You may remember a recent post debunking the idea that certain health problems “just come with age.”  And while it touched on mental issues like dementia and Alzheimer’s, there’s a much more subtle aspect of mental decline that we’d be remiss not to address because it really affects so many of us.

In my field, it’s called brain fog, and it refers to a marked but not-yet-debilitating cognitive decline.

It’s struggling to find a word. It’s walking into a room and forgetting what you went in there to do. It’s spacing someone’s name that you’ve known for years. It’s having a hard time reading and comprehending a book. It’s walking out to your car but leaving your keys in the house.

Of course, these sorts of things happen to everyone, but the question becomes, How often? And is it consistent?

So we’re going to talk about what causes brain fog, and if you’re familiar with how I do things, you’ll know that when we find the cause, we also find the cure. This isn’t your MD’s office where we are going to prescribe you botox for your migraines, or antibiotics for your stubbed toe. When we identify why something is happening, the only “prescription” is to fix that problem. Clearing of symptoms will follow.

The brain fog/thyroid connection

The number one cause of brain fog is an under-active thyroid, also known as hypothyroidism. Not only does the brain require thyroid hormones T3 and T4 to function properly (which are in short supply in hypothyroid patients), 90% of hypothyroid patients have Hashimoto’s disease, which causes inflammation in the brain and leads to brain fog.

Also, thyroid hormones help regulate a type of immune cell in the brain called microglia. Without proper levels of thyroid hormones, microglia respond too aggressively to perceived threats, build up in the brain and result in inflammation.

Of all the causes of brain fog, this is the most complex to fix. But it involved fixing the source of your thyroid issues, which is likely inflammation caused by a leaky gut, which is caused by a poor diet and the use of medication. I have protocols for this, but you need to be properly tested. Obviously, that’s something I can help you with if you request a consultation.

Sleep

Another common cause of brain fog is lack of sleep. Most of us just don’t get enough sleep. We need seven to eight hours a night. Our brains, just like our bodies, need time to recuperate and regenerate. Nothing can operate at peak performance when it’s switched on at all times, or for too long.

When you sleep, your brain takes care of some much-needed maintenance. For example, it logs and categorizes the experiences and things you learned the previous day. Without sleep, these things pile up, get mixed together, don’t find their way to the right “file cabinet,” and it can be confusing. This is a big factor in brain fog.

Some tips for getting more and better sleep: switch off all of your electronics at least 30 minutes before you plan on sleeping. Blue light from our phones, computer screens, and TVs disrupt our brain patterns and make it difficult to sleep. Also, cool your bedroom down to around 70 degrees. We sleep better at slightly lower temperatures than our natural body temperature. Meditation before bed is helpful. Chamomile tea is helpful. But the best thing is to train your body by consistently having a “bedtime routine.”

Stress

Talk to almost anyone, they’ll tell you that they’re stressed out. 77% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms of stress.

• 33% feel like they’re living in “extreme” stress.
• 48% feel that their stress level has increased over the last five years.
• Another 48% actually lie awake at night just worrying.

Stress is a killer. It leads to weight gain, lowers your immunity and is even a factor in people developing cancer. It also causes brain fog. Stress adds another layer of what your brain has to deal with. Not only is it controlling your body, perceiving experiences, managing how you conduct yourself, learning new things, regulating the body’s many systems, making decisions, storing memories and thousands of other things, you’re adding worry and stress into the mix. It can cause fatigue, confusion, and dysfunction.

Fixing stress can be difficult in the modern world. Some ideas:

Limit your use of social media – studies confirm it makes us less happy and raises our stress levels. Like I mentioned earlier, get more sleep. Practice regular meditation. Spend more time outdoors. Don’t neglect your hobbies. Get more exercise.

Neurological interference

We often forget that our brain is a part of a system that covers every tiny bit of your body—the nervous system. It’s at the top, but it’s completely useless without the spinal cord and nerves that spread throughout our bodies.

One of the brain’s main jobs is to communicate with the rest of the body—regulate hormones, delegate energy and attention to parts of the body, regulate heart rate, etc. If the brain can’t communicate, doesn’t receive the necessary signals, it can’t function.

This is often called by the subluxation of the spinal column. Vertebrae can become misaligned as a result of an injury, posture or simply just getting older.

This can be an easy fix if you regularly see a structural chiropractor.

Improper nutrition

Imagine your brain is like a car. It doesn’t run as well if you put in low-quality gas or oil. And it doesn’t run at all without these things. Why? Your car needs energy from outside to function. Your brain is no different.

According to Federal Government statistics (and common sense), Americans get more than they need from things like saturated fats, added sugars, and grains. But they get less than they need vegetables, fruits, dairy, and healthy oils.

Brain health requires quite a cocktail of nutrients: Protein, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Iron, and amino acids to name a few. Oftentimes we neglect certain types of foods, or get in the habit of poor eating, or eat low-quality, even toxic food. We’re not giving our brains the fuel it needs to function.

You should be eating a macronutrient ratio of roughly: 60% healthy fats (avocados, coconut products, fatty fish, nuts, olives, etc.), 30% protein and the rest leafy green vegetables. Avoid toxins (and further brain fog) by ensuring your meat is grass-fed, wild-caught, and free-range, and your veggies are organic.

Too much sugar

This is from a study that just came out within the last couple of weeks. Researchers at University College London studied the sugar consumption and brain function of 8,000 people. They found all sorts of interesting correlations. For example, they found an increased likelihood for men with a higher intake of sweet foods and drinks to develop CMD after five years, and a general “adverse effect” on mental health for both sexes.

Sugar is now being linked directly with Alzheimer’s. In fact, some people are calling Alzheimer’s Type III diabetes now because of its relationship to insulin resistance and blood sugar. The solution is to avoid free sugars (like adding sugar to your coffee), processed foods (which are loaded with hidden sugars like high fructose corn syrup), and reduce your carbohydrate intake dramatically (because it is essentially sugar). Ideally, people wouldn’t eat grains. 500 years ago grains were fine, but they’ve been modified into something perverted and terrible for you.

Medication

We take medicine in hopes of getting well. But the thing about medications is that they don’t JUST do what they are intended for. They all come with side effects. Even over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen and allergy medication can cause brain fog as a side effect. Prescriptions such as antidepressants and blood pressure medication have also been known to cause brain fog.

Over-the-counter drug use in America is basically ubiquitous. Nearly every American adult has taken over-the-counter pain meds at some point in 2014. It’s estimated that half of them regularly exceed the dosage recommendations, and are unaware of the side effects.

Medications also cause leaky gut, opening up microscopic holes in the lining of your small intestine, which allows for undigested particles of what you consume (medications, food, pesticides, sugar) to enter the bloodstream directly. This leads to an immune response, then inflammation. And if you remember back to the beginning of the article in the thyroid section, it’s inflammation that causes hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism that leads to brain fog.

So now that we’ve come full-circle, you’re probably starting to see a pattern. Simple changes to your lifestyle can prevent brain fog and the onset of more serious mental and cognitive disorders. And for those of you already suffering from it, take comfort in the fact that it’s not too late. You are more than capable of turning this around with some lifestyle changes—even in the course of only a few weeks.