How Lactic Acid Causes Anxiety

How Lactic Acid Causes Anxiety

I call lactic acidosis the “Big Bang” because it came to me unexpect­ edly during my nutritional studies. The term lactic acidosis seems to be “hush, hush” in the medical world, and rarely diagnosed. My interpretation is that it doesn’t benefit big pharma whatsoever. Plenty of information about lactic acidosis has actually been removed from medical textbooks and literature by the FDA. Lactic acidosis will change the way you look at anxiety recovery completely and help you understand why we must focus on your diet.

Lactic Acid Actually Causes Anxiety & Panic Attacks!

Lactic acidosis is caused by an excess of lactic acid in the blood. When our body can no longer expel toxic waste material, we suffer from a buildup that, in turn, creates a host of symptoms, and is a mechanism for chronic disease!

Interestingly, anxiety is a Latin term defined as a tightening, narrow distress, which is what lactic acidosis causes within the body. When our blood has become toxic to us, our arteries dilate when we are sitting; this can cause one of the major symptoms of anxiety — heart palpitations and a tight feeling in the chest. While sitting down with excess lactic acid, our circulation slows down and the heart beats really hard to push the blood through.

Exercise can help to remove lactic acid because waste product is eliminated as oxygen enters the bloodstream, but it only helps expel waste matter to an extent and can cause the opposite effect if the exercise is too strenuous. If we have abused our bodies with the wrong food and have been stressed or anxious for too long, symptoms of lactic acidosis will show up, one way or another. Until diet and lifestyle are changed, everything else will be a band-aid.

In experimental models, researchers injected predisposed anxiety sufferers with lactate. The result was heightened anxiety and panic attacks. In non-anxious individuals, however, nothing happened. So it appears that individuals with anxiety have a heightened sensitivity to lactate. It stands to reason then, that reducing lactate levels must be a priority.

When lactic acid is ongoing for too long, it reaches the brain and the body experiences capillary engorgement; this causes massive problems when brain cells die. This is when negative thoughts creep in and lead to doubt, worry, fear, anxiety and depression.

• Trauma and or Excessive Stress
• Alcohol
• Blood-sugar fluctuation
• Caffeine
• Deficiency of B vitamins Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Thiamin (B1)
• Deficiency of Calcium and/or Magnesium
• Hyperventilation
• Inner inflammation in the body
• Low levels of GABA (for stress management)
• Mold and environmental toxins or allergies
• Demanding lifestyles
• Over-exerting exercises
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Sugar and a conventional, processed diet
• Unmanaged food allergies and intolerances

Symptoms of Lactic Acidosis

• Anxiety
• Cramped or burning muscles
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Extreme fatigue
• Fast heartbeat
• Feeling physically unwell or uncomfortable • Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Stomach pain
• Weakness

EAT TO BEAT ANXIETY

The Emotional Connection

Lactic acidosis can creep in when we experience emotional trauma or an onslaught of stress because during those times we are causing a lot of stress on our physical body. Stress and trauma are two of the most important variables that impact our cells. The processing of emotional traumas and stress can be helped by partaking in exercises such as CBT and rapid intuitive conditioning to adapt to external and internal stressors and work through physiological processes efficiently.

There are only two modes our bodies can be
in: fat­burning mode (where no disease can live), or sugar-burning mode (where disease and mental health problems flourish). Sugar- burning mode consists of pastries, pasta, bread, white rice, candy bars, soda, alcohol, commercialized dairy products and packaged processed foods. Chemicals and additives are included in almost every prepared food package, which not only cause fatigue and brain fog, but are precursors for lactic acidosis.

Hyperventilation

Breathing techniques are vital for keeping lactic acid at bay. Our cells NEED sufficient oxygen. If we engage in shallow breathing all day, we might think that a panic attack in the evening crept up out of nowhere, but it is actually a signal telling us we need to engage in proper breathing techniques during the day. Slow down your breathing and the panic attacks WILL diminish over time.

