I've reviewed hundreds of rodent and human studies on various herbs and the potential benefits of bacopa in epilepsy have always stood out to me as being some of the most promising, yet the relevant human data seems to be totally lacking
When we consider the role that GABA/glutamate imbalances play in nearly every mental illness and neurodegenerative disorder, the potential applications of these herbs is extensive
There's obviously the possibility these mechanisms won't carry over, but based on my own and my friends' personal experiences with them I'd bet good money that they do
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N-acetylserotonin, the chemical byproduct of serotonin and precursor to melatonin, acts as an agonist of the TrkB receptor (the same receptor that BDNF activates)
This is another interesting pathway by which MAO inhibition may enhance the actions of neurotrophic factors
Increasing serotonin is also known to raise BDNF levels itself via activation of various serotonin receptors, we see this in SSRI's and other serotonergic supplements/drugs
This pathway could replicate a portion of these effects even if serotonin is not increased significantly
Mostly I find this interesting in the context of beta-carboline containing herbs which act as mild reversible MAO inhibitors, like ginseng or polygala
Most herbs with these properties behave well in rodent metrics of increasing neurogenesis
I think I've found the mechanism behind the reports psychedelics reversing anosmia in some cases, I'll post the studies below
There's a strong association in rodent studies between the neurogenesis growth factors NGF and BDNF in creating new olfactory neurons
Psychedelics are known to increase these growth factors to what seems to be a remarkable degree, perhaps even lasting months after exposure
It seems that the elevated level of these growth factors improves healing of this segment of the nervous system
Hypothetically you could use foods and herbs which are also known to increase BDNF and NGF instead if you aren't comfortable or able to use psychedelics
If anyone has tried this I'd love to hear your experience so far
I had a client recently that mentioned he would feel sick for 2-3 days if he ate junk food after just a few months following my dietary framework, when he before used to eat these foods daily
The key is cutting out hyper-palatable processed foods
These include fried foods, processed grains, iron-fortified foods, and foods with a lot of added sugar
For some individuals cutting out (cow) dairy may be necessary as well
Interestingly I've seen kefir have a significant impact on both reversing food sensitivity and helping individuals rebalance after cutting out problem foods
I believe this has something to do with the interaction of probiotics like L. casei with regulatory T cells
I believe it's no coincidence that inhibitory neurotransmitters release chloride ions into the neuron while excitatory neurotransmitters release calcium or sodium
Chloride belongs to the halide family of elements and is highly electronegative, it acts as a dielectric blocker
What this means is that it reduces the dielectric constant of cellular water and limits the DC electric current between neurons
While we mostly think of signaling between neurons in terms of neurotransmitter release, they also utilize electric conduction
It seems chloride was selected for specifically because of its electronegativity which allows it to block both electric and chemical signaling between neurons
Calcium and sodium seem to have the opposite effect, perhaps due to their electronegativity being 1/3rd that of chloride
If you choose to use higher doses of iodine be sure to provide plenty of its cofactors selenium, riboflavin, and vitamin C as well
Magnesium and sodium may also be beneficial
I'd start with a lower dose and taper up intake, as I don't believe megadoses are necessary or advisable in many cases
Be aware that high doses of iodine can increase thyroid metabolism, and especially if not paired with proper selenium may contribute to thyroid disorders
Berberine is notable among "anti-diabetic" herbs/supplements in the fact that it acts as a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor
DPP-4 is responsible for breaking down various peptides, including growth hormone, VEGF, and GLP-1, blocking it increases insulin activity
The "liptin" class of type 2 diabetes medication are based on this mechanism
Berberine shares other mechanisms with diabetes medications as well, such as activating AMPK (similar to metformin), but it is the only herbal compound I could find that inhibits DPP-4
DPP-4 inhibitors are known to increase satiation from food, lower blood glucose, and increase insulin release
AMPK activation may help to promote/maintain insulin sensitivity as well
According to one study, berberine may also reduce elevated total serum cholesterol as well