The nervous system is easily the most fundemental aspect of our health. Many have come to neglect and have seemingly forgotten about its impact in all areas of health and wellness. It’s especially popular to focus on the adrenals and endocrine system, while neglecting to acknowledge the conductor of the entire orchestra: the nervous system. While I wont go too in- depth on the anatomy and physiology here, I will be focusing on how we can support our bodies to repair and rejuvenate us individually and, hopefully, on collective level, too. This is what we are in dire need of on a mass scale. A disease-state known as neurasthenia permeates our society under the radar as a growing number are affected by manifestations that include anxiety, depression, insomnia, irritability, hyper-activity and things like nerve pain or neuropathy. Increasingly common, more severe ramifications such as numbness, unexplained itching, tingling,  “burning”, or “pins and needles” are all indicative, in anyone that they surface in regardless of age or seeming health status, that the nervous system needs support.

The nervous system is responsible for everything that you think, feel, and perceive. Any pain you have traces back to the nervous system. This is made evident in chiropractic practice wherein  if someone’s shoulder may hurt it might actually caused by the gallbladder (an organ, very far from this part of the body and even infamous for being called an “accessory organ” by medical doctors in the event of a patient experiencing problems with it). The way this seemingly nonsensical relation actually works is because these two areas actually share the same nerve. They both innervate the T4 vertebra and therefore if one of them is inflamed, this will likely bother the other– so much so that it can even pull a vertebra out of place!

The nervous system includes everything from the brain to the spine (central) and all other the nerves which control activity and sensory processing information to and from various organs and limbs (peripheral). This is why it’s so important to nourish this aspect of your body. This system is responsible for sending messages to the rest of the body in order to tell it what to do, when, and how to do it! Our nervous system additionally perform even the analysis of these actions. So this completely controls and influences anyone’s perception and quality of life. If the nerves are irritated and dysfunctional on an individual scale, society will similarly become dysfunctional and irritated. As we can see, this results in chaos and hostility worldwide. So perhaps if we were all to feed our nervous systems the proper substances, we would all create a much happier life. In turn, this would mean a better world.

So, let us focus on the cause and solutions. To ensure a highly functioning nervous system, it’s necessary to first ensure that our nerves are protected. Neurons are coated with a waxy material called the myelin sheath. This myelin coats and shields your nerves, serving as an insulation for them. When the myelin sheath dysfunctions and degenerates, catastrophic, and seemingly fatal diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease can ensue. Some of these occurrences can lead to being wheelchair-ridden and/ or death. However, functional medicine has demonstrated that we can ingest certain nutrients to build this material up, effectively shielding and protecting our brain from such  disease wrought from inherent degeneration. In fact, the solutions are actually quite simple. Fats are in large part what make up the myelin sheath, allowing nerves to communicate effectively, sending messages to each other for us to move, think, and feel amazing.

Lecithin and choline (R) it makes perfect sense for lecithin and choline to support the nervous system and its surrounding myelin sheath because, as stated, the myelin and brain are lately composed of fat and the fat is what allows impulses to be conducted throughout the nervous system. Lecithin and choline both make up and help thin the bile so that it can properly emulsify and use fats. Choline is a B vitamin that many people aren’t aware of. This is especially important for liver function and lowering the blood pressure. This is because when the liver functions properly, fat gets properly emulsified and distributed into where it needs to be rather than be deposited into places that it does not belong such as the arteries or the liver itself— fat should only be utilized by the liver, not stored there for long amounts of time or in mass amounts, leading to stagnation and fatty liver. Lecithin helps this process indirectly by thinning the bile and making it easier for the gallbladder to function and get rid of the fat rather than having it be stored in the liver due to lacking processing of fat.

Inositol: Inositol has an affinity for the nerves. I’ve even seen it get rid of sciatica symptoms in my own clients, in addition to B12. This makes sense because inositol is also a b vitamin which protects the liver, enhancing its utilization of glucose, and the liver is what creates the neurotransmitters which facilitate the nerve impulses that allow us to think or move, for example. Inositol is a known carrier that transports these chemical messages throughout the cells, including feel-good messages.

