On Sunday, January 26, my brain got hijacked. The shocking news that Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash slammed into my brain’s emotional centers, the limbic system, with a thud. As a lifelong Lakers fan and former season ticket holder, I had the privilege of seeing Kobe grow up on the basketball court and witnessed some of his most glorious achievements. I only met Kobe a few times, but my brain doesn’t care about that. Like millions of other Lakers fans, I felt like I knew him.
That’s what’s so strange about how our brains process the way we feel about icons. When we see the famous people we admire on television, at a sporting event, or at a concert, our brains can register it as a real friendship. That’s why, when tragedy strikes, we can experience profound grief, as if a loved one died.
Sadly, the news of the crash, which occurred on the way to Kobe’s Mamba Academy basketball facility, just kept getting worse. Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna “Gigi,” a basketball phenom in the making, also perished in the accident. So did 7 other people—baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa who was one of Gigi’s teammates; Sarah Chester and her basketball-player daughter Payton; Christina Mauser, a Mamba Academy basketball coach; and the pilot Ara Zobayan.
They all leave behind family members whose lives—and brains—will never be the same.
The unspeakable loss of a loved one fires up the limbic system, especially the amygdala, the almond-shaped structure on the inside of your temporal lobes involved in emotional reactions. When the amygdala remains overactive, it can impair our ability to get past the pain. The grief we feel can become part of the story of our lives, the way we view ourselves and our place in this world. For some people, these stories can rob us of joy, hold us back, and lead to depression.
My friend Dr. Sharon May, a world-renowned relationship psychologist, calls the stories that interfere with our lives “dragons from the past” that are still breathing fire on your amygdala, which can drive anxiety, anger, irrational behavior, and automatic negative reactions.
She says, “All of us have dragons from the past influencing our present feelings and actions.” Unless you recognize and tame them, and consciously calm and protect your amygdala from overfiring, they will haunt your unconscious mind and drive emotional pain for the rest of your life. What blows from an ember, or small action of another, can turn into a destructive fire of anxiety and rage.
That’s how I’m feeling right now—like a dragon is breathing fire on my amygdala and igniting all my inner anxieties, fears, and negative thoughts. I know it is going to take time to calm my brain so I can process the grief and heal.
Here are 5 ways to calm the amygdala and support the grieving process:
Most people are able to overcome feelings of grief in time, but if you find yourself slipping into depression, Amen Clinics is here for you. If you need help, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, people gather around the TV to root for their home team and to place all sorts of bets—who will win, if they’ll beat the point spread, the total number of passing yards, and so on—all based on the predictions of sports bookies. But there’s one prediction that our brain imaging work says is a sure thing—you can bet that nearly every player on the field will have experienced some form of damage to the brain from playing football.
All those crushing helmet-to-helmet hits over a player’s career can cause mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that often go undetected. As the number of hits to the head add up, it is associated with an increased risk of anxiety, depression, anger, attention problems, weight gain, brain fog, substance abuse, memory loss, and suicide. Football players literally have their brains, their mental health, and their lives on the line every time they take the field.
At Amen Clinics, we’ve been studying the brains of football players for decades. Our brain imaging work reveals that Pop Warner and high school players, aged 8 to 18, already show clear evidence of TBIs. The brain scans of college players show even greater damage. And the scans of NFL players are even worse. In the past few decades, Amen Clinics has performed several studies on active and retired professional football players, and the results are startling.
For a 2011 study on 100 active and former NFL players from 27 different teams, we took detailed histories, had the players perform cognitive tests and did both brain SPECT scans and QEEG studies on each of them. The results were very clear—playing football damaged multiple areas of the brain in greater than 90% of the players. There was persistent damage to the following areas of the brain:
To date, we have conducted 4 studies on gridiron greats. Our 2012 study in Translational Psychiatry found that as retired NFL players’ weight goes up—which it often does after they stop playing—the size and function of their brain goes down. Even a study sponsored by the National Football League itself found that retired players ages 30-49 were given a dementia-related diagnosis at 20 times the rate of age-matched populations, while players over the age of 50 received a dementia-related diagnosis 5 times the national average.
At this point, there is little doubt that playing football at any level can cause long-term cognitive and emotional trouble.
