In June, National University of Health Sciences’ (NUHS’) Alumni Department welcomed alumnus Paul Varnas, DC ’83, to campus to discuss underlying causes of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
With almost 40 years of experience in natural health care, Dr. Varnas uses his knowledge to educate future practitioners to help their patients and grow their practices via his two websites: Whole Health Web and Dr.Varnas.com. Dr. Varnas currently writes newsletters for Zorex International. Additionally, he has authored other newsletters for doctors, vitamin companies and laypeople.
The main point of Dr. Varnas’ discussion was that depression and anxiety can likely be caused by an underlying health problem. He outlined that inflammation, the microbiome, the thyroid and the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis (HPA) can all play a role in depression and anxiety.
“We’re trying to supplement methods that support the body to try to shrink a great big ball. We’re not really treating the disease. We’re fixing infrastructure,” Dr. Varnas said.
Research shows that inflammation can relate to depression and anxiety as it causes disruptions in the blood brain barrier. Dr. Varnas stated that inflammation is a part of every disease and can be caused by diet, chronic stress, lack of physical activity and more.
A big source of inflammation is based on gut health. Dr. Varnas stressed that there’s a strong connection between the gut and the brain, therefore when one isn’t working properly, the other one suffers too. While addressing inflammation, he noted that it’s also important to look at other factors such as low levels of Vitamin D, thiamin and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Additionally, he stated that Vitamin B intake, magnesium supplementation and exercise can all help with depression.
“When I was first in practice, we’d give magnesium, a B complex, a little extra B6 and an adjustment and that would do the job. But low levels of vitamin D are linked to depression so it’s always good to do a blood chemistry first.”
The thyroid plays a large role in depression and anxiety as well. Conditions like hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis, as well as elevated thyroid stimulating hormone, antithyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibodies levels are associated with an increased risk of depression. This is because these conditions affect brain function and neurotransmitters, which may lead to a decline in mood and energy.
When the HPA axis, a key component of the body’s stress response, is activated, it releases increased cortisol, which is linked to depression and anxiety. The HPA is found to be dysregulated in people with depression because of high cortisol levels.
Dr. Varnas advises students to focus on the root cause of their future patient’s health concerns. In doing so, the patient is more likely to achieve long-term success in stabilizing their mental health and overall wellness.
“If you reduce inflammation and improve the microbiome, your job gets much easier,” Dr. Varnas said.
