Fungi for Brain Fog

If you’ve suffered from brain fog, you know it feels like living in a haze of mental fatigue, functioning on autopilot, unable to recall important info or stay focused, and everything takes twice as long to get done. Yuck!

Why does this happen? 

Many reasons, but mostly it’s to do with inflammation that’s preventing the neurons in the brain from communicating with each other. Contributing factors could be: 

• Brain trauma or concussion - increased brain inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine IL-1, which can lead to neurodegeneration and memory loss. 
• Lack of deep sleep – this is when our brain detoxes and repairs through a vascular glymphatic system. When this system is disrupted, we see an increase in toxins leading to brain fog. 
• Nutrient deficiencies - antioxidants, amino acids, and omega 3 fats are needed for repair and building blocks of healthy brain cells. 
• Chronic emotional (mental tension, over worry, fear) or physical stress (toxins, inflammatory foods, alcohol, blood sugar ups and downs, overexertion) can increase C-reactive protein and inflammation. This damages neurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, which are key areas involved in memory, attention, & decision making. 

What can we do to clear up brain fog? 

We can increase neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to regenerate and heal) by: 

1. Reducing stress triggers and increasing recovery tools. Try spending at least 15 minutes in nature daily and doing some deep breathing to decrease cortisol.

2. Nourishing sleep. Try to increase exposure to sunlight during the day, use blackout curtains at bedtime, and decrease both caffeine and blue lights.

3. Add in brain nutrients:

• Omega 3 fats - cold water fish, walnuts, and flax are good sources.
• Antioxidants and B vitamins from berries, avocados, eggs, dark leafy greens, and turmeric.
• Functional mushrooms, which provide antioxidants, help you adapt and recover from stress, and have nootropic properties. 
• Lion’s Mane supports repair and regeneration of nerve cells, provides antioxidants, and stimulates cognitive function. 
• Reishi is a powerful antioxidant to clear toxins, decrease inflammation, and calm the nervous system to help with deep restorative sleep. 
• Shiitake and Maitake are anti-inflammatory powerhouses and support healthy blood sugar to decrease brain fog. 

You can find these four functional mushrooms in an effective dose in just ½ tsp of Eversio’s BALANCE blend. It’s easy to add BALANCE to your hot beverage of choice, smoothies, soups, or dressings!

- Annaliisa Kapp, Holistic Nutritionist and TCM Practitioner