That’s why every single person who plays tackle football—and anyone who is at risk from brain trauma, including firefighters, police officers, and military personnel—needs to be involved in a brain “pre-hab” program on a daily basis. You can’t wait to have a concussion or major head injury to start thinking about the health of your brain. You need to be pro-active about it.
What’s exciting is that our brain imaging work with football players shows that damaged brains can be healed. In a 2011 study we put 30 retired NFL players with damaged brains and cognitive impairment on a brain healthy program for an average of 6 months. At the end of the trial 80% showed significant improvement in blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, as well as the parietal lobes, occipital lobes, anterior cingulate gyrus, and cerebellum. And cognitive testing showed statistically significant increases in scores of attention, memory, reasoning, information processing speed, and accuracy.
On Super Bowl Sunday, think about your own brain health too. By putting your brain in a healing environment, you can boost your brain reserve, which is the extra cushion of brain function you have to help you deal with whatever stresses or injuries come your way.
Here are 10 simple pre-hab strategies you can bet on to protect your brain from injury.
At Amen Clinics, we have helped thousands of children and adults with concussions or TBIs to heal their brain and minimize their symptoms. We use a combination of the least toxic, most effective therapies, which may include neurofeedback, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), nutraceuticals, and medications, as well as simple lifestyle changes that can make a big difference.
If you are in a profession that’s at high risk for trauma—such as football players, firefighters, police officers, and others—speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Many addiction treatment centers offer solid programs for overcoming addictions that ruin your life. So why do an estimated 40%-60% of people relapse? What’s missing?
The answer lies in your brain.
The brain is the supercomputer that runs your life. It plays a central role in your vulnerability to addiction and your ability to recover and maintain sobriety. Brain dysfunction is the #1 reason why people fall victim to addiction, why they can’t break the chains of addiction, and why they relapse. Understanding the brain’s role in addiction and recovery is the key to breaking free from your addictions.
Your susceptibility to addiction depends in large part on the biological makeup of your brain and your brain’s reward system. What is the brain’s reward system? It is an intricate network of brain systems and neurotransmitters that are critical to human survival. It drives us to seek out the things we need to stay alive and carry on the human race, such as sex and food.
Many things that are not necessarily crucial to our survival also activate the reward system in a healthy way, such as:
Then there are substances and behaviors that cause the reward system to become overactive in an unhealthy way, such as:
Let’s take a closer look at the neurotransmitters and brain systems involved in the reward system so you can see how it works and how it gets out of whack. First, let’s examine the role played by four neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters act as the brain’s messengers, relaying information within the brain. The strength or weakness of each of these neurotransmitters plays an important role in your ability to stop engaging in bad behaviors, such as compulsive gambling or shopping, or in driving you to addiction.
Dopamine—motivation, saliency, drive, stimulant
Serotonin—happy, anti-worry, calming
GABA—inhibitory, calms, relaxes
Endorphins—pleasure and pain-killing properties
Dopamine is a feel-good chemical. Whenever we do something enjoyable, it’s like pressing a button in the brain to release a little bit of dopamine to make us feel pleasure. Cocaine, methamphetamines, alcohol, and nicotine all cause dopamine surges that make these substances highly desirable—sometimes even more desirable than the things we need to survive like food, water, and sex. The amount of dopamine released when drugs are taken can be 2-10 times more than what your brain produces for natural rewards. When dopamine is in low supply, it is linked to depression, ADD/ADHD, addiction, and other mental health issues.
Serotonin is thought of as the happy, anti-worry, flexibility chemical. Many of the current antidepressants work on this neurotransmitter. When serotonin levels are low, people tend to be worried, rigid, inflexible, oppositional and argumentative, and they are more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, obsessive thinking, or compulsive behaviors.
GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms or helps to relax the brain. If you have suffered an emotional trauma or you are under a lot of stress, GABA may be depleted and your emotional or limbic brain may become excessively active, which is associated with depression and stress. This can lead you to use substances in an attempt to self-medicate and calm your limbic brain.
Endorphins are the brain’s own natural pleasure and pain-killing chemicals. They are the body’s own natural morphine or heroin-like compounds. Substances like opioids trigger the release of endorphins, which are heavily involved in addiction and the loss of control.