B12: B12 is another ingredient required to create myelin. This is why people may experience nerve pain, tingling and even peripheral neuropathy just from a B12 deficiency alone (R). This all signals a fraying of the proverbial wire that is the nervous system around which the myelin sheath is supposed to protect. This is why the B12 is so important. For most people, a B12 deficiency will either be caused by a lack of stomach acid or an inadequate supply in the diet, often from eating a vegan diet with improper dietary nutrition or supplementation. The type of B12 you choose matters a lot– the most commonly found form, sold on the vast majority of shelves is made with cyanide, hence it’s name cyanocobalamin. You may have a hard time even finding the right kind in any stores you frequent. I speak from experience when I say it’s worth it to spend the possible extra money and effort on finding the better form called methylcobalamin. This provides raw ingredients for the necessary methylation process which also protects the liver. Methylation’s importance in the bodily processes was shown in one study with a fat mouse with mutated genes. Given an altered form of DNA which expressed itself via obesity and also a yellow coat, this mouse embodies the effects of having reduced methylation capacities (R). Luckily though, we have an option to consume nutrients that can contribute to this methylation process. When these pregnant mice were fed a high choline diet, because choline can affect the way methylation occurs, the poor traits these mice were expressing such as a kinked tail, were actually able to change (R).

Boron: Boron is highly necessary for proper brain function. It regulates calcium utilization which can have a major impact on excitotoxicity and consequential neurological health. Boron is also known for its capability to chelate out toxins from the pineal gland like fluoride and chlorine. Boron supports the body’s fight against fungal infection as well as parasites therefore becomes even more supportive to the entire system (R). As many of you may know, when you become riddled with a parasite or fungus, the body will spend all its time and energy focused on battling that rather than protecting your brain. Parasites have also been shown to decrease GABA which is our calming neurotransmitter that prevents seizures, allows us to sleep, and to just “chill out”. Boron has actually been shown to help stabilize ribose, which is a fundemental ingredient of our DNA! Ribose has shown to be helpful in very sever dysfunctions of the nervous system including fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (R). This is incredibly important, groundbreaking if you ask me! Still though, boron isn ‘t even included on nutrition facts labels  as a required nutrient. What a shame! So  you can get it supplementally here. If you don’t prefer going through Amazon, then you can find virtually any nutrient you’ll need on my personal, practitioner- grade supplement store by signing in here. I have also composed a variety of folders for customers to browse various symptomologies they or loved ones might experience.

Iodine (R)- Iodine is required by every cell in the body. It has even been shown that those with mental retardation all have a deficiency of iodine (R)! The best source I have come to learn about is kelp. Preferably, you’ll want an icelandic source from pristine waters, especially with how prevalent pollution has become in our oceans. Nature’s Way Kelp Vegetarian Capsules. Kelp is one source of iodine many people like because it comes with so many other necessary co-factors, supplying minerals and enzymatic reactions to support the assimilation of iodine in the body, which has so many uses. Most of us though, are extremely low and depleted of iodine due to inundation with the other halides like fluoride and bromide which can take up iodine’s place in the body when we don’t have enough iodine. Additionally, the potential radiation from Fukushima throws radioactive iodine into the mix. Personally, I’ve began using Lugol’s iodine and am amazed with the results. The brain fog and persistent fatigue I was experiencing for months, if not years on end, has largely vanished! This mineral naturally kills parasites, other heavy metals, and other pathogens. It’s no surprise that it also serves as supply to the thyroid gland, which interacts with our brain in our hormonal symphony. When we simply give our body the raw nutrients needed to perform, it does so in a way that many may have forgotten, or never even known, to be possible. By getting fluoride out of the collectively calcified pineal glands of our society, iodine has the functional potential to support one’s natural circadian rhythm or sleep cycle, as well as correcting a host of seemingly unexplainable symptoms that are plaguing people at an ever increasing rate. The pineal gland can be responsible for restless legs, ringing in the ears, flashes of light, darting objects that aren’t there, and a greater susceptibility to the radio (and other) waves which are around oneself at any time. This can lead one to have an improper gate or walk, to stumble, or even to develop schizophrenia- like symptoms. This is something Dr. Richard Versendaal found and recorded in his studies. Auto-immune hyperthyroid may be contraindicated with supplementing with iodine so please consult with your doctor or a qualified health care practitioner before starting any iodine regimen, especially if you have this condition or an allergy to shellfish or other history of being sensitive to iodine. If you don’t have either of those conditions, you may perform an iodine patchtest, wherein you paint a 2-3″ square on your inner arm or any inconspicuous area where you will remember look in the coming hours to monitor your rate of absorption. Most people will find that their skin takes up the iodine within far less than 24 hours, which indicates iodine deficiency. Other necessary cofactors for proper utilization include other minerals, specifically selenium. Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium, with ones full daily requirement contained in only 1-5 nuts.

