Do you have leaky brain? Perform this test to find out

You’ve heard of leaky gut, but have you heard of leaky brain? If you have symptoms of leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, you most likely also have leaky brain, or “blood-brain barrier permeability.” How do you know? You can perform a simple test with store-bought supplements to find out.

The blood-brain barrier is a thin barrier that lines the brain. Its role is to keep out viruses, bacteria, chemicals, heavy metals, and other pathogens, but to allow nano-sized particles in and out as necessary.

Unfortunately, the blood-brain barrier can become leaky just as the gut can. A leaky brain allows harmful pathogens to enter, where they trigger inflammation. This chronic inflammation damages and destroys brain tissue, accelerating brain degeneration.

Symptoms of leaky brain and leaky gut

A leaky brain has been linked to depression, ADD/ADHD, chronic pain, autism, mental illnesses, seizures, and facial palsies.

One of the more common symptoms of leaky brain is brain fog, especially if you feel it after eating.

The leaky brain challenge test

How do you know if your blood-brain barrier is leaky? You can perform a simple test with a store-bought supplement.

Simply take 1,000 mg of straight GABA (not GABA precursors such as theanine). For the best results, be sure to take this test during the day and not at bedtime.

GABA is a calming neurotransmitter. Although you can buy GABA supplements, the truth is the GABA molecule is too large to pass through a healthy blood-brain barrier.

If you feel drowsy or sleepy several hours after taking 1,000 mg of GABA, this means your blood-brain barrier is leaky enough to let GABA through.

Instead of feeling relaxed, some people find GABA makes them feel anxious. This is because the brain’s GABA system is weak and taking GABA over stimulated it. This also indicates a leaky brain barrier.

If taking GABA caused no change in how you feel, that is a good sign your blood-brain barrier is intact.

What causes leaky brain

Studies show a variety of factors cause leaky brain:

• Unstable blood sugar; high blood sugar
• Gluten
• Chronic stress
• Chronic inflammation
• Poor gut health (leaky gut)
• Autoimmunity
• Excess alcohol consumption

Repairing leaky brain and leaky gut:

Fortunately, there is plenty you can do to repair leaky brain, reduce or halt brain inflammation, and slow brain degeneration

• Take care of gut health
• Go gluten-free
• Remove other food intolerances (dairy, etc.)
• Manage low or high blood sugar imbalances
• Ensure adequate vitamin D level
• Manage inflammation and autoimmunity

Ask my office for more ideas on how you can repair leaky brain and leaky gut and manage symptoms of brain fog, depression, memory loss, and other signs of poor brain function.

DHA — the best part of fish and algae oil for the brain

Fish oil supplements tout their ratios of DHA and EPA. But how do you know how much EPA or DHA you need? If you’re looking to support and optimize brain health, go for the highest ratio of DHA to EPA you can find. While EPA tames inflammation, DHA is known for boosting brain health.

Both DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are omega-3 fatty acids found in cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, black cod, and bluefish.

Omega 3 is also in vegetarian foods such as nuts and seeds in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body ideally converts to EPA and DHA.

However, some people do not convert well due to high blood sugar, certain genetic variances, or a diet high in omega 6 oil (i.e., fried, snack, and restaurant foods).

DHA made from organic farmed algae

A unique and powerful source of DHA is algal oil, produced from organic microscopic algae farms (fish eat algae in the ocean). Studies have shown that algal oil imparts the same omega 3 levels as fish.

Additionally, algal oil means less demand from fishing practices that have already gravely depleted fish populations and avoiding possible contamination with mercury and other toxins that accumulate in fish.

How DHA supports brain health

Most omega-3 supplements come with one-to-one ratio of DHA to EPA. A high ratio of EPA is great for managing inflammation, such as from aches, joint pain, autoimmune flares, or skin conditions. 

A high ratio of DHA has been shown to help support issues such as depression, mood swings, bipolar symptoms, poor memory, and cognitive decline. 

Look for a 4-to-1 ratio of EPA to DHA for brain health. Some products go as high as 10-to-1 and 24-to-1. 

How DHA helps the brain

DHA is vital to the health and integrity of neurons. 

It allows neurons to be fluid and flexible, ensuring good communication throughout the brain. This keeps the brain vital and active and inhibits brain degeneration. 

DHA also improves short- and long-term memory, reduces brain inflammation (which speeds ages of the brain and causes myriad symptoms such as brain fog and depression), and enhances overall quality of life.

DHA prevent leaky blood-brain barrier

The blood-brain-barrier is a cellular membrane that lines the brain, protecting it from bacteria, toxins, and other pathogens while allowing necessary compounds in and out. Leaky brain is common and inflames and degenerates the brain.

