Good Fats and Vitamin B12, Imperative Brain Fuel

A recent study on brain shrinkage was completed showing vegans and vegetarians had significantly smaller brains than those who ate red meat.  Research showed a, “Link between brain atrophy and low levels of B12,” Nora Gedgaudas board certified nutritional consultant and board certified clinical neurofeedback specialist said. She stated that, “The biggest brain in the vegan was already smaller than the smallest brain of someone on a normal diet. Surprisingly, “All the participants actually had B12 levels to be considered within so-called normal range,” yet still suffered from brain shrinkage, brain atrophy and bouts of aggression and anger. Click here and here and here for further study. See other sources below for other studies.

“They actually measured the size of the participants’ brains. And then they took these volunteers and retested them all five years later. The scientists found that those with the lowest levels of vitamin B12 intake were the most likely to have brain shrinkage. Now of course vegetarians and vegans who avoid these foods of animal origin where B12 is most abundant, in fact it’s almost exclusive to, suffered the most brain shrinkage,” says Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body, Primal Mind. Healing this takes place through methyl B12 and eating more red meat. 

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The University of Oxford released a study from their scientists in The Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics showing people on a meat free diet, vegan and vegetarian, “Were six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage.”

Gedgaudas  says, “Far and away the most intractable and damaged brains and nervous systems I have ever encountered have all been vegetarians and especially vegans. This isn’t any kind of judgement this is just the experience I’ve had. These are some of the hardest people to reach. It’s just not a recipe for optimal brain health.” She goes on further to say, “I’ve had many neurologists also back channel me and agree with that particular observation.” Meaning, they pulled her aside to tell her their similar findings, off record.

The Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford in the UK, The Oxford Project

who study memory and aging released a study saying elderly suffered from drastic deficiencies of B12 as they noticed B12 deficiencies were directly linked to cognitive deficits.  The Proceedings Of the National Academy of Science published an article in January 2009 saying, “Caloric Restriction Improves Memory in Elderly Humans” where researches reduced caloric intake of elderly patients by 30% finding results that memory function compared to those without eating restrictions had better memory while memory remarkably increased in those with reduced calories. They said, “In animal models of ageing and neurodegenerative diseases Caloric restriction protected hippocampal striatal and cortical neurons and imeleurated functional decline.”

Dr. Ron Rosedale says, “Fat generates a free fuel.”

Nora Gedgaudas says, “A fat based ketogenic diet has an extremely broad range of benefits for both your body and your brain. In fact not only can the brain run on nothing but fat, in other words ketones, it actually runs better!” 

The Journal of Pediatric Neurology published an article entitled “Neuropharmacology of the Ketogenic Diet” saying, “The evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet has neuroprotective properties in diverse models of neurodegenerative disease.” Translated they are saying a diet high in fat protects and preserves the neurons of the brain. This is shown in elderly people eating high doses of good quality coconut oil reversing Alzheimer’s. This is also remarkably shown in ADHD and autistic patients showing no evidence of illness on high doses of good quality fats.

Signs of fat deficiency in your diet are sugar cravings, irritability, feeling faint, fatigue, brain-dead, caffeine cravings, carbohydrate cravings all of which are most evident before it’s time to eat. Another sign is craving something sweet or exhaustion after a meal. You should feel hungry before you eat and feel satiated after you eat. If there are other feelings involved it’s a clear and evident sign that your body needs much more good quality fat. Gedgaudas says, “I have way better things to do than sit around and manage my

blood sugar all day. Blood sugar just simply doesn’t play any part of role in my mood, my cognitive or my energy equation.”

She went on to paraphrase researcher of low carbohydrate science, Dr. Richard Fineman, Professor of Biochemistry of Dallas State Medical Center and Nutrition and Metabolism Society saying, “Keep in mind you can’t have your cake and your fat too if you want to be optimally healthy. Dietary fat in the presence of sugars and starches behaves very differently in your body and brain than dietary fat consumed in the absence of sugars and starches.”

Hypoglycemics are generally in a state of irritability and adrenal overdrive giving them little capacity for reason. Blood sugar issues like these cause degeneration much quicker. A high fat diet solves these issues. Gedgaudas added, “For those really interested in optimizing their brains it’s all about radically minimizing the carbs, in other words sugars and starches to no more than maybe 50 or 60 grams a day. A blood ketone meter is a great way to gauge your progress (precision extra ketone meter) then you’re looking to keeping your ketone level between 1 and 3 mmols. Then you’re moderating your protein intake to no more than 25 grams per meal and then eating as much fat as you want or need from a variety of natural sources. That tends to be self-regulating. ”

Good food choices are nuts, duck fat, grass-fed butter, grass-fed animal fats, free ranging pork, free ranging and bug eating eggs and high quality coconut oil.  

“Gluten can generate brain damage and inflammation in a person that isn’t immunologically reactive to it! You don’t have to have a gluten sensitivity to it to have a problem with it,” Gedgaudas says. She further adds, “All gluten stimulates the production of the enzyme called zonulin which controls intestinal permeability and it compromises your gut integrity regardless of whether you happen to be sensitive to it or not.”

“If you’re immunologically reactive to gluten and any of its cross reactive compounds than your avoidance of it needs to be total. If you’re 99% gluten free, then you’re not gluten free. Even a tiny bit can set up a neuro-inflammatory state in your brain that can take days, weeks, months or even years, possibly even decades. It just isn’t worth it,” she says.

“The primary effective gluten reactivity in the brain is what’s called cerebral hyperpoprofusion, a loss of blood flow to the brain, especially to the frontal cortex. It really dampens neuroconductives. That’s the part of your brain that you need in order to focus, have a positive mood, short-term memory, planning, mental organization. It’s the part of your brain that makes you most human,” she said.

Eating nutrient dense foods is recommended. Do eat animal fats from grass-fed animals, blueberries, fermented cod liver oil, turmeric, eggs, cruciferus vegetables, sprouted Brazil nuts, home-made yogurt, kefir, bone broth and hydrate with filtered water. To learn more from Nora Gedgaudas, and change your dietary existence to one that is nourishing and beneficial to your brain listen here:  https://at105.infusionsoft.com/go/rfco/eegnora/. To read her book where she goes further in-depth on the topic, including the studies mentioned above click here.

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*Nourishing Plot is written by a mom whose son has been delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia through food. This is not a newsarticle published by a paper trying to make money. This blog is put out by a mom who sees first hand the effects of nourishing food vs food-ish items. No company pays her for writing these blogs, she considers this a form of missionary work. It is her desire to scream it from the rooftops so that others don’t suffer from the damaging affect of today’s “food”.

Other sources:

http://www.neurology.org/content/36/3/362.short?sid=34f8b0f6-467e-4cfb-8622-bed048f26a9f

http://www.neurology.org/content/53/1/239.6.full?sid=6cb21954-4ba5-4724-bce6-2d6d91067259