「brain fog“(Brain Fog) is a symptom that has been frequently mentioned in recent years. In addition to the new coronavirus infection,gutProblems are also one of the factors that cause brain fog. After all, what are the ways to improve brain fog from the gut and brain?
When people describe their own brain fog, they often mention poor memory, difficulty concentrating, slow and insensitive thinking, etc.
Lin Zhihao, director of the Stroke Center at Linxin Hospital and a neurosurgeon, said that brain fog is the inability of cognitive functions to function well. Cognitive functions such as memory, judgment, behavior, emotion, language, and spatial awareness are all part of the functioning of the brain.
Brain fog is not a disease, but a symptom. While it manifests in the brain, poor gut health can also cause brain fog.
Because the gut has many nerves and has a large number of neural connections with the brain through neural networks, the gut is also known as the “second brain”. Lin Zhihao pointed out that it can be observed clinically. For example, in patients with degenerative brain diseases, many people have gastrointestinal symptoms such as poor digestion and easy constipation 5 to 10 years before the onset of the disease.
Another example that plagues many modernIrritable Bowel Disorder(IBS), patients are prone to brain fog, anxiety and other parenteral symptoms.[1]
Irritable Bowel Disorderis when the patient feelspressure, tension, chronic diseases such as abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. At present, the medical community generally believes that emotions and stress are the factors that induce irritable bowel syndrome and make the condition worse. (Recommended reading:5 symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome!2 strokes to improve constipation and diarrhea）
There is now a new view that gut problems can also affect the brain in reverse. Jay Pasricha, director of the Johns Hopkins Neurogastroenterology Center, pointed out that people with irritable bowel syndrome, as well as people with functional bowel problems such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain, suffer from depression. Symptoms and anxiety disorders are higher than normal because the nerves in the gut may send signals to the central nervous system that can trigger mood changes.[2]
andpressureanxiety, depression, are also prone to produce inflammatory substances, causing brain fog, which is also a common cause of brain fog.
In addition to irritable bowel syndrome, there are a number of gastrointestinal conditions that can trigger brain fog: celiac disease, leaky gut, inflammatory bowel disease, and bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.[3][4][5][6]
Another cause of brain fog is related to the production of too much D-lactic acid by gut bacteria.
A small 2018 study looked at 30 patients with brain fog and bloating and found that all of them were taking probiotics, and 63.3% had small intestinal bacterial hyperplasia and 77% had D-lactic acidosis.[7]
Research suggests that the benefits of probiotics should work in the large intestine or rectum. However, excessive supplementation of probiotics will stay in the small intestine for various reasons such as diabetes, small bowel resection or poor peristalsis, which may easily lead to the decomposition of carbohydrates by probiotics in the small intestine, resulting in more D-lactic acid, resulting in brain fog.
In addition, not only intestinal problems, but also gastric Helicobacter pylori, which can survive in the stomach and cause gastric cancer, may also cause brain fog.
Lin Zhihao explained that gastric Helicobacter pylori can affect the absorption of nutrients, resulting in insufficient vitamin B12, leading to symptoms of brain fog, because vitamin B12 is very important for the stability of nerves. Deficiency of vitamin B12 is also common in people with poor gastrointestinal absorption, unbalanced diets, vegetarians, and patients who often take stomach medicines.
In addition to gastrointestinal symptoms, other factors such as viral infections, stress, poor sleep quality, and hormonal changes in women (period, pregnancy, or before and following pregnancy) can also cause brain fog symptoms.
3 Ways to Make Your Brain, Gut Healthy and Clear Brain Fog
There are many articles on the Internet regarding what foods to eat to clear brain fog. However, Lin Zhihao believes that the problem of brain fog can not be improved by eating some food, especially the relationship between the gut and the brain is very complicated and cannot be solved by one trick and a half. He suggested that it should be implemented from diet, exercise and living habits. .
Whether it’s improving brain fog, preventing dementia, or protecting the brain, a balanced diet is required.Lin Zhihao’s first pushMediterranean diet, the Mediterranean diet consists of vegetables and fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, fish, dairy products, and olive oil and other foods. Numerous studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet can improve thinking, memory, and brain health.[8]
Eating a Mediterranean diet leads to changes in gut bacteria that are linked to improvements in cognitive function and memory, immunity and bone strength, new research has found.[9]
Lin Zhihao reminded that the Mediterranean diet does not avoid red wine, but he does not recommend drinking, whether it is red wine or other alcohol including beer. Especially people over the age of 50 should not drink it. Drinking alcohol is not very helpful to the human body. It will not only affect the absorption of some nutrients, but also reduce the quality of sleep, even if you think you are asleep.
In 2017, the University of Oxford published a study: The hippocampus in the brain shrinks with the increase of alcohol consumption. Even people who drink lightly and moderately, their hippocampus shrinkage is more serious than those who do not drink. . The functions of the hippocampus are mainly memory and spatial positioning and navigation.[10]
The Mediterranean diet also includes cereals and milk, but it should be considered individual and not too much. People with poor digestion should avoid consuming too much sugar, and people with lactose intolerance should drink less milk, which can reduce the occurrence of intestinal problems.
Fermented dairy products, such as yogurt (yogurt) and yogurt, are less likely to cause lactose intolerance and also contain probiotics. Taking probiotics from food is considered a safe dose.[11]
While probiotic supplements can be helpful to the gut, such as those taking antibiotics or other factors that alter the gut flora, additional probiotics can be supplemented. However, most people do not recommend excessive and indiscriminate use of probiotic products. If you have obvious flatulence following taking probiotics, you can ask your doctor.
2. Aerobic exercise combined with heavy training
Lin Zhihao pointed out that the unhealthy gut of many people is related to the lack of exercise, especially the lack of muscle strength will cause the intestinal peristalsis to slow down and cause bacteria to proliferate. Therefore, it is recommended to strengthen muscles through heavy training.
Exercise can also improve mood and sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and directly and indirectly aid memory and thinking. An article from Harvard Medical School found that people who exercised had larger volumes of the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory (prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex) than people who did not exercise .[12]
3. Positive and good living habits
“I believe that having a healthy brain is good for gut health,” says Lam Chi-ho. How to keep the brain healthy? In addition to Mediterranean diet, exercise, but also to ensure high-quality sleep quality.
Lin Zhihao pointed out that there are two important mechanisms in sleep: one is to consolidate memory; the other is to remove toxins and wastes produced by the brain during the day. If you stay up all night and have insomnia, you will not be able to remove these wastes, causing obstacles to the functioning of the brain. (Recommended reading:There is 1 secret to deep sleep, a brain neurologist teaches you a good night’s sleep）
Sleep also helps every system in the body function properly, including the immune system, heart, brain, and even the digestive system. Poor sleep quality can damage gut health in a number of ways.[13]
At the same time, when encountering stress, we must learn to transfer the source of stress, maintain a positive attitude and relax in a timely manner, in order to avoid brain disorders and cause brain fog.
For example, engaging in social activities, learning new things, or playing games can not only help relieve stress, but also help keep the mind sharp and maintain memory.[14]
Living in a chaotic world, with a healthy mind, just seeHealth 1+1！
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Responsible editor: Li Qingfeng
