How to Increase Libido

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated November 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter! Stefan Burns YouTube

Libido is your life force, a wellspring of heat, passion, and creativity that adds growth and color to all aspects of your life.

Depending on your state of physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual health, you may be unable to feel or connect to your libido. Being disconnected from your innate libido is not healthy if sustained, and it can have long-term damaging effects.

The beautiful aspect of libido is that it’s easy to connect with at anytime with the rights information, tools, and experience. Libido is stimulated in the brain by the thalamus, which regulates consciousness, sleep, and alertness. The thalamus is a sensory hub for the cerebral cortex, the decision making part of the brain. Without the activation of the thalamus, motor signals to the cerebral cortex are delayed or changed.

By reducing inhibition of the thalamus, the cerebral cortex is exposed to more information, and now realizing a greater amount of opportunities, consciousness is attuned to chose the best outcome. Sometimes the problem with failure to get aroused is the inability to see that the possibility exist.

As much society tries to make it normal, and it is, sex is a “taboo”. It touches the deepest parts of our body and energy. Sex is energy work, and unforeseen events can occur when creating energetic bonds with others at certain levels. Therefore any sexual act is a ritual of serious responsibility, and how it’s performed speaks a lot about who we are and how we are changing.

Sex may be “taboo”, but it’s the ultimate gift if done consciously, and when you’re more consciousness you’re more likely to take opportunistic riskier behaviors as you’re most self-assured of a favorable outcome. It’s this mindset that guarantees you have a healthy libido that can activate on command, if the situation presents itself and it’s to your benefit.

Libido isn’t just an important aspect of sex, but an integral part of human willpower, creativity, and drive.

“Sex is energy work, it touches the deepest parts of body and soul”

I write this as a male in touch with my yin and yang nature, and it should resonate with everyone at some level as we each have a divine feminine and divine masculine part of ourselves. One reason libido shuts down and is one day realized lost by a lot of people is that they haven’t connected to any energy sources that feed the source of their libido, the root chakra. Is your root chakra open or closed, in what situations and with who? Is the energy of your root chakra being drained by your actions or energetic bonds you have with others? These are important questions to ask yourself and answer honestly when seeking to restore your natural libido.

Energy connections at the root Chakra are the most rooted in the deeper energetics of the planet <2 Hz, and it’s there that you can begin to reclaim your sovereign root chakra energy. To create a 2 Hz or lower frequency at the root chakra, aka the hips, then you need to practice muscular exercises for that part of the body known as kegels.

Kegels for Increasing Libido

To make kegels easier, lay on a earthing sheet connected to the Earth. Contract your glutes, squeeze your rectum, breathe up into your diaphragm, and perform this pattern of breathing, contraction, and relaxation for the musculature you want at a slow rhythm of your choosing. Once you have a regular pattern going, explore the frequency range. Being electrically connected to the Earth, you will attune yourself to the electrical currents of the Earth known as tellurics at whichever frequency you are pulsing at. Change your frequency slowly around 0.5 to 3 Hz and find the cycles per second that’s easier to maintain unconsciously because that is where the Earth frequency is strongest. If you accomplish this, and it’s possible because I do it, you can turn your focus to breathing and visualization and let the magic happen all on its own. You may experience auto-orgasm if the stimulation enough, even without using your hands in any way. If this occurs consider it a crowning accomplishment of connecting to your libido.

I have been performing deep work on my hip to level it out, and I find that before I fall asleep I naturally begin to exercise with kegels, and it’s in this space that I have my best insights into sexual health and romance. When I lay down to sleep I keep my hands to the side as recommended with dream Yoga. When I practice kegels consistently and work deep around the sexual organs I find it is good for my energy metabolism, the endocrine system and having healthy hormone levels, sexual reproduction, and for stimulating creative energies.

Hormones and Libido

For men, a lot of libido boils down to prolactin levels. Having low prolactin levels means a stronger libido, harder and longer erections, a short refractory period (time in-between ejaculations), and determination/willpower. Dopamine can be high only when prolactin is low, and after ejaculation dopamine goes down while prolactin goes up. For women prolactin is elevated during breast feeding and is associated with breast development. The ideal arrangement for health and reproductive evolution is for women to have high prolactin levels and for men to have low prolactin levels.

Herbs that reduce prolactin levels over time are blue lotus flower and cannabis. More nuance on that in the following section. For men and women another very important aspect for having healthy libido is to have balanced testosterone and estrogen levels.

Beneficial hormone changes that are governed by behavior (engaging in manly or feminine activities, flirting and socializing, etc) are long lasting and stable, and when building those healthy habits there are herbs that can help the process greatly by changing your brain and hormone chemistry.

