Football Players Are Deciding Concussions Are Not Worth The Risk

We often hear that professional football players are in the best shape of their lives. Their level of fitness cannot be denied, but what about their overall health, specifically their brain health? There has been increasing concern over the long-term effects of the concussions football players routinely suffer from collisions on the field. A professional football player will receive 900-1500 blows to the head during a single season and will have a 75% chance of suffering a concussion.

Previously, players sacrificed their brain health for the love of the game, for money and opportunities, or because they felt they had no choice. Now a 24-year-old professional football player named Chris Borland has decided the risks of football aren’t worth it. He’s not the first, but he is the youngest and the one who has shocked a country that is still actively resisting the idea of putting their health first until it’s too late. There is an important distinction between a young athlete protecting himself and an aging athlete trying to preserve whatever brain function he has left. It’s an example of a new mindset, one concerned with health and armed with more information than ever before.

The Football-Concussion Connection

Common sense says that being hit over the head with a heavy object is not a good idea. It follows that the effect of football on players has been a concern for a long time, but determining the level of damage and consequences of repeated trauma has been harder to do. In 1994, the NFL formed the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, paying lip service to health concerns over players and giving the NFL the opportunity to control the concussion narrative.

Athletes who are willing to ignore, or those who don’t know, the long-term health effects of what they’re doing are essential to the financial well being of professional football. The growing wealth of information available on concussions and brain health is available to anyone with the Internet, and it’s impossible to avoid the identification of sports and football as a major cause of these issues. The Internet’s ability to disseminate information has taken the latter away from the NFL, and the public and players are beginning to ask if football is worth the health risks. It’s also posed the question of trust. Are the people receiving the financial benefits from a 9 billion industry really the ones players should trust to care for them and their quality of life?

Degenerative Brain Disease Links

A concussion is an injury to the head that leads to a temporary loss of brain function. While the effects of a mild concussion are usually temporary, people who have had a concussion are more likely to suffer from another, and the damage from repeated brain injuries does accumulate. Recent research has found that NFL players who have suffered from multiple concussions have increased rates of memory and attention deficits and are more likely to develop Parkinson and Alzheimer like symptoms. Older athletes who experienced concussions were tested. It was found that the cortex had thinned, which combined with the presence of abnormal proteins in the brain, echoes the brains of those with Alzheimer’s. Technology has made studies like this possible and provides a great resource for people who are concerned about the effects of playing an aggressive and violent sport like football.

Degenerative Disease Can Strike Anyone’s Brain

There are a few ways to look at these findings. An increasing number of players are retiring while they are still relevant and able to play at a high level. Chris Borland, Patrick Willis, and others are hanging up their cleats early because they feel like the game is no longer worth the health risks. On the flip side, playing sports professionally is a huge opportunity for others, and trading their potential quality of life in their later years for the shot at sports fame and fortune is something they’re willing to do. Concussions can have a serious effect on the brain. As people weigh the benefits of football against the costs, more people, especially parents, are deciding that it’s simply not worth it.

For more on brain health, intelligence, and for repairing brain damage, check out  Increase Your IQ With The Right Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins (check out the brain tonic recipe).

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The Glymphatic System – How Insomnia Leads to a Filthy Mind

Throughout the day our blood circulates in our bodies carrying oxygen and nutrients to every cell. Waste from the cells’ metabolic processes is released into interstitial fluid (the fluid between each cell). The lymphatic system sucks up excessive fluid and the waste, incorporating it into the lymphatic fluid that flows through the lymph nodes to filter the waste and pathogens before dumping the fluid back into the circulatory system.

For hundreds of years, scientists have been trying to figure out how the brain cleanses itself since the lymphatic system does not extend to the brain and the spinal column. Last year scientists announced the discovery of the glymphatic system. No, you are not looking at a typo. The glymphatic system is the cleansing system of the brain.

Like the lymphatic system, the glymphatic system removes waste from interstitial fluid, but this system requires your full cooperation to do its job. Cleansing of the brain happens when you are asleep.