The brain systems that drive you to seek out things that bring you pleasure and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which puts on the brakes when you are about to engage in risky behavior, work in concert to create your self-control circuit.
In a healthy self-control circuit, an effective PFC provides impulse control and good judgment while the deep limbic system offers an adequate dose of motivation so you can plan and follow through on your goals. You can say no to alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription opioids, gambling, and many other bad behaviors.
In the addicted brain, the PFC is diminished and the drive circuits take control. When the PFC is underactive, it can create an imbalance in the reward system and cause you to lose control over your behavior. When this is the case you are more likely to fall victim to relapse despite your desire to stay in recovery. Having low activity often results in a tendency for impulse-control problems and poor internal supervision, and is associated with ADD/ADHD.
To overcome addiction, stick with a recovery program, and avoid relapse, it’s critical to address any underlying brain dysfunction as well as any co-occurring mental health conditions.
At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging as part of a comprehensive evaluation to help our patients see and understand any underlying brain dysfunction. This is often a powerful first step to breaking the chains of addiction. We use an integrated brain-body approach to healing the brain and treating co-occurring mental health problems. If you want to join the thousands of people who have already enhanced their brain health and overcome their addictions and psychiatric symptoms at Amen Clinics, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
(Names have been changed to protect privacy.)
When someone in your family is struggling with a mental health condition—whether it’s anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, bipolar disorder, addiction, memory loss, schizophrenia, behavioral problems, or PTSD—it impacts the whole family and can create dysfunction. Most people want to blame all the stress and drama on that one person and believe that if they could just “fix” that individual, everything would be resolved. In reality, it’s rarely that simple. In many cases, other family members are contributing to the problems due to undiagnosed issues.
Here’s how one mother learned this important lesson first-hand.
Jackie was constantly butting heads with her daughter, Maya, a 16-year-old junior in high school who had been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Like many teens with this condition, Maya’s room at home was so messy it looked like it had been hit by a tornado. She had trouble focusing and was struggling to keep up with her schoolwork while also studying to take the SAT. Maya was having such a hard time, she started thinking she would never get into college, so why should she even bother studying so hard for the SAT?
Jackie was constantly hounding her daughter to study more and work harder and telling her she was being lazy, which only added to Maya’s discouragement. Jackie was a natural at taking charge and getting things done and expected everybody else to be just as good at powering through their to-do list, so she thought Maya was just being lazy with her study schedule.
On top of that, Jackie hated it when things were out of place, so she would get angry at her daughter for having so much clutter in her room. These negative thoughts would get stuck in Jackie’s head, and she would bring up things Maya did wrong years ago. It all added more stress to Maya’s situation and ratcheted up the mother-daughter tension.
Jackie was convinced that Maya’s ADD/ADHD was the source of all their troubles and if they could just get that under control then everything would be better between them.
Jackie decided to take her daughter for a brain SPECT scan and a comprehensive evaluation so Maya could be “fixed.” After learning more about their relationship, however, the psychiatrist suggested that both Maya and Jackie get scanned. Jackie didn’t think she really needed to have her own brain scanned, after all, it was Maya’s brain that was the problem. But she agreed, assuming the doctor could use her own scan as a healthy example to compare to Maya’s.
After going through the process, Maya’s scan showed low activity in her prefrontal cortex (consistent with ADD/ADHD) combined with increased activity in her basal ganglia and amygdala (a tendency for anxiety and predicting the worst).
The patterns of abnormal brain activity in Maya’s scan related to ADD/ADHD didn’t come as a surprise to Jackie. But she hadn’t realized that her daughter’s negativity was rooted in brain activity that revealed a vulnerability for anxiety disorder. She had always thought it was just a bad personality trait.
Then it came time to review her own scan. What she saw was shocking.
Jackie’s scan showed excessive activity in the front part of her brain in an area called the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG), which is seen in people with obsessive compulsive disorder and in those who tend to be rigid and hold grudges. For the first time in her life, Jackie grasped that she had brain issues that were fueling the dysfunctional relationship she had with her daughter. “Fixing” her daughter wasn’t going to solve their problems. They both needed to enhance their brain health in order to have a peaceful relationship.