Herbs for Increasing Libido

There are various herbs that stimulate and enhance libido through distinct but overlapping pathways. Any of the herbs below can be used to increase libido, and I have a safe and synergistic natural libido enhancing stack I will describe how to use at the end that is comprised of these herbs.

Blue Lotus Flower

The African blue water lily Nymphaea caerulea contains rich plant pharmacology and was used by the ancient Egyptians for thousands of years as one component in an elixir of life known as didi.

How does it work? Blue lotus flower contains alkaloids apomorphine and nuciferine which modulate the parasympathetic nervous system, dopamine levels and transport, and serotonin levels and transport. Activates the thalamus and is a potentiator for psychedelics in my experience and as recorded throughout history. Lowers prolactin which helps in the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Cautions: Blue lotus flower is sedative and liver produced metabolites from its alkaloids can be toxic to the kidneys. Do not consume in excess, pairs exceptionally well with the herb cistanche due to cistanche’s renal benefits and antioxidant nature as observed in the brain. Under conditions of stomach sensitivity, high consumption may trigger the urge to vomit.

Cistanche

Cistanche C. tubulsa, C. deserticola, C. phelypaea, sometimes referred to as the ginseng of the desert or in Traditional Chinese Medicine Rou Cong-Rong is a potent activator of the male hormonal system.

How does it work? Cistanche has a libido boosting effect through its interactions with cholesterol transport, cholesterol being the building block for all hormones. Cistanche boosts testosterone (free and total) by working directly with the gonads. Cistanche also have neurocognitive antioxidant benefits and protects the renal system, which as described above alleviates some of the renal stress created by blue lotus flower.

Using cistanche can make you horny, increase the frequency of erections, cause morning erections, and with long term use (1+ month) enlarge the size of the penis permanently.

Cautions: Cistanche powerfully activate the male hormonal system and for best health and wellness it should be used carefully, being cycled on and off at a 1:1 frequency. For example if you run a cistanche and cholesterol protocol for 2 months, cease using cistanche for 2 months afterwards before using again if desired. Since cistanche increase free testosterone so dramatically (>50% in my case), it can cause increased inflammation throughout the body as the testosterone molecule, like dopamine, isn’t the most stable. This can show as acne, and to help keep the circulatory system and blood free of inflammation I recommend concurrent usage of dandelion root powder. Flavonoids like apigenin found in herbs dandelion and chamomile also reduce the conversation of testosterone to estrogen via aromatase.

Cannabis

Cannabis C. sativa, C. indica, C. ruderalis contains cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBN which influence brain chemistry and increase sensory awareness by acting on CB1 and CB2 receptors. Cannabinoids are sticky and are easily absorbed into the blood stream when dry-vaporized.

How does it work? As a mild-psychedelic, cannabis can connect you to parts of your being that you are currently only weakly connected to, like your libido and sexual nature. Cannabis use lowers prolactin and increases sensory pleasure of the sex organs.

Cautions: Heavy long-term cannabis usage can lead to brain changes that while not permanent take time to reverse. Video: Does Smoking Weed Permanently Mess with the Brain? Cannabis, specifically the cannabinoid THC increases heartrate by 10-20 bpm and reduces blood pressure. Cannabis has interactions with the thyroid and adrenal glands and long term usage may lower testosterone production (easily offset by cistanche usage if desired).

Chaga Mushroom

Chaga Mushroom Inonotus obliquus contains a wide variety of beneficial biologic compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects such as polysaccharides, beta-glucans, terpenes, mycoflavonoids, melanin, and other myconutrients.

How does it work? Chaga mushroom is an adaptogen and can slightly boost testosterone on its own in addition to the protective effects it has on the organs and the neuroprotective effects it has in the brain. Modulates the activity of the nervous system, specifically the autonomic nervous system, a critical component of the libido and sexual systems.

Cautions: Chaga mushroom in high doses can destabilize heart rhythms

Chamomile Flower

Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla is one of nature’s best herbs for overall health and wellness. Contains many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant phytochemicals.

How does it work? Chamomile guides the autonomic nervous system to increase parasympathetic activity, relaxation being a key requirement to arousal. Increases endogenous flow state alpha brainwave rhythms which have a frequency of 8-12 hz.

Cautions: Chamomile is a very safe herb and can be used in large quantities. Chamomile may trigger an allergic reaction if an existing ragweed allergy exist. Additionally since chamomile reduces platelet clumping, care should be taken with chamomile if already using a blood thinner.

Natural Herbal Aphrodisiac Stack

Cistanche | 200-400 mg daily. Can be split into two doses

• Why? Natural testosterone booster, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, and protects the kidneys

• Purchase Cistanche Powder from Nootropics Depot.

