You arrive at work in a sharp suit and bedroom slippers. You lock yourself out of the house or car. You run upstairs to get the TV remote and by the time you get there you forget what you’re there for . . . again. Your thinking is muddled, you can’t focus, and generally feel as if someone poured syrup in your head. You have brain fog.
Brain fog is a relatively new malady, but it’s becoming so common that people have jokingly referred to it as having a senior moment except you’re nowhere near to being elderly.
There are many causes for memory problems. As we age the body produces fewer neurotransmitters and the brain becomes less sensitive to their effects. Concentration and memory suffer; however, supplying your brain with increased nutrients can protect it from the aging process.
Another cause of cognitive problems is medication, especially psychiatric medications for conditions such as ADHD or Bipolar Disorder. Some blood pressure drugs are known to cause memory problems too, and needless to say recreational drugs can wreck havoc on the brain.
Medical conditions such as allergies, head injuries, thyroid disorders, toxic metal buildup, candidiasis, and stress can all cause cognitive dysfunction.
Depending on your medical history, your doctor will order a variety of tests to rule out underlying medical conditions such as alcohol abuse, liver damage, infections, electrolyte imbalance, AIDS, etc.
Review the medications you’re taking with your doctor. Some psychiatric meds are known to cause brain fog type side effects. You made need to lower the dosage or quit taking it all together.
Diet
Eat a vegetable based diet high in fiber. Emphasize raw vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Drink at least 8 glasses of water in order to flush toxins from your body. Eat five or six high protein meals a day and stay away from processed foods, refined sugar, and alcohol. Stay away from goitrogens — substances that decrease iodine uptake thereby affecting the thyroid gland. Common goitrogens are:
- Chlorine in pools
- Splenda
- Fluoride in water supplies
- Bromide in soft drinks (Mountain Dew & Gatorade)
- Radioactive testing
Brain Boosting Supplements
Phosphatidylserine, a type of lipid, can be helpful for memory problems. It often yields rapid and impressive improvement in memory and mental alertness, however it is relatively expensive.
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant and helps deliver oxygen to cells.
Choline enhances the production of the important neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Huperzine-A is a compound that inhibits the breakdown of acetylcholine and reduces the death of nerve cells.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone that has been shown to enhance memory. Ask your doctor for DHEA therapy.
Herbal Treatments
Ginkgo biloba is an oxygenating herb that increases the blood supply to the brain.
Gotu kola enhances choline production and helps improve mental function.
Remember, the most important thing you can do to improve brain function is to properly nourish it.
Reference: Herbs and Nutrients for the Mind: A Guide to Natural Brain Enhancers
There are many useful supplements that people take to promote good health. i find the best supplement are those that help me to maintain my body weight and heal more quickly to recover from sore muscles.
.-= liver cancer symptoms´s last blog ..Baby constipation =-.
I totally agree that ginkgo biloba is an oxygenating herb that increases the blood supply to the brain. So that ginkgo biloba can help to improve memory and clear brain fog. Anyway, ginkgo biloba can do more for us besides memory improvement. Actually many TCM formulas contains ginkgo biloba as well, which can explain that how versatile ginkgo biloba is.
.-= Tian@Chinese medicine´s last blog ..Ginkgo Biloba Herb =-.
Total Health is about Diet + Exercise + Mentality…A lot of problems are actually coming from the 1st component, Diet…I can’t imagine the amount of junk food that we are consuming everyday..full of oil and “un-natural” preservatives.When their health problems start to surface, they then turn to medicine and vitamins for help. After recovering, they will start the bad diet cycle again.Which all the initial health issues can be prevented by JUDGING at the food we eat…
I’ve never even heard of Goitrogens! Some excellent advice here, will try some of your tips and see if my poor memory improves!
Staying hydrated and getting proper sleep so your body has time to recover is very important steps into staying well.
Phosphatidylserine when taken in conjunction with L-Metionine or L -Theanine has been shown to dramatically improve chances of not suffereing memory loss as we age.It is worth considering as a more powerfull brain boost combination.
Nutrition, exercise and supplements are indeed the foundations of a healthy brain. As for diet, the paleo diets seems the best way to go. Exercise: keeping your brain stimulated (reading, learning, not watching TV all day) as well as physical exercise is perfect. Supplements: there are countless of nootropics out there, do careful research before choosing what to take. Piracetam would be a good starting point for example.
Thanks for the advice here!
I’ve also heard that a vitamin B supplement might help with memory loss. But, probably the best thing is just to eat a healthy diet and keep mental active.
In some cases, treating illnesses or injuries may help to clear it up. In other cases, counseling and meditation may prove more beneficial. You even may find relief simply by getting more rest, eating a balanced diet, and getting adequate exercise