Seeing both of their brain scans also helped Jackie understand that her daughter’s brain simply worked differently from her own, so she stopped expecting Maya to tackle her studies the same way she had done when she was that age. It also helped her see how her parenting style had actually been making Maya’s issues worse. She realized that enhancing Maya’s brain was only part of the solution. She needed to optimize her own brain as well to be able to better support Maya.
With the help of their mental health professional, the two of them began personalized treatment plans using supplements and lifestyle interventions targeted to each individual brain. Maya’s treatment plan focused on boosting activity in the PFC and soothing the basal ganglia, while Jackie’s program aimed to calm her overactive ACG.
After a few weeks, Maya was able to get better organized and stay more focused while studying. And with her own brain calmed down, Jackie stopped getting so upset about things being out of place and quit harping on Maya about things that had happened years earlier. When it came time for the SAT, Maya did better than she had anticipated and eventually got into her top choice for college. And she and her mom now get along much better, so they are both less stressed in general.
At Amen Clinics, when we use brain SPECT imaging to scan entire families, we often discover that one or more family members have a diagnosable mental health condition that has gone undetected. Without this knowledge, the family unit would likely continue to struggle. Optimizing all of the family member’s brains can be the key to a more loving and supportive home life.
If you want to join the tens of thousands of family members who have already visited Amen Clinics and enhanced their brain health, overcome their symptoms, and healed their relationships, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
By Kabran Chapek, ND
It seems like everybody is talking about the ketogenic—or “keto”—diet these days. It’s been touted as the latest weight-loss secret with bonus side effects, such as a boost in energy and enhanced mental clarity. There’s actually another benefit to this diet that most people don’t know about. And if you, or a loved one, have ever suffered a concussion any type of traumatic brain injury (TBI), you’ll want to take note.
Just ask Chris. When he came to see me, he was at the end of his rope.
Two years after cracking his head on a sidewalk in a bike crash, he still struggled with daily headaches, crushing fatigue, and keeping his balance—all of which contributed to him losing his job as captain of a ferryboat that plied the San Juan Islands. His marriage was in divorce court because of the anger and rage he exhibited.
In the midst of this personal turmoil, Chris wasn’t getting any better. After telling me that he had little money for treatment, he asked, “What are the one or two supplements I can take to heal my brain?” It was obvious that Chris wanted to get the most bang for his buck.
I told him that one of the most powerful treatments he could do for a brain injury was not to take a supplement but to change his diet. I recommended a version of the keto diet, which is basically a low-carb, high-fat diet.
Within one week, Chris noticed that he felt better, and his sleep improved. Within a month, as he faithfully stayed with his new way of eating, he experienced more energy, felt his depression lift, and started to lose the weight that he had gained in the past two years.
The keto diet is thought to be effective because of the healing effect of ketone bodies on the brain. Ketones are three water-soluble molecules produced by the liver when fatty acids are broken down for energy. Early research on ketone bodies showed that they caused the body to go into a state of nutritional ketosis, whereby the body shifts over from burning carbohydrates as its predominant fuel source to fats.
Take note, the keto diet does NOT mean going into a state of ketoacidosis, which is a potentially life-threatening condition for type I diabetics.
In addition to the keto diet’s energy-stabilizing effect on the brain, it also has neuroprotective effects. For openers, patients experience decreased oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to detoxify their harmful effects through the body’s antioxidants system. In fact, research shows that the ketones themselves have antioxidant capacity.
In recent years, studies have shown that the keto diet has helped a number of low-brain and energy-state conditions such as TBI, as well as migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cancer, stroke, mitochondrial disorders, depression, and autism.
A single common pathway of dysfunction for a number of neurological conditions is that a very hungry organ—the brain—is starving, and according to research in Frontiers in Pharmacology, the keto diet is one solution for replenishing it.
This is an important point because early in a TBI, brain glucose levels rise and then drop below normal. A wealth of scientific evidence shows that giving glucose to TBI patients—or eating high-sugar foods if you’ve had a head injury—certainly worsens outcomes.
That said, we need more human research on the keto diet for acute and chronic brain injury.
In my book, Concussion Rescue, I offer a 5-step blueprint of the important ways people with a TBI need to modify the keto diet for maximum effectiveness. You’ll also find an easy meal plan to help you get started. And if you’re considering switching to a keto diet, be sure to check with your doctor first!
