You Can Fix Your Brain

Blinkist Free Daily • June 14, 2023

Dr. Tom O'Bryan

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What’s in it for me? Cut the fog and boost your brain
Does this happen to you? You're staring at your computer screen, trying to finish a
project for work, but it feels like your thoughts are moving through a thick fog.
Focusing feels impossible.

Or how about this: You're on the phone, about to jot down an important detail. You
search for pen and paper – “Where’d they go again?” – but by the time you find them,
you've forgotten what you were supposed to write down.

If you’ve ever experienced brain fog or memory lapses, you’re in good company.
Millions of people, old and young, suffer from cognitive symptoms and impairments
that affect their quality of life and productivity.

The good news? You can absolutely improve the situation.

In this Blink, we’ll examine underlying causes of brain dysfunction, often related to
inflammation, and how to find out if they’re affecting you. We’ll also learn some
strategies for addressing these with lifestyle modifications and dietary changes.

You can improve your cognitive function and achieve a better memory, clarity, and
energy. Let’s get started.

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Immunity, inflammation, and the brain

What do dementia, depression, anxiety, and memory loss have in common? They’re all
caused by runaway processes of inflammation and autoimmunity. Not only that, they
can all be treated by finding and eliminating the underlying triggers. Let’s look at how
this process works.

The function of the immune system is, of course, to protect your body from foreign
substances – harmful intruders impinging on your body. A well-functioning immune
system can distinguish between your body's own cells and external threats, ensuring
that only genuine dangers are targeted.

But what happens when this system malfunctions? Autoimmunity is a condition in

which the immune system mistakes your healthy cells as invaders and launches an
attack against them.

This leads to inflammation within the relevant cells and tissues and can even cause your
immune system to destroy these cells if it believes they’re damaged.

So where does all this begin? Often it starts because of the presence of foreign
substances, environmental toxins, or foods to which either you have an individual
sensitivity or which are simply unhealthy, in general.
Unfortunately, the modern world exposes your body to many such slings and arrows.
These insults can leave your immune system chronically triggered – constantly
overactive. Brain symptoms like brain fog, memory issues, and even anxiety and
depression, indicate that inflammation is happening in the brain, impeding its proper
function.

So how do these substances get into your brain in the first place? Let’s zoom out to the
rest of your body. First, your gut. Your intestinal system has evolved to do a difficult
and sensitive job – allowing you to absorb all of the nutrients that your body needs to
keep running while blocking out what’s harmful or not needed.

Your intestines have a semi-permeable mucous lining which acts as this filter. But in
some people, the mucous lining becomes damaged and over-permeable, known as
leaky-gut syndrome. A leaky gut lets through substances that it shouldn’t, like bacteria
and toxins.

But your body has another protective mechanism in place to protect the brain – the
blood-brain barrier. Just like the intestinal lining, your blood-brain barrier is a kind of
filter, allowing only those substances which are supposed to get across to enter –
straining what gets through, like an ultra-fine cheesecloth. Your brain is sensitive and
important, so this filter is even finer and more selective than the one in your gut,
operating at the molecular level and blocking whatever’s not needed.

But this filter, too, can become compromised – in what is referred to as a breach of the
blood-brain barrier. Once that happens, the foreign substance is free to enter into your
brain tissue. Your body then begins to initiate the immune response we discussed
earlier. Brain tissue becomes inflamed and begins to lose function, resulting in slowly-
worsening symptoms as the tissue becomes progressively damaged.

For many people, the idea of damage to the brain is an especially scary prospect. One
reason is the sense that this damage is truly permanent. Scientists used to believe that
we had a fixed number of brain cells and once they were gone, they were gone forever.
While your brain cells certainly are precious and merit your careful protection, newer
science has shown that it’s possible for brain cells to regenerate. This gives some hope
that it’s possible to restore brain function that’s been compromised – to heal the brain.

But before we can, we need to address the underlying problems which resulted in
damage. We have to eliminate leaky gut, restore the blood-brain barrier, and
ultimately, eliminate the offending toxins that caused the problem in the first place.

So how do we know if these dangerous autoimmune processes are present? We’ll cover
that in the next section.

