The conference was intellectually intense – a fire hose of explanations about the way our brains work and the various biochemical cycles – like methylation. . Lots of fun to try to grab some of the information as it flew by! I enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Dr Amy and her wonderful family and staff in person. They are clearly dedicated and in this together. And she is great at breaking down the very complex brain mechanics into chunks and analogies that moms can relate to.
Several friends asked me to share my notes… so I have posted the full set here as pictures…
Below are a few of my takeaways (hopefully no glaring errors) … the actual presentations and talks will be posted to www.dramyyasko.com still it’s fun to share our learnings so here goes:
1) Before vaccinating – get gaba/glutamate in balance and get the methylation cycle working well. And be sure that there are no infections – even check stool to see that there are no parasitic infections which can also impair immune response.
2) With Microbes – like strep – lithium and iodine levels are important to monitor. Need to also run a CSA + GI test at least 2x a year.
3) Low iron could be caused by insufficient B12 or by lead toxicity- because lead creates a block that competes with gaba ? And? My note: this article might be related. Even small amounts of iron on a UEE usually means that a stool test will show bacteria – that needs to be treated! Also iron may be partially correlated by Vitamin D – there is a correlation.
4) SNP mutations in the nutritional pathway matter, by supplementing we can make a difference for our kids
5) Too much vitamin A can impair methylation. Yet Vitamin A is helpful. We just need moderation. It is important to balance the nutritional pathways with small amounts of supplements – rather than high doses. And to test every few months or several times a year to see where we are on the map – rather than driving blindly.
6) Epigenetics are important – “Epigenetics deals with the regulation of gene activity within a cell – which genes are switched on or off, and when it happens” and “everything from a lab animal being exposed to a toxic chemical to a person smoking, being malnourished in childhood, or overeating–leaves an imprint on eggs or sperm, an imprint so tenacious that it affects not only those individuals’ children but their grandchildren as well.” Begley, Sharon. “Sins of the Grandfathers.” Newsweek 8 Nov. 2010.
7) The methylation cycle is one of the most critical cycles to improve and to study.
8) Seizures – can be caused by high glutamate. Unusable folate *might” cause excess glutamate. So it is important to not overdose folate. And equally important to choose the type of folate that will be best absorbed. Also need glutamate/gaba in balance.
9) Eye issues? Gaba/glutamate may be out of balance. Add more gaba.
10) People with high intelligence capacity – might have more glutamate receptors and therefore be more prone to high glutamate/overflowing excitotoxins.
11) Melatonin helps with oxidative stress & mito functioning & glutathione issues. Sp melatonine isn’t just for sleep. We can all most all use a bit/ Take at bedtime tough – also causes sleep
12) Polyamines help regulate the methylation pathway – influencing phospholypids and gaba concentrations.
