Instructor: James Greenblatt, MD & Michelle To, MD
When it comes to human nutrition and biochemistry, “balance” can be as important as “sufficiency.” Zinc and copper are essential minerals that are enormously important for brain function and neurotransmitter synthesis and, accordingly, maintain robust associations with a variety of mental health outcomes. Zinc deficiency is powerfully associated with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and Anorexia Nervosa, while an excess of copper is linked with presentations of agitation, anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, and aggression. Beyond their roles individually, zinc and copper are also antagonists (i.e., biological competitors sharing a ‘seesaw-esque’ relationship whereby elevations in one mineral causes depletion of the other). For today’s mental health professionals, understanding how zinc and copper interact within the body – and how to properly assess levels of each via testing – is of paramount importance.
Overview
In this webinar, Functional & Metabolic Psychiatry expert, Dr. James Greenblatt, will explore the biological roles of zinc and copper and how those roles influence neurotransmission and brain function. Further, he will discuss the implications of research demonstrating powerful associations between zinc deficiency, depression, ADHD, and Anorexia Nervosa, and how zinc supplementation can provide significant therapeutic benefits to patients with these and other ailments. Common environmental and biological contributors to zinc deficiency will be reviewed, with a focus on copper excess and the mechanisms through which high copper leads to neurotoxic dopamine accumulation. Strategies for objective copper and zinc assessment – with an emphasis on Trace Mineral Hair Analysis – will be presented, along with evidence-based recommendations for supplementation to achieve a proper zinc:copper balance.
Learning Objectives
- List three or more of the biological roles of zinc as pertain to mental health
- Identify three or more common causes of zinc deficiency
- Explain how low zinc can adversely impact digestion
- List three or more behavioral indicators of high copper
- Explain how elevations in copper cause neurotoxic accumulations of dopamine
- Understand how zinc supplementation can support patients with depression, ADHD, Anorexia, or agitation/irritability
- Elucidate the clinical utility of Trace Mineral Hair Analysis in the assessment of patients with mental illness
James Greenblatt, MD
A trailblazer in the field of functional and integrative psychiatry, James M. Greenblatt, MD, has treated thousands of patients since 1988. After receiving his medical degree and completing his psychiatry residency, Dr. Greenblatt completed a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School. He served as the Chief Medical Officer at Walden Behavioral Care in Waltham, MA for nearly 20 years, and currently serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine. Dr. Greenblatt has lectured internationally on the scientific evidence for functional and nutritional interventions for and mental illness. He is the Founder & Chief Medical Officer of Psychiatry Redefined, the leading continuing education platform for mental health providers; and the author of seven books, including the groundbreaking best-seller, Finally Focused: The Breakthrough Natural Treatment Plan for ADHD.
Michelle To, MD
Michelle To, MD, specializes in treating mental disorders in adults. She graduated with honors from the University of Southern California before completing her medical school, residency, and fellowship training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She completed a fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine, a sub-specialty focused on the complex interplay between medical and psychiatric illnesses. She has additional fellowship training in Integrative & Functional Psychiatry under renowned functional medicine expert Dr. James Greenblatt. At the Greater Los Angeles VA Hospital, she served as the Deputy Chief of Acute Care Psychiatry and received a faculty award for excellence in teaching from the UCLA-GLAVA psychiatry residency program. Dr. To now practices telepsychiatry in her hometown of Los Angeles. Her therapeutic approach emphasizes the importance of authenticity, self-compassion, greater cognitive flexibility, and the healing power of simply being witnessed. With each patient, she gathers a comprehensive history and uses lab testing to create a holistic treatment plan that recognizes each person’s biochemical individuality.
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