A new study also shows DHA plays a role in keeping the blood-brain-barrier intact, thus helping to repair 
and prevent leaky brain. 

How much fish oil or algal oil should you take

People typically need more fish oil than they think to obtain sufficient omega 3 fatty acids, especially if they eat too much omega 6. One study recommends 3,500 mg for a person eating 2,000 calories daily. This is four to six capsules of fish oil a day at 1 gram each.

Because DHA and EPA are more concentrated in algae, the recommended dose of algal oil is about half that of fish oil at two to three grams a day.

If you take a blood-thinner talk to your doctor first.

If your brain on fire? How to know if you have brain inflammation

Is your brain on fire with inflammation? The brain doesn’t hurt like an inflamed knee does, so it’s hard to know if inflammation is happening. However, the brain communicates inflammation in how it makes you feel.

One of the most common symptoms of brain inflammation is brain fog, that feeling of slow and fuzzy thinking. Other common brain inflammation symptoms include depression  anxiety, irritability, anger, memory loss, and fatigue. Even getting a song stuck in your head is a symptom.

Of course, other factors can cause these symptoms, but an inflamed and thus quickly degenerating brain is often involved in brain-based symptoms.

For instance, if these symptoms arise after eating certain foods, such as wheat or dairy, that can be a strong clue brain inflammation is at work.

Why inflammation causes brain fog

One of the most common symptoms of brain inflammation is brain fog. Why is this? Inflammation in the brain slows down firing between neurons. Thus the overall operation of the brain slows down. This is what causes your brain function to be foggy, dull, and slow.

In the case of depression, inflammatory immune cells called cytokines hamper brain function and the activity of serotonin  a brain chemical needed to feel joy and well-being. For example, depression is a common side effect with the anti-viral drug interferon, which raises cytokine levels.

Also, brain imaging and autopsies show brain inflammation is more common in individuals with autism.

It’s important to take brain inflammation seriously — inflammation in the brain damages and destroys brain cells, speeding aging and atrophy of your brain. This raises your risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s (brain inflammation increases amyloid beta), Parkinson’s and other degenerative brain diseases.

Why does brain inflammation happen

It’s very important to know why your brain is inflamed because this will point you in the right direction to address it and relieve symptoms.

One of the more common causes of brain inflammation is an injury to the head. A brain injury causes the brain’s immune cells, which are different from those in the body, to begin the healing process and removal of dead and damaged neurons.

However, immune cells in the brain do not turn off, especially if there are already other imbalances in the body. This means inflammation in the brain can continue long after injury. This is one reason football players have brain-related issues long after they retire.

Other causes of brain inflammation include:

• Chronic inflammation in the body
• Leaky gut
• High blood sugar and diabetes
• Hormone imbalances
• Food intolerances (gluten is notorious)
• Chronic stress
• Brain autoimmunity — a disorder in which the immune system attacks and damages brain tissue. It is more common than people realize.

Take brain inflammation seriously

Brain inflammation means your brain is degenerating (aging) too fast. Brain-saving tips include:

Take flavonoids, plant compounds that have been shown to reduce brain inflammation.

Balance blood sugar. Avoid blood sugar that is too low or too high. Insulin resistance and diabetes are notorious brain inflamers.

Food sensitivities. Gluten commonly inflames the rule. Also rule out dairy, soy, eggs, and other grains as sources of inflammation.

Balance hormones. Low sex and thyroid hormones contribute to brain inflammation. 

Heal your gut and promote good gut bacteria. The gut, gut bacteria, and the brain are intimately connected. A healthy brain requires a healthy gut.

Anti-inflammatory nutrients. Glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, can help quench brain inflammation —take the precursors and glutathione recycling ingredients. Sufficient essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K are important, too.

Get functional neurology help for a brain injury. If you injured your brain, even if it was a while ago, you may need functional neurology help to tame brain inflammation and restore function. In functional neurology we can identify problem areas and know which areas to activate and which to dampen to optimize brain function.

How your inner ear can influence your emotions

We tend to think of our emotions as being strictly tied to our psychology and personality — some people are highly emotional and others are not. But did you know your inner can profoundly affect your emotions?

Our inner ear, called the vestibular system, is integrated with the eyes and the brain to tell you where you are in space and is integral to survival, safety, and attention.

This system is a labyrinth of the semi-circular positioned in right angles to each other so they can perceive motion in three-dimensional space.

You engage your vestibular system when you turn your head, change positions, look one direction while moving in another, balance on one leg, ride a bike, and so on. The vestibular system also plays a role in integrating gravity, acceleration, and deceleration.