Brain cells, like all cells of the body, require food and oxygen for metabolism. And like all cells of the body, brain cell metabolism results in waste. During the day, this waste collects in the brain’s interstitial fluid. Some of this waste dissolves in the fluid, but most of it simply collects, waiting for sleep.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the brain cleansing process is the behavior of the brain cells. They actually shrink during sleep. The space between the cells increases by 60% aiding in the cleansing process. Cerebral spinal fluid quickly flows into the space, aided by the pulse of the arteries. It mixes with the interstitial fluid and washes the waste toward the veins and carries it to the liver. This process occurs during slow wave sleep, the deepest sleep.

During the night, we experience sleep cycles that average about 90 minutes. In the first half of the night we cycle through all of the stages, N1, N2, N3, and REM sleep. Slow wave sleep or delta sleep is N3. We start at N1 and go deeper into N2, then deeper into N3, the stage where brain cleansing occurs. In the second half of the night, REM sleep increases and alternates with N1 and N2 sleep, so it appears most of the cleanup is done in the first half of the night.

Scientists who discovered the glymphatic system hope that understanding this process will lead to successful treatment of Alzheimer’s, Parkinsons, and other similar brain diseases.

Quality sleep is vital to the removal of waste and toxic substances from the brain. If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, learn about Natural Remedies For Insomnia, and be sure to see Holistic Guide To Healing the Endocrine System And Balancing Our Hormones, and Candida Overgrowth Symptoms.

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Increase your IQ with the Right Foods, Herbs, Vitamins, and Exercises for Your Brain

Not too long ago, the general consensus about our IQ was that our intelligence can’t be improved. Though this issue is still debated occasionally, today most of us know that learning a new language and becoming an avid reader have both been proven to increase one’s score on any intelligence aptitude test. The idea that people cannot get smarter is ridiculous, but so are a lot of other conventional medical beliefs still held today.

Contents

If you can take IQ tests over and over again, study them, get help figuring them out, and learn how to do them quickly and well, your score will improve. Some would argue that this is not really increasing intelligence, but it is. Experiences that challenge the brain’s cognitive abilities raise intelligence–real intelligence. IQ tests, while certainly not a great indicator of how well someone will do in life, are a pretty decent indicator of memory, problem solving skills, and other cognitive functions. Obviously, an abundance of these skills is helpful.

A better idea than taking IQ tests over and over again is to do some other brain teasers, learn a language, and learn to constantly exercise your brain. Live life like it’s all about learning, because it is!

Combine these mental push-ups with the right diet, a fitness program, and a few brain boosting herbal supplements, and your focus will be sharp while your cognitive ability will improve significantly.

The more you practice using your brain in various, challenging ways, the better you will get at using it. The better you take care of your brain’s health, the more efficiently and easily it will work, and the longer it will work as well.

How Brain is Connected to Your Gut

Your brain is very connected to your gut. We have a symbiotic relationship with every microbe living inside us, and the highest concentration of microbes is in our gut. In addition, parasitical influences, like candida running rampant throughout our body causing us to crave junk food, can be traced back to intestinal health.

Speaking of candida, this fungus has been identified as a possible cause and a definite contributor to depression. Getting your intestinal health up to par is the most important first step in increasing your intelligence. Healthy gut = healthy body = healthy brain.

Good bacterial health is necessary for balanced hormones. Gut bacteria produce 90% to 95% of our serotonin, the key neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood. We need bacteria to assimilate B vitamins, which are essential to the function of the nervous system and the brain. Without enough B vitamins, we can’t concentrate well.

Gluten also leads to an overabundance of Candida and a host of other problems in the gut and the whole body which directly affect the brain’s ability to function.

Brain Boosting Herbs

If you’re looking for a quick boost to finish a term paper, there are lots of herbs and other things you can do right away. If you’re looking to increase your cognitive abilities over a period of time, and enjoy life with a clear head and all the focus you need, then the first step for most people is to kill the candida and balance the gut, so don’t skip that section above!

