NATURALNEWS - Perhaps the most debilitating health issue anyone has to face is damage to the neurological system. We know from medical science and informed experiences that persons with, say, spinal cord damage or who have suffered a massive stroke, endure neurological damage that modern science thus far has been unable to fully repair.

And yet, aside from a major medical or physical injury, there are ways that we can protect our bodies from suffering neurological damage – the kind that affects us slowly, over time, and will have done its worst damage at a point in our lives when we need our mental and neuro-faculties the most.

As noted by Justin Faerman writing at the Wake Up World news site:

"Powerful neurotoxins are contained in our food and emitted as gases from the myriad of synthetic materials used in houses, cars, clothes and so on. The bright, artificial lights of computer screens and cellphones alter delicate circadian neurotransmitter balances by overstimulating our optic nerves after dark. Our foods have often times been grown in devitalized soils and then further processed and packaged, robbing our bodies of essential vitamins and minerals—literally the fuel for our brains."

In fact, he notes, there are four powerful ancient herbs that not only boost brain power, but can be helpful in rebuilding damaged neuronal connectors. Some you may have heard of, others, not so much.

Gotu Kola

Trusted by Daoist and yoga masters for thousands of years as a powerful herb that boosts longevity, Gotu Kola is one of the principle plants on earth for improving brain health and function.

This herb, writes Faerman, has been shown in studies involving both humans and animals to be effective at increasing brain cell dendrite outgrowth, which means that it increases the neural axonal density of the brain, where there is a correlation with increased intelligence and enhanced intracellular communication.[1,3] Also, extracts from the plant have been shown to repair neuron damage, while promoting new neural network growth.[2,3]

Lion's Mane

This is actually a medicinal mushroom used for centuries throughout Asia, mostly as a powerful natural medicine. In recent studies led by a Japanese researcher, Dr. Hirokazu Kawagishi, scientists discovered that the mushroom stimulates the activity of a compound known as nerve growth factor (NGF), which is both unique and important.

"Nerve growth factor is a bioprotein that plays a critical role in the maintenance, health and regeneration of neurons in the brain and body,"[4] writes Faerman. "A lack of NGF is considered one of the major causes of Alzheimer's and other degenerative brain diseases."

The other two herbs are Ginko Biloba and Bacopa, the former of which has been traced back nearly 300 million years, while the latter appears to stimulate serotonin production.

Learn more by reading the full report here.

(Photo credit: Jim Champion/Wikipedia)

Sources:

[1] Veerendra Kumar MH, Gupta YK. 2002. Effect of different extracts of Centella asiatica on cognition and markers of oxidative stress in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 79(2):253-60.

[2] Rao SB, Chetana M, Uma Devi P. 2005. Centella asiatica treatment during postnatal period enhances learning and memory in mice. Physiol Behav. 86(4):449-57.

[3] Soumyanath A, Zhong YP, Gold SA, Yu X, Koop DR, Bourdette D, Gold BG. 2005. Centella asiatica accelerates nerve regeneration upon oral administration and contains multiple fractions increasing neurite elongation in-vitro. J Pharm Pharmacol. 57(9):1221-9.

[4] Lai PL, Naidu M, Sabaratnam V, et al. 2013. Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia. Int J Med Mushrooms. 15(6):539-54.

Source:
courtesy of NATURALNEWS

by J. D. Heyes

If you have any stories or news that you would like to share with the global online community, please feel free to share it with us by contacting us directly at [email protected]