What is Neurological Inflammation? Causes, Symptoms, and a CURE!
What is neurological inflammation? This is a question many people are starting to ask. That’s because research shows neurological inflammation can be the underlying cause of many terrible health problems and diseases. In fact, many of the common symptoms of aging — such as forgetfulness, brain fog, and fatigue – may be caused by inflammation of the brain.
Perhaps that’s one of the reasons people are becoming interested in this subject. If you Google “neurological inflammation,” you’ll access more than 58 million search results. That means there are a whole bunch of articles out there answering the question: what is neurological inflammation?” Including some of ours.
The number of articles on a particular topic posted online generally reflects the number of people looking for answers on that topic. It is a question of supply and demand. So, you’re here because you’re presumably interested in this topic. You may have even Googled the search term “what is neurological inflammation?”
We’re glad you’re here because we have a lot of valuable information to share with you. When you finish reading this article, many of your questions about neurological inflammation will be answered — and then some.
What is neurological inflammation?
Neurological inflammation refers to the activation of the brain’s innate immune system in response to an inflammatory threat, such as injury, infection, toxin exposure, neurodegenerative illness, or age.
Inflammation itself isn’t bad. There are two types of inflammation: acute and chronic. Acute inflammation is the first line of defense of the immune system.
Acute inflammation
Acute inflammation is the body’s reaction to a sudden injury, such as a finger cut. In order to repair the wound, your body dispatches inflammatory cells to the site that initiate the process of healing.
The inflammation traps bacteria, toxins, and other foreign invaders, preventing them from harming healthy tissues. The immune system then sends white blood cells to remove the foreign invaders and heal the injury.
Acute inflammation normally lasts just a few days. As soon as the foreign invaders have been destroyed and the healing is sufficiently underway, the inflammation recedes. The same is not true for chronic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation occurs when your body keeps sending out inflammatory cells even in the absence of an external threat. This type of inflammation can be caused by low-grade exposure to toxic chemicals, certain foods, or anything else your immune system mistakenly identifies as a dangerous substance.
Despite their best efforts, the white blood cells cannot get rid of the dangerous substance. Or, your body is receiving an influx of the same dangerous substances every day — as occurs with low-grade exposure to toxic chemicals — which keeps triggering an immune response. The result is inflammation that never goes away and even gets worse.
Science shows chronic systemic inflammation can lead to many serious health conditions and diseases. In fact, many researchers believe chronic inflammation to be the root cause of most health problems. That’s because they have discovered just how prevalent inflammation is throughout the body.
But they never expected it to be in the brain. They never even asked the question, “What is neurological inflammation?” because the question itself was so laughable. “There is no such thing as neurological inflammation,” researchers would say if asked. “It’s impossible!”
Until it wasn’t.
Neurological inflammation and the blood-brain barrier
Neurological inflammation is a condition that is not supposed to occur in the brain. The brain doesn’t need inflammation because it has the blood-brain barrier to protect it from toxins and other foreign invaders.
The blood-brain barrier consists of a network of blood vessels and tissue forming tightly packed cells that prevent harmful substances from entering the brain. It is considered to be “semipermeable” because it allows some substances — such as water, oxygen, hormones, and certain nutrients — to penetrate the barrier while blocking the entry of bacteria and other harmful substances.
But when the blood-brain barrier is compromised, a condition called “leaky brain syndrome,” harmful substances are allowed to “leak” into the brain’s fragile environment. They then activate microglia cells, causing inflammation.
Researchers believe millions of people may have leaky brain syndrome, unknowingly suffering from neurological inflammation. Many of their health problems could well be the result of neurological inflammation. If they had known to ask the question — what is neurological inflammation? — they might have been able to find a reliable way to end their suffering. But they didn’t know what neurological inflammation is or how it might be causing their health problems.
What is neurological inflammation’s effect on the mind and body?
If they had known to ask, “What is neurological inflammation?” they would have found all the answers they were seeking, starting with how an inflamed brain causes so much destruction.