Dandelion root | 1 gram daily. Take it with the cistanche and at the same daily frequency

• Why? Blood purifier with broad antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, possible aromatase inhibitor (flavonoids)

• Purchase Dandelion Root Powder from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Chaga Mushroom | 500 - 1000 mg. Take it with the cistanche and dandelion root powder

• Why? Antioxidant/anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, endocrine adaptogen, normalizes the nervous system

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom Powder (course) from Mountain Rose Herbs. Good for brewing with coffee or into tea.

• Purchase Chaga Mushroom 1:1 Extract Powder (fine) from Nootropics Depot. Good for taking with tea/water.

Blue Lotus Flower | For tea use 1-2 grams of ground flower. For vaporization mix with other herbs, only a small amount (100 mg) is needed due to the highly efficient extraction. Can also be smoked.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, lowers prolactin and raises dopamine

• Purchase Blue Lotus Flower from Schmerbals Herbals.

Cannabis | The effect from blue lotus flower is felt the strongest when its bioavailability is increased when consumed alongside cannabis. The important alkaloids of blue lotus flower are highly lipid soluble and cannabinoids are sticky lipids and carry into the bloodsteam easily. Both cannabinoids and alkaloids pass the blood-brain barrier easily.

• Why? Increases dopamine and reduces prolactin, aphrodisiac, increases sensory awareness and pleasure

• Purchase CBD cannabis (in the USA) from Tweedle Farms.

• Purchase THC cannabis (if legal where you live) from a dispensary or grow it yourself ;)

Chamomile | Chamomile tea activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest, feed and breed) nervous system and is a good carrier for the cistanche, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, and blue lotus flower.

• Why? Promotes parasympathetic activity, stabilizes heart and brain rhythms, antioxidant/anti-inflammatory

• Purchase Chamomile Flowers from Mountain Rose Herbs. Blue Chamomile Essential Oil can also be applied topically where desired (forehead and pubic area is best for libido); highly effective!

*Aphrodisiac Tea | 2:1:1:1 ratio of chamomile flowers, dandelion root, chaga mushroom, blue lotus flower. Add the cistanche powder to the tea after steeping. Course-grained chaga mushroom powder and dandelion root can be steeped with the chamomile flowers, or the fine-grained powders of each can be added after steeping the chamomile and blue lotus flower tea alongside the cistanche.

• Purchase Bodum French Press from Amazon.

*Aphrodisiac Dry-Vaporization Blend | 2:2:2:1:1 ratio of blue lotus flower, THC cannabis, CBD cannabis, damiana leaf, chamomile flower.

• Purchase Fury Edge Dry-Vaporizer from Healthy Rips.

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If you find the advice and science shared in this article useful, share it where it can also help others rediscover and connect to their natural libido.

If you use any of the herbs above, specifically if you try the who Aphrodisiac Stack, please share your experiences in the comments below.

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Ober C, Sinatra S, Martin Z. Earthing. Second Edition. Basic Health Publications, Inc.; 2014.

3. Emboden W. The sacred journey in dynastic egypt: shamanistic trance in the context of the narcotic water lily and the mandrake. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 1989;21(1):61-75.

4. Li Z, Lin H, Gu L, Gao J, Tzeng CM. Herba cistanche (Rou cong-rong): one of the best pharmaceutical gifts of traditional chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7.

5. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

6. Andre CM, Hausman JF, Guerriero G. Cannabis sativa: the plant of the thousand and one molecules. Front Plant Sci. 2016;7.

7. González-Castejón M, Visioli F, Rodriguez-Casado A. Diverse biological activities of dandelion. Nutrition Reviews. 2012;70(9):534-547.

8. Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (Chamomile). Electron physician. 2016;8(9):3024-3031.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

The Secret to Longevity

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated September 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

I’m going to share with you the secret to longevity.

This is longevity in health and lifespan, and the same concept can also be applied to various other parts of life like friendship, love, your career, etc.

First let’s examine the current trend for health and wellness advice, and wow is there an overwhelming amount of health and wellness practices that are good for you to follow.

Some are well-known and proven like:

• Eat more vegetables!

• Walk 10,000 steps a day!

• Sleep 8 hours a night!

• Don’t smoke or drink!

• Get some sun on your skin everyday!

Others are very niche and promise magic effects:

• Take this one supplement to transform your health

• Avoid this one food to lose 20 pounds

• Boost your cognition with this rare herb

• Increase your testosterone 200% using this special light

What both of these categories have in common, one full of things known to benefit your health, the other possibly helpful but more dubious in nature, is that they are something new to do.

Add this into your lifestyle, change this, remove that.

