Detoxifying The Brain and Nervous System

Understanding Brain Detoxification: Science-Based Insights

The human body is exposed to a myriad of synthetic chemicals daily. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), there are over 85,000 synthetic chemicals in circulation today, many of which burden the immune system and detoxification pathways. The first step to support brain detoxification is to do everything in your power to reduce and eliminate toxins from your lifestyle, such as avoiding synthetic chemicals whenever possible.

The Brain's Cleaning Process: The Role of Sleep

When looking at how the brain detoxifies, it’s important to understand how it became toxic in the first place. Alongside the buildup of cellular waste, pesticides, and herbicides, neurotoxins can damage the brain and central nervous system (CNS). A handful of heavy metals are considered neurotoxins – lead, mercury, cadmium, aluminum and copper – they can settle in the brain and cause damage. Some artificial sweeteners including Aspartame, NutraSweet®, and Equal® are considered excitotoxins and, as such, can also damage the brain and nervous system.

Thankfully the body has comprehensive systems to cleanse and detoxify the body. Read all about the 3 phases of liver detoxification and the nutrients required to support each one. However, we must take steps to avoid neurotoxins to give our brains the best chance of detoxifying. And what happens if the body’s detoxification pathways aren’t functioning well? Unfortunately, toxins accumulate.

Let’s explore how the brain detoxifies, how the brain connects to the immune system and how the energy of food impacts brain health.

During Sleep, The Brain Completes Its Cleaning Cycle

Sleeping is the most efficient method of detoxifying the brain. During sleep, the brain undergoes a vital cleaning process facilitated by the glymphatic system. This system uses cerebrospinal fluid to remove metabolic waste and toxins from the brain, including β-amyloid plaques, which are associated with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Recent studies have confirmed the existence of these waste-clearance channels in humans, highlighting the importance of quality sleep for brain health.

Danish Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, a professor of neurosurgery at the University of Rochester, explained the glymphatic system simply: "It's like a dishwasher." During sleep, a cleaning process is carried out where spinal fluid is pumped into the brain and removed at a rapid pace. Upon waking, the brain cells return to their enlarged state, and the cerebrospinal fluid entering the brain turns to a trickle. It's almost like opening and closing a faucet.

Serene Dreamz supports natural sleep cycles, which indirectly helps glymphatic clearance.

The Energy of Food Impacts Brain Health

The energy content of food can influence brain function. To regenerate brain tissue, foods that have a high electromagnetic charge should be consumed. The energetic and electrical components of foods directly impact brain function and can be measured with Volt-ohm meters, also known as a VOM, a multimeter, or a multitester.

Electromagnetic energy is rated in units called angstroms. The higher the angstrom rating, the more energy is in the food. Foods that are freshly picked from nature and uncooked will provide the highest amount of electromagnetic energy, which will, in turn, be transferred to your body and cells. This energy will help the brain detoxify.

Foods high in electromagnetic energy include nutrient-dense foods such as fresh, organic fruits, especially berries and melons, raw vegetables, cold-pressed olive oil, nuts and seeds, and seafood and fish.

When Detoxifying the Brain, Avoid Dairy

If you are focusing on detoxifying your brain, then it's important to steer clear of dairy. After the age of 3 or 4, we lose the ability to properly break down milk. Adults lack the necessary enzymes, especially lactase which breaks down the milk sugar, lactose. Because we lack the necessary enzymes to break down dairy, the body can get increased mucus production, and increased mucus leads to congestion.

What’s more, dairy is pasteurized, which kills the water-soluble vitamins. In fact, if you feed a calf pasteurized milk instead of fresh raw milk straight from its mother, it dies. If you are worried about calcium, then you can supplement your diet with added greens as they are bursting with calcium.

Removing Toxic Waste from the Brain

In another study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Nedergaard and her team observed how the cerebrospinal fluid whisked away waste products that built up in the brain during the day.

Without sleep, our thoughts can be impaired, and over time, this can lead to death. Nedergaard postulates that this deadly impact of a lack of sleep might be due to toxic waste building up in the brain. Another neuroscientist, Randal Bateman of the University in St. Louis, who was not involved in the study explains that "beta-amyloid concentrations continue to increase while a person is awake."

This brain-cleaning process has been observed in mice, rats, and baboons, but it’s yet to be seen in humans. However, it does present a clear idea of the mechanisms behind how the brain switches function from “awareness” to “cleaning” during sleep. All neurodegenerative and mental disorders present with sleep disturbance, and this finding might explain the relationship in more detail.

How the Brain Connects to the Immune System

We’re continually learning about how the brain rids itself of waste matter. Finding the glymphatic system has explained a lot about how the central nervous system and the brain are cleansed. In addition to this pathway, new vessels were found by researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine that connect the brain to the peripheral immune system through meningeal lymphatic vessels. This neuro-immune interaction suggests that neurological disease has an immune component. Lymphatic vessels are now known to travel from the brain down to the sinuses.

The Neuro-Immune Connection

Several neurological diseases present with accumulated waste in the brain. Recent research has uncovered vessels connecting the brain to the peripheral immune system, suggesting that the brain's waste clearance is linked to immune function. This discovery underscores the importance of maintaining both brain and immune health for overall well-being.

Supporting the Brain's Detoxification Pathways

Beyond sleep, several lifestyle factors can support the brain's detoxification processes:

Regular Physical Activity: Exercise promotes circulation and may enhance glymphatic function..
Adequate Hydration: Staying well-hydrated supports CSF production and waste removal. You can use a nitric oxide booster, such as Nitric MaxFlow, to support blood flow, indirectly aiding glymphatic clearance. Electrolytes are also a great idea for supporting optimal cerebrospinal fluid flow.
Balanced Nutrition: A diet rich in antioxidants and essential nutrients supports overall brain health. Mega-antioxidant is a potent supplement full of antioxidants.
Stress Management: Chronic stress can impair detoxification processes; practices like meditation and deep breathing can be beneficial.
Remove Toxins From Your Environment: Evaluate the chemicals you're exposed to every day and replace them with non-toxic versions (ie: the lotion you put on your body, your anti-perspirant, your laundry detergent, etc.).

The Bottom Line

Many people argue the body can detoxify on its own, so we don’t need to interfere. However, chronic lack of sleep, illness, as well as heavy metals and other toxins, can build up and damage the brain. Taking time to get extra high-quality sleep and detoxify can be a great way to boost brain power and overall health.

One way to test exposure to heavy metals is to do a hair mineral analysis. It tests for the following metals: Aluminum, Arsenic, Beryllium, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, and Uranium. It also tests Nickel, Strontium, Lithium, Vanadium, and Rubidium.