Column #78 

In October 2014, a report was released that proved the brain is directly connected to the vessels of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system was discovered in the 17th century but its connection to the brain had never been detected before. Obviously, the significance of this discovery is now influencing the study and treatment of neurological diseases including autism, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis.

The authors of the report were Antoine Louveau, PhD, researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and Jonathan Kipnis, PhD, professor in the UVA Department of Neuroscience and director of UVA’s Center for Brain Immunology and Glia.

According to Kipnis, “Instead of asking, ‘How do we study the immune response of the brain?’ ‘Why do multiple sclerosis patients have the immune attacks?’ now we can approach this mechanistically. Because the brain is like every other tissue connected to the peripheral immune system through meningeal lymphatic vessels. It changes entirely the way we perceive the neuro-immune interaction. We always perceived it before as something esoteric that can’t be studied. But now we can ask mechanistic questions.”

“We believe that for every neurological disease that has an immune component to it, these vessels may play a major role,” Kipnis said. “In Alzheimer’s, there are accumulations of big protein chunks in the brain. We think they may be accumulating in the brain because they’re not being efficiently removed by these vessels.”

This discovery of the brain’s connection to the immune system and the belief that mechanistic approaches may help solve or prevent some of these diseases is very exciting. This is especially relevant when we couple this information with the September 2014 study, Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program, by Dale E. Bredesen, MD.

Bredesen’s study involved ten patients with memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. He prescribed food and supplements rather than a concoction of single pathway drugs. Nine of the ten participants showed marked improvement within three to six months. Bredesen’s diet was nutrient dense and diverse, low glycemic, with a goal to balance the Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs).

Now that we know the brain is connected the same way to the immune system as are all other parts of the body, we have additional reasons to utilize an autoimmune protocol diet to improve our health.

For many years nutritional scientists have been stressing the significance of the EFA balance on the immune system. Balances above 4:1 have been associated with inflammation and autoimmune disorders. Balances of 1:1 have had positive responses in lowering inflammation and, in some cases, stopping autoimmune disorders.

The best diet includes grass-fed meats, wild-caught seafood, Omega-3 poultry, Omega-3 pork, and dark green vegetables. An autoimmune diet eliminates high glycemic foods and unbalanced EFA foods such as grains, seeds, processed foods, sugars, syrups, and many fruits. It also greatly restricts the consumption of nuts because of their high EFA ratios.

In addition to diet, Dr. Bredesen recommends 30 minutes of exercise 4-5 days week, eight hours of sleep per night, daily meditation, fasting 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, optimized oral hygiene, and two teaspoons of quality fish oil per day.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

Glia: the Other Brain Cells

Meningeal Lymphatic Vessels from Wikipedia

Reversal of Cognitive Decline: a Novel Therapeutic Program by Dale E. Bredesen, MD.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases by Artemis P. Simopoulos, MD, FACN

Historical Perspectives on the Impact of n-3 and n-6 Nutrients on Health by Bill Lands
Report provided by ScienceDirect.com at https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2011.03.031

Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements Improve Inflammation and Auto-Immunity

Reversing Cognitive Decline

Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG)

Omega 3 Test DIY Home Test for EFA Ratio
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Ted Slanker's Omega-3 Blood Test