B-Vitamin Deficiency

When we lack B vitamins our bodies create an excess of lactic acid. B vitamins are water- soluble, so they come into our system quickly and leave quickly. During times of anxiety and stress we use up B vitamins at an even faster rate! In almost every case of debilitating anxiety and depression (no matter how long we have had symptoms) B vitamin deficiency has been progressing within our cells for some time.

Stabilize Blood Sugar

Keeping blood sugar stable is crucial for keeping lactic acid at bay. Having a high-quality protein-rich snack on hand between meals is the best way to set yourself up for success. It doesn’t have to be a lot; just something to keep your blood sugar from dipping.

Allergens

Exposure to mold, hidden environmental toxins and external allergies can create lactic acidosis. Black mold can cause respiratory problems and inflammation, including sneezing, coughing, eye irritation, persistent headaches and chronic fatigue. Molds can cause the formation of lactic acid, methane and carbon dioxide.

GABA

The neurotransmitter GABA is found throughout the central nervous system. Low levels, or decreased GABA function in the brain, is associated with high amounts of lactic acid in the blood. In fact, many anti­anxiety drugs interact primarily with GABA receptors. It is necessary to increase foods and beverages that naturally create GABA and remove the foods that hinder production. If not enough GABA is produced through dietary changes, supplementing with GABA and B6 may be necessary (under the guidance of your health care professional). In the Eat to Beat Anxiety Program you will learn strategies to raise GABA naturally through diet and lifestyle changes.

When lactic acidosis is highly orchestrated within the body, the chance of inflammation and acidic PH levels are prevalent. This program has a number of food­elimination protocols to understand the cause of inflammation, whether it is a food allergy or intolerance, stress, lack of nutrients or hyperventilation. If you have, or have had, any chronic disease, there is no doubt an excess of lactic acid exists in your body.

In each subsequent chapter, our goal will be to eliminate and combat lactic acid through various methods, including detoxification, herbs, adaptogens, supplements and lifestyle changes!

Recognize lactic acidosis precursors!

Looking at the following 14 precursors to lactic acidosis, which ones might be contributing to lactic acid buildup in your body?

‰ Alcohol
‰ Blood-sugar fluctuation
‰ Caffeine
‰ Deficiency of B vitamins Niacin, Vitamin B6 and Thiamin (B1) ‰ Deficiency of Calcium and/or Magnesium
‰ Hyperventilation
‰ Inner inflammation in the body
‰ Low levels of GABA (for stress management)
‰ Mold and environmental toxins or allergies
‰ Outside stressors and demanding lifestyles
‰ Over-exerting exercises
‰ Sedentary lifestyle
‰ Sugar and a conventional, processed diet
‰ Unmanaged food allergies and intolerances

Get up and stretch!

Stretching helps to bring more oxygen to the muscles, which can reduce lactic acid production and aid in removing lactic acid buildup. Although this doesn’t undo all the wrong eating and doings of the day, it is a start in removing lactic acid, relieving tension and improving flexibility. Use your smartphone to schedule a 10-minute stretch each evening, especially before you sit down for long periods of time. If you are prone to sitting every evening from 8 p.m.-10 p.m., set your smartphone alarm every day for 8 p.m. to do a minimum 10­minute stretch­and­release routine. Slow down your breathing and focus on giving back to your body. Keep consistent by trying to choose a time when you don’t have excuses.

Stay hydrated!

Get out your favorite water bottle and keep it full! As simple as this step may sound to implement, it is not taken seriously by enough by most people. Aim for around 2 liters of water a day for optimal hydration to aid in expelling toxic wastes. I like to have 1.5 liters finished by 3 p.m., this way I am not up all evening in the washroom. If you are about to engage in strenuous exercise, go in fully hydrated beforehand and replenish afterward. If you are drinking caffeine or alcohol, drink an extra 2 cups of water for each serving of stimulant consumed.

Swap out sugar and carbohydrates for bright coloured vegetables, ocean wise seafood, grass fed meat, activated nuts.

Lastly it is very important to create a balanced lifestyle approach, ease into any new healthy habits so they are long lasting achievements rather than a fad diet or bandaid approach, because our cells ultimately know the difference!