Whether relatively simple or complex to implement, they require that you make a structural change to your life, whether that’s taking a new supplement every morning, completely changing your nightly routine so you sleep better, or shining red light everyday on your family jewels (if you have them) to increase your testosterone.

Yes that last one really exists (1).

Now I don’t want to discount the importance of structural life changes, whether these are dietary, lifestyle, work-related, or other…but what’s important to recognize is that the best advice, even very simple advice, often fails because it simply is too great of a demand for a very stressed person.

Just the thought of doing something different, even if a lot of what they’re doing currently isn’t helping them, is stressful and gets rejected and dismissed. When this is the case, even if sleeping better and activating their parasympathetic nervous system may be exactly what they need to solve their health problems, a different approach is required.

This different approach is what I believe is the secret to longevity.

The Importance of Frequency

Most people, no matter how unhealthy, are doing at least a few things right in regards to their health.

Consider the obese individual who enjoys a cup of herbal tea every morning, or the person plagued by anxiety who still goes to a yoga class once a week.

Prescribing a new concept, idea, modality, or supplement to these people, who are already overloaded to the max, is nearly impossible because there is simply no bandwidth available to implement the change.

What they can do that doesn’t tax their bandwidth is to increase the frequency of the healthy habits they already have.

These habits are already imprinted into their psyche at some frequency of occurrence, and it’s much easier to change the frequency of something that’s already part of someone’s routine than it is to add or subtract from someone’s routine/lifestyle.

To the overweight individual who drinks a cup of chamomile tea every now and then: Great! Drink chamomile and other herbal teas not just just a few times a week or one cup a day but drink 3-4 cups throughout the day! Mix it up, add in some other herbs like mint, chamomile, dandelion, which benefit health by:

• Improving digestion

• Shifting the microbiome towards greater symbiosis

• Increasing metabolism

• Improving cognition

• Reducing inflammation

To the stressed and anxious individual who does yoga occasionally: Great! Now practice yoga daily, even if just for 15 minutes. Yoga benefits health by:

• Strengthening the body

• Increasing metabolism

• Balancing the bioelectrical system

• Increasing parasympathetic nervous system activity

• Releases feel-good endorphins

The secret to longevity is to pulse goodness as frequently as possible

Spend more time outside breathing fresh air, meditate more often even if just for a minute or two at a time. There are so many things that can be increased in frequency safely that will greatly benefit your health and wellness if done so!

Whether you’re at the beginning of your wellness journey or further along the path, the more frequently you incorporate wellness promoting things and activities into your life the healthier you’ll be.

Whether it’s drinking tea or eating vegetables more often, making sure to get some safe sun exposure (and therefore synthesize vitamin D) daily, or to keep your body limber and strong by moving it more often, find the healthy habits you already have that can safely be increased in frequency, and simply do them more often! This will improve your health and provide you more room to then overtime embrace new wellness practices into your lifestyle, which you can ten apply the same principle to them.

This concept of pulsing goodness more frequently doesn’t have to apply simply to one wellness practice. It can be multi-faceted. For example it can be a cup of tea in the morning, then a 10 minute stretch break at mid-morning followed later by a healthy meal and a walk at noon…you get the idea.

Heath is a Wave

You can think of health as a wave that is slowly declining in power as you age. Every time you pulse some wellness goodness into your life, you increase the height of the wave slightly and improve your health, and the more frequently you trigger these upswings, even if minorly, the more stable the wave becomes. Then as life allows, bigger structural changes like improving your sleep, earthing, and changing your diet can be incorporated which cause those big jumps in health and wellness.

Lastly this concept of pulsing goodness more often in order to increase longevity applies to many other areas in life such as friendships, love, and your career. Try it out and see how you can transform those areas of your life too.

Spend some time considering the impact frequency has on your wellness and overall life, identify something in your life that you already do that you can easily increase the frequency on, and try it out!

My top recommendation for this would be to drink herbal tea more often. Herbal tea is amazing for health for a variety of reasons which I discuss more in-depth in the article below.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

References:

1. Ahn, Jinhee et al. “The effects of low level laser therapy (LLLT) on th e testis in elevating serum testosterone level in rats.” (2013).

Best Supplements for Brain Fog

and for Optimizing Cognitive Performance

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated September. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

If you have brain fog you know how helpless it can feel at times to remedy the problem, as the very symptoms of brain fog like an inability to concentrate and focus limit your ability, energy, and drive to find and implement useful helpful solutions.

When this is the case, using the best supplements for focus and concentration can provide some relief from brain fog and mental fatigue and help bring in enough energy and clarity of mind to kickstart the lifestyle changes that need to be made to permanently solve the problem.

Brain fog can be experienced all on its own, or it can be part of a larger health problem like chronic fatigue syndrome. The best supplements that help with mental fatigue aren’t ones that simply stimulate the brain but instead are ones that beneficially target the stressed and dysfunctional parts of the body that are creating the mental fatigue in the first place.

