Ammonia Toxicity

Ammonia Toxicity in the Brain of Tick-Borne Disease Patients

Most patients with neurological Lyme Disease and coinfections (i.e., MS, ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, Autism), have elevated levels of ammonia in the brain which is neurotoxic. This is due to the fact that the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, produces urease enzymes, and ammonia accumulation results. Sometimes ammonia levels will be elevated in the blood, but many times they are also normal. This is because the ammonia concentration is localized in specific tissues (brain), where the concentration is not high enough to be detected in the blood. But that doesn’t mean that ammonia is not causing destruction. It is VERY neurotoxic, and needs to be removed with herbal supplements and diet changes.

A diet rich in arginine (an amino acid), is linked to increased ammonia levels, and therefore should be avoided. Arginine is found in nuts, seeds, chicken, salmon, shrimp, dairy, oats, soybeans, and coconut. Removing these foods from the diet will help minimize the ammonia load on the body. Cellular and tissue detox strategies are necessary to remove excess ammonia from the body.

If you would like to discuss this further with Dr. Marra, she would be glad to help you identify if this is a stressor for you.