Bacopa

Bacopa is used to treat ADHD, anxiety, brain disorders, poor memory, and tension. Bacopa has been shown to stimulate brain function and improve cognition skills and memory. It also increases serotonin, a brain chemical known to help sooth and relax the mind.

Ginseng

Ginseng is a well-known stimulant that can reduce stress, increase focus and memory, and raise metabolism and energy levels.

Sage

Sage has been shown to improve memory. Sage is being investigated as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.

Gota kola

Gota kola renews nerve functions, fights premature aging, aids circulation, and improves memory and intelligence.

Rosemary

Rosemary stimulates the pituitary gland, which produces the HGH (human growth hormone) needed to regulate weight and look younger. It also improves memory, along with a host of other benefits.

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola Rosea has been shown to increase energy levels, reduce fatigue, and improve cognitive ability (specifically: associative thinking, short-term memory, calculation, concentration, and speed of audiovisual perception)

Ashwagandha

This herb is to Ayurvedic medicine as ginseng is to Chinese medicine. People use ashwagandha for improving cognitive ability and it treats many other health problems from infertility to inflammation.

Vitamins, Minerals, Fats, and Other Nutrition Our Brains Need

A deficiency in any one of the following nutrients can lead to brain health issues. Even less than optimal levels can impair cognitive function.

Fats

Numerous studies have proven that eating a balanced diet with healthy fats, and/or a fatty acid supplement with omega 3s, are imperative for all brain functions. It’s no wonder, since the brain is about 60% fat (if you exclude water, which makes up about 70%). DHA is a fatty acid chain that is one of the major building blocks of the brain, critical for optimal brain health and function. Of the many fatty acids that benefit the brain and offer noticeable cognitive improvement, DHA is the most significant. Balanced healthy fats are also needed to properly assimilate B vitamins.

B Vitamins

B vitamins are the vitamins of the nervous system and they are needed for the numerous functions critical to every cell in the body. B vitamins are essential for hormone production, stress management, and the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. B vitamin deficiencies are not uncommon, and lead to many physical and mental illnesses. Anyone suffering from an inability to concentrate, PMS or other hormonal issues, insomnia, depression, or virtually any other mental health issues should reach first for B complex.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is more than an anti-oxidant and necessary vitamin for fighting infections and viruses, it is necessary to synthesize the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. It also helps the body flush heavy metals such as iron and copper from the brain.

Vitamin D

Normal brain development and function is dependent on vitamin D. Deficiencies have been proven to impair cognitive abilities.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is essential to maintain the integrity of cell membranes. Among other symptoms, a deficiency in this vitamin manifests in neurological symptoms including injury to sensory nerves and impaired coordination and balance.

Calcium

The brain requires calcium for secretion of neurotransmitters. The body maintains a specific level of calcium in the blood at all times, pulling calcium from the bones, if the level in the blood drops too low. So deficiencies generally affect bone health, not the brain.

Iodine

The thyroid requires iodine to produce its hormones, which are used in the myelination of the central nervous system. It is also critical in the development of the brain, therefore deficiencies during pregnancy can result in various neurodevelopmental deficits from mild cognitive deficits to mental retardation.

Iron

Iron is essential for proper development of the brain cells that produce myelin and for the synthesis of neurotransmitters. An iron deficiency during fetal development can cause permanent learning and memory deficits; childhood deficiency also causes cognitive impairment.

Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for metabolic reactions required for brain function. Deficiency results in neurological and muscular symptoms.

Selenium

Selenium is required for antioxidant enzymes in the brain and other tissues.

Zinc

Zinc plays a role in neurotransmission as well as catalytic, structural, and regulatory roles. Deficiencies can cause congenital malformations, deficits in learning, and other deficits including attention and learning.

