Physiological factors can affect the way we think and feel. Mental health issues can have a physical cause. Of course, there are life circumstances that can lead to depression but what about depression with no known cause?
You can run functional lab tests to find out which physiological factors could be influencing your mood and well-being. These tests measure substances that can influence mood, whether through metabolism, inflammation or nutrient deficiencies.
C-reactive protein
This test can be run by your GP. It is a marker of inflammation. More recent research has touched upon the possibility that depression might be an inflammatory disease.
Vitamin D
People with low vitamin D levels are more likely to have depression. This is another test your GP can order for you you can also order a pinprick test through us. Simply fill in our online form and we’ll get in touch with the details. Be mindful that current NHS guidelines for sufficient vitamin D are set very low. You want to ask for your specific level or even a copy of your results. A range of 130 – 150 n/mols is most likely ideal. Vitamin D levels can drop particularly low over the winter months and have been associated with the development of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
B12
The role of B12 in mental well-being is understated. Low levels have been implicated in a number of mental health disorders, including schizophrenia and depression. The range for adequate B12 in NHS blood tests is very wide indeed and this is another circumstance where it is good to get the actual figure of your reading. It may be that your levels fall within this range but are at the lower end. If you require higher levels for optimal functioning it might be worth supplementing. Speak to your nutritionist about ordering methylmalonic acid (MMA) testing to get an accurate indicator of B12 uptake through urine metabolite analysis.
Thyroid hormones
Perhaps of the biggest underlying issues causing depression is an undiagnosed or subclinical thyroid disorder. If your thyroid is under functioning low mood and depression is one of a number of symptoms that it could cause. Other signs include fatigue, sluggish bowel movements, poor concentration, memory and weight gain or inability to gain weight. You may have already been tested for thyroid dysfunction and told that your test results were ‘normal’. It’s worth checking which thyroid hormones were tested. Often the only hormone tested by GP’s is Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and this is not a sensitive indicator of thyroid function. We need to look at T3, T4 and check for thyroid antibodies too. There is a postal test that gives a comprehensive overview of thyroid function available through us. Get in touch if you would like to order this.
Homocysteine
High homocysteine has been linked with depression, dementia and cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine levels can usually be improved by attention to lifestyle and nutrition but if left unchecked they can contribute to inflammation and may lower serotonin levels. You can check your homocysteine levels with a postal kit, get in touch to ask us about it.
If you want to investigate what factors are influencing your mood and wellbeing drop us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
