Health care professionals seem to toss around the word “leaky” a lot now. You will find headlines about leaky gut, leaky brain, leaky mouth, and more. What does this mean?
In medicine, it means that the natural barriers in our systems that protect us from pathogens, foreign particles, and toxins have been breached, and the harmful substances can leak into our organs. The result is inflammation in the affected areas, and inflammation can cause illness and disease.
With a leaky gut, the protective lining of the GI tract fails to stop pathogens, toxins, waste, and undigested food particles from entering your bloodstream. This can occur in the brain as well.
The brain’s protective system is called the blood-brain barrier (BBB). It allows the good things in while keeping out the harmful substances like heavy metals and harmful chemicals. However, when the brain or gut becomes leaky, the barriers have become overly permeable enabling the harmful substances through. Typically, the barriers will be breached at the same time, frequently due to a compromised immune system. Someone with a leaky gut also has a leaky brain, which is reinforced by the gut-brain axis.
Mental disorders around the globe are increasing and becoming more common. It may be linked to leaky brain. Because the brain controls the body, health problems throughout the body become more common as well. As a result, the following health conditions may occur:
- ADD/ADHD
- Aggression or violence
- Alzheimer’s
- Antisocial behavior
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Anxiety
- Bipolar disorder
- Brain fog
- Changes in personality
- Cognitive impairment
- Dementia
- Depression
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue/chronic fatigue
- Gut issues
- Hallucination
- Insomnia
- Joint pain
- Memory loss
- Mood changes
- Neurological diseases
- Parkinson’s disease
- Psychosis
- Schizophrenia
- Seizures and epilepsy
- Stress
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
The causes of leaky brain
Many factors can impact the blood-brain barrier and alter its permeability, allowing harmful substances to pass through. These are the most common causes of leaky brain.
Food sensitivities and food allergies
Nutrition is foundational for our overall health and the health of our brains. While we think of some foods as “brain foods” that promote brain health and cognition, some foods can inhibit brain function in some people. If you have a food sensitivity or allergy, some foods can alter the brain’s chemistry and result in leaky brain.
The most problematic foods are:
- Chocolate
- Citrus
- Eggs
- Gluten
- Milk and milk products
- Peanuts
- Soybeans
- Sugar
- Wheat
Environmental toxins
We dump around 3 billion pounds of toxic chemicals into our environment every year. Less than 10% of those chemicals are regulated for safety. We have over 84,000 chemicals in current use in the United States alone. And babies born today have over 200 different chemicals in the umbilical cord blood.
Exposure to dangerous chemicals can lead to a broad range of brain-related health conditions. In fact, toxins are now considered the primary cause of imbalances in brain chemistry and neurodegenerative disorders.
This is compounded by the fact that it is becoming more difficult to detect if a chemical is dangerous since lab testing for toxicity has changed. Tests now consider adaptations to toxins as well as damage from them within the normal range.
One of the most problematic and ubiquitous chemicals is glyphosate, which is in the weed killer Roundup. Pesticides and glyphosate are now commonly linked to various psychiatric and mental disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, aggressive behavior, dementia, depression, Parkinson’s disease, and suicidal tendencies. Glyphosate can also cause cancer, cellular damage, and inflammation. The chemical tends to accumulate in the body because it is very difficult to eliminate. It is commonly used to treat grain crops; thus, it enters our food supply and our bodies.
Toxic heavy metals are also ubiquitous. For example, lead in the body can surround the mitochondria and stop them from producing ATP, resulting in fatigue and other health concerns. Mercury causes all kinds of mental health issues once it is in the brain, and aluminum is also believed to kill brain cells.
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
When cell phones first came out, we heard a lot of concerned chatter about holding them up to your head causing cancer or brain damage. We don’t hear that much anymore, but the issue is still relevant. There are potential dangers and negative health effects from cell phones and other devices. Essentially, anything that produces electromagnetic fields or frequencies (EMFs) can put someone at risk.
Functional medicine practitioners see the human body as an energetic and electrical being. This includes our metabolism and nerve impulses. Man-made devices and electricity, including Bluetooth, cellphones, computers, electric wiring, microwaves, televisions, Wi-Fi systems, and more, collectively form “electrosmog.” These gadgets emit EMFs that compete with our bodies. They essentially short-circuit our nervous systems and brains — the biological equivalent of a bad connection or a dropped call.