Choline

Choline is another essential nutrient needed for myelination of nerves, neurotransmitter synthesis, and cell membranes and other structures of the brain and nervous system. Deficiency is related to cognitive defects.

Antioxidants

Your brain uses a lot of oxygen, and therefore, it is highly susceptible to free radical damage. This is why antioxidants are critical brain boosters. They protect brain cells by neutralizing free radical damage and preventing premature brain cell aging. Anthocyanins, the antioxidants that are found in berries, have been found to be particularly beneficial to the brain.

Food that’s Good For Our Brains

When you talk about food for the brain, cold-water fish top the list due to their fat content. Fish like salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, and cod contain significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and essential amino acids in proteins that build healthy brain cell membranes and improve cognitive function.

Other great foods for the brain (especially if you’re vegetarian or vegan) include:

  • Avocados, pumpkin seeds, various nuts, and other oils containing healthy fats along with vitamin E
  • Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables provide antioxidants and brain defending carotenoids
  • Berries give the brain vitamin C, create healthy connections between brain cells, and protect brain cells against free radicals with antioxidants.
  • Turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, detoxifies the brain.
  • Cayenne can wake you up like nothing else, rushing blood to the brain. Cayenne is a great supplement to take with other remedies.
  • Ginger protects the brain and has some of the same effects as cayenne, as far as waking up the senses and increasing blood flow.
  • Pretty much all produce nourishes the body and therefore the mind.

Essential Oils for Cognitive Function

Many essential oils are great for temporarily boosting cognitive function, and there are some combinations that work particularly well. Three drops of rosemary with two drops of lemon is a simple recipe to boost memory. Four drops of cypress with one drop of rosemary is another recipe for brain power. So many essential oils offer powerful and beneficial effects with the brain. In particular, rosemary is proven to increase memory by up to 75%. Peppermint, lavender, cedarwood, and sage are other essential oils particularly notable for proven abilities to increase brain function, but the list doesn’t end there. If you happen to have any essential oil around, give it a sniff and see what happens. Better quality oils produce better results.

Use It or Lose it

Our brain works much like the rest of the body in that it is a “use it or lose it” organ. If you don’t use your brain enough, your cognitive abilities suffer. People who really think more than the average person, like scientists and professors, are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases of the brain.

Studies show that learning a new language increases intelligence measurably. It’s not just languages though. Learning anything complicated that takes lots of time and practice, that uses the brain in many different ways, will have a noticeable effect on intelligence. If speaking another language isn’t in the cards, learning to play a musical instrument, mathematics, or learning computer languages can offer the same benefits. Learning how to develop websites, for instance, is an excellent way to exercise the brain. I personally had an IQ increase of 6 points after spending a few years learning HTML, PHP, CSS. There are also countless apps and websites with daily brain-teasers and exercises. Most of us know that reading increases our intelligence, but processing a variety of information has a greater effect than just reading fiction or a single other genre. All reading, whether it be fiction, magazine articles, blog posts, or historical, has benefit and can work our brains in different ways.

Exercise itself is huge for brain health! Being physically fit has been show to help with concentration. Exercise regulates proper hormone production, and exercise is the best way to take a break from an arduous brain task.

Be sure to keep taking those free IQ assessment tests when you can, too. What better way to raise your IQ than to practice taking various different IQ tests? There are also lots of toys and games like the classic Rubik Cube. If you really want to turn your noggin into the mind of a brainiac, playing with brain teasers, puzzle toys, crossword puzzles and the like should be a hobby. Collect them and use them on a regular basis.

Breathe Right

Take deep, slow breaths. Breathe so that your abdomen expands with each breath and your ribcage compresses with each exhale. Read How to Breathe for more.

Drink Plenty of Water

Most people are chronically dehydrated. Coffee and sodas are only making it worse. Our brain is made up of 75% water. Sometimes when concentration seems impossible and the day feels like it’s spiraling out of control, chugging a few cups of water can change perception and get things back on track. .