In Concussion Rescue, author Dr. Kabran Chapek shares many of the diet and supplement protocols he uses with TBI patients at Amen Clinics. Order your copy here.
If you or a loved one is struggling with symptoms that may be related to a concussion or TBI, making changes to your diet and nutritional supplements can be an important part of an effective treatment plan. If you want to join the thousands of people who have already healed from TBIs with the Amen Clinics Concussion Rescue Program, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Dementia—it’s one of the most dreaded diseases of our time. About 5.8 million people are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. And that number is expected to skyrocket to 14 million by 2050.
Determining if someone with memory problems or mild cognitive impairment is headed for a more devastating decline into dementia often involves in-depth cognitive testing. But there are a few other simple tests that can be quite telling. A pair of 2019 studies show that certain quick tests are useful in assessing a person’s risk of developing dementia or in ruling it out.
In a 2019 study that appeared in Alzheimer’s and Dementia, researchers assessed cognitive functioning and administered a smell test known as the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT). Losing the sense of smell is often one of the initial warning signs of impending Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms surface.
Previous research has found that people who have problems recognizing odors are more likely to have some of the changes in the brain seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease. This is because odor identification is processed in some of the same brain regions that are ravaged by the disease, including the hippocampus, which is involved in memory and learning.
The 2019 research team from Columbia University found that performing well on the cognitive test as well as the BSIT correlated to a very low risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, 96.5% of the study’s 749 elderly participants who performed well on both assessments did not develop dementia during the four years studied.
Another simple tool that is used to screen for Alzheimer’s and other dementias is called the clock-drawing test. A clinician gives a person a blank sheet of paper and asks them to draw a clock that shows a specific time.
If the person can draw the clock accurately and indicate the correct time, it typically rules out dementia. However, if the clock doesn’t look correct, it could be a sign of a serious problem. Researchers have identified the following 6 clock-drawing errors that are indicative of cognitive trouble, such as dementia, with 88% accuracy:
New research in a 2019 issue of Neuropsychology used brain SPECT imaging to investigate how clock-drawing ability correlates to cerebral blood flow patterns. The study found that individuals who didn’t perform well in clock-drawing had lower levels of blood flow in specific areas of the brain associated with dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease. Low blood flow is the #1 brain imaging predictor that a person will develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Functional brain imaging with SPECT is able to reveal abnormal patterns in the brain related to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias years or even decades before symptoms develop. Early detection allows you to make lifestyle changes that can delay the progression of cognitive problems and engage in treatment when it is most effective. The sophisticated imaging technology is also able to rule out dementia by detecting other issues—such as traumatic brain injuries, exposure to toxins, or brain infections—that may be the root cause of memory loss or other cognitive problems.
If you’re concerned about your memory or cognitive function and want to assess your risk in the comfort of your own home, try these 2 tests.
Can you recognize the following 12 odors that are commonly used in the BSIT? To test your sense of smell, you can order a BSIT kit online.
Get a blank sheet of paper and draw a clock that shows 10 minutes after 11. If your clock looks abnormal, or if there are any errors, it’s critical that you seek further evaluation.
At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging, as well as cognitive testing, lab work, and other assessments to evaluate memory loss and screen for cognitive dysfunction, Alzheimer’s, and other dementias.
If you want to join the thousands of people who have already visited Amen Clinics and enhanced their brain function with our personalized treatment plans and Memory Rescue program, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
By Kabran Chapek, ND
Almost everybody has a first aid kit for life’s little emergencies—the scraped knees, sprained ankles, or painful insect stings that happen when you least expect it. Most of them contain the typical bandages, gauze pads, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic wipes, aspirin, and tweezers. But do you have anything in your first aid kit to deal with concussions or other head injuries? And would you even know what to put in it? And what about school sports teams? Isn’t it time they stock their first aid kits with the must-have items that can accelerate the healing process after a concussion?
I’m a psychiatrist who has seen far too many patients with long-lasting symptoms—including “psychiatric” symptoms like anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, anger, substance abuse, dementia, and suicidal thoughts—related to traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). I’m shocked that we’re all so well-prepared to take care of minor cuts, burns, and bruises, but we’re so ill-prepared to minimize the damage from injury to our greatest asset—the human brain.
