Causes and Treatments for Increased Blood Brain Barrier Permeability and Resultant Oxidative Stress to the Brain.

Dobberstein, Linda J.

It is generally recognized that the human body's reaction to environmental chemicals and stressors can significantly determine the health and wellbeing of that individual. We are now seeing various common household and environmental chemicals such as heavy metals, pesticides, and insecticides, affecting the health of the blood brain barrier, thus causing a decrease in its effectiveness to protect the brain from oxidative stress. We are also seeing that various disease states (such as Alzheimer's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, mild traumatic brain injury) present or co-exist with altered blood brain barrier permeability. Several nutrients were found to enhance the integrity of the blood brain barrier as well as to protect the brain from the oxidative stress that occurred in the presence of these states. Nutrients such as glutathione, lipoic acid, SAMe, thiamine, and even dietary changes were shown to have an effect on the health of the blood brain barrier and/or the amount of oxidative stress incurred by the brain. What follows is a discussion of the issues causing the difficulties as well as solutions for these difficulties facing the clinician.

OXIDATIVE stress; BRAIN; PHYSIOLOGICAL stress; GLUTATHIONE; LIPOIC acid; VITAMIN B1

Nutritional Perspectives: Journal of the Council on Nutrition, 2005, Vol 28, Issue 2, p23

0160-3922

Academic Journal