How to Clean Your Brain of Toxins | Dr. Mandell

Brain cells, like all cells of the body, require food and oxygen for metabolism. And like all cells of the body, brain cell metabolism results in waste. During the day, this waste collects in the brain’s fluid. Some of this waste dissolves in the fluid, but most of it simply collects, waiting for sleep.

We call the process of eliminating toxins, “cleansing” or “detoxification,” which is the opposite of “intoxication.” The body has several organs aimed at helping to clean up:

• Skin
• Liver
• Lungs
• Kidneys
• Spleen
• Gall Bladder
• Lymphatic System

But just like any filtration system, the efficiency starts to drop with repeated exposure and lack of proper maintenance. This is exactly why I recommend everyone to detox at least once per year if not every 3 to 4 months for maximum health.

The body has its own set of detox organs that act as custodians: Whenever waste is formed, it sweeps it clean. The brain, however, is outside its reach despite the fact that it uses up about 20 percent of your body’s energy. So how does it all get cleared? What happens to all the wrappers and leftovers that litter the room after any mental workout?

UNTIL a few years ago, the prevailing model was based on recycling: The brain got rid of its own waste by breaking it down and recycling it at an individual cell level. When that process eventually failed, the buildup would result in age-related cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer’s would develop. Surely the body is smarter than that!!!

MODERN society is increasingly ill equipped to provide our brains with the requisite cleaning time. Some 80 percent of working adults suffer to some extent from sleep deprivation. According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults should sleep seven to nine hours. On average, we’re getting one to two hours less sleep a night than we did 50 to 100 years ago and 38 minutes less on weeknights than we did as little as 10 years ago. Between 50 and 70 million people in the United States suffer from some form of chronic sleep disorder. When our sleep is disturbed, whatever the cause, our cleaning system breaks down.

How To Clean & Detox Your Brain: The Amazing Glymphatic System