Potassium: potassium is vital for the nervous system and widely unacknowledged. It’s needed to supply stomach acid, which we need to absorb any and all nutrients we take in. Potassium is also required for nerve impulses to be sent. Each and every one of our cells uses a sodium-potassium pump to send messages to each other. potassium, which is the most abundantly necessary mineral in the body– the at daily requirement is a sky high 4,700 mg! A small disclaimer, for those who crave a lot of salt or are severely adrenally depleted, an amount this high may not be as needed temporarily while you heal. Potassium is especially helpful and needed for those with high cortisol, known as the deathly, hormone- stealing, stress chemical. Therefore, if we’re not supplying our bodies with enough potassium, naturally they are going to function less effectively. Often this will lead to anxiety, nervousness, muscle cramps and deficiency in other minerals because potassium is needed to allow all other nutrients into the cell. This happens by way of the aforementioned sodium- potassium pump. Other ways to know you’re deficient in this important mineral is if you are experiencing restless leg syndrome, or you can hear your heartbeat on your pillow. The lower potassium becomes, the faster, more noticeable and stronger one’s heartbeat can get. More stress will lead to greater potassium depletion. So those under greater amounts of stress will also often to need to increase their potassium. It’s necessary to maintain a proper balance with sodium to keep your cellular communication functioning properly, so be sure to listen to your body and if you’re craving salt– certainly don’t be afraid use plenty of real salt or pink Himalayan salt as a seasoning on your meal, or even a small pinch in your water if you are an athlete, sweating a lot or severely dehydrated. Potassium is the mineral that is required for the parasympathetic nervous system to operate, so it is important to take enough in order to relax. In fact, the way that you can find out if someone is “sympathetic dominant”, or in other words, overly stressed, is if they have a potassium level of 4% or lower (R). One would have to be incredibly mindful of their food intake to achieve the 4700 mg of potassium per day required for optimal functioning. Most dishes do not come anywhere close. Even some of the most nutrient dense foods like leafy greens only encompass about 10% of this value in an entire cup. Coconut water contains about the same amount, and this is only valid if there is no sugar added because sugar can deplete your level of potassium in itself. Plantain is one of the best sources I have found, containing about 25% DV in a single plantain. Little do many people know, plantains can be used in either sweet or savory dishes. When green, they’re savory and can be easily made into a pizza crust, a crunchy, salty snack called tostones, or whatever your creative little heart desires. Potatoes are also a decent source of potassium as are winter squash and beans, at about 15-20%. For a kind of “potassium insurance” which may be helpful if you are extra stressed, fatigued, dehydrated or demineralized and need an additional source, I like to always have a certain, humble kitchen ingredient known as cream of tartar on hand. This powder can be stirred into water, juice or a smoothie. This is a uniquely dense potassium source, with a tablespoon supplying almost a quarter of one’s daily value. It is not advised to take this much at once due to the potential to disrupt the sodium- potassium balance. Its been advised by “Queen of nutrition” Ann Louise Gittleman to start with about 1/4 teaspoon mixed and water and see how you feel from there. This also helps clean the blood. Pay attention to how you feel afterwards. For me this made a world of difference in aspects ranging from digestion, to mood, energy levels and sleep. For those who opt for a strictly whole- food option, a glass of the organic equivalent of v8 and adding a little salt just to what your taste prefers will generally give you exactly what you need.