There is no perfect brain fog cure, but with the right supplemental support and then the corresponding necessary lifestyle changes, mental fatigue can be recovered from and brain function can be returned to normal. In this article I share with you my favorite remedies for combatting brain fog and why they work.

Chronic vs Acute Mental Fatigue

There are two types of mental fatigue, chronic and acute. Temporary mental fatigue that is the result of one night’s bad sleep is quite different in effect and in its treatment from daily mental fatigue brought on from excessive stress, constant sleep deprivation, or neurocognitive conditions. When people ask for solutions that help alleviate their brain fog and mental sluggishness, most often they are seeking help for chronic mental fatigue.

Symptoms of Brain Fog

A term commonly used to describe mental fatigue is brain fog. Just like with sleep deprivation, where after a few continuous days of insufficient sleep you begin to not notice your symptoms of sleep deprivation (though they still exist), brain fog has a similar desensitizing effect. A lot of people who have mental fatigue do not realize they have it as they have become used to their chronically sluggish mental processes. It’s usually only when brain fog lifts temporarily for some reason, and clear lucid awareness is experienced before the brain fog returns, that people realize that they’re not functioning at their best. The symptoms of brain fog are subtle, especially when desensitized to the effect, so if you have any of the symptoms below, especially more than one, then it’s worth closely examining the functioning of your brain, your lifestyle, and perhaps taking one or more of the supplements below to see if you experience a noticeable before and after improvement.

Common symptoms of mental fatigue and brain fog:

• You have difficulty focusing and concentrating on one task. High distractibility

• You get lost in unconscious behavioral patterns (like endlessly scrolling on social media)

• Its a struggle for you to hold onto multiple thoughts/ideas at once in order to understand a greater concept, follow a conversation, etc.

• You get tired easily, especially with a cognitively demanding task like studying, learning a language, etc.

• You experience frequent mood swings, and these mood swings can be triggered from small relatively insignificant events

• Your short and/or long term memory isn’t good

• You don’t have much patience

• You get triggered and angered easily

If mental performance needs to be raised while experiencing acute mental fatigue, like from a poor night’s sleep, then it can usually be treated successfully with a stimulant like caffeine. Chronic mental fatigue is quite different though, and treating chronic brain fog with a stimulant like caffeine can further exacerbate the problem.

Treating long-term brain fog is best done with things that activate the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system. Resting more often, improving sleep, engaging in restorative exercise like yoga, grounding, meditation, breath work, and more are all things that activate the parasympathetic nervous system and help reduce chronic mental fatigue. This article will mostly stick to supplemental measures that help with mental fatigue, so if you wish to examine and treat the very important lifestyle component of the problem, then I suggest you read my article How to Balance Sympathetic and Parasympathetic States.

Sometimes brain fog and mental fatigue is so severe that it can be difficult to even think about let alone implement lifestyle changes that will help and reverse the issue, and when this is the case supplements are a convenient and useful way to jumpstart the turnaround process.

Chamomile for Brain Fog

One of the best things for treating chronic brain fog and mental fatigue is also a very well-known herb, and that’s chamomile!

Chamomile is one of the most ancient and well-known medicinal herbs known to mankind, the two most common varieties being Roman chamomile and German chamomile. Chamomile is identified by its small white flower petals that surround its yellow center, and it’s the chamomile flower that’s used in herbal practices because the flowers contain a wide range of biologically active chemicals such as terpenes, flavonoids, and azulenes that have been shown to be health promotive.

Chamomile is so useful in treating chronic mental fatigue because it provides multi-targeted treatment to the systems which are under the most stress and are causing the symptoms of brain fog as described above.

Chamomile Increases Parasympathetic Activity

First, chamomile helps promote more balanced autonomic nervous system by increasing parasympathetic activity throughout the body, and this helps reduce systemic stress and regenerate the bodily systems that are most worn down, like the adrenal glands.

Chamomile does this by improving heart rate variability (HRV), reducing erratic heart rhythms and instead shifting heart rhythms to be more sinusoidal and coherent in nature (see right half of figure 1). Heart rate variability is the measure of the time interval between heartbeats, and HRV is a key measure of cardiac health, stress, and sudden mortality risk.

Figure 1 - Change in heart rate when emotionally reframing from feelings of frustration to appreciation

CC - McCraty R. The Energetic Heart. HeartMath Institute; 2003

Chamomile’s ability to improve HRV and overall cardiac function is more important than most people realize, because the functioning of the brain is determined to a large degree by the health and functioning of the heart.