In summary, the vestibular system works with your eyes and your brain to keep your body stable and aware of where it is in the environment around it. Imagine driving while holding a glass of water and how accelerating, driving at an even speed, stopping, and turning affect the water in the glass. This is somewhat how the vestibular system, which contains fluid and sensory hair cells, works to deliver information to the brain.

When the vestibular system isn’t working well

Unfortunately, the inner ear can be quite fragile and vulnerable to damage from concussions, micro-traumas to the brain, and whiplash. Many people have vestibular system damage or disorders that they are not aware of.

Some hallmarks of vestibular problems include poor balance, dizziness, and being easily prone to motion sickness.

When the inner ear canals are damaged, information from the vestibular system does not coordinate properly with information from the eyes and the body. This causes neurological confusion and resulting symptoms.

A poorly functioning cerebellum also plays a role in vestibular dysfunction. The cerebellum is the area at the base of the brain — it works closely with the vestibular system and is integral to balance and coordination.

How inner ear problems cause emotional problems

When your vestibular system is damaged, or when there is dysfunctional coordination between the inner ear and the cerebellum, your sense of balance and stability are affected. The body ultimately perceives this as a stressor.

Typically, vestibular dysfunction is too subtle for most people to notice. Yet it nevertheless creates a sense of neurological confusion the brain and body perceive as chronically and subtly terrifying, thus putting the survival system on red alert and raising stress hormones.

People who have experienced anxiety after being on a roller coaster or from spinning may understand this connection.

Emotions are governed by an area of the brain called the limbic system, and extensive networks exist between the vestibular and the limbic system. In fact, it’s not uncommon for people diagnosed with vestibular disorders to report they are not themselves emotionally.

Rehabilitating the inner ear for healthier emotions

Researchers are able to impact a person’s depression, anxiety, and other emotional states by activating and rehabilitating the vestibular system, lending further weight to the connection between the inner ear and emotions.

Fortunately, functional neurology is well grounded in the examination of the vestibular system, identifying dysfunction, and creating customized exercises to help you rehabilitate your vestibular system and brain.

This can bring not only relief from physical signs and symptoms, but it can also lower anxiety and relieve emotional symptoms. Ask my office for more information.

Are you at risk for developing digital dementia?

Are you addicted to social media? Do you rarely write with a pen anymore? Do you find it difficult to wait without checking your phone? If so, you may be at risk for developing digital dementia.

Researchers theorize that overuse of digital technology breaks down short term memory and cognitive abilities. In other words, by letting computers think for us, our brains degenerate more quickly from lack of “exercise” in memory and learning.

For instance, some research shows a connection between excessive video game playing and increased risk of behavioral disorders and dementia. This is said to be due to degeneration of the brain’s hippocampus, which increases risk of depression, PTSD, dementia, and mental illness.

Facebook and reduced grey matter in the brain

A recent study found people who frequently check Facebook on their phones have less gray matter in the reward center of the brain, called the nucleus accumbens.

The nucleus accumbens is activated by things that feel rewarding: good food, sex, drugs, falling in love, and … Facebook. This area of the brain is driven by the neurotransmitter dopamine, our “pleasure and reward” brain chemical.

This area of the brain and dopamine also play a role in addiction. Some people can’t seem to get enough of the good things and overdo them, developing an addiction to constant dopamine stimulation, whether it’s from drugs or Facebook.

The study was not able to determine whether excessive Facebook use reduces gray matter in the nucleus accumbens, or whether those with reduced gray matter are more prone to being Facebook addicts.

Loss of handwriting linked to loss of brain function

The diminishing use of handwriting has also been linked with declining brain health and function.

Research shows college students who take notes by hand learn lecture material better than their classmates who type the notes into their computers. This is because the act of writing by hand requires more focus, discernment, and motor control. These functions enhance memory and sharpen brain function, while typing is more mindless. In fact, note taking via computer can actually impair learning.

The complexity of handwriting and the many areas of the brain it involves is evidenced by how long it takes children to learn to write. In fact, brain scans of children writing versus typing showed typing activates far fewer regions of the brain.

The internet is making us dumber

For all the wealth of knowledge it delivers, the internet is making us dumber, say researchers. It’s hard to sink into an article when you’re constantly interrupted by hyperlinks, ads, emails, and other distractions. Brain scans show internet use changes the wiring of the brain.

On the other hand, the “under stimulation” of a book actually improves comprehension, memory, and focus.

Blue light sabotages sleep and the sleep-wake cycle

There is another way digital technology harms our brains — through the blue light computer, smart phone, and tablet screens emit. This blue light is interpreted as daylight by the brain and dampens the production of sleep hormones. Blue light at night thus leads to insomnia, a disordered sleep-wake cycle, and increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other diseases.

These are just a few reminders why you need to remember to spend time doing things the old-fashioned way if you care about your brain health.