I have found that many migraine and seizure sufferers don’t fully understand that brain damage can occur even when they aren’t experiencing headaches or seizures. There are many proven ways to protect your brain against these dangerous conditions. It is not uncommon for mainstream medicine to prescribe medications that only control the headache or seizure, but that do nothing to protect the brain.
Brain Care
This is a serious flaw in our current treatment of migraines and seizures. It is crucial for patients to realize that they are responsible for their own health. It is not the responsibility of the physician. While they can coach and guide you, the responsibility for improving your brain’s health is entirely yours. To function properly, brain cells need a lot of energy (in ATP form).
This valuable ATP is made in the mitochondria of a cell. Without waste byproducts, you can’t produce the energy necessary to maintain a healthy brain cell. Imagine lighting a fire to heat water or cook food. Smoke will be produced by the fire as a result. We all know that smoke inhalation is more dangerous than the fire itself in a housefire. This smoke can be very dangerous. You may have heard of the free radicals. These are tiny molecules that can cause damage to anything they touch.
Buzzing Bee
The “buzzing bee” firework reminds me of a free-radical for those of you who used to play with fireworks when I was a child. These little fireworks spun very quickly when lit and spewed small flames from the sides. The result is a small circle that spins and buzzes all over the ground. Imagine this tiny buzzing bee molecule moving around inside your cell, damaging everything it touches.
Your DNA, proteins in your cell, and even the mitochondria, which makes ATP, all can be damaged by free radicals. Free radicals can damage all of them. This is compounded by the fact that mitochondria are not very good at protecting themselves against free radical damage. The mitochondria, the only part of the cell we want to protect and keep safe, isn’t doing a good job protecting itself.
ATP
Too much damage can cause the mitochondria to die, leaving the neuron with fewer ATP factories to function as it should. We can stop a sick neuron communicating with its healthy neighbor by filling people with drugs and stopping communication. This is generally considered successful. We have not stopped the communication. This neuron will continue to degenerate in many cases. It is very likely that other neurons will also be affected by the same neuronal condition. It is not enough to treat the seizure or headache with medication. If you want to improve the functioning of your brain and preserve your cognitive abilities for the future, it is essential. What can we do to ensure that our brain cells have healthy mitochondria?
Suggestions
Here are some suggestions.
- Manage stress – Is what you’re stressing about as important to your brain as it is to manage stress? Avoid exposure to environmental chemicals. The FDA has registered more than 82,000 chemicals that we are regularly exposed to. This includes having your house sprayed with pesticides or fungicides to kill weeds and all the herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides used on conventionally grown produce. There are thousands of chemicals in our environment, many of which we have never been exposed to and our bodies are not sure how to eliminate.
- There are flame retardants in clothing, mattresses, pillows and dog beds, as well as furniture. Since July 2007, mattresses must have a higher level of flame resistance. The amount of chemicals needed to make them flame resistant is much higher. These chemicals can be found in our bloodstreams and can cause damage to our mitochondria. Nonstick cooking surfaces are another example. These chemicals also show up in our bloodstream.
- Avoid all artificial sweeteners. Avoid heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and cadmium. You can do this by taking off your shoes at the door and avoiding mercury-rich fish like albacore tuna, ahi, and swordfish. Also, avoid cigarette smoke and other areas that are prone to smoking.
Supplements
Supplements such as L-carnitine and Coenzyme Q10, whey proteins, and resveratrol have been shown in studies to improve the health of our mitochondria. The most powerful way to increase the number and function our mitochondria is by reducing calories without restricting nutrient intake. This means that broccoli is the best source of your 1200 calories per day, and not a Big Mac or supersized fries. This approach requires that our cells use every nutrient and glucose to function. Our cells are more efficient and have more mitochondria, which makes them more efficient. Too many calories can lead to a decrease in mitochondrial function and a lazy cell.