Chamomile Increases Alpha Brainwaves

Every heartbeat creates a pressure wave that travels through the circulatory system, and it has been shown that when this blood pressure pulse reaches the brain it generates 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves. Put another way, the change in blood pressure 1-2 times every second (depending on heart rate) in the brain is the timing signal the brain uses to generate and synchronize alpha brainwaves that cycle 8-12 times per second.

Alpha brainwaves are so important because they are the middle frequency brainwave that sit in-between slow rhythm 0-4 Hz delta and 4-8 Hz theta brainwaves and 12-30 Hz beta and 30+ Hz gamma brainwaves. How well your brain is functioning can be measured quite clearly via brainwave patterns across the head, with the most important factors being brainwave frequency, power, and synchronicity.

There aren’t many (if any) studies that directly show this, but enough evidence exists to greatly suggest that those suffering from mental fatigue and brain fog have weak non-synchronous brainwave activity without clear frequency bands of activity. Chamomile’s ability to increase alpha brainwaves is so important because alpha rhythms are the dominant brain rhythm from which other brainwaves can then be switched to. When alpha brain rhythms are propagating strongly throughout the brain, there’s sense of calm, patience, creativity, and a feeling of relaxed alertness. Sounds like a good resting state of mind eh?

If alpha rhythms are propagating strongly throughout the brain, then it’s easier for the brain to rev up and begin propagating higher frequency beta and gamma brainwaves, which are associated with focus, productivity, and ingenuity. By supporting the stable functioning of the heart and the overall cardiovascular system, chamomile also improves brainwave activity and overtime trains the brain to establish these patterns of activity on its own.

How to Use Chamomile for Brain Fog

There are a few ways chamomile can be used in the treatment of mental fatigue, an important factor to known is that chamomile in my experience acts like an adaptogen for this purpose. If you’re overly tired then chamomile will help to stimulate and gently pick you up because it’s increasing your brainwave frequencies and their coherence of propagation, whereas if you’re overly stimulated and scattered then chamomile will help calm you down by increasing the power of lower frequency brainwaves. In many ways alpha brainwaves are the base from which all brain activity shifts up or down from, and building a strong base of alpha brainwave activity is incredibly useful in coping with stress and for clearing the haze of brain fog.

The three main ways chamomile can be used are as a tea, as an essential oil in aromatherapy, and by dry vaporizing or smoking the herb.

Chamomile Tea: This is the most common way to use chamomile as brewing chamomile tea is simple and very effective. Chamomile tea is also really helpful for gut health, and we’ll discuss further down why the gut-brain axis and the microbiome are really important to address when combating mental fatigue. Bring water to a temperature of 75-100 C (170 - 212 F) and steep dried chamomile flowers for 5-15+ minutes. Chamomile is a pleasantly sweet herb and it can be steeped for hours without the resultant tea becoming bitter. Chamomile makes for a great iced tea, and when endeavoring to remedy brain fog, drinking chamomile tea throughout the day is one of the best things you can do, and it’s so simple! Just brew a large batch of the tea once everyday and drink it often. I usually make 1 liter of chamomile tea (often with other herbs, more on that at the end) at night by bringing water to a boil and then letting the herb steep overnight in the fridge. When I wake up delicious iced tea is waiting for me every morning!

Chamomile Essential Oil: Chamomile essential oil is an ultra convenient and effective way to enjoy the beneficial parasympathetic effects of chamomile. You can simply smell the essential oil from the bottle, place a few drops into a diffuser, or apply it directly to parts of your body like your temples, forehead, the back of the neck, and your chest. I find chamomile essential oil if applied directly to the body to be more sedative in effect than chamomile tea, so it’s best used at night or when you quickly need to calm down and relax.

Chamomile Herb for Vaporizing or Smoking: Dried chamomile flower can also be shredded by hand or with a herb grinder and vaporized or smoked for a relaxant effect. I recommend dry herb vaporization because no carcinogenic smoke is produced in the process, but if you’re already a smoker then incorporating chamomile into your tobacco cigarettes, cannabis joints/bowls, or herbal smoking blend is really simple. Vaped or smoked cannabis has a pleasant sweet taste and has an nice overall calming effect that lasts quite a while.

For those who are struggling with chronic mental fatigue and the symptoms of brain fog, chamomile is my top recommendation for helping with the problem. Chamomile is an amazing herb for overall health and wellness, and while it won’t fix brain fog in one day, if chamomile is used consistently then it will almost certainly have a large positive effect.

Chronic mental fatigue takes time to develop, it sometimes develops over many years, and it’s the beneficial habits that can be done daily for long periods of time that will prove the most useful in reversing brain fog, and chamomile is one of the best herbs for this.