This energy interference is toxic radiation from our devices, and it disrupts our energy, inhibiting cell division, altering our chemical balance, and damaging enzymes. It pokes holes in the blood-brain barrier leading to many negative health conditions like:
- Anxiety
- Cardiovascular disease
- Depression
- Immune deficiency
- Premature aging
- Reproductive problems
- Sleep issues
- Tumors
Lyme and Co-Infections
Lyme disease is a serious condition that leads to a variety of health problems in the brain and beyond. Lyme and its related infections are caused by certain bacteria, including Bartonella, babesia microti, and B. burgdorferi.
When these bacteria get inside the body, primarily through ticks, they can damage the various systems and tissues they contact. This becomes a cyclic pattern, during which the immune system is compromised, allowing the bacteria to cause additional harm. This leads to neurological problems and other health problems like:
- Anxiety
- Aggressive behavior
- Bipolar disorder
- Body pain
- Brain fog
- Depression
- Headaches/migraines
- Lack of motivation
- Memory loss
- Panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Shortness of breath
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are living toxins, commonly produced by fungi, especially molds. When ingested, these toxins can block the body’s absorption of vitamins and proteins, and impede mitochondrial function. That means less ATP production and less energy, resulting in fatigue. Mycotoxins may also contribute to autoimmune issues.
Overall, mycotoxins can affect the brain and the entire body, causing brain chemistry imbalances as well as gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal problems. They can lead to a wide range of negative health problems including:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Autism
- Cancer
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Colitis
- Depression
- Fibromyalgia
- HIV
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Multiple sclerosis
- PMS
- Schizophrenia
- Seizures
- Systemic lupus
- Yeast infections
Because most mycotoxins come from mold, mold exposure is a sign of potential health concerns. If you live or work somewhere where there are any of the following moisture issues, you could have a mold toxicity problem. This includes:
- Moisture transferred through cement floors and walls
- Plumbing leaks
- Roofing problems allowing water or condensation to get in
- Bathroom shower condensation and leaks
- Inadequate ventilation in the kitchen
Mold is not always visible. You may not know if you have been exposed. Mycotoxins can be in our food and air. Some estimates suggest that 25% of the world’s crops are contaminated with mycotoxins.
so not everyone knows when they have been exposed. Mycotoxins can be in our food and the air we breathe. It’s estimated that as much as 25% of the world’s crops are contaminated with mycotoxins. Mycotoxins can remain in our bodies for years after initial exposure. (12, 36, 37)
Mycotoxins can be found in:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Barley
- Corn
- Cottonseed
- Hard cheese
- Peanuts
- Rye
- Sorghum
- Sugar beets
- Sugar cane
- Wheat
Parasites
Many pathogens find their way into our bodies, and some have serious effects on the brain. Parasites such as C. difficile, the cytomegalovirus, H. pylori, streptococcus, and Toxoplasma gondii have been linked to issues from cognitive dysfunction to depression to psychiatric disorders. Although frequently thought to be non-harmful, T. gondii may cause slight brain alterations that could lead a person to attempt suicide — or at least have suicidal thoughts and desires.
Some pathogens may directly affect certain brain chemicals, such as dopamine and the neurotransmitter gamma-Aminobutyric acid. When parasites alter brain chemistry, mental illness results including the following:
- Autism
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Psychosis
- Seizures
- Tics/Tourette’s syndrome
Because the brain and gut are interconnected, leaky brain is tied to leaky gut and vice versa. Parasites and the resulting infections can cause other health problems throughout the body like food intolerances, reproductive and hormonal imbalances, excess inflammation, immune deficiencies, and damaged mitochondria.
Supporting the blood-brain barrier
Your brain faces threats every day, but you have an array of natural supports to help stop a leaky brain. Here are some helpful tips.
Nutrition
A diet high in pasture-raised meats, unprocessed plant foods, and moderate seafood and low in excessive animal products, refined carbohydrates, and sugar, can help lessen inflammation. In order to address leaky brain, limit saturated fats. In a study, rodents fed a diet of 40% saturated fats (from cocoa butter) experienced elevated BBB permeability.
Consume a good variety of fruits and vegetables with phytonutrient-rich plants and spices, including astragalus root, cruciferous vegetables, curcumin (from turmeric), and dark, leafy greens. Most plant-based diets also have significant amounts of beneficial fiber, which minimizes the absorption of dietary fat.
