Valentin Bosioc
Your brain does a lot of hard work to keep it in excellent condition. It utilizes 20 percent of your body’s energy and demands an environment that’s exceedingly specific to sustain itself. Your brain requires your body deliver oxygen and nutrients while keeping it safe from any damaging molecules.
And the oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your mind the same way your body delivers it to your other organs: through your blood. This is why there are a lot of blood vessels surrounding your brain, and they’re very special. These blood vessels form the “blood-brain barrier.” Let’s dive in and learn what makes the blood-brain barrier so important.
What is the Blood Brain Barrier?
The blood-brain barrier is a barricade of cells that chains your capillary endings, which deliver blood, to your central nervous system and brain. Semi-absorbent in nature, your blood-brain barrier prevents big molecules and damaging substances in your bloodstream from reaching your cerebrospinal fluid. However, things such as molecules of oxygen and ions, water, carbon dioxide, and alcohol can cross your blood-brain barrier.
Why is Your Blood-Brain Barrier So Important?
The blood-brain barrier has a critical permeability. It allows the transit of some little molecules and prevents the entry of massive particles. Thus, it acts as a strainer between your blood system and nervous system.
The waterproof function is conveyed by two processes: chemical and physical. The physical process is the physical act of straining. For this, there are areas in the middle of your cells that prevent and allow passage of any substance that tries to enter your brain.
Simultaneously, your blood-brain barrier has the ability to trigger particular chemical responses, metabolizing a number of substances that come in contact with it. This is the second process: a chemical strainer of sorts. Your blood brain barrier uses of enzymes and transporters and extinguishes any hazards before they enter your brain.
Aside from protecting your brain, your brain’s shield makes sure that your neuronal environment’s maintenance is just right. It protects the composition of your interstitial fluid, which cleanses any cells that compromise your brain.
Lastly, your blood-brain barrier executes metabolic functions, altering a number of elements so that they can travel from your blood to your nervous tissue without being damaged.
How Do You Care For Your Brain Blood Barrier?
Eat a Healthy Diet
Studies show that having a healthy diet will result in a pristine blood-brain barrier, while a weak diet results in a leaky blood-brain barrier.
- B vitamins
B vitamins help restore your brain’s security guard’s integrity. You can eat the following to increase your intake of B vitamins:
- Turkey
- Salmon
- Leafy green vegetables
- Asparagus
- Beef
- Lamb
- Glucose
Glucose is a primary source of fuel of your body cells and brain cells. You can find glucose in the following food:
- Whole grains
- Fresh fruits
- Vegetables
- Potatoes
- Fats and fatty acids
Fatty acids and fats can help prevent diseases in your brain, diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. These foods are rich in essential fatty acids:
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Hemp
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Eggs
- Olive oils
- Protein
Protein is made up of different amino acids, which are all essential to your body’s functions. The manufacture of neurotransmitters is aided by amino acids, which helps the overall purpose of your whole nervous system and affects your mood.
The following food items are protein-rich:
- Seafood
- White-meat poultry
- Eggs
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Soy
- Beans
- Coffee and caffeine
Caffeine and coffee are great for your brain’s health as they aid your brain’s security guard. They help keep your blood-brain barrier intact and keep it healthy. These food and drinks are rich in caffeine:
- Sodas
- Chocolate
- Weight loss pills
- Pain relievers
- Energy drinks
- Breath fresheners
Get Lots of Sleep
Sleeping deeply for at least eight hours a day is necessary for your brain’s protector’s function.
You should also avoid environmental mold and mycotoxins. Molds and mycotoxins can be destructive to your brain. They result in deterioration of your mental health and cognitive function.
You can protect yourself from mycotoxins and mold by:
- Using a charcoal water filter
- Installing a BlueAir HEPA filter
- Taking activated charcoal or bentonite clay supplements
Get Plenty of Sun and Vitamin D
The rays of the sun are full of vitamin D, which can help prevent damages to your brain’s bodyguard by decreasing inflammation.
Avoid Getting Stressed
Too much stress damages your brain’s protector. It increases your blood-brain barrier permeability and increases inflammation. You can help reduce stress by:
- Getting a massage or acupuncture
- Consuming zinc, magnesium, and phosphatidylserine rich food
- Going through heart-rate variability (HRV) training
Your blood-brain barrier guarantees the optimal function of your brain. Your mind has an extraordinary power to treat and heal itself. However, just like other parts of your body, you need to make sure that you don’t neglect and abuse it. Do everything that you can to take good care of it. Remember that a healthy, well-functioning ‘protector’ is essential for the maximum health of your brain and mentality. If you want to learn more about the blood-brain barrier and GABA, then perhaps a medical professional might come in handy as well.
Simon Manning
Simon Manning is the creator of and primary contributor to Best Nootropics Now, a website which offers accessible and unbiased information on all things like blood-brain barrier and GABA. A programmer in a former life, Simon has been researching and experimenting with brain enhancing supplements for close to a decade. His initial foray into nootropics was with the hope of finding an extra edge in a mentally demanding and competitive profession. One he experienced and understood what was possible, there was no turning back. These days, Simon spends much of his time exploring various supplements, fine-tuning nootropics stacks and sharing his findings with like-minded individuals interested in cognitive enhancement.