Vitamin D– Vitamin can be helpful for depression, immune system stabilization, as well as healing the scar tissue of the brain– something that I’ve witnessed clinically. Most people can relate to that nice relaxed and contented feeling one develops through laying or being in the sun. Much of this comes from Vitamin D. Additionally though, the sun has a sort of “complex” of various synergistic properties and aspects that collectively contribute to a maximally disease-fighting, mood enhancing, health-supportive nutrient that is the sun. Vitamin D is also important to consider when it comes to caring for a specific, vital component to the nervous system– our pineal gland. We need D for this gland in order to prevent the improper utilization of calcium and in turn its dispersal into precious tissue like the pineal gland, which controls our ever important sleep-wake cycle as well as our dreams and even hormonal function, as well as the peripheral nervous system. Dysfunction in the PNS (peripheral nervous system) can lead to feelings of stinging, pins and needles, ring in the ears and even voices in the head at the worst extremes. In fact, the pineal gland affects the function of every cell in one way or another. This makes sense with not only how impactful sleep and the circadian rhythm is, but also with its primal positioning in the brain as well as the mere amount of blood that circulates to this area, which is only 2nd to the kidneys!! The sunlight complex, though, is by far most important when it comes to the pineal gland. This is largely due to the pineal gland’s being activated by the existence of light. For optimal pineal gland function and circadian rhythm, which has shown to have serious effects on all other aspects of health, try to get out in the sun as early as possible once you wake up. This sends a message to your brain that its time to wake up. It’s also important to be cogniscent of your night time exposure too in order to care for this important gland. Our addiction to blue lights which come from our phones, headlights and lightbulbs are severely hampering the function of this gland which depends on the light and darkness of the natural light outside provided to us by the sun. It’s no wonder so many people have insomnia and other resultant psychological issues that come with impaired or even backwards pineal gland functioning which has been shown to be associated with things like bipolar disorder, depression, and even schizophrenia. Blue blocking sunglasses are one way to help your body transition to it’s more normal sleep-wake cycle. These are also available apps and phone settings like night shift on the iPhone for this purpose. Vitamin K is also important for calcium utilization to ensure that calcium doesn’t become walled off in soft nervous tissue. Silica serves this same purpose and simultaneously chelates aluminum which has been found widely distributed into the popular brain systems where Alzheimer’s and autism are detected. This aluminum accumulation was noticed by Russell Blaylock, who used to perform brain surgery and found nanonized aluminum particles from aerosol sprays to be a main cause of the illness and disease that runs rampant in plaguing our collective nervous systems today. He now utilizes nutrition to help these issues and has a fantastic newsletter filled with peer- reviewed academic studies called the Blaylock Report.

B Complex: All of the B- Vitamins are incredibly supportive to and necessary for the nerves and brain function, as well as the energy levels that run through those nerves. The right amount of B vitamins help maintain an ideal level of energy without fatigue or anxiety from over- stimulation. The proper balance of each B- Vitamin is different for everyone so this is best tested energetically, using a method like kinesiology or another form of biofeedback such as lingual neuro-testing.

Vitamin B1 or thiamin can actually heal nerve pain resulting from massive damage, from what I’ve seen clinically and on a personal level. In fact, studies have shown high doses of thiamin to even be capable of healing optic neuritis which leads to blindness (R). It’s amazing how much scientific proof there is on the ability of thiamin alone to completely reverse nerve damage issues like neuropathy, which is identified by sensations like numbness, shocking, prickling, burning, or shooting pains.

B6: Vitamin B6 is a necessary co-factor to almost any neuro-chemical reaction that goes on in the body. This leads to a feeling of greater contentment with a sufficient amount of B6. This B Vitamin can help you remember your dreams. This can also help with waking up in the morning. I really like the P5P version, which comes pre- coenzymated. Jarrow Formulas Methyl B-12/Methyl Folate and Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P-5-P) Lozenges, Supports Brain Health, 100 Count. This kind is good because it has both p5p as well as a methylcobalamin form of B12, as well as methylfolate with helps with better absorption of the B12. Even better, it comes in a sublingual lozenge which can actually be absorbed right into the blood stream as opposed to needing to be digested, which is much more complicated because B2 is especially dependent on having enough HCl, which most people who are sick, depressed or anxious don’t because of inflammation. What this means is basically that your body doesn’t have to do the extra work converting it into the activated or usable form. This can also help with those who have genetic “shortcomings” otherwise known as methylation problems. So, this way, you don’t have to do any testing or guessing, you just know that it will properly assimilated. Then, you can focus on getting enough of these other nutrients and herbs so you can optimize your nervous system.

Magnesium: much like B6, is necessary for a variety of chemical reactions throughout the body. Magnesium though, is also necessary for digestion and detoxification. Magnesium is required for muscle relaxation and is also one of the minerals that people are collectively the lowest in. It can even help with blood pressure dude to this ability to facilitate relaxation. Part of the way this is allowed to take place is because magnesium has an opposing affect with calcium. When a cell gets overexcited, which is all too common these days with excito-toxins, stress and especially EMF’s from technology which we bombard ourselves with, this leads to a major influx of calcium in the cell, hence causing this over excitation.  Interestingly, it was found that those with muscular dystrophy or ALS, all have been found to be particularly low in magnesium. Magnesium is also a known remedy for headaches. This is likely by way of aiding the liver in detoxification as well as allowing the bile duct of the gall bladder to relax so that bile can flow out as it should and there is no more of the congestion which so often causes these headaches and migraines so commonly. You can get magnesium in leafy greens as well as sprouted nuts and some fruits. Sadly much of the soil our food is grown in has been severely depleted so that it doesn’t supply the minerals and nutrients that it used to. This is because a law has been passed stating that soil, even that which food for human consumption will be grown in, only needs to contain the three minerals that plants (not those that consume it require: potassium, phosphorus and sodium. This is why so many people are so low in magnesium, leading to over-excitation in the nervous system, headaches, anxiety and depression.

