Recently, I have learned about a condition that I suspect could be a major contributing factor to the anxiety and depression of many in the world today. It can have quite the range of subtle yet life-disrupting symptoms. This condition, called pyroluria, is fairly common. Yet oddly enough, the disorder is widely unheard of. The condition, called pyruloria, can still have huge impacts on the way a person processes life and is definitely worth learning about if you suffer from anxiety, depression or frequently see white spots on your nails. We’ll get to why later.

Pyroluria is basically a blood processing malfunction where in the process of hemoglobin formation there is an excess buildup of a natural byproduct called pyrolles. These are known to then bind to the nutrients Zinc and Vitamin B6 for excretion from the body. Vitamin B6 and Zinc just happen to be absolutely essential for mental wellbeing and overall health.

Symptoms of this condition include white spots on the nails, anxiety, depression, a sense of inner tension, poor immunity, sensitivity to alcohol and other chemicals, moodiness, as well as less hair on the head, eyebrows and eyelashes than most have. These symptoms tend to develop in the teenage years or a traumatic event, so its symptoms exacerbate with stress. This makes sense because B6 is needed in order to make one of our main feel good chemicals, known as serotonin. Serotonin is hugely important to our wellbeing and perceptions. Symptoms of Pyroluria to look out for include eczema, chronic acne, cold intolerance/ cold hands and feet, as well as joint pain and  short term memory issues. Additional indicators are a common stitch in the side upon running, stretch marks, or skin that has a thinness to. Another symptom that caught my attention was functioning better at night than during the day. It comes as a bit of a relief to find that this could potentially be corrected (once tested) with simple, inexpensive  supplementation.

This disorder has been ignored and goes unacknowledged by modern medicine and even the mental health industry because there is no drug to sell for this disease. Only nutrients do the trick. Pharmaceutical companies can’t patent a nutrient (thank goodness, otherwise we might have to pay a lot more for vitamin C) so doctors in turn don’t get informed about them. In case you didn’t already know, it is often pharmaceutical rep companies that are educating MD’s on the latest “discoveries”. So it makes sense why you doctor hasn’t diagnosed everybody and their brother with this condition, they simply are not taught about nutrition, they’re taught about drugs. But I digress.

Our society, that is so clearly plagued with depression, fear and anxiety deserve to know about such a life-diminishing, preventable disorder. Pyroluria is hypothesized to be at the root of up to 70% of cases of depression And schizophrenia, along with a huge amount of ADHD and autism cases as well (R).

What, you may ask, there are people out there currently having psychotic episodes or potentially committing violent acts unnecessarily as a result of this disorder,  without knowing because it won’t make pharmaceutical companies or doctors funded by them enough money? Well, that logic ends today. Anybody who is curious about this can easily get this tested and potentially see relief from the symptoms they thought they would be plagued with for life otherwise, not knowing that relief is possible. Many experience improvement from this syndrome anywhere from within a day to a week. Those with severe cases take months to get back to normal. The bottom line here though is that it’s treatable! This could be absolutely life changing for so many.

The treatment for Pyroluria is as easy as proper supplementation. People that suffer from this condition can benefit from the coenzymated form of B6, also known as p5p or pyridoxal-5- phosphate, along with extra zinc. It is important to get tested to ensure you’re taking the right nutrients for your body. A link for more info on this disorder and on testing can be found here . I also have tests I can do to determine your nutritional status.

Other supplements that benefit this condition include “methyl donors” which include Vitamin B12 in the methylcobalmin form, MSM, betaine HCL, choline, and folate as well as niacin. Methyl donors have already been known to have exceptional health benefits, but this could mean life or death for somebody experiencing severe symptoms of this.

Here is a quiz you may take or send to anyone you think might benefit. Who knows, this may be the cause of some or all of your or a loved ones totally unexplained inner tension and turmoil. I hope this helps someone and would love to hear anybody’s feedback and/ or test results on this issue. If you would like to arrange an in person or online consultation with me so we can determine your nutritional status, contact me at paigeforwellness@gmail.com

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to diagnose any disease or illness. Always check with your trusted health care practitioner.