Because I understand how devastating and life-changing head trauma can be, I always carry a TBI first aid kit with me on hikes and bike rides or keep one stashed in my car just in case. My goal isn’t to replace 911 or emergency medical care, but rather to do immediate preventative care while waiting for trained EMTs to arrive.
I recommend that you keep a concussion first aid kit on hand, and I urge every school sports team (including cheerleading and dance squads) and every professional sports team to make it standard practice to have one.
I’m providing a handy chart below to help you know what to include in the kit. And if you’re wondering if it’s a hassle carrying such a kit on a hike or bike ride, let me put you at ease. This TBI first aid kit is designed to be portable and to do the most good for your brain in the shortest amount of time.
Your TBI emergency kit should include 6 important nutrients that accelerate the healing process and increase the likelihood of recovery if the head is rattled or injured. They include potent antioxidants and other nutrients that aid with brain protection and cell repair that will ameliorate some of the cell death and inflammation that starts almost immediately following a concussion.
Here is what you should include in your kit, along with basic information about timing and dosage. Make a copy of the following list and keep it in your kit at all times so you don’t have to have to try to recall all the information from memory during an emergency.
Remember, this first aid kit does not in any way take the place of emergency medical care.
8 NAC (500 mg/cap)—Recommended dosage is 50mg for every kilogram of body weight—this dosage is based on a 175lb person
2 curcumin (500 mg/cap)
2 vitamin C (1000mg/cap)
2 vitamin D (5000IU/cap)
1 TBSP MCT oil powder or 6 caps
1 TBSP flavored branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) powder
Place all the supplements—NAC, curcumin, vitamin C, and vitamin D—in a small sealed baggie or an empty vitamin bottle. In a separate sealed baggie, measure out 1 tablespoon of the MCT oil powder (or 6 caps) and 1 tablespoon of flavored BCAA powder. Some companies make premixed MCT oil/BCAA powder in convenient packets.
In case of a head injury, take everything in the kit immediately, ideally within 1-3 hours, but no later than 24 hours after the injury. Be sure to mix the MCT oil powder and BCAA powder into 8-10 ounces of water. The kit relies on the injured party’s ability to swallow supplements, which can be problematic for young children, but even kids can take the MCT and BCAA powders when mixed with water.
The idea is to use these ingredients in addition to getting a thorough check-up to make sure that nothing serious, such as a brain bleed or skull fracture, has occurred. Remember, loss of consciousness is not required for a serious injury to the brain. Taking immediate action with a TBI first aid kit may help you avoid a future of debilitating fatigue, depression, anger, and a higher risk of dementia.
In addition to the emergency kit, you should also have a home TBI first aid kit that includes an adequate supply of supplements to take for at least one week. In my book, Concussion Rescue, I share which supplements to include and the recommended dosages for your at-home kit.
In Concussion Rescue, author Dr. Kabran Chapek shares many of the protocols he uses with TBI patients at Amen Clinics. Order your copy here.
If you or a loved one is struggling with symptoms that may be related to a concussion or TBI, it’s important to make sure you’re getting the nutrients your brain needs for healing and supplements can be an important part of an effective treatment plan. If you want to join the thousands of people who have already healed from TBIs with the Amen Clinics Concussion Rescue Program, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
A growing body of evidence is finding a link between vitamin D levels and autism. New research in a 2019 edition of Molecular Psychiatry found that mothers with low levels of vitamin D at 11 weeks of pregnancy were associated with 1.58 greater odds of their child developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For this study, vitamin D insufficiency was defined as 25-<50 mmol/L on a blood test called 25-hydroxy vitamin D.
Similarly, in this same study, infants with vitamin D levels under 25 mmol/L were 1.33 times as likely to have ASD as newborns with vitamin D levels of 50 mmol/L or higher. When both the mother and baby had low levels, the odds were even higher—1.75 times increased risk of autism.
These findings are consistent with a 2017 study in British Journal of Psychiatry Open, which found that children born to mothers with mid-pregnancy vitamin D deficiency had more than twice the risk of developing ASD.
Another study from 2018 that focused on 3-year-old children found that those in the bottom 25% of vitamin D levels were at a 260% increased risk of ASD.
The exact mechanism of how vitamin D deficiency impacts the risk of autism remains unclear, but the important nutrient plays a vital role in overall brain development.
