if nutritional therapy can yield similar results to SSRIs in treating the condition. Consult your physician to determine the best treatment approach for your symptoms.
OCD, Serotonin and Nutrition
The process of neurotransmitter communications cannot occur without the assistance of amino acids, which come from proteins in the foods you eat and the help of vitamin nutrients like B-6. For serotonin to form, the amino acid tryptophan has to be present. Tryptophan is formed from precursor coenzymes found in the B vitamins -- specifically vitamins B-6 and B-12. Foods containing this vitamin group include nuts, fish, whole grains and chicken. Your body breaks down the protein from these foods into amino acids. When the amino acids are metabolized into small enough molecules, they are sent to your brain, where they cross the blood-brain barrier and head to their destination for neuron signaling and synthesis into serotonin. A nutritious diet may not prevent the onset of OCD, but it may help you manage your symptoms along with your medication and mental health therapy.
References
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology News; Carbs are Essential for Effective Dieting and Good Mood, Wurtman Says; Elizabeth A. Thomson; February 2004
- "Nutrition Journal"; Nutritional Therapies for Mental Disorders; Shaheen E. Lakhan, Karen F. Vieira; January 2008
- National Alliance on Mental Illness; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Judith Rapoport, MD; May 2003
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin B6; Victoria J. Drake, Ph.D.; November 2007
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Can Nutrient Supplements Modify Brain Function?; John D. Fernstrom; June 2000
- The Franklin Institute; The Human Brain: Nourish -- Proteins; 2004