Maximum Brain Function Regimen

Obviously, I eat well, typically consuming lots of produce with beneficial fats, enzymes, antioxidants, and all the other nutrients my body needs. But sometimes I need a boost. If I am tired, having trouble focusing, can’t figure something out, or am in need of some brain help for any reason, I have a protocol I use.

I juice equal parts turmeric, lemon, and ginger. I make about ½ of a cup total, spike it with as much cayenne as I can handle, and take the shot. I follow that up with a B vitamin complex, Shillington’s Brain Tonic, and then Shillington’s Blood Detox. If there’s any chance I have some candida going on (which always impacts my focus) I take about 15 SF722 and 5 FloraMend as well.

And then I make my salad for the day.

If you’ve got a routine you love that gets your mind just right, whether it’s for increasing focus and cognition or elevating your mood, please share with us in the comments below.

Shillington’s Brain Tonic Recipe (or click here to purchase)

This is such an amazing formula, not just for overall long-term brain health, but also to give the brain a boost when it needs it the most.

(Mix the following by volume, and make a standard tincture (click here for instructions) using 100 proof vodka as your menstrum.)

  • 15 – parts Gingko Leaf
  • 1 – part Gotu Kola Herb
  • 1 – part Calamus Root
  • 1 – part Rosemary Flowers
  • 1 – part Cayenne Pepper
  • Optional:- 1 part Kola Nut

A ‘part’ is a measurement by volume.  Blend all ingredients together and make into a tincture using a 50 – 50 Blend of Alcohol and distilled water. For more, see How to Make a Tincture.

A Dropperful is considered to be about 1/2 way up the dropper from a two ounce bottle.

Be sure to shake well before each use.

Conclusion

The most important and significant thing you can do to increase your concentration and other cognitive abilities right away without making any lifestyle changes is to breathe right, take a B vitamin complex, a dropperful of brain tonic (or other herbal combination for brain function), drink water, and do a few squats. For long term, taking something like Shillington’s Brain Tonic, and the right diet makes for a more intelligent, and aware person who isn’t just trying to make it through the day.

If your mind is sluggish, detox. If you smoke anything, stop. It all impairs brain function. So do pharmaceuticals and alcohol. As stated, a healthy body = a healthy mind. An unhealthy body, i.e., a body full of drugs and other toxins, with limited nutrition and little ability to absorb it, makes for a brainwashed sheep who simply tries to make it through the day without getting slaughtered.

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The Brain Boosting Benefits of Gingko Biloba

Ginko is considered the memory herb for its powerful brain boosting benefits.

The Ginkgo Biloba trees , one of the oldest trees in the world, are native to China but are now cultivated in plantations around the world for their remarkable health benefits.   These trees reach up to 40 meters in height and have characteristic greenish-yellow fan-shaped leaves.  These trees have remarkable adaptive and stress enduring qualities and have been noted to live over 1000 years of age.

Gingko Has Profound Adaptive Abilities

It is reported that the only trees that survived the Hiroshima nuclear blast were ginkgo trees.  This is an example of the profound strength and endurance these trees have against even the harshest of environmental stressors.  These same qualities of strength and endurance are passed on to the leaves and the extracts and then into the people who are consuming these botanicals.

The most powerful components of Ginkgo leaves are the flavonoid glycosides myricetin and quercetin.  They also contain terpenoid anti-oxidants ginkgolides and bilobalides.  Flavonoids are plant-based anti-oxidants that protect the cardiovascular system, neurons, and retina.  Terpenoids enhance blood flow by dilating the blood vessels and reducing platelet aggregation.

Gingko Improves Neurotransmitter Function

These molecules are shown to be non-discriminative monoamine oxidase inhibitors that maintain optimal levels of major neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in regions of the brain.  This is a similar mechanism as common pharmaceuticals that are used to treat depression and bipolar disorders.

These anti-oxidant flavonoids are also highly neuroprotective from the dangers of oxidative stress.  Prolonged oxidative stress in particular regions of the brain is the leading factor in the development of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s Disease.  This anti-oxidant protection also boosts memory, mood, and creative thinking.