You see, inflammation shuts down energy production in brain cells. Your brain literally slows down as your neurons are firing slower. This initially causes mental fatigue, and then eventually, it degrades every system in your body. It affects both the mind and the body.
When researchers finally asked, what is neurological inflammation?” they got more than they bargained for. After doing much research, they discovered neurological inflammation might be the underlying cause of most mood disorders, cognitive issues, and physical health problems.
Symptoms of neurological inflammation
As the brain controls every bodily function, the symptoms of neurological inflammation are varied. Here are the 4 most common symptoms of this condition:
1. Slower metabolism/weight gain
You may not realize this, but the brain regulates your weight. Specifically, the hypothalamus, located in the middle of the brain, is responsible for balancing calories in and calories out so that you stay close to your setpoint weight.
The setpoint weight is that range of about 10-15 pounds that your weight hovers around. Your brain and hormones work to keep your weight within this range. Setpoint weight is regulated by the hormones leptin and insulin, which tells it when your calorie intake increases, it needs to increase your metabolism to burn more calories. In this way, it balances you at your setpoint weight so that you’ll never become too fat or too thin.
But, neurological inflammation causes these signals to stop working. The hypothalamus cannot receive or read signals from leptin and insulin correctly. Instead of working to keep you thin, your hypothalamus and hormones now work to hold on to extra fat. It doesn’t matter how little you eat or how much you exercise; they are working to keep you at this new, elevated setpoint weight. And neurological inflammation triggered the hormonal dysregulation that caused the elevated setpoint weight.
Several studies have shown neurological inflammation to be a key factor in weight gain and obesity.
2. Cognitive problems
Millions of people struggle with memory problems, brain fog, and the inability to focus. Many attribute it to age, and while they may be concerned about it, they probably think it can’t be helped. It is just part of life, and there is nothing they can do about it.
Well…again…by asking, “What is neurological inflammation?” they would have discovered a better answer. The answer is that many of these memory problems can be caused by neurological inflammation.
According to a study by the University of Cambridge, neurological inflammation is increasingly being recognized as a key component of cognitive disorders, including dementia. Studies have even shown a link between neurological inflammation and Alzheimer’s, an “incurable” disease that affects an estimated 5.7 Americans of all ages.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s are the “major” cognitive diseases, but there are many “smaller” cognitive problems that hundreds of millions of people experience daily. Brain fog. Inability to focus. Forgetfulness. Studies show neurological inflammation can be a factor in these problems, as well.
3. Metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of 4 symptoms that increase your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The 4 symptoms that make up metabolic syndrome include:
- Increased blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- Excess belly fat
- Abnormal cholesterol/triglyceride levels
Studies show that neurological inflammation is linked to increased blood pressure and insulin resistance leading to high blood sugar, two of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome that lead to serious physical diseases.
4. Mood Disorders
If you ask what is neurological inflammation, you’ll also learn it has a significant effect on mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. In fact, one study showed those with higher levels of brain inflammation had correspondingly higher levels of depression and anxiety.
This is an amazing finding because if neurological inflammation is THE cause of mood disorders, we could potentially cure millions of people who suffer from these often crippling disorders.
What are the causes of neurological inflammation?
There are 4 main causes of neurological inflammation.
1. The Standard American Diet. Heavily processed foods and foods containing carbs, sugar, and processed fats damage the blood-brain barrier, leading to neurological inflammation. It is okay to eat these foods occasionally, but if you’re eating them regularly, you are increasing your risk of brain inflammation.
2. Stress. Studies show that stress not only causes neurological inflammation but is also linked to brain disorders, such as depression and memory loss.
3. Environmental Toxins. Toxins are everywhere. Pesticides on produce. Hormones in meats. Chemicals in cleaning products. Air pollution from car exhausts and industrial smokestacks. But continual exposure to environmental toxins can cause long-term damage to your brain.