Silica: Silica is so important to not only the nervous system but also the skin, hair, bones, teeth and nails. Silica actually chelates aluminum as well as transporting other minerals. This means every other mineral on this list wouldn’t be quite the same without adequate amounts of silica. Some food and herbal sources of this include horsetail, oats, and oat straw tea. My favorite form though is in diatomaceous earth. This is because, especially when it comes to the nervous system, this can be restorative by getting the bad things out of your body so the damage stops happening. As stated above, silica has an affinity for aluminum which is so important when we’re being flooded with nanonized aluminum particles found in aerosol jet sprays and vaccines, as well as in much smaller amounts such as that found in food, food handled or cooked with aluminum cookware such as cooking foil, or from crops grown in heavy metal polluted areas. This is why it’s so important to get your fill of silica every day. What’s even better about diatomaceous earth, though, is that it actually able to kill parasites at the same time! Yes, it’s amazing. Not only that, but diatomaceous earth has been shown to be helpful and effective for candida as well. Some even claim that because of the negative charge it carries (as many things in nature have- which is why it feels so good to get outside in nature ) it can also carry out many pollutants and pathogens since they all, incredibly, have a positive charge! Isn’t it amazing how there are so many simplicities and answers for us to be discovered in nature? Here’s the kind of diatomaceous earth I like to use.

Taurine: This amino acid has actually been shown to re-sensitize GABA receptors and therefore strengthen the nervous system due to reducing over-excitation. When the brain is over-excited, there is a drastic influx in calcium voltage gate channel ions, causing leakage of calcium ions and therefore allowing excess pathogens as well as toxins into the cells of the nervous system simultaneously. Taurine helps this by quelling this over-excitation and putting the metaphorical breaks on in the nervous system. This is why taurine has been shown to prevent epileptic seizures (R). Source Naturals Taurine 500 mg Tabs, 120 ct

Infrared Light: This is one of those aspects of the sun that’s vital for proper physiological function, infection- fighting capabilities, brain function, and sleep. The way I do it is by simply using a simple, inexpensive brooder lamp and Near Infrared light bulb that you can hang up anywhere and use on any part of the body that you’d like to get increased circulation and healing. It’s been recommended (on Organic Olivia’s site) to use exposure durations of no more than 10 minutes on the head (such as on the sinuses, ears, etc) or up to 60 minutes elsewhere, held about 12-24 inches from the body. This can be done 2-3 times a day, any time that’s suitable for you and you’d like to relax and regenerate.

Turmeric or Curcumin: Turmeric can help strengthen the nervous system by helping the body to produce glutathione, the body’s main antioxidant. Glutathione can actually help recycle other main antioxidants in the body such as selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and many others. Therefore not only can simply incorporating inexpensive turmeric root, turmeric powder or extract into the diet be supportive to optimal nervous system health and function, this can help save you tons of money and nutrition by cutting down the excess nutrients you would otherwise need if they weren’t getting recycled. Make sure you’re combining a turmeric powder with an oil if you’re not taking an extract, as it’s more soluble in fat. Adding black pepper can greatly enhance your absorption even more due to the availability from the synergism of curcumin with piperine.

