Brain fog. Have you ever experienced it? That feeling when your mind just seems gray; where you’re unable to think clearly or concentrate on even a single, simple task. Maybe along with that brain fog you’ve also experienced depression to varying degrees, perhaps even to the point where you can’t motivate yourself to get off the couch. If you’re thinking ‘yes’ to some or all of these situations just know that you’re not alone. Many people, for one reason or another, experience occasional brain fog. The good news is that there are several things you can do to help overcome and ward off this unpleasant, frustrating condition.
Due to the year that is 2020, I have had several battles with brain fog and I think it’s safe to say that I’m probably not the only one! From the outbreak of the pandemic to the cancelling of all our travel plans to visit my family in the US and then the imminent presidential election uncertainty, 2020 has been a great teacher in learning how to let go. I don’t recall having experienced such brain fog in the past, but if I did I’m fairly certain I didn’t give it the attention it deserved. In doing a bit of research, sources say that some common causes of brain fog are hormonal changes, impaired sleep, nutrient deficiencies, stress, anxiety, and depression (to name a few). In the rest of this article I’m going to take a look at how nutrient deficiencies, specifically deficiencies in magnesium, iron, and zinc, play a role in our bodies response to stress via the HPA axis, and a beautiful, nutritive blend of herbs that I turn to whenever I’m experiencing brain fog and why it’s useful in getting out of that stuck headspace quickly.
Magnesium, Stress, and the HPA Axis
It may come as no surprise to you when I say that the common American diet is deficient in many essential nutrients. In fact, research shows that approximately half of all Americans consume less than the daily recommended amount of magnesium. Why is magnesium so important? Let’s take a look:
- Magnesium is the 4th most abundant cation in the body.
- More than 300 enzymes (many of which are nervous system enzymes) are magnesium dependent.
- Magnesium plays an important role in the function of the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis).
- Magnesium plays a critical role in energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis.
- It is necessary for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and the antioxidant glutathione.
- Magnesium is an essential brain ion, helping to modulate various neurotransmission and transduction pathways.
The HPA Axis
The HPA axis is our body’s main stress response system. If it becomes overstimulated or even just stimulated at the wrong time there is a slew of downstream biochemical processes that can become dysregulated. When magnesium is lacking in the body there is a greater abundance of the hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) that is released from the anterior pituitary gland. Its release is stimulated by the secretion of CRH (corticotropin releasing hormone) from the hypothalamus when a threat or stress is perceived. Increased levels of ACTH signal to the adrenal glands to begin their secretion of corticosterone (which is the endogenous rodent version of cortisol aka the stress hormone). Our adrenal glands are the cornerstones of the stress hormone cortisol, and sometimes when that fight or flight mode gets switched to ON it gets stuck and it remains ON. However, when magnesium is present and abundant in the system, studies show that it may work in a variety of ways to modulate the HPA axis. One way it does this, according to Cuciureanu and Vink (2011), is that it “stimulates Na+/K+ ATPase which decreases CRH receptor sensitivity.” Thus decreasing the amount of potential cortisol that is to be released from the adrenal glands. Another effect magnesium has is that it “decreases the release of ACTH and modulates adrenocortical sensitivity to this hormone” (Cuciureanu and Vink, 2011).
↓ Magnesium, ↑ Stress & Anxiety
When our bodies experience stress oftentimes that stress is accompanied by anxiety and/or depression. According to the World Health Organization depression affects approximately 264 million people worldwide, and as we know women are more likely than men to experience anxiety and/or depression. A study published in Neuropharmacology suggests that in a mouse model there is an inverse relationship between magnesium and anxiety (Sartori, S. B., Whittle, N., Hetzenauer, A., & Singewald, N. (2012). In other words, as magnesium decreases anxiety increases. To a similar extent we can see comparable results from a study that was published in PLOS ONE where in a group of 126 adults half received 248mg of magnesium supplement daily while the other half received a placebo. Over a period of 6 weeks the adults that received 248 mg of magnesium chloride supplements daily experienced a clinically significant net improvement of their anxiety and depression symptoms.
Magnesium Can Help Mitigate Brain Fog
So there you have it; our bodies require magnesium to carry out a multitude of important functions. Brain fog accompanied by anxiety and/or depression may present if we have lower than normal levels* or are deficient in this essential mineral. Knowledge is power, and knowing some simple tricks such as maintaining optimum magnesium levels to help prevent this troublesome mental state can help make the difference between staying our sweet, lively, human selves or turning into the shell of a person we feel like when we’re experiencing brain fog.
*I just want to mention here something I recently learned when it comes to test results and normal test values. While you may fall within the “normal range” for a certain test value, it’s important to realize that often times the mean of these values can be based off of a very large sample size of individuals with mediocre health. That’s to say, what you’re normalizing or measuring against might not necessarily be the best study group. So maybe your results aren’t high or low, they’re somewhere in the middle. But if we want to maximize and optimize our health, we might have to look for a better standard or average. Remember that health isn’t a one size fits all product. Every person is different and what every individual body needs may differ from one person to another. If you find that you fall into the category of having consistently “normal” test results but still not feeling your best, maybe you might benefit from comparing your test results to a more optimal group of individuals that more closely match your age, gender, and lifestyle habits.
Have you ever experienced brain fog? What helps you get through it?