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MAINTAINING BRAIN WELLNESS
WITH NUTRITION
Article by herbalist
Dave
Hawkins, MH, CNC
The brain is the master organ. It controls
and orchestrates all body functions. This is a very complex
task for the brain and this article will help you
understand how the brain needs proper nutrition to be able
to perform and keep us healthy. Science has gained insight
into how the food we eat combined with specific
supplemented nutrients can successfully address both the
symptoms and root cause of disease.
Many sufferers of neurological disorders
such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, attention deficit,
Parkinson’s, depression and Lou Gehrig’s disease, are
benefiting from the use of vitamins, minerals and herbal
supplementation. Due to the size and complexity of this
topic I will address the basics and recommend further
reading material.
The brain has six general
functions:
·
It is the
regulating center of the body- it receives information in
the form of sensory impulses. It evaluates these impulses
and activates or inhibits specific functions based on these
impulses.
·
It is the
center of consciousness- the awareness of time, place,
person, and the activities of the body.
·
It is the
receiver and interpreter of the senses-
·
It
initiates voluntary action- every act is imitated,
coordinated and processed by the brain.
·
It is the
mediating organ for all emotions, urges, drives, and
instincts.
·
It is the
seat of intellectual activity-perception, recognition,
judgment, reasoning, memory and learning.
There are many parts to the
brain and each is involved in the processes mentioned
above. Lets look at the basics.
The average size of the brain is between 2 to 4 pounds. The
basic cellular unit of the brain is called a neuron. The
axion is the tendril that allows for the passing of a nerve
signal from the neuron. This is done by the formation of
neurotransmitters that allow neurons to pass the nerve
signal from one to another, basically like a bucket
brigade. Neurotransmitters are made in the brain from
vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and amino acids
(proteins).
Let look at these
neurotransmitters and their function:
·
Acetylcholine-vital for regulating memory and cognition.
Helps maintain coordinated muscle activity. Depressed
levels are seen in Alzheimer’s patients.
·
Dopamine-
influences thought process and motor activity. Encourages
alertness and aggression. Low levels have been shown to
cause tremors, impaired motor control, and poor balance.
·
Gaba
and glutamate- two of the most abundant neurotransmitters.
They play opposing roles. Glutamate stimulates an
energizing role while gaba has a
calming action. Excess glutamate over stimulates the brain
and can cause damage. Depressed levels of
gaba are associated with anxiety
and seizures.
·
Norephinephrine- is a stimulating neurotransmitter. Causes
rapid heart beat due to stress levels and emotional
imbalances.
·
Nitric
oxide- the newest transmitter holds promise for maintaining
and mending brain-immune connections. It is involved with
learning and memory.
·
Prostaglandins- are hormone like molecules that influence
the activity of receptors and transmitters.
·
Serotonin-is involved in regulating sleep, appetite, sexual
behavior, mood, cardiovascular
and immune activity. Helps us to feel good and relaxed.
Depressed levels are responsible for depression, autism,
obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, and
chronic pain.
Now that we have a better
understanding of what neurotransmitters do in the brain
lets look at some of the basic neuro-nutrients and how they
play an important role in the functions of the brain.
·
Multi
vitamins- is the foundation of
any supplement regime. It is like an overall insurance that
you will get the basic. Be sure to take a high quality one
that will give more than the RDA's in 2-3 tablets over the
course of the day.
·
Antioxidants- a full spectrum formula that would include
carotenoids, vitamin e, and c, lipoic acid,
n-acetylcysteine and co q 10.
·
Calcium
/magnesium- both play an important role in brain health.
Magnesium helps with brain cell energy production. Help
with the formation of serotonin. It stabilizes cell
membranes and protects against over stimulation. Calcium
potentates the ability of nerve and muscle cells to
communicate better.
·
B vitamins-
the entire group of b vitamins helps maintain healthy brain
functions. They protect nerve tissue against oxidation,
enhance memory, and insulate nerve cells. They are required
for neurotransmitters production. Some of the best sources
are whole grains, leafy vegetables and some animal
products.
·
Copper,
manganese, selenium and zinc- are four micronutrients
necessary for proper brain function. Copper is directly
affects the neurons synthesize of dopamine and
norephinephrine. Zinc influences neurotransmitters
production deficiencies have shown to affect appetite, and
growth retardation. Manganese works with the above two as a
cellular antioxidant. And finally selenium helps produce a
compound called glutathione, which protects the brain by
aiding detoxification.
The following three areas
describe the foundations established for good brain health.
Some of the latest brain research deals with the following:
·
The
essential fatty acid for the brain.
·
The body's
detoxifying mechanisms.
·
And the
dhea hormone.
Essential fatty acids are
necessary components of the entire body. A large percentage
of the brain is made up of fats. Fatty acids determine how
neurotransmitters bind to receptor sites. They also
regulate the flow of nutrients into and out of brain cells.
The two categories of fatty acids are omega -3 and
Omega-6's. Omega 6's are mainly
from plant sources like corn, safflower, and sesame oils
etc. They either have a pro-inflammatory or an
anti-inflammatory action. Omega 3's are
found readily in cold-water fish and fluxed oil. They are
anti-inflammatory and protect cell membranes.
·
DHA is a
critical omega 3 fatty acid that helps
promote communication between brain cells. It is the
main structural fatty acid for the gray matter. It is very
instrumental in the development of infants and young
children and is thought to enhance intelligence.
·
Ps (phosphatidylserine)
is also a naturally occurring fatty acid in the brain. Has
been shown to improve memory and helps the brain to utilize
glucose. Both substances modulate cell fluidity thus
helping to aid communications between cells. The following
nutrients help with the body with detoxification. They
include glutathione, alpha lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine,
Vitamin E, CoQ10, and Sam (s-adenosyl methionine). Some
herbals and foods that also support this action would be
green tea, red wine, berries, soy foods, grape seed
extract, pine bark extract, bilberry, ginkgo, and milk
thistle.
Lastly dhea serves many
important functions in the brain. It is essential for the
growth of neuron dendrites and helps to regulate the
adrenal hormone cortisol. It is part of the brain immune
connection.
As you can see we have just
touched the tip of the iceberg when it come to
understanding the brain. I hope this will spark our
interest to learn more about how the brain-immune
connection works and how the brain-gut connection influence
how our bodies operate. To learn more about this topic I
recommend the book The Brain Wellness
Plan
by Dr. Jay Lombard and Carl
Germano.
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