How Heavy Metals Cause Brain Fog & Poor Brain Performance
WENDY MYERS | MYERSDETOX.COM
INTRODUCTION
Heavy Metals are a major reason you ’ re experiencing brain fog. This toxicity kills your energy production (needed for brain function), affects neurotransmission (how you think) and your ability to focus. In this guide, I will examine how toxic metals impact your brain’s performance and what you can do about it!
WENDY MYERS | MYERSDETOX.COM
ABOUT WENDY MYERS
r of Myersdetox.com. She is a detox expert, ritionist and NES Bioenergetic Practitioner in Los #1 bestselling author of Limitless Energy: How End Exhaustion and Chronic Fatigue. She is Metals Summit. Wendy hosts two podcasts, ox Podcast about detoxification, and the bout Bioenergetics. Passionate about the ve a long disease free life, she created the ox Protocol after working with thousands of e of Supplement Kits and strategies to target endy's work, visit MyersDetox.com.
WHAT IS BRAIN FOG?
Brain fog is cognitive dysfunction involving:
Lack of mental clarity
Recall and Memory difficulty
Poor focus
Poor concentration
Depending on the severity of brain fog, it can interfere with one ’ s ability to work or focus in school. But there are many ways you can fix this problem that baffles doctors.
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CAUSES OF BRAIN FOG
Heavy metal toxicity involving aluminum, lead, mercury, tin and others interfere in brain function in a number of ways listed below.
Mitochondrial dysfunction - Mitochondria produce energy. The brain uses 20% of the body’s energy production. Low energy production equals low brain function.
Chronic infections (e.g. Lyme disease, viral infections) sap energy and interfere in brain function in numerous ways.
Medications, mostly commonly blood pressure medications and statins. My brilliant father suffered terribly from statin-related brain fog.
Hormonal changes - Heavy metals and other toxins dramatically interfere in hormone production and reception. A drop in estrogen levels during menopause can cause forgetfulness, poor concentration, and cloudy thinking.
Diet, including poor nutrition and food sensitivities. Brain fog may develop after eating certain foods to which you are sensitive.
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HEAVY METALS & BRAIN FUNCTION
Heavy metals cause brain fog and impair brain performance in several ways. Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and microglial activation (think brain inflammation) all combine to impair the capacity of brain cells to maintain normal cognitive processing. These issues affect such things as short-term memory, concentration and decision making.
Heavy metals act via several different mechanisms in brain tissue:
Cellular destruction – tin kills off cerebellar neurons; mercury destroys cellular infrastructure (neurofibrils) within nerve cells and inhibits neurite formation.
Oxidative stress – heavy metals reduces cellular glutathione levels and generate lots of free radicals. Glutathione is the body’s master antioxidant as is essential in detoxing the body of heavy metals. Free radicals destroy brain tissue and damage DNA.
Mitochondrial dysfunction – the brain uses up to 20 percent of the body’s energy output. Our mitochondria produce our body’s energy. Naturally, if mitochondria are not working properly and energy production is low, brain performance will suffer. There are certain toxic metals that cause fatigue by interfering in mitochondrial energy production. Mitochondrial dysfunction from arsenic, aluminum, tin, thallium and cesium reduce energy (ATP) supply to neurons, astrocytes and other brain cells.
Microglial activation – the inflammatory response in the brain is mediated by activated microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system. Activation of microglia is a hallmark of brain pathology. Aluminium especially causes microglial activation and resultant cognitive dysfunction and brain fog.
Interference with neurotransmission – many different metals reduce levels of neurotransmitters e.g. serotonin, dopamine and GABA.
Interference with hypothalamic function – especially the production of Antidiuretic Hormone (vasopressin) (mercury) and blockage of melatonin receptors causing chronic sleep disturbance.
Generation of both beta-amyloid and tau proteins in susceptible individuals, which leads to Alzheimer’s and dementia.
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TOXIC METALS THAT IMPAIR BRAIN FUNCTION
MERCURY
Mercury is deposited throughout the brain, especially in the hypothalamus (thyroid signaling) and hippocampus (memory and emotions). It is also found throughout the cortex and occipital lobe. It impairs working memory and has been associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease in older individuals and Autism Spectrum disorders in children.
LEAD
Lead has been known for many years as a neurotoxin, especially in children. It lowers IQ and like mercury, impairs working memory. It interferes with the processes of learning and is also associated with behavioural disturbances in children. It is also associated with chronic fatigue, depression and cognitive impairment in adults.
ALUMINUM
Aluminium is also associated with both Autism and Alzheimer’s disease. Once aluminium enters brain cells, certain people will be unable to eliminate it efficiently, thereby inducing oxidative stress and cellular damage. In older individuals, such damage may be permanent
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TOXIC METALS THAT IMPAIR BRAIN FUNCTION
TIN
Tin affects balance mechanisms in the cerebellum (and possibly inner ear) as well as causing tinnitus and general fatigue.
MANGANESE
Manganese can build up to high level that then become neurotoxic, inducing a Parkinson’s disease-like syndrome (Manganism). Many become manganese toxic from their well water.
COPPER
Copper toxicity and Wilson’s disease (due to copper overload) cause serious neurological dysfunction. Copper causes neurons to overfire and overproduce stimulating neurotransmitters.
IRON
Iron toxicity and Hemochromatosis (a genetic iron overload) cause serious neurological dysfunction.
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