On the flip side, newborns with high levels of vitamin D have reduced odds of autism compared with infants with low levels, according to the largest study to explore the connection between the vitamin and ASD. This study, presented at the 2018 International Society for Autism Research involved a blood analysis of 3,370 infants.
Vitamin D has many other neuroprotective qualities. Called the “sunshine vitamin,” it is actually a steroid hormone, and it activates receptors on neurons in regions important to the regulation of behavior. It also protects the brain by acting in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity.
The sunshine vitamin also plays a critical role in the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is involved in mood control, shifting attention, and cognitive flexibility. And it has a powerful influence on cognitive and mental health, in addition to physical health. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with depression, cognitive impairment, and psychosis, as well as heart disease, cancer, obesity, and all causes of mortality.
A report in JAMA Internal Medicine that looked at vitamin D levels for American adults in 1988-1994 compared with 2001-2004 showed that our levels are dropping. The percentage of people with levels of 30 ng/mL or more fell from 45% to 23%. This means that 3 out of 4 Americans have low levels of this important vitamin.
Some of the reasons for the dramatic rise in vitamin D deficiency include the fact that people are wearing more sunscreen when outside and spending more time inside while working or sitting in front of the television or computer.
The following groups are more likely to experience vitamin D deficiency:
Optimizing vitamin D levels (especially vitamin D3) has been associated with improvements in a number of areas. If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, you may want to get your vitamin D level checked and optimize it if it is low.
Similarly, if you have a child with autism, have their vitamin D level tested and optimize it if necessary. One study in Pediatrics found that supplementation with vitamin D improved symptoms of autism. In addition, here are some other things you can do for your autistic child.
At Amen Clinics, we have seen more than 1,000 people with ASD and have used brain imaging in combination with blood tests and lab work as part of a comprehensive evaluation to get an accurate diagnosis and provide targeted treatments that minimize symptoms. If you want your child to join the many others who have improved their autism symptoms at Amen Clinics, speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834. If all our specialists are busy helping others, you can also schedule a time to talk.
Increasingly, researchers are concluding that the diets of people with mental health disorders are lacking in key nutrients for brain health. And they’re finding that replenishing these nutrients can play an important role in treating those disorders. “Nutritional psychiatry” is a fast-growing approach that uses food and supplements in the treatment of mental health conditions.
A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that nutritional treatment may help prevent, treat, or improve depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, autism, addiction, and eating disorders. And the scientific community is finally beginning to see how food is so strongly linked to brain health/mental health.
In 2015, a group of 18 scientists concluded that “the emerging and compelling evidence for nutrition as a crucial factor in the high prevalence and incidence of mental disorders suggests that diet is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology.”
“…diet is as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology, and gastroenterology.” —The Lancet Psychiatry
In 2017, a 12-week study known as the “SMILES trial” looked at the impact of dietary support compared with social support in 67 people with moderate to severe depression who ate unhealthy diets. After the 12-week trial, 32% of those receiving dietary support achieved remission compared with only 8% of those in the social support group.
As the evidence mounts, it’s clear that what you put in your mouth matters when it comes to mental health/brain health. But when it comes to diet and nutrition, there are so many mixed messages about what’s healthy and what isn’t. What should you eat?
Yes, there is a lot of conflicting health information about food, but there is also a lot of agreement. If you follow these 11 rules your mental health/brain health will start to improve within days.
So, you love Hot Cheetos, but do they love you back? They’re filled with pro-inflammatory vegetable oils, sugar that promotes brain aging, and MSG and red dye #40, which can worsen ADD/ADHD symptoms and can cause “mind-storms.”
Calories matter! If you supersize your meals, you’ll supersize your body. And obesity is associated with a smaller brain and increased risk for depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Your brain is comprised of 80% water and being even mildly dehydrated can negatively impact your moods—making you feel more anxious, tense, depressed, or angry—in addition to sapping your energy levels and lowering your ability to concentrate. Skip the high-calorie coffee concoctions, sodas, and fruit juices.
It balances blood sugar for more stable moods and keeps cravings away.
