Do you ever feel like you have your head up in the clouds and can't see through them? It's like navigating within a fog and the dampness starts bogging you down, your energy weak and your mind struggling to stay resilient in its ability to think.
Approximately 600 million people worldwide struggle with brain fog. Despite it not being recognized as a clinical diagnosis due to the subjective nature it can present itself in individuals, it affects people's lives on a daily basis. The causes of brain fog are unknown, but can be related to
- mineral imbalances
- nutrients deficiencies
- poor emunctory organ function
- thyroid issues (ex: hypothyroidism)
- adrenal issues (ex: burnout)
- blood sugar imbalances
- Infections (viral, parasitic, fungal)
- EMF sensitivity
But did you know that poor emunctory organ function (such as liver, kidney, bowel) could be related to mineral imbalances or heavy metal toxicity? Same thing with thyroid issues, adrenal issues, blood sugar imbalances, infections and even EMF sensitivity?
Let's go down the list and help you pin point potential mineral imbalances and what you can do about it!
High Calcium
Otherwise known as a calcium shell, this is when calcium starts accumulating in the tissues, leaving bones and teeth. Excessive calcium can cause the nervous system to feel almost numb, heavy and dull. Symptoms include depression, slow thinking and even disorientation. A calcium shell can affect our thyroid and slow it down, resulting into hypothyroidism or cellular hypothyroidism, blood sugar imbalances such as insulin resistance, and can be a result of excessive EMF exposure. EMFs have been shown to actually push magnesium out of our cells and pull calcium in. A really great way to rebalance calcium is to take our Upgraded Boron for boron ahs been shown to help retain calcium within the bones.
Low Na/K ratio
This ratio is representative of our "vitality", also recognized as how much resiliency we have left in the tank. Sodium is a stimulatory mineral, it helps with the production of aldosterone which stimulates the adrenals and potassium supports the thyroid, which is our main metabolic regulator. When the ratio is low, or both levels even, it's a sign of depletion and the body trying to either conserve energy or it lacks energy to properly function. Low adrenal or thyroid function can cause one to feel lethargic, tired, dizzy, and slow. In situations like this, the best thing to do is to not be shy of salt and look to our Upgraded Potassium.
Copper toxicity/Iron Overload
Depending on your approach to HTMA reading, some people believe there is no such thing as copper toxicity or vice versa iron overload. What I will say is that there is such thing as copper dysregulation, which can show up as "copper toxicity", and as a result can overload the body with iron. The reason for this is because when copper is dysregulated, it's due to the fact that there isn't enough of a specific protein called ceruloplasmin that is made in the adrenals and liver. When not present, it cannot bind copper appropriately and delegate copper to do its job in the body. Without copper, iron cannot travel and be used, thus can accumulate in tissues and cause symptoms similar to what people associate with "copper toxicity". In many instances, this form of toxicity or overload is a result of emunctory organ congestion (liver congestion, gut dysbiosis, kidney issues), stress, infections or poor nutrition. This makes PERFECT sense, for if the liver and the adrenals (due to stress) are not providing ceruloplasmin then there is a likely chance of toxicity. Ironically enough, many individuals when they suffer from things like chemical sensitivities, (liver related) or burn out (adrenal related) suffer from brain fog. Copper is actually an essential mineral for energy production, hence the inability to use copper and accumulation of iron is the problem. In these instances, supplementing copper isn't the go-to, but rather looking to protein digestion and liver function via cobalt levels would be smart and mitigating stress through the adrenals and thyroid.
Heavy Metal Toxicity
Metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and aluminum can all cause brain fog. In fact, there is a thing called "ionic mimicry' where these metals mimic our essential minerals and can be used by enzymes and proteins that would normally use the essential minerals. This is a process the body reverts to when trying to adapt to potential mineral deficiencies. Mercury substitutes selenium, which is essential for thyroid, cadmium substitutes zinc, which is important for hormone production, aluminum can substitute calcium, which is vital for blood sugar and nervous system, and lead can substitute iron, important for energy.
If you're struggling with chronic brain fog, it's always best to check in and see exactly why. We recommend testing, not guessing, so book a consult with someone on our team and run an HTMA to get to the root cause here!
Barbara Madimenos
Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis Practitioner
Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner
Integrative Health Coach