Organic dried chamomile flower and blue chamomile essential oil can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs. I like to use and combine both in my self-care practices, and if you pick up one then I recommend you purchase the other too.

Medicinal Mushrooms for Brain Fog

Not all mushrooms are poisonous or cause psychedelic effects, and the medicinal mushrooms I have listed below are safe and have a bunch of great wellness benefits. Every medicinal mushrooms varies in their chemical composition, but in general they contain phytochemicals like polysaccharides, beta-glucans, and triterpenoids which benefit your brain as well as other parts of the body.

Reishi Mushroom

Reishi mushroom is one of my favorite “herbs” for helping with brain fog not only because it’s very effective in doing this but also because in my neighborhood Ganoderma sessile, a type of reishi mushroom, grows everywhere and I have a lot of personal experience in using this mushroom.

Reishi mushroom is polypore mushroom nearly impossible to misidentify once its distinguishing features are known, and it has broad effects throughout the body. One of the main benefits of reishi is that it activates the parasympathetic nervous system, just like chamomile, thereby promoting rest and relaxation after use. In fact you can brew reishi and chamomile together into a tea and just like as described above and drink this tea throughout the day to help remedy long-term brain fog.

Reishi mushroom can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs in a variety of formats from whole cap to slices to powder to extract, and 1:1 reishi mushroom supplement capsules and 8:1 reishi mushroom supplement capsules that are more concentrated in active ingredients can be purchased from Nootropics Depot.

I wrote a full article on using reishi mushroom for stress, chronic fatigue, and anxiety, and if you’d like to learn more about the many other health benefits of reishi mushroom then you can read the reishi mushroom herbal page. You can also watch my video below!

Chaga Mushroom

Chaga mushroom is very useful in the treatment of mental fatigue and brain fog because it contains many powerful antioxidants, is anti-inflammatory, and optimizes the cardiovascular and nervous systems by calming erratic heart rhythms and increasing the contractile power of the heart. Chaga also contains antimicrobial compounds which benefit the microbiome of the gut by selecting against harmful pathogens while simultaneously supporting good symbiotic bacteria.

As you can see, these natural products are all similar in their ability to help treat mental fatigue because they target not only the brain, but also the heart and gut . Stress destabilizes the proper functioning of the heart, nervous system, and digestive system, and the herbs that support the actions of these parts of the body, in addition to any direct cognitive benefits they have, improve the functioning of the brain.

Chaga mushroom can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs as a course powder which can easily be brewed alongside coffee to create a chaga coffee. Nootropics Depot also sells a 1:1 chaga extract powder which is more concentrated in active ingredients and mixes very easily into any beverage.

Chaga is an ingredient that’s part of a nootropic coffee blend that I absolutely love, and if you’re a regular coffee drinker then I recommend you learn more about the best nootropic coffee, as that provides an easy route to creating a daily habit which will help reduce your brain fog and also dependence on coffee. One cup of this nootropic coffee is enough to power you throughout the day without any need for additional cups of coffee, which helps to reduce the possibility of a caffeine tolerance building up, something which commonly occurs with people who are trying to stimulate away their brain fog. More on that below.

Cordyceps Mushroom

Cordyceps mushroom is another medicinal mushroom that has broad health benefits, it’s especially well-known for its physical endurance and stamina promoting effects. The exact mechanisms for how cordyceps improves energy metabolism isn’t known, but its thought to interact and improve the functioning of mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of our cells. By improving mitochondrial function, cordyceps not only improves physical energy levels but also mental energy levels, especially if taken daily.

I supplemented with cordyceps mushrooms extensively to aid in my weight training a few years back, and I could tell one of the reasons it improves physical endurance is by increasing mental focus. It’s easier to push through something when you’re more focused on your desired outcome, and if chronic mental fatigue is a problem during work or any other time of the day where focus is required, then cordyceps will help. Cordyceps can also be used to help treat acute fatigue, it’s a supplement that can be used for both acute and chronic tiredness and brain fog.

I share my full experience with cordyceps mushroom and talk about it more with my friend Rob in this video interview.

Cordyceps mushroom can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs, and Nootropics Depot also sells a 1:1 cordyceps mushroom powder as well as a 10:1 cordyceps mushroom powde, both of which are concentrated in cordyceps’s main active ingredients.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Lion’s mane mushroom is another medicinal mushroom useful in improving the functioning of the brain, but it’s a bit different than the others because it has been well shown that lion’s mane promotes neurogenesis! Neurogenesis is the growth of new neurons, and any brain under stress and experiencing chronic fatigue is a brain that is losing brain cells due to increased inflammation and apoptosis. One way to turn around overall neurocognitive conditions, either minor like brain fog or more major like dementia, is to increase neurogenesis in the brain.

