The Brain Series : Your Brain Connected to All.

Do you forget things? Do you need a few cups of coffee in the morning to stay on task? Have you ever walked into a room and wondered why you were there? If so, you’re not alone. Chinese Medicine, a 2500 year old medical system, can help. 

Awesome fact, TCM has shown to decrease symptoms of Alzheimers and Dementia with the use of Acupuncture and Herbal medicine.

Diseases of the brain are thought to arise gradually rather than from some specific dysfunction in the brain itself. This interpretation differs greatly from the modern medical approach which looks at dementia as specific proteins accumulating in the brain, gene variants such as ApoE4 and deficits in specific neurotransmitters. When looking at the brain, Chinese Medicine looks at the entire body, not just the head. The brain is actually part of several organ systems, especially the Kidneys. 

In this 3 part blog series we will break down the various connections between systems, 6 easy tips for preventing brain disorders now & finally different herbs to treat each system.

Check out the following systems:

Kidney System
Many of the herbs, dietary suggestions and acupuncture protocols to improve concentration and brain function are actually kidney tonics. The “Kidney” (actually the adrenal cortex/gland which sits adjacent to each Kidney) secrete stress hormones (i.e. Cortisol) signaling the Fight or Flight stress response which is a chain of rapidly occurring reactions in the body to help mobilize the body’s resources to deal with a threat. When in this state, blood rushes to our arms and legs and prepares us to fight, and doesn’t supply our central body with blood. When we are in this stressed states, we are not able to digest food - or actually see the world as clearly as when we are not in this state of alarm; you might feel scattered, have palpitations and/or feel a bit foggy-brained. The Hypothalamus and Pituitary (in the brain) are also involved in this cycle of hormones, but they are directly connected to the Adrenal Glands/Kidneys. This is known as the HPA Axis and directly affects this stress response in a feedback loop from your kidneys/adrenals to your brain. Many studies show that a little stress is actually beneficial, but chronic stress can change your brain function, even its structure down to your DNA via this cycle of hormones when activated too much. 

Heart
The heart and the kidneys create the “Shao Yin” grouping of organs in Chinese Medicine and are vitally connected. Science has shown that the heart communicates with the brain neurologically, biochemically and energetically. When your heart receives signals from the brain under stress via the Flight or Fright stress response, it pumps faster. When it’s in the Rest and Relax mode (controlled by the Vagus Nerve), it slows down. Your heart has even been proven to produce Oxytocin, known as the “love or social connection drug” in similar concentration ranges as the brain. We might be “heart broken” when we lose a loved one, or when we truly memorize something we “memorize it by heart”, In other words, our language shows the heart takes precedence over the mind in key situations

Gut
There is now an abundance of research and books, connecting the gut and nutrition to brain function and coherence. Gut flora or bacteria is known to influence memory. What we eat or drink can influence our brain for up to three days. Certain hormones such as Dopamine and Serotonin which are known to influence mood are highly influenced by the brain-gut axis and are actually primarily made in the gut, not the brain. If the flora or bacteria in the gut are fed lots of sugar, fried food and other junk, then they (the actual bacteria living in our guts) will demand more and more of the same - influencing you to grab that cookie, soda or beer and refrain from moving - to keep their environment damp and moist (just like they like it). Beware of the bacteria in your gut telling you to be that couch potato! 

The Vagus Nerve
As you can see, three seemingly disparate organ systems are all connected to the brain. But are they really separate? Even modern medicine can point to a common unifier - The Vegus Nerve (Cranial Nerve X). Aside from other functions, It is responsible for “Rest and Relaxation”, or the Parasympathetic response for all three organ systems listed above. This is the opposite of the Fight or Flight or Sympathetic stress response which occurs when we are under stress. Keeping stress to an optimal level and living primarily in this relaxed “parasympathetic” state is proving, via research, to be critical for brain health. Acupuncture and herbal medicine has been scientifically proven to directly or indirectly modulate parasympathetic nervous system activity. 

With the growing understanding of Amyloid plaques, tangles, tau protein and genetics connected to brain disorders, there have been many attempts by pharmaceutical companies to come up with the perfect medication.