Brain Fog affects millions of people. Almost everyone experiences it from time to time. Brain Fog includes symptoms of spaciness, feelings of confusion, forgetfulness, and little or no ability to focus or think clearly.
A surprising number of people live with Brain Fog each and everyday, thinking that how they feel is normal ... it is NOT!
Although the brain weighs about 3% of our body mass, it uses about 30% our calories. The brain requires a lot of energy, oxygen, and nutrition. It is delicate and sensitive. Impaired energy production, changes to fuel supply, or oxygen supply profoundly affects brain function.
Brain Fog can be caused by:
Hypoglycemia
Candida Overgrowth
Chronic Fatigue
Food Intolerences/Sensitivities
Nutrient Deficiencies
Metal Toxicity and Mineral Imbalances
Liver, Kidney, and Bowel Toxicity
Poor oxygenation
Structural Misalignment
Medication
Other Causes
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia can cause the brain to be starved of fuel. Unlike muscles, the brain does not store fuel - it must have a continuous fuel supply. The brain is very sensitive to changes in fuel supply. If the fuel supply varies, it is like changing the voltage supplied to a computer or other sensitive electronic equipment.
Common symptoms of hypoglycemia are confusion, irritability, forgetfulness, and even blackouts. When affected, a person may not be able to remember significant details like their name, address, or phone number. Symptoms usually occur several hours after a meal, and may come on suddenly. Eating something with sugar typically relieves symptoms in 10 or 15 minutes.
Many people, including young children and adults of all ages, experience huge blood sugar swings throughout the day. A breakfast of sweetened cereal, pastry, or juice drives up blood sugar levels. This is followed by a mid morning drop in blood sugar which many attempt to relieve with a sweet snack, juice, soda, or sweetened coffee. This pushes blood sugar back up again, followed by another drop around noon.
Lunch may include pop, sweetened sauces (ketchup, salad dressing), rolls, chocolate milk, and other food which contain sugar. Blood sugar then rises, and falls again at mid-afternoon. Blood sugar swings can make it very difficult for people to learn and think clearly. Blood sugar swings are also closely tied to energy levels and mood swings.
Candida Overgrowth
Brain fog symptoms can be due to the production of alcohol and acetaldehyde by the Candida organism (yeast organism). Although no alcohol is actually consumed by the person, it causes them to behave as if slightly inebriated. Acetaldehyde is also toxic to the brain.
Fruit, juices,and other sugars feed Candida and can bring on symptoms rapidly in susceptible people. Carbohydrates break down to sugar in the intestines. Excessive carbohydrates in the diet can also cause symptoms, usually of a more chronic nature.
Brain fog can also be caused by a yeast die-off triggered by a dietary change, cleanse/detox program, or even a shift in metabolism. As the yeast die, they release various toxins that can induce symptoms of brain fog.
Chronic Fatigue
The brain requires a lot of energy. Impaired energy production for any reason profoundly affects brain function.
Fatigue from any cause can cause mental confusion and symptoms of Brain Fog. This is particulary true of chronic stress/adrenal fatigue but also includes infections, illnesses, nutritional imbalances, toxins, and other diseases.
Infections not only drain overall energy, they produce toxins that can cause Brain Fog. Illnesses can impair normal metabolism which affects brain function.
Nutritional imbalances are a common cause of fatigue. Toxins from insect bites, impaired digestion, exposure to molds, mildews, fungi, chemicals and many other sources affect energy production and cause fatigue.
Food Intolerances/Sensitivities
Food sensitivites and allergic reactions can directly affect energy production, leading to fatigue and Brain Fog. Food reactions can cause histamine release within the nervous system. Nervous system allergies can be severe, including extreme irritability, confusion, and even psychotic behavior.
Food reactions commonly irritate the intestine, causing leaky gut syndrome and the absorption of toxins into the bloodstream. Many people are sensitive to wheat and cow milk products (the problem is, most do not know that they are). Anyone experiencing Brain Fog should eliminate these foods from their diet to see if the symptoms diminish. This reduces or eliminates Brain Fog for a surprising number of people. Other gluten containing foods such as rye, oats, and barley can also cause reactions in susceptible individuals.
Some food and water-borne substances are neurotoxic. This includes pesticide residues, fungicide residues, heavy metals, bacterial toxins, fungal toxins, fluoride, chlorine, and other water contaminants. Any of these may contribute to Brain Fog.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Significant improvement in brain function is a common side effect of proper nutrition.
The brain requires many nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, a range of amino acids, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Among the most important nutrients are calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, L-glutamine, L-taurine, choline, thiamine, B6, B12 and other B vitamins. B-vitamin deficiency is known to cause confusion, irritability, stupor, and even death.
Brain Fog can also be caused by an electrolyte imbalance, which often occurs after excessive physical exertion or sweating.
Metal Toxicity and Mineral Imbalances
All toxic metals are neuro toxins, meaning they are toxic to our brains (and bodies). This includes lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, nickel, beryllium, and others. Brain Fog may accompany any heavy metal toxicity.