Did you know that 60% of the solid weight of your brain is fat? Low-fat diets are not good for your brain. Focus on healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and sustainable, clean fish. Fat is not the enemy. Good fats are essential to your mental health/brain health. For example, omega-3 fatty acids have been found to reduce symptoms of depression.
Colorful fruits and vegetables boost the level of antioxidants in your body, which reduces the risk of developing cognitive impairment and depression.
For example, in multiple studies, a saffron extract was found to be as effective as antidepressant medication in treating people with major depression
Eliminate artificial sweeteners, colors, preservatives, and foods in plastic containers.—Read the labels.
Such as sugar, MSG, gluten, corn, soy, and dairy for a month to see if your symptoms improve.
Intermittent fasting, or “time-restricted feeding,” has been shown to significantly improve memory and mood.
Find 25 foods you love that love you back.
If you or a loved one are struggling with anxiety, depression, trouble concentrating, brain fog, or other signs of mental health disorders, understand that finding the root cause of those symptoms is key to getting well. At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging to detect brain patterns associated with various disorders and to help us develop a personalized treatment. For over 30 years at Amen Clinics, we have been helping thousands of people by using the least toxic, most effective solutions, including nutrition coaching, supplements, helpful forms of psychotherapy, and much more.
Speak to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or schedule a visit online.
In 2019, for the first time in decades, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new type of drug for the treatment of major depressive disorder. The medication is an esketamine nasal spray that is derived from ketamine, a psychedelic drug that appears to have antidepressant properties and to be helpful for people with treatment-resistant depression. Only one-third of people with depression get complete relief from treatment with antidepressants, according to a 2014 study.
Despite the FDA approval, ketamine still raises questions and cause for concern. How safe is it?
The current trend in treating psychiatric illnesses is to go beyond traditional pharmaceutical medications by using psychedelic drugs, especially ketamine, but also LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ecstasy, ayahuasca, and ibogaine.
First developed in the 1960s, ketamine was administered as an anesthetic and given to soldiers during the Vietnam War. Due to its hallucinogenic effects, ketamine has a reputation as a popular and illicit party drug, going by the nickname “Special K.” It dulls pain and users often feel detached or dissociated from their own body.
In 2000, researchers started studying ketamine as a treatment for depression and discovered that it improves mood much faster than traditional antidepressant medications, and sometimes works when other drugs have failed.
More than 100 studies have shown that ketamine has antidepressant effects. For example:
Unlike antidepressants, which work by enhancing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, ketamine is thought to change the way brain cells talk to each other—similar to a computer reboot or hardware fix. Basically, ketamine binds to receptors in the brain that trigger the production of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter that influences how neurons communicate. It is believed that this process has an impact on thinking patterns, moods, and more.
Although ketamine offers some promise, it is not a solo cure-all. Expecting a pill or nasal spray to provide a complete solution to depression is wishful thinking. To fully address any mental health condition, a comprehensive plan that factors in all the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of a person’s life is critical to any treatment plan.
Ketamine is known to cause side effects, such as dissociation (out-of-body experiences), perceptual disturbances (feeling like time has slowed down, for example), high blood pressure, dizziness, and nausea. In addition, some research has found the drug may be addictive.
A 2018 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry argues for caution. It showed that the antidepressant effects of ketamine were eliminated with the opiate blocker naltrexone, meaning it worked by activating the opiate centers of the brain.
A review in Neurobiology of Stress that same year concluded that “both preclinical and clinical studies indicate that repeated treatment with low-dose ketamine infusions can have addictive properties and induce cognitive deficits.”
And it remains unclear what happens when a person stops taking the drug.
In the long run, could it have similar damaging effects as other drugs of abuse and be causing more harm than good? Brain SPECT imaging has shown that opioids, benzodiazepines, and other drugs of abuse cause alterations in blood flow and activity in the brain that impair its function. More research on ketamine is needed to understand its long-term effects on the brain and to ensure its long-term safety.
At Amen Clinics, we use brain SPECT imaging, which can reveal exposure toxins that are hurting the brain and impacting its function. Our brain imaging work has shown that some medications—such as benzodiazepines often prescribed for anxiety, as well as chemotherapy— have a harmful effect on the brain. We have helped many people overcome treatment-resistant depression using the least toxic, most effective therapies.
To learn more or to schedule your comprehensive evaluation, please visit us online or call 888-288-9834.