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Your biological dashboard

You're driving home after a long day at work, looking forward to a relaxing evening.
Coming along an uphill stretch, you notice the temperature warning light on your
dashboard turn on. Concerned, you bring your car to the mechanic.

"It's a good thing you came in,” they say. “You've got a leaking water pump, which
made your engine overheat. If you'd kept driving, you could've ended up with major
engine damage. But, don’t worry, I fixed the pump. You’re good to go.”

The warning lights on your car serve a vital role: they give you an early heads-up that
something’s wrong, so you can address the issue before damage occurs.

When it comes to protecting your brain, the same principle applies. Biomarkers linked
to specific health issues may appear years before actual disease sets in. These can act as
early indicators of immune conditions which, left untreated, could damage brain tissue
later on.

Ideally, you can test these biomarkers to find any irregularities even before any
symptoms occur. But if they’re appearing – if you’re having problems with memory,
concentration, or brain fog – it may be that an inflammatory process is already
underway. You should prioritize getting tested – bringing your car to the mechanic, so
to speak.

So what are some important biomarkers you can discuss testing with your doctor?

Of particular importance are antibodies that indicate a breach of the blood-brain

barrier, as these are implicated in nearly every kind of brain disease. It’s a long list of
possible markers, but here are some important ones.

As it happens, the same antibodies that are related to leaky gut are also related to a
leaky blood-brain barrier. Examples of these are antibodies to zonulin – a compound
released in the intestine – and actin – a type of muscle protein. Another group is
antibodies to lipopolysaccharides (LPS). These are bacterial by-products, the
proliferation of which has been linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other diseases.

Another category is antibodies which were traditionally measured to determine

evidence of brain injury, but are also indicative of brain inflammation. These include
antibodies to neuron-specific-enolase (NSE), gliofibrillar acid protein (GFAP), and
S100B.

The last group of antibodies we’ll mention are ones to the transglutaminase family of
proteins. First among these are antibodies to transglutaminase 2 (TG2); this is one of
the primary markers for celiac disease. People with wheat sensitivity tend to have
elevated antibodies to TG2, TG3, and/or TG6, the latter being an important enzyme in
the brain and nervous system.

Other than antibodies, there are some other tests which should be part of your health
indicator dashboard. There are immune reactivity screens, which detect if your body is
reacting to things like PCBs, phthalates, BPA, and dioxin. And finally, there are tests for
exposure to mold and heavy metals.

So what do you do if these antibodies or other markers are elevated? Well, you can
start making health interventions to address the causes and bring down inflammation.
Give these some time – six months to a year – and then retest to see if your protocol
has been successful in bringing these indicators down.

We’ll spend the rest of this Blink looking at what those health interventions are.

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A great pyramid
When it comes to understanding and addressing brain-related illness, there are four
primary areas of focus, representing four faces of what O’Bryan calls the pyramid of
brain health. These four areas are structure, emotional and spiritual, biochemistry, and
electromagnetic.

The base of the pyramid is your structure. That is your physical muscular-skeletal
system – the framework that holds your brain up and off the ground, as it were. Believe
it or not, mechanical problems such as postural misalignments and muscular imbalances
can result in brain problems down the road. An example of this is osteoarthritis, where
physical misalignment and poor joint function create wear and tear on the joint,
resulting in restricted blood flow, local inflammation, and ultimately immune response.

Here, O’Bryan recommends chiropractic as a preventative solution, to create alignment

in the spinal system. Additionally, he recommends people take a close look at their
posture while sleeping, working, and driving, as improvements in these everyday, time-
intense activities can pay dividends.

You won’t be surprised to hear that exercise is crucial for brain health. Aerobic exercise
that’s intense enough to make you sweat helps you excrete and eliminate toxins stored
in your body fat. Try slowly ramping up to a target of 30 minutes per day, six days per
week – leaving one day as a recovery day. And don’t forget the other many brain
benefits of exercise: lowering inflammation, enhancing neuroplasticity, and stimulating
cellular growth and repair. Exercise is simply a no-brainer – pun intended.

