Feeling Hazy? Here's Your Definitive Guide To Brain Fog

If you have brain fog, you may not be able to think of words as adeptly, or you might feel like you're functioning in a haze. It may take you longer to perform daily activities, and you might feel extremely tired and drained. First, it's important to note that brain fog is not the same thing as mild cognitive impairment or early dementia, which many people fear when they come into my office. Rest assured, there are no studies to suggest that a feeling of brain fog leads to a degenerative cognitive disease. Instead, there are other reasons you may feel you are not thinking as clearly as you used to or are having difficulty recalling recent conversations and remembering tasks.

So what is inflammation? Inflammation is the influx of proteins, cytokines, and other mediators that are released by cells like mast cells and macrophages when triggered by a kind of an assault—which can be endogenous (inside the body) or exogenous (outside the body). In the short term, this response can be hugely beneficial for our health; however, when the body is not able to naturally control the response—or if the initial trigger remains present so that it becomes an ongoing source of inflammation—the response can be detrimental as it poses extra burden on the mitochondria of the cells and makes them have to work harder.

Our gastrointestinal tract, affectionately referred to as our "gut," and our brain are intricately connected. The gut's main control center is the enteric nervous system, and it has communication with the central nervous system. When the gut is inflamed, the lining of the tract becomes a not-so-gracious host for beneficial microbes, and the microbiota is altered. This can lead to defects in immune homeostasis and make us vulnerable to further inflammation and subsequent "brain fog."

How we eat and what we are exposed to can have a big influence on brain fog and inflammation. Foods can be either pro-inflammatory or they can be anti-inflammatory, as well as energy-supporting or energy-draining. The effects on our microbiome from the foods we choose to eat cannot be understated or underemphasized, as sometimes our diet alone can be to blame for brain fog.

Once the gut microbiota is imbalanced and favors non-beneficial bacterial species, we experience systems of dysmotility, fatigue, and cognitive slowing. This is what brain fog feels like. There are certain species of bacteria that support mitochondrial function by releasing important co-factors for use by the chain of mitochondrial enzymes. Other species can be downright toxic to the enzyme complexes.

Our microbiome is complex, and correcting it is not always an easy task. Most of the time, it takes more than just a good probiotic to restore gut health and eliminate brain fog. In fact, a recent study—although small and preliminary—actually suggests that, in some cases, probiotics may even contribute to brain fog in those with SIBO, also known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. We all have individual microbiomes that depend on a great variety of factors including the ones that start right from birth—like where and how we were born, how we were fed, what illnesses we had, and what medications we took—and during our lives—like where we spend most of our time, what foods we choose to eat, how much we drink, and which communities we live in.

The brain prefers glucose for energy, but this glucose should not come in the form of simple and processed sugar but rather in the form of complex grains, as our bodies have mechanisms to appropriately break down complex forms of carbohydrates into natural glucose molecules and deliver it in a controlled manner to the brain. The brain will happily use fatty acids if glucose is not available—but only in the short term. Eventually, it will revolt, and energy processes will suffer, bringing on feelings of slow processing and fatigue if it doesn't get glucose.

In addition, grazing on meals throughout the day forces the body to continuously work harder, regardless of how small or healthy the meal or snack may be. The gastrointestinal tract needs periods of rest not only for its own healing and recovery but to allow energy, that otherwise would have been diverted to the gut tract for digestion and absorption, to be used for healing of other body systems, such as the brain.

We are also surrounded by environmental contaminants and microbial organisms that can have effects on our immune system and other biological processes. Over time, these exposures can greatly enhance and direct the way our inflammatory response behaves.