Stable blood sugar levels
Stable blood sugar is vital to a healthy, balanced brain. Insulin resistance and diabetes can result in significant brain inflammation. When blood sugar and insulin levels are too high or too low, it can damage your brain.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes can cause a breakdown in the BBB, decreasing the removal of waste and increasing inflammatory immune cells. In fact, you will sometimes hear Alzheimer’s disease referred to as “type 3 diabetes.”
Limit alcohol consumption
Alcohol and its breakdown product, acetaldehyde, can both easily cross the BBB. The alcohol we drink is essentially ethanol. A glass of wine a day may allow doses of ethanol to migrate across the BBB, triggering good endorphins and promoting the release of relaxing neurotransmitters. However, higher amounts of alcohol can cause inflammation that damages brain cells.
Restful sleep
Getting plenty of rest is important for staying healthy. Recent research shows how crucial sleep is. A study showed that following six days of sleep deprivation, BBB permeability was restored to its baseline after only 24 hours of recovery sleep. Sleep loss may also impair the immune system, increasing levels of pro-inflammatory mediators.
In addition, the brain has a drainage system called the glymphatic system, which does its job primarily during sleep. We build up inflammation in our bodies and brain during our waking hours. But when we sleep, the glymphatic system drains our brains by getting rid of pro-inflammatory toxins, pathogens, and waste products. Amazingly, our brain cells shrink by about 60% when we’re sleeping to allow more room for the lymph to flow in and out of it, delivering nutrients and drawing waste back out.
One of the waste products the lymphatic flow removes is known as amyloid-beta. This substance is associated with neurodegeneration. Too much amyloid-beta in the brain can affect neuron communication and lead to neuron cell death, causing many different brain disorders. All of this means that sleep can help improve cognitive performance and fight brain disease, whereas a lack of sleep can impair our brain health because waste is able to accumulate.
When we sleep, the pineal gland produces melatonin. This leads to better sleep, and it acts as an antioxidant and brain protector by eliminating waste and toxins. When we do not get at least seven to nine hours of sleep every night, melatonin production may be affected, and our BBB could become more permeable.
Good gut health
The gut-brain axis means that our gut health is inseparable from our brain health. Our neurotransmitters, such as the mood-influencing dopamine and serotonin, are produced in the gut, so keeping the gut healthy leads to a healthier and happier brain.
One study showed that a transplant of gut microbiota from healthy mice with perfect BBB integrity to unhealthy mice with leaky brains restored the integrity of the damaged BBB. You can achieve similar results by eating more prebiotic fiber, consuming fermented foods, and minding the balance and health of your gut microbiome.
Limit EMF exposure
It’s hard to live in our modern world without our cellphones, but you can be proactive to mitigate their risks. You can deactivate features like Bluetooth or GPS, turn gadgets off entirely, or use airplane mode. In the case of wired devices, unplugging them is the safest way to stop EMF emission.
This is especially true at night, because nighttime exposure is particularly damaging and affects brain drainage, melatonin production, and sleep. This means that you should not sleep with your phone under your pillow or on the bedside table. In fact, don’t bring it into your bedroom at night. Turn off all electricity and devices at night, including WiFi, by flipping a kill switch or fuse.
If you must have your technology with you, it’s best to put distance from the source of the EMF as much as possible by using a speaker feature and avoid putting your cell phone against your head. Whenever possible, text rather than call. Investing in a low-radiation WiFi router and EMF-detecting meters is also a good way to go.
Power of positive thinking
Your mental outlook and level of optimism can have a powerful effect on your health. Health professionals suggest that both our conscious and unconscious thought patterns may actually be able to regulate or alter the chemistry of our body and brain and affect our immune systems. This is because every thought results in a chemical reaction in the brain.
Continual negative thoughts put our brains into fight-or-flight mode and cause stress. The opposite, positive thoughts, could result in better health. Negative thoughts could lead to a breakdown in the blood-brain barrier. If this is an issue for you, seeking help from a therapist or specialist in mental outlook could play a role in your overall well-being.
Supplements
You may need to add supplements to your diet in order to reduce chronic inflammation of the brain. You can find some natural anti-inflammatory supplements on the market today. Many of these supplements have a dual purpose: they can reduce harmful inflammation while offering significant brain and body health-boosting properties.
The blood-brain barrier plays a critical role in keeping out harmful substances, pathogens, and toxins from the brain. But it can become leaky due to the continual exposure to these substances. Detox and follow the tips above to help strengthen your brain’s natural protective barrier and prevent a leaky brain.