So that’s structure. The next side of the pyramid is mindset. This is your brain after all,
and could anyone doubt that mind and brain are connected?

One area where your mindset is crucial is getting a handle on stress. In this day and
age, many people have their sympathetic nervous system chronically activated. When
this system is constantly switched on, your heart beats faster, breathing becomes
shallow, and your digestion is impaired. This leaves you exhausted and susceptible to
outside threats.

But adjusting your mindset goes beyond simply reducing stress. According to a 2012
study, mindfulness can actually reduce inflammatory markers even while stress is
present. Other studies have found that meditation increases levels of brain-derived
neurotrophic factor – a compound involved in regenerating brain tissue. And quite
separately from the above, meditation has also been shown to have benefits in terms of
concentration, focus, and emotional resilience. Other ways of addressing the brain via
your mindset include psychotherapy, breathing exercises, and prayer.

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Biochemistry and electromagnetism

The next face of the pyramid is biochemistry. One strategy here is detoxification. We
talked earlier about how exercise can help flush toxins out of your body. One way you
can help this process is through intermittent fasting. Fasting has been used for
thousands of years as a way of purifying the body. The ancient Greeks knew it.
Plutarch, for example, is quoted as saying "Instead of using medicine, rather, fast a
day." Or Paracelsus: “Fasting is the greatest remedy – the physician within.”

Intermittent fasting, otherwise known as time-restricted feeding, is a practice in which

people restrict their eating to a particular time window, say the 12-hours between 8:00
a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Regular intermittent fasting has been shown to, yes, burn fat –
lipids are tissues where many toxins are stored – which allows the body to rid itself of
organic pollutants. It also gives the body a chance to deal with damaged cells – which
then get replaced by healthy new ones. To help with detoxification, make sure to drink
enough water, as this helps your body circulate fluids and flush out the bad stuff.

And of course, you should do what you can to avoid exposure to toxins in the first
place, by taking care about which products you use, such as personal care products and
household cleaners.

Last but not least is what you eat. Your biomarkers and antibodies can help inform your
choices here. But either way, try experimenting with eliminating “The Big Three”
dietary culprits – wheat, dairy, and sugar. Of course, focus on increasing your
consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, too.

You can also experiment with adopting a ketogenic diet. You needn’t stay on it long-
term, but a short stint of one to three months can sometimes bring about dramatic
cognitive benefits. You then have the opportunity to slowly reintroduce other foods to
your diet, while carefully monitoring your level of function and your health markers.

The last face of the pyramid of brain health is electromagnetism. O’Bryan points to
research indicating that electromagnetic fields – or EMFs – are an important cause of
oxidative stress in the body and that they impair the immune system, trigger
inflammation, and disrupt tissue repair.

EMFs are all around you. They’re emitted by laptops, cell phones, Wi-Fi, and even the
wiring in your home. They’re impossible to avoid completely, but you can take certain
steps to minimize your exposure. Here are some tips: Put your phone in an appropriate
protective case. To find one, look for a type of product called a “cell phone radiation
cover.” And choose wired headphones over Bluetooth headphones, if possible.

As you know, proper sleep is essential for protecting and rejuvenating your brain. So
two tips for your shut-eye. First, turn off or unplug your wireless router – you won’t be
using it anyway. And crucially, try to keep your cell phone out of your room at night.
Besides reducing your EMF exposure while you sleep, this is simply beneficial for your
sleep in general. If you do sleep with your phone next to you, put it in airplane mode.

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Final summary
Fixing the brain isn’t a simple matter. The human body is complex and multiple
interacting systems need to be accounted for. But as Dr. O’Bryan says, if you’re
experiencing symptoms related to cognitive function, your brain may be under threat.
You can’t just dip your toe in – you’ve got to jump in with both feet. It’s not about a
single silver-bullet intervention, but rather about multiple small wins accumulating to
make change.

You now know the basics of how autoimmunity and brain inflammation lead to
dysfunction in the brain. Using the four faces of the brain health pyramid – structure,
mindset, biochemistry, and electromagnetism – you can design a protocol of
interventions for yourself to help you cut through the fog and live with greater clarity,
optimism, and energy.

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