Most people, about 60% of the population, are known as having what is known as a “Vata” in Ayurveda, or in other words a colder, drier nervous constituency. This is associated with wind, or flightiness. It is also associated with being a “neurasthenic” or other words, an overwhelmed, over exhausted nervous system. When these types get unbalanced, especially in the Fall/ winter (which is a Vata-dominant season), symptoms like anxiety, nervousness, and a sense of un-groundedness can ensue. Foods like sweet potato, yam, ginger root, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and allspice can be incredibly warming and nourishing to this body type. While many of us have been taught to avoid carbs and starches at all costs, especially for this body type, they can be extremely beneficial and nourishing. Other very nourishing foods for neurasthenic types include “grounding” and root vegetables like cooked beets, carrots, and turnips as well as butternut, acorn and delicata squash. These foods share the common properties of being sweet, smooth, and warming which are all incredibly supportive for this increasingly common type of nervous system condition. It’s best to enjoy foods hot in order to help the nervous and the digestive systems and optimize one’s health if you are one of these more nervous types. Other common characteristics include dried hair and skin, as well as a thinner body type. Shakiness is another indicator. Nuts can be very nourishing for this body type and during this season too, as they are richer and more grounding. They give us more sustenance as do dairy products (selectivity is still important, grass fed and organic, ideally local are always the way to go when it comes to animal products) and darker meats for omnivores.  Oils, too are very grounding and important in this season and they will help keep your skin nice and moist even in the driest, coldest days– provided that your gallbladder is working properly to digest these fats.

Omega 3’s: are incredibly important for rebuilding the myelin sheath, protecting the microglia in the brain from excitotoxicity (R), as well as calming own inflammation and pre-cursing necessary hormones for pain and mood as well as the membrane to each of our cells.

Nervine Tropho- Restoring Herbs and nutrients: Nervine tropho restorative herbs are essentially herbs that can help rebuild and strengthen the nervous system. Some are even capable of rebuilding brand new neurons (also known as brain cells) now I bet your MD didn’t tell you that!

Milks Oat Seed: milky oat seed is known to be one of the most versatile, onesizefits-all nervine tropho restorative herbs. It has been known to help people feel and see differences within a matter of only 60 days, as found by a clinician at the School of Evolutionary Herbalism. This herb has a warm and moist property which is extremely helpful for those who tend toward a neurasthenic condition.

St Johns Wort: St John’s Wort can help with nerve pain as well as depression (R),(R). St John’s worth has shown to be as effective as prescriptions for depression. I particularly like this herb during the Winter when most people have Seasonal Affective Disorder, anxiety and just more of an overall sense of doom. This is an herb for those on mood-altering medications to steer clear of and also to be taken with caution as a small part of the population can become more photo-sensitive, or easily burnt in some cases. This is why it’s an especially great idea, not to mention the most applicable, to take it during the winter when SAD is most prominent anyway.

Wood Betony: Wood betony is an amazing herb that can help regulate gastric secretions, but does so by strengthening the gut- brain axis known as the vagus nerve. This is a nerve that connects every single organ in the body to the brain, allowing for proper regulation of each member of one’s own anatomical symphony. Wood betony can be supportive to the gallbladder which emulsifies fats to coat the nerves and it used to be as common in the UK for anxiety as Xanax is here in the U.S. today. In fact, there used to be a saying that “You should sell your coat and get some wood betony!” because of it’s uniquely supportive and nourishing ability to let your worries drift away as it replenishes and rebuilds your nervous system, giving you a much needed chance to rest.

Ashwaganda: This herb is both an adaptogen and a nervine tropho- restorative. This makes it uniquely helpful for those experiencing burnout. I love this herb before bed, especially combined with magnolia bark. Just make sure you’re not allergic or sensitive to anything in the nightshade family such as potatoes or peppers.

Lion’s Mane: This amazing mushroom contains nerve growth factor, allowing for the actual regeneration of new nervous tissue! How amazing is that!?

Bacopa: Bacopa has been said to help patients with Alzheimer’s (R) due to its ability to protect brain cells (R). It can also regulate neurotransmitters to an optimal state, regardless of what the imbalance is. This has even shown therapeutic benefit for those with schizophrenia (R). Furthermore, it’s shown success in helping epileptic rats to regain control of their motor function (R)! How is this all not front page news?!? This genius plant is also shown to have anti-parkinsonian effects (R). All of these functions make perfect sense when you consider the herb being nervine tropho-restorative.  Bacopa also serves as an adaptogen as well which means it can help you adapt to stress and deal with it better while also healing damage from it on the neural level. This also makes sense as the bacopa plant itself is known to grow away from predators.

Skullcap: This herb is aptly named as it gives the ability to calm down overactive thinking. When boiling water is used to make a decoction or tea out of this herb, you’ll likely experience a nervine- tropho restorative effect, reairing nerves and even capable of hlping with pain. IF you use below- boiling water, though, to make a decoction, you’ll get a more sedative- hypnotic effect suitable for sleep. This herb is more cooling in nature so please pair this with another warming tropho-restorative or even something like ginger if you have a colder or Vata constituency, which you likely do if you’re looking to heal your nervous system.

