What is Leaky Brain Syndrome?
Your brain houses your memories, your communication and language skills, and your ability to move your body. It also controls automatic functions such as breathing, body temperature, and heartbeat. Your brain is one of the most vital parts of the body, performing important functions, and it needs serious protection.
Despite the brain’s incredible superpowers, there are instances when the brain, as well as the Blood Brain Barrier—or BBB—is compromised. Leaky brain happens when the protective BBB is breached and naturally occurring substances cross through the walls of the vessels to the brain.
What are the Symptoms of Leaky Brain Syndrome?
The following are common signs of Leaky Brain Syndrome:
Headaches
A headache is one of the common signs of a leaky brain. The headaches are unexpected and severe. Studies also revealed that pain associated with these headaches is more intense especially when a person is standing.
Cognitive Decline
This includes memory loss and can happen for various reasons, such as from blood brain barrier dysfunction. Studies have revealed that this dysfunction can contribute to the cognitive decline that is often observed in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Chronic Fatigue
Leaky brain syndrome can lead to tiredness that does not go away even with rest or sleep. It has been discovered that the change in BBB’s permeability may resemble the continuing symptoms and signs of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Depression
The breakdown in BBB is often observed in patients with serious psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and depression.
Causes of Leaky Brain Syndrome
If you are suffering from leaky gut, you are more prone to leaky brain syndrome. Things such as gluten and other known food allergies that damage the villi of the small intestine may eventually damage the blood brain barrier, too. Drug and alcohol abuse also poses risks to BBB permeability.
Infections, environmental toxins, and stress also take their toll on the blood brain barrier. There is a substance in the body known as Zonulin that determines the brain and the gut's permeability. Studies revealed that consuming gluten tend to increase Zonulin levels within the body, resulting in elevated permeability on both barriers. This is also common for individuals with gluten s
ensitivities to develop both leaky brain and leaky gut.
In order to effectively treat leaky brain, it is important that any issues concerning the gut are addressed due to the connection between the brain and the gut. Gluten must be eliminated from your diet since this increases the permeability of tight junctions, resulting in a broken down BBB. Food sensitivities are often linked to the inflammation.
Many individuals suffer from leaky brain syndrome. If you are at risk for developing this, you need to protect your brain. You should embrace a healthy lifestyle and engage in activities that promote ideal mental health. If you have been diagnosed with leaky brain syndrome, however, there are many effective treatments today that you can consider.