Excessive levels of other trace elements such as iron, manganese, and chromium may also affect brain activity and give rise to Brain Fog.
A common cause of Brain Fog is a copper imbalance. Copper induces the production of the biogenic amines, epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. Copper also affects the thyroid gland and female hormone levels. Excessive copper or biounavailable copper can result in mood swings, spaciness, racing thoughts, and excessive emotions.
Causes of copper imbalance include stress, fatigue, weak adrenal function, zinc deficiency, birth control pills, copper intra-uterine devices, and copper contamination of food and water. Some women experience monthly episodes of Brain Fog inline with their menstration.
Vegetarian diets are particularly high in copper and low in zinc (a mineral that balances copper). Vegetarian diets tend to be low in other nutrients essential for the brain function such as taurine, carnitine, essential fatty acids, alpha lipoic acid, B vitamins, and others.
High tissue levels of calcium and magnesium frequently cause reduced awareness, mental fatigue, and Brain Fog. The condition is sometimes called a calcium shell, as the person may feel slightly numb. Elevated tissue calcium raises the voltage at which nerve cells fire, leading to mental heaviness and a feeling of numbness that is surprisingly common.
Liver, Kidney, or Bowel Toxicity
Toxicity can cause eliminative organs to be sluggish, resulting in symptoms of Brain Fog. If our eliminative organs are not able to do their job properly, toxic chemicals such as ammonia remain in the blood stream. As the brain is delicate and requires a lot of blood flow, it is one of the first organs to be affected by toxins in the blood.
Sluggish eliminative organs are common due to the enormous amount of chemicals we are now exposed to on a daily basis. Liver diseases such as hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, and others also impair liver function.
Stress, poor eating habits, weak digestive tracts, and intestinal infections, can cause food to putrefy and ferment in the intestines. Some of these toxins may be absorbed into the bloodstream. These can easily overwhelm the detoxification ability of the liver and kidneys. Constipation makes this problem significantly worse.
Not drinking enough water, or drinking soda pop, excessive coffee, and other irritating beverages can damage the kidneys and reduce their ability to remove toxins from the blood. Liver, bowel, and kidney function are also affected by emotions.
Liver and Kidney cleansing programs may temporarily relieve symptoms but they do not deal with issues such as food allergies, toxic chemicals in the diet, toxic environments, and nutrient deficiencies. Weekly Far Infrared saunas are excellent for detoxification. Daily skin brushing in the shower is a good detoxification method helpful for everyone.
Poor Oxygenation
A common cause of Brain Fog is reduced oxygen to the brain. This may be due to clogged arteries, but more often is due to improper breathing. Shallow breathing is far more common than imagined and can cause spaciness, confusion, and impaired cognition.
When under stress our natural breathing pattern is affected - people often do not breathe as deeply and regularly. Fear and anxiety often causes holding of the breath. Physical diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema can impair respiration.
Structural Misalignment
A misaligned spine or pinched nerves may cause symptoms of Brain Fog. The cause may be a head or body trauma. Sleeping in the wrong position, lifting incorrectly, and normal daily activities can also contribute to a nerve impingement that affects the brain. Chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation, physio therapy, and craniosacral therapy can be very helpful in dealing with structural misalignments, trauma, and the resulting Brain Fog.
Medications
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause mental confusion, irritability, and other Brain Fog symptoms. This includes drugs for allergies, pain, high blood pressure, heart arrythmias, glaucoma, infections, depression, anxiety, inflammation, and others. Many people take more than one drug at a time and drug combinations can have effects in ways no one can forsee.
Other Causes
Brain Fog can also be caused by an illness like a brain tumor, epilepsy, meningitis, or encephalitis. Electrical interference from computer monitors, televisions, and household appliances can also cause brain disturbance in sensitive people. Genetics may also play a role.
Summary
Brain Fog affects millions and contributes to unhappiness, failing school grades, delinquency, crime, job loss, accidents, and ruined relationships.
Anyone experiencing Brain Fog can begin by improving diet and lifestyle. Reduce, or preferably, eliminate junk food, sugared foods, and highly processed foods. Reduce, or preferably, eliminate wheat, dairy, and other foods that may be causing allergic reactions. Rather than soda pop, coffee, or juice drink a minimum of 6 glasses of good clean water every day.
Be sure to get enough sleep, take time to relax, and make a point to breathe deeply throughout the day. Detoxification methods like cleanses, colonic irrigation, and saunas can be very helpful - for many, radically life changing.
Visit a chiropractor or osteopath to rule out structural causes. If symptoms continue, consider a hair mineral test to identify nutrient deficiencies, toxic metals, and other imbalances.
Reduce stress. Many people find meditation extremely helpful to feel calmer, more focussed, and have a stronger sense of well being. Other natural high-tech therapies such as Brain State Conditioning can also be very effective.
In some cases, testing for allergies, illnesses, and brain diseases may be necessary. Brain Fog due to diet, lifestyle, toxicity, medication, spinal misalignments, and blood sugar imbalances will not show up in conventional medical tests.
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