Cannabinoids CBD?: Various cannabinoids ranging from non-psychoactive CBD or cannabidiol or mind-altering THC, have both been shown to have neural- protective effects ranging from treatments for alzheimers (R) to treatment of epilepsy (R) and even autism spectrum disorders (R). This has been found clinically as well as antectdotal support which can be easily found online by looking up epileptic patient’s reactions to these constituents.

Verbena (lemon balm)– lemon balm is anti-viral which allows for a relaxing effect on the nerves due to how much of an effect viruses can have on the nerves. You know this if you’ve had the experience of shingles, for instance.

High Quality salt: This is incredibly important for proper mineral utilization and in turn relaxation and sufficient energy. I like Real or Celtic Salt. Another more recent fun one I’ve found is Hawaiian black Lava salt which naturally contains activated charcoal, a potent detoxifier that binds to and removes anything harmful out of the body (R).

Chamomile: Chamomile is rich in apegenin, a compound found to be capable of acting like an antioxidant, capable of protecting the nervous system from excitotoxicity by aforementioned neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock. Chamomile can be taken any time during the day for mildly soothing, and still uplifting traits. Chamomile tea can also be used to soothe an upset stomach or cramping. Make sure you aren’t allergic to ragweed before trying chamomile tea or other chamomile-based products. It’s worth noting that often, so-called allergies, are not allergies at all but rather a sign of congestion in the liver and digestive symptoms, which put a burden on the adrenals, making it hard for the body to filter our yet another foreign compound. When anyone’s body is healthy, digesting properly, and their organs are supported as they should be, allergies seize.

Luteolin: A flavonoid, found in many plant foods such as dandelion, celery, parsley, and thyme as well as many other plant foods which are colored green, that has shown to act like a shield to UV radiation (R)! I find this to be quite amazing. And although they were exclusively studying the effects of sunlight in this clinical analysis, I would venture to postulate that perhaps this same effects could be had with unnatural, more harmful forms of radiation we face today such as those from EMF’s. This makes sense if luteolin is an antioxidant which is also known as a free radical quencher. By defition, a free radical scavenger goes into the body and eats up those damaging “oxidized” free radical positive ions which reap aging and pathogenic processes when the body is overburdened with them.

Apegenin: this amazing compound has actually shown to negate and combat some of the most damaging effects of toxic drugs in the liver (R). Furthermore, the plant substance has been shown in studies to help treat cancer that was resistant to chemotherapy (R). Apegenin can be found in chamomile, thyme, parsley, celery, and an amazing adaptogenic herb called bacopa monnieri. This plant is in itself protective to the nervous system, especially with respect to excitotoxicity. Dandelion is another good source of apigenin, which just about anyone can find growing wild, organic, and for free! This plant can also help support the liver and gallbladder which will allow you to better excrete these unwanted excitatory toxins.

Apigenin protects against excito-toxicity (R), which is, as you may have noticed, one of the biggest threats caused by the pollutants and chemicals in our society that have increased so drastically. The nervous system, for example, has been found to be the organ system most profoundly affected by electromagnetic radiation, which can lead to neuropsychiatric effects (R). While nothing can be said for sure, that would sure make sense with the fairly recent upsurge shootings and otherwise completely unfathomable tirades by both public citizens and public servants. Apigenin is also protective against neuro-oxidation and calcium buildup inside of mitochondria which is one of the biggest effects of an increase in EMF exposure. Our mitochondria is what controls how we generate and run on energy. If our mitochondria aren’t working properly, we’re going to feel pretty bad, so this bio-flavonoid is extremely important. In fact, to great of a calcium dysregulation in relation to the mitochondria can actually lead to a lessening of mitochondria throughout our cells. Fortunately though, this can be functionally supported by activating the NRF2 pathway and in turn activating important protective intracellular antioxidants (R).

Quercetin: is another beneficial free radical scavenger. It can be found in raspberries, bilberries, red apple peel, red wine, red onions and green tea. It has anti- allergenic characteristics (R) and can also increase energy and endurance (R). It’s shown to be capable of getting virus, bacteria and fungus out of the cell. This also makes it a great option for supporting the nervous system since this is one of the first and most impactful mechanisms that these pathogenic microbes effect.

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