4. Chronically Low Levels of Brain-Boosting Nutrients. Studies show that most people are deficient in 4 key nutrients that are needed to prevent neurological inflammation. These nutrients are folate, citicoline, L-carnitine, and CoQ10. Most people are deficient in folate either because they lack the enzyme needed to absorb it or because they cannot get enough of it through the diet because folate levels are easily depleted during processing. Most people are deficient in other nutrients mostly because they are not getting enough through their diets for various reasons.
Curing neurological inflammation with SANE foods
One of the best ways to cure neurological inflammation is through good nutrition, and eating a SANE Diet will get you there. That’s because SANE eating focuses on whole foods, which automatically reduces your intake of processed foods, sugars, and starchy carbs.
SANE foods are delicious. The diet is not complicated to learn. And there is no calorie- or point-counting.
Here are the 4 SANE food groups. Try to eat the first 3 food groups together at each meal, as they work together to prevent or cure neurological inflammation.
Non-starchy vegetables
Have at least 10 servings each day. Either fill half your plate with non-starchy veggies at each main meal or whip up delicious green smoothies.
Here are a few “veggie” delicious options to get you started.
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Spinach
Nutrient-dense proteins
3-5 servings each day, 30-55 grams per main meal
Fill one-third of your plate with mouth-watering, totally filling, nutrient-dense proteins.
Here is a sampling of what you’ll enjoy when you go SANE:
- Chicken
- Grass-Fed Beef
- Cottage Cheese
- Lamb
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- Salmon
Whole-food fats
3-6 servings each day.
Fill the remainder of your plate with satisfying whole-food fats.
Here are some excellent whole-food fats to add to your diet:
- Almonds
- Chia Seeds
- Cocoa/Cacao
- Coconut
- Flax Seeds
- Macadamias
Low-fructose fruits
0-3 servings each day
Feel free to enjoy a serving of low-fructose fruit at various times during the day.
Here are some yummy low-fructose fruit options:
- Goji Berries
- Grapefruit
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Strawberries
General SANE principles
Don’t stress yourself out thinking you have to change your entire diet overnight. That is unrealistic and could be a huge shock to your system. Instead, just make little changes and replacements in your diet at a time.
For instance, maybe decide to go without soda for a week and see how you feel. If that goes well, extend it to two weeks…then three…Or replace inSANE foods with SANE ones. You’ll find SANE foods to be just as delicious and more satisfying than inSANE ones.
Curing neurological inflammation with Vitaae
SANE Vitaae is the first ever clinically proven brain-boosting formulation made to cure neurological formulation. It contains all 4 of the crucial brain-boosting nutrients — folate, citicoline, CoQ10, and L-carnitine — of which most of us are deficient.
SANE Vitaae contains a special patented form of folate called quatrefolic, clinically proven to be up to 7 times more bioavailable than any folate supplements you can buy at the store. It also contains the right forms of CoQ10 plus carnitine, which has to be just right to unlock the synergistic benefits of both of these nutrients. It even contains rejuvenating omega-3 fatty acids and other vital nutrients
This special formula is so amazing that it has the power to undo the damage caused by The Standard American Diet, stress, and environmental toxins. All it takes is a commitment to take your SANE Vitaae capsules every day.
Next step: Learn what is neurological inflammation with SANE
Ready to finally break free from the yo-yo dieting rollercoaster by balancing your hormones and lowering your body’s setpoint weight?
Want to know the exact foods and serving sizes that are scientifically proven by over 1,300 peer-reviewed research studies to boost metabolism burn fat, and enjoy virtually effortless weight loss like a naturally thin person?
Download the free SANE metabolism boosting food list, cheat sheet, and “Eat More, Burn More” weight loss program by .
Dr. Matthew Olesiak continues to make a significant impact in the medical field through his work at SANESolution and his dedication to evidence-based practices.
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
[…] What is Neurological Inflammation? Complete Guide … […]
Comments are closed.