Five Ways to Reverse a Leaky Brain

You may have heard about leaky gut, perhaps having an understanding that the gut barrier has been compromised, which can lead to other health issues. 

Did you know that you have a similar barrier between your brain and your bloodstream, that also plays a critical role in homeostasis?

Your blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a thin layer of cells doing a very important job, so it’s worthwhile to learn how to support it!

Luckily the many things you are already doing to take good care of yourself do support this blood-brain barrier, but there could be some missing links to your brain support system that could cost you some serious health symptoms.

So let’s explore this fascinating membrane and how you can keep your BBB junctions tight! (1)

What Is Leaky Brain?

The blood-brain barrier is formed by endothelial cells of a capillary wall. This barrier is designed to both allow the passive diffusion of some molecules into the brain, while selectively allowing beneficial nutrients as needed, and completely blocking others that could damage the brain. (2)

These endothelial cells are connected via transmembrane proteins that hold one cell to the next. Remember this as we keep learning!

This important blood-brain barrier can become ‘leaky’ when the conditions of the body do not support these tight junctions. Another name for this is increased blood-brain barrier permeability. 

What happens when your blood-brain barrier is no longer a tight barrier? It does not perform the tasks of protecting your brain from potentially harmful agents, such as:

• Heavy metals

• Mycotoxins (mold toxins)

• Immune cells and antibodies

• Pathogens

• Pesticides & chemical toxins

It also allows for your brain to become inflamed, which is really dangerous to your correct functioning. This can deter needed nutrients from entering the brain as well.

Ever had a hangover? That’s brain inflammation too. If you have a chronically inflamed brain, your body just won’t work right. You’ll likely be fatigued, slow to think and respond, and more.

What Are the Symptoms and Comorbidities of Leaky Brain? 

A leaky brain usually causes chronic symptoms, and those chronic symptoms may not be attributed to a leaky brain at all, such as:

• Anxiety, depression and other mood disorders (3)

• Chronic fatigue

• Chronic weak/slow digestion

• Frequent pain and headaches

• Poor recall

• Fatigued from mental work

• Craves carbs/needs to eat often

• Needs more sleep

• Increased sensitivity to foods and scents

Many conditions are related to leaky brain, whether leaky brain contributes them or they contribute to leaky brain:

• MS

• Autism 

• SIBO

• Autoimmunity of the brain

• Celiac disease/gluten sensitivity (4)

• Dementia

• Alzheimer’s (5)

• Parkinson’s

• Brain cancer

• Brain trauma

There are tests that exist for leaky brain and autoimmunity of the brain. These are offered, especially, by Apex Labs and Vibrant Labs.

In our practice, we base our assessment of leaky brain on symptoms, and test for root causes. For example, if mold, leaky gut and chemicals are causes, we identify those. You can explore these tests here. 

Working on these root causes, as well as providing some direct support for brain inflammation, usually yields good results. 

What Are the Causes of Leaky Brain?

Here’s a list of possible causes, and then I’ll dive deeper into some ‘major buckets’ of brain inflammation.

• Oral infections

• Head trauma or major injury to the body (6)

• Emotional trauma

• Gluten/ leaky gut/ food sensitivities/ gut infections

• Diabetes/ hyperglycemia/ obesity

• Lack of circulation

• Oxidative stress

• LPS and cytokine stress (7)

• Emotional stress

• Chemical stress/ toxins/ mold

• Antibiotic use

• Zika virus (8)

• Coronaviruses (9, 10)

• Lyme disease (11)

Major Cause 1: Leaky Gut

Leaky gut is one common cause of leaky brain. A leaky gut, like a leaky brain, is inflamed. It creates an increase of inflammatory compounds that are now in circulation. It’s also allowed some large molecules into the bloodstream, and the liver may not be able to fully filter them out.

The gut is such an important site of nutrient absorption and neurotransmitter production, as well as a potential hotbed of infections and inflammation. That means it’s important to mind your gut barrier as well! 

Luckily the changes you make in your gut have a very synergistic effect in your brain.

Major Cause 2: Toxic Mold

Toxic mold is another cause of leaky brain. Mycotoxins can cross the blood-brain barrier within minutes! (12) 

This explains that sudden rage, rapid heartbeat or confusion that can happen with a sudden re-exposure to mold after being in a mold-free environment for some time. 

Major Cause 3: Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation anywhere in the body can contribute to leaky brain. Inflammatory compounds can break down the blood-brain barrier. These include: chronically elevated reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species, several chemokines (small proteins that influence the immune system) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (signaling proteins). (13)

Can You Repair a Leaky Brain?

Yes, you can repair a leaky brain in most cases, and hopefully you are already doing some things on the list below. If there are other areas on this list in which you’ve gotten a little careless, or you’ve never tried at all, it may be time!

