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Lowering Glutamate | Cistus

Our family LOVES to hike and can be found wandering in the woods during most of the summer.  After a bullseye rash and Lyme scare a few years ago, I started incorporating the herb Cistus prior to hiking as it is known to repel ticks.  This mild and sweet-tasting herb was an easy addition to our herbal teas but wasn’t until recently that I discovered the true benefits of this incredible herb. Sardinian Cistus Incanus has a long list of healing properties, but is most well known for its anti-bacterial, anti-mold, anti-viral (Lyme, herpes, EBV, HIV, etc) properties [...]

Lowering Glutamate | Cistus2021-09-16T12:11:45-04:00

Lowering Glutamate | Luteolin Flavonoid

Luteolin- A type of flavonoid found in celery, chamomile, carrots, celery, parsley, thyme, oregano, sage, basil, peppermint, artichoke and spinach is known to reduce brain and systematic inflammation by CALMING MICROGLIAL CELLS and therefore lower glutamate and cytokine levels (microglia are activated as a first step in immune response and they signal additional glutamate). Mixing these food sources with coconut oil or olive oil will help increase absorption. It is also a strong inhibitor of mast cells and helps autoimmune disorders with the reduction of immune cells. Luteolin has also been shown to stimulate brain repair, reduce exitotoxicity (from [...]

Lowering Glutamate | Luteolin Flavonoid2021-09-16T13:27:06-04:00

Lowering Glutamate | Licorice Root (Glycyrrhizin)

Licorice Root (Glycyrrhizin) high in Carbenoxolone – inhibits glutamate release from microglia! “Liquiritigenin effectively reduced glutamate-induced early apoptosis through inhibition of Ca(2+) influx, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and lipid peroxidation.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24012889  “These observations suggest that glycyrrhizic acid may be of therapeutic value for the prevention of cerebral damage elicited by the glutamate.” http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/16952351 Thus, blockade of glutamate release from activated microglia with CBX or DON may be an effective therapeutic strategy against neurodegeneration in MS. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19212100  Why Is This Important? Glutamate is also the most abundant neurotransmitter, responsible for regulating over 50% of the nervous [...]

Lowering Glutamate | Licorice Root (Glycyrrhizin)2021-09-16T13:31:06-04:00

Lowering Glutamate | Ginseng

Ginseng– inhibits inflammation caused by microglial/immune activation and therefore lower glutamate and cytokine levels (microglia are activated as a first step in immune response and they signal additional glutamate/cytokines/etc). “Ginseng extracts also inhibit immunoexcitotoxic activation of microglia, an important factor in preventing the destructive process of Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, components in American ginseng, Korean red ginseng, and Panax ginseng all inhibit inflammation caused by microglial activation. Regulation of microglial activity is critically important in brain protection because these specialized immune cells can either be beneficial or quite harmful, depending on what state they are in. The protective activation mode stimulates [...]

Lowering Glutamate | Ginseng2021-09-16T13:37:57-04:00

Lowering Glutamate | Andrographis

Andrographis (andrographolide)–Most commonly known as popular herb to treat Lyme, but it is also has antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic properties. Most importantly, andrographis inhibits microglial activation (see below).  We have sourced ours from Sage Woman Consulting & Apothecary : Tincture & Leaf/Flower “Neuroprotective effects of andrographolide in a rat model of permanent cerebral ischaemia” “Andrographolide exhibited neuroprotective effects, with accompanying suppression of NF-κB and microglial activation, and reduction in the production of cytokines including TNF-α and IL-1β, and pro-inflammatory factors such as PGE2. Our findings suggest that andrographolide may have therapeutic value in the treatment of [...]

Lowering Glutamate | Andrographis2021-09-22T11:45:16-04:00

Why Are More Males Affected With Autism?

While there are many theories on this, I found the glutamate and immune activation connection to be the most interesting. Often you will hear children with autism have experienced some sort of trauma (prematurity, stroke, etc.) or substantial changes to immune function, leading to immune activation (vaccines, illness, and it is now linked that mothers immune activation can trigger immune activation within the fetus, and so on) that parents believe may have triggered or caused their autism. Both trauma and immune activation cause an increase in glutamate.  “It was initially thought that autistic children had fewer glutamate [...]

Why Are More Males Affected With Autism?2019-04-07T21:38:39-04:00

A Story of Hope with REID: Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS)

We occasionally get letters or comments from parents that have seen improvements in health with REID. To help provide hope to so many still in the trenches, I’ve decided to make more of an effort to share some these comments (with their permission, of course). Many of us don’t have it all figured out, but we cling to the hope and words of progress. Everyone’s journey is different, diet changes may not reap huge changes for all, but it is absolutely helping some. Like this family, glutamate and the REID diet have been a huge piece to [...]

A Story of Hope with REID: Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS)2019-09-29T17:03:53-04:00
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