Best brain fog natural herbs solutions and more healthy lifestyle tips and tricks: Certain medications may cause brain fog as a side effect. For example, topiramate (Topamax), which is sometimes used to treat migraine (though it’s more commonly used to prevent seizures), can leave you feeling mentally murky. I warn patients that it can cause cloudy thinking, confusion, and word-finding difficulty. In addition, multiple medications — also called polypharmacy — can be another factor in brain fog, she says. People experience side effects in different ways, but if you’ve noticed brain fog after starting a new drug, ask your doctor or pharmacist if cognitive issues are a possible side effect. (Don’t stop taking prescribed meditation without first consulting your physician.) Chronic use of alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium), taken for anxiety, can cause brain fog when used for a long time. Even if you used to be fine with it, the older you get the harder it is to metabolize. Find additional info at How to clear brain fog?.
Scientists hypothesize that these lingering viral reservoirs in the brain might cause persistent inflammation in the brain among long COVID patients as their immune systems continue to fight off the virus. Studies have found similar patterns of inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome, post orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and chemo fog. Brain fog and the leaky blood-brain barrier – More insight into brain fog came in a study published in Nature in February 2024. In the study, Colin Doherty, a neurologist at Trinity College Dublin Medical School, and his team scanned the brains of long COVID patients. In addition to systemic inflammation, they found that patients with brain fog had leaky blood-brain barriers, the highly selective membrane that protects the brain from toxins, viruses, and other harmful molecules.
The Definition of Insulin Resistance – Insulin is an important hormone produced by the pancreas, which is secreted during certain points of the day, as well as immediately after eating. The main task of this hormone is to deliver glucose from the blood to the cells to maintain blood sugar at acceptable levels. However, certain people suffer from conditions where blood glucose isn’t recognized by the cells, which makes blood sugar levels rise and causes the cells to not receive all the nutrients they need to function properly. Basically, insulin resistance means that the body isn’t able to respond to insulin the way it should, which means blood glucose levels are not regulated properly. Cells become less sensitive to the natural insulin, thus a person experiences blood sugar spikes. This condition may develop due to various factors, starting with genetic predisposition and ending with an unhealthy lifestyle.
Sage is an herb for memory that has a number of brain benefits. A spice known for its pungent scent, sage might also improve cognition and aid in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, a research review published in 2017, suggests sage contains compounds that may be beneficial for cognitive and neurological function. Turmeric is a spice long used in Ayurveda, a holistic, whole-body approach to medicine that originated in India thousands of years ago. This herb contains a compound called curcumin, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects (two factors that may benefit brain health and overall health).
In alternative medicine systems such as Ayurveda and TCM, Gotu kola has long been used to improve mental clarity. Findings from animal-based research suggest that this herb may also help the brain by fighting oxidative stress. A 2021 review published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology suggested that gotu kola may inhibit Alzheimer’s-associated oxidative stress and improve cognitive function. An herb often taken in tea form and frequently used to ease anxiety and insomnia, lemon balm may help improve cognitive function. Some research suggests that this may be a great herb for memory loss.
As we said, there are no diagnostic criteria for brain fog because it’s not an official clinical condition, so diagnosing it is hard. Because of individual differences in how brain fog manifests, it could be six cups of coffee for you to wake up, while for someone else, it could be snacking every few hours to prevent brain fuzziness. And although there may not be a clinical diagnosis, there are several factors that can contribute to a lack of mental clarity. What Causes Brain Fog? Without proper diagnostic criteria, pinpointing the exact cause of brain fog can be challenging. But when you dig into what’s going on behind the scenes, you find there are a few culprits that can leave your head in the clouds more often than you’d like. Find additional info at Natural Herbs for Brain Fog: Clear Mental Fog Today.