The Glymphatic System: what on Earth is it - and 7 ways to improve it!

Join Dr. Van Dyken for a lesson about the Glymphatic System. We discuss what it is and why it is important, then discuss 7 ways to optimize glymphatic function. References used/cited in the video: 1. "Does Sleep Flush Wastes From the Brain? | Neurology | JAMA ...." 16 May. 2021, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2780296 2. "The Glymphatic System: A Beginner's Guide - PubMed - NIH." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25947369/ 3. "Understanding the Glymphatic System - Neuronline - Society for ...." https://neuronline.sfn.org/scientific-research/understanding-the-glymphatic-system 4. "The Sleeping Brain: Harnessing the Power of the Glymphatic System" 16 Nov. 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7698404/ 5. "Intermittent Fasting Protects against Alzheimer's Disease ... - PubMed." 28 Nov. 2017, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29238290/ 6. "The Effect of Body Posture on Brain Glymphatic Transport - NCBI." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4524974/ 7. "Beneficial effects of low alcohol exposure, but adverse ... - NCBI - NIH." 1 Feb. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5797082/ 8. "Achieving brain clearance and preventing neurodegenerative diseases" - SAGE Journals. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0271678X20982388 9. "The Glymphatic System: A Novel Component of Fundamental Neurobiology" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34526407/ Today, we are going to talk about something new - you may have never heard of it before. This “thing” didn’t exist in anatomy textbooks when I went to medical school - it’s a new discovery. It’s the glymphatic system. Glymphatic - stands for “glial dependent lymphatic transport.” In short - its a lymphatic like system in your brain. We all know about the lymphatic system, which is so important to a healthy body because it gets rid of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials in our bodies. Just like your lymphatic system filters and “purifies” toxins from the blood, the glymphatic system appears to filter and “purify” the brain. Since its discovery, we are finding that a functioning glymphatic system is important for healthy Aging, especially maintaining cognitive health and memory as we get older. We are also finding that there are certain things we can do to maximize our glymphatic system activity - and there are other things we should avoid AT ALL COSTS because of how toxic they are to our brain health. Based on the research we currently have, here are 7 ways to improve your glymphatic system: 1. Try to get as much high quality, deep sleep as possible. 2. Ensure you are getting enough omega-3s. Omega-3s have been found to modulate glymphatic activity. This fits with some epidemiological studies that associate increased levels of omega 3 fatty acids with lower incidence of neurodegenerative disease. Omega 3 fatty acids have potent anti-inflammatory properties, and they seem to promote beta-amyloid clearance. 3. Intermittent fasting. There have been a few studies that show that intermittent day fasting lowered the amount of beta amyloid in the brain. Scientists think this is because when you fast - a compound called beta hydroxybutyrate is produced, and this compound crosses the blood brain barrier and indirectly exerts a protective effect when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease progression. 4. Sleeping position. Gravity affects the movement of blood and CSF through the brain. Glymphatic transport seems to be most efficient in the right lateral sleeping position, followed by the left lateral sleeping position, with more CSF clearance occurring in those positions compared to lying supine or prone. 5. Alcohol. There is no question that chronic alcoholism affects the brain in a bad way. People who use alcohol chronically have been shown to have a decrease in brain size by at least 10%. This is a study done in 2018 looking at alcohol intake and glymphatic function. It found that acute exposure to low amounts of alcohol boosted glymphatic function. It also found that chronic low-dose alcohol intake boosted glymphatic function, But chronic medium dose inhibited glymphatic function. Number 6. Exercise. Glymphatic flow is accelerated by physical training and improves both memory and cognition in neurodegenerative diseases. One study showed that voluntary running over a 6 week period reduced inflammation in the brain and reduced the deposition of amyloid beta plaque in the brain - mainly through an increase in glymphatic clearance. Exercise is one of the most effective neuroprotective lifestyle choices we can make when it comes to healthy brain aging and preventing neurodegeneration. 7. Avoid chronic stress. Chronic psychological stress is a common risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. So, there you have it. 7 strategies to optimize your glymphatic system. Pretty simple stuff, but when you put it all together it makes a huge difference when it comes to improving overall brain health.

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