1. Care for Your Gut

When your gut has become inflamed and leaky, you may have moved into a very restrictive diet to control symptoms. Sometimes this is needed in the short term, but it’s not a long-term solution. 

You need to feed your good gut bugs a variety of foods. This can be having a bite of fermented food, making a veggie soup, or putting new greens or seeds in your smoothie. You can also try our MegaPre capsules, working up to 6 capsules at dinner.

Fiber produces short-chain fatty acids in the gut, and these SCFAs can also strengthen the blood-brain barrier. (14)

If you are an ‘easy bloater,’ you may still want to avoid certain foods like onion, beans, and grapes. You can experiment with avoiding FODMAP foods for a month and then adding them back in one by one.

You may want to add a quality probiotic. (15) I’m very partial to our MegaSporeBiotic, working up to 2 capsules with dinner. You also may love our MegaMucosa, which builds your immune barrier and vulnerability to leaky gut and is nice for food sensitivities and constipation. Or look at our Mega IgG 2000, which mops up infections and is great for loose stools. 

Eating gluten is a major risk factor for leaky gut. (16, 17) Other trigger foods for me are dairy, corn, sugar and alcohol. Moldy foods or any inflammatory foods can irritate the gut.

Lastly, consider gut testing with us! If you’d never had it, it’s quite enlightening! Gut infections can also create zonulin which leads to a leaky gut. (18)

2. Detox Your Environment

If you are eating, breathing, drinking and absorbing toxins, it’s not good for your brain. In truth we are all exposed and we can’t get exposure down to zero, but we can certainly reduce exposures. 

• If you suspect mold, download this guide. 

• Eat organic food whenever you can. 

• Get a water filter. 

• Avoid plastics in food storage and cooking.

• Change the filter in your HVAC system every 3 months and use a high-grade filter. 

• Clean your floors and surfaces often with a wet mop or cloth. 

• Avoid artificial fragrances in all home and beauty products. 

• Use natural cleaning and beauty brands.

Note that very young children are more susceptible to brain inflammation, so these practices are very important for your little ones. (19)

3. Love Your Liver

Another way to control toxic exposure is to support your detox processes. Your liver needs lots of nutrients to work its best. Partly you can support it through a liver-friendly diet. 

But if you’ve been overburdened by toxins, or still are, supplements can help. A few favorites:

• Glutathione: this master antioxidant is depleted by toxins when you need it the most (200 mg/ day)

• Broccoli Seed & Sprout: detoxifies several pollutants (1-3/ day)

• GI Detox binder: helps clear mold, metals, chemicals and biotoxins from infection (2 at bedtime)

• Bowel Mover: 2-4 capsules twice a day help ensure you are pooping out toxins

4. Reduce Overall Inflammation

Inflammatory markers rising in the body can break those tight junctions in the blood-brain barrier. 

Inflammation in the body can be from all sorts of things. We already covered the gut, your diet and other toxins. But also consider:

• Emotional stress

• Lack of sleep

• Chronic pain and injuries

• Other infections like viruses and oral infections

• Insulin resistance 

I love lifestyle management of inflammation, like stretching, exercising, getting massages, acupuncture or chiropractic adjustments.

I also love coaching, therapy, journaling, alone time, nature time and friends time.

I utilize techniques like coffee enemas and sauna to support my body.

Some of the most helpful anti-inflammatory supplements I have found are:

• Fish oil: 1-3 gm/ day

• Magnesium: 300- 400 mg/ day

• Pure PC: Great for pain and brain fog- doses a day as need, 1-2 servings a day

5. Manage Blood Sugar

Blood sugar issues are pretty common with a Standard American Diet and I even find pre-diabetes in my ‘healthy’ clients who are getting older. 

Overindulging in comfort foods is something we are all susceptible to doing, whether it’s bread, sweets or alcohol. 

Here are some tips to help you:

• Limit alcohol to 1-3 x week, or none if it’s really not working for you.

• Eat fat, fiber and protein at every meal. (20)

• Limited processed carbs to 0-1 serving a day. Example: gluten-free pasta

• Eat within a 12-hour window only. It’s not that hard, for example 8 AM to 8 PM. 

• Then twice a week eat only in a 8-hour window if tolerated. Example: noon- 8 PM.

• If you are trying to lose weight, consider a modified fast for 3 days once a month for 3 months, or longer as needed. (21, 22, 23)

Is your brain inflamed? Learn five simple lifestyle and diet hacks you can use to de-flame your brain & feel like yourself again!

---

Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of women over her career since 2004. She is the founder of Women’s Wellness Collaborative llc and HormoneDetoxShop.com.

Check out her easy 5-Day DIY Detox Guide here!

---