Gingko is The Memory Herb

Several different studies have showed that ginkgo can improve memory and attention span in healthy individuals with peak performance coming about 2 hours after ingestion.  Ginkgo also improves vision and overall eye health as it prevents against macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts.

The ginkgolides are potent antagonists against platelet activating factors and are very useful in protecting against thrombus, endotoxic shock, intermittent claudication and myocardial ischemia.  Ginko has been shown to improve blood flow into all regions of the body which is particularly useful for sexual dysfunction in women and erectile dysfunction in men.

Gingko Is Approved By The World Health Organization

The World Health Organization has reported that gingko can benefit individuals suffering from cerebrovascular insufficiency which may be experienced as poor concentration, memory problems, and headaches.  They also endorse its use for peripheral arterial occlusive diseases which include claudication or painful walking, Raynaud’s disease, and diabetes.  It has also shown to benefit individuals with vertigo and dizziness.

Optimal dosage of ginkgo appears to be between 120-600 mg per day.  Very high doses may cause side effects such as nausea, dizziness, headaches, rapid heartbeat, and allergic reactions.   Be sure to always get organic gingko from the highest quality sources.

Sources For This Article Include:



Issue 11- Vitality

Short Sighted – Diminishing Returns – Letter From the Editor

Ask OLM

Sprouting to Remove Enzyme Inhibitors

Enzyme Supplementation

Swine Flu Vaccine Health Concerns

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – Green Our Vaccines Rally

Generation Rescue – Company Profile

Alzheimer’s

Natural Cures for Cataracts

Pure Sleep – 11 Tips for Better Sleep

Monsanto Company Profile part IV of IV

Homemade Papaya Enzyme Supplement

Tips to Look Younger, Feel Younger, Be Younger, and Live Longer

80% Raw Food Diet

Lentils

Lentils and Wild Mushrooms In Savoy Leaves

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Olm Interviews Seth Leaf of Living Nutz



The Ultra Mind Solution – Book Review

It’s unfortunate, but true. Medical doctors tend to attribute disease to a cause-and-effect paradigm that absolves the patient of responsibility. If you get sick, well, there’s a flu or a virus going around. If you get diabetes, sorry, but you are genetically programmed to get it. You can’t help it. If you have cancer, well, we never know why these things happen to some and not to others.

The Ultra Mind SolutionWhile these aren’t direct quotes from any specific doctor, this is the mindset of conventional medicine. There is very little accountability for health these days, along with a belief that most of our health issues are incurable and a resignation that we should accept the side effects of conventional treatment. While most people do resign themselves to this belief system, others, like Mark Hyman, M.D., do not.

Mark Hyman is a brilliant man, one of those people who can multitask, easily remember, and just plain excel in whatever task relies on his intelligence. But when he was in medical school, he did what many interns are forced to do—he pushed his body to unreasonable limits, working shifts up to 60 hours. Then he went to work in China for a year, breathing in the coal-soaked, mercury-laden air. After he came back to Massachusetts, he again lived with sleep deprivation when working crazy shifts in an inner-city emergency room. Then he realized he could no longer remember things easily. Sleep became problematic. He was drained—mentally, emotionally, and physically. Depression and anxiety became familiar parts of his life.

Unlike so many doctors who look for the “one thing” that caused the problem and the one treatment to alleviate the symptoms, Dr. Hyman recognized that his problem had more than one cause. In his book he says, “It was everything piled higher and higher until my brain and body couldn’t take any more.”

The Ultra Mind Solution title is a bit misleading, but at the same time, it’s perfect. If your brain is not working right, many health problems will arise. On the other hand, if your body is overburdened with toxins, lack of quality sleep, and a lack of nutrition, at some point the whole system is going to break down. Mark Hyman took a holistic approach. He decided if his brain was broken, his whole body was in trouble. He learned that many of today’s