Pyroluria – A Hidden Cause of Addictions, ADHD, Anxiety and Other Afflictions

Pyrrole disorder or pyroluria is a genetic condition in which an individual produces an abnormally large number of pyrroles. Affected individuals may have 5 – 10 times more pyrroles than are usually produced. Normally excreted in the urine, a pyrrole is a byproduct of hemoglobin synthesis and has no known function in the body. 

Hemoglobin, of course, is the molecule that carries oxygen in blood. Pyrroles have an affinity for aldehydes including vitamin B6 and zinc, binding to them in large numbers. They are then excreted in the urine, meaning that the zinc and vitamin B6 nutrients are no longer available for their usual biological roles.

Relapse rates for alcoholism and other addictions are staggering.  Likewise, rates of recurrence for common psychiatric disorders – including anxiety, ADHD, and depression – remain high despite aggressive treatments with modern prescription medications.  These dire statistics stem from a glaring limitation of contemporary medicine:  treatment focuses solely on downstream symptom relief while ignoring upstream root causes of the symptoms in question.  One of the more common upstream sources of myriad psychiatric conditions is Pyroluria.

People with pyroluria have been found to have exceptionally low levels of both vitamin B6 and zinc. Deficiencies of these important nutrients have been linked to a wide range of emotional and psychiatric issues including anxiety, irritability, depression, and short-term memory problems.

In addition, pyroluria is often seen in children who have been previously diagnosed with conditions characterized by poor responses to stress, behavioral disorders, learning disorders, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders. Zinc deficiencies have been associated with physiological disorders as well: poor immune function, poor growth, and delayed puberty.

The Cause Of Pyrrole Disorder

Pyrrole disorder is caused by the overproduction of hydroxyhempyrolin (HPL). The HPL binds zinc and B6 preventing their use by the body and causing excretion in the urine and hair. HPL is a biomarker for oxidative stress and is neurotoxic. Stress of any kind will increases production of pyrroles/HPL which in turn decreases zinc and B6. The reduced utilisation of zinc and B6 is what causes the symptoms of Pyrrole Disorder.

There is evidence to suggest that Pyrrole Disorder is a genetically based ailment as well as a disorder caused by a variety of lifestyle issues such as poor diet, leaky gut syndrome, stress and poor digestion. Statistics and research indicates that if a relative sufferers from Alcoholism, Schizophrenia, Depression, Bipolar Disorder or has suicided, there is a greater risk of Pyrrole Disorder in other family members.

Poor dietary choices and poor digestive health can lead to an increase in Pyrrole levels as a low nutrient diet will not deliver all of the nutrients a body needs much less one with the need for additional support. Leaky Gut Syndrome is common in sufferers of Pyrrole Disorder and a common factor for increasing blood Pyrrole levels. Consider the child with sensory processing, autism spectrum or other oral motor issues, who may have a very select array of foods they are happy to eat. If they are genetically at risk of Pyrrole, plus they eat a strict diet, and possibly have leaky gut, they can manifest the symptoms of Pyrrole disorder (but you’ve got to look at how to manage the underlying triggers of Pyrrole).

Alcohol, smoking, drugs and heavy metal exposure can dramatically increase blood pyrrole levels. This is why people who have Pyrrole Disorder will tend to get a worsening of their symptoms 24 to 48 hours after a big night out drinking or recreational drug use.

Research has discovered that stress increases the production of HPL in your blood, which in turn causes a worsening of your symptoms. It is a well known fact that high levels of cortisol (aka STRESS!) damages the intestinal wall causing intestinal inflammation. Both of which lead to an increase in Leaky Gut Syndrome. Studies have shown that zinc deficiency increases bowel permeability too. Leaky gut is not always from stress and diet, and can actually be due to a candida overgrowth, or other bacterial imbalances in the gut microbiome.

Lifestyle & Supplements Get Results:

With the right diet, supplementation and stress reduction most pyrolurics see results very quickly.  More severe cases usually experience slow progressive results.  Very stubborn cases are typically having issues with heavy metals or mold toxins.

They will need to remain on this lifestyle with moderate supplementation for the rest of their life or risk symptoms coming back.  Typically, large doses of supplementation is used in the beginning and the individual tapers down to smaller doses as they feel better and have a return to nutrient sufficient status.

Vitamin B6 plays a role in cognitive development through the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters and in maintaining normal levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood. It is also involved in glucose metabolism immune function (for example, it promotes lymphocyte and interleukin-2 production), and hemoglobin formation.

Zinc is needed for immune cell function and cell signaling. Zinc decreases oxidative stress and reduces levels of some inflammatory proteins. Chronic oxidative stress will lead to inflammation. And zinc prevents cellular damage in the retina, which helps in delaying the progression of macular degeneration and vision loss. Finally, Zinc also has a crucial role in regulating how neurons communicate with one another, affecting how memories are formed and how we learn.