Supplementing with lion’s mane mushroom, either with a lion’s mane extract like the one sold by Mountain Rose Herbs, or with more condensed supplements like the 1:1 lion’s mane mushroom powder or the 8:1 lion’s mane mushroom powder sold by Nootropics Depot, is an excellent way to incorporate the neurogenesis benefits of lion’s mane into your everyday life.

My friend Rob from Secrets of the Underground made a good video which explores the benefits of these four medicinal mushrooms along with turkey tail (another good one), and you’ll see a cameo of me starting at 07:44 ;)

Note - Yes lots of YouTube videos in this article from myself or my friend Rob, and if you want to reinforce what you’ve learned in this article then I suggest you add these videos to your watch later playlist and enjoy them at some future point in time.

Gut Health for Brain Fog

While this recommendation isn’t a supplement, for your best success in overcoming mental fatigue it’s necessary to mention the very important role gut health has in the development of mental fatigue and mental health problems. The gut and brain are linked via what’s known as the Gut-Brain Axis, and when the digestive system is functioning poorly and microbiome is pathogenic in nature, then the functioning of the brain suffers. Once you learn of how this connection works, then it becomes much easier to consciously make choices which improve the functioning of your gut-brain axis and therefore your mental health and overall wellness.

Gut-Brain Axis

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional connection pathway that exists between the gut microbiome and nervous system + brain, and not only does the microbiome effect the functioning of the brain, but conditions of the nervous system and brain like stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more in-turn effect the microbiome and gut.

Put simply, if you want your brain to work optimally, then attention must be given to gut health and the condition of the microbiome. The gut and brain are connected together via four main pathways:

1. Neurologic - Neurologic signals are sent between the gut and brain via the vagus nerve, with neurologic signals being the fastest mode of information transfer between the gut and brain.

2. Endocrine - The digestive system is a key component of the endocrine (hormone) system, and changes in the functioning and expression of the gut alter the overall status of the endocrine system and hormonal secretion as a result.

3. Metabolic - Compounds with metabolic functions that the microbiome produce like short-chain fatty acids influence overall metabolism which then affects cognitive ability. Having unstable blood sugar levels for example can result in periods of focus-scattered hyperactivity followed by energy crashes and brain fog.

4. Immune - The immune system protects the body from foreign microorganisms and unwanted compounds, and in the cleanup process they produce inflammatory cytokines. If the immune system is overly stressed then inflammation becomes rampant throughout the body and brain, which effects physical, mental, and emotional status.

Cultivate a Healthy Microbiome

Humans have co-evolved with microorganisms for millions of years, and having a healthy microbiome is so important for overall health and wellness in many different ways. The types of microorganisms that inhabit the gut have a big impact on general brain health, neurocognitive and neurodegenerative disorders, and brain performance.

To explain the relationship in more detail, microorganisms produce chemicals that are either useful or harmful to the body. In the large intestine where most of the gut microbiome resides, symbiotic (helpful) and pathogenic (harmful) microorganisms reside. Symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms compete against each other for resources and space, and to survive pathogens produce and release toxins into their immediate environment. These toxins hurt symbionts, degrade gut tissues, reduce overall digestive function, and if absorbed into the bloodstream create inflammation throughout the body and brain. Symbiotic microorganisms on the other hand produce natural antimicrobial compounds which keep pathogens in check, and if symbiotic microorganisms are fed with fiber and flavonoids, they respectively produce short-chain fatty acids and beneficial secondary metabolites which are biologically beneficial for metabolism, cognitive health, and gut health.

A microbiome with too many pathogens exposes you to greater levels of toxins than your body can normally cope with and handle without much fuss, and a common result of having this type of microbiome is poor gut health, chronic inflammation, and brain fog.

Luckily shifting the microbiome towards greater symbiotic function is relatively simple! It’s outside the scope of this article but if you’d like to learn how you can do this you can read my article How to Restore Healthy Gut Flora or purchase the Holistic Gut Health Guide which covers how to improve gut naturally in-depth.

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Ashwagandha for Brain Fog

Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogenic herb well-known in the ayurvedic system of medicine that contains many beneficial compounds such as alkaloids, lactones, and saponins. Ashwagandha is an herb that can be used to treat both acute or chronic mental fatigue. Ashwagandha has the following cognitive benefits:

• Ashwagandha leaf and root extracts reduce symptoms of anxiety, comparable to pharmaceutical drugs

• Ashwagandha inhibits nerve cells from over firing

• Slows, stops, and even reverses neural decay by promoting the growth of new neurons and by creating new synaptic connections

• Comparable to pharmaceutical drugs in reducing symptoms of depression, stabilizes mood

• Normalizes dopamine levels to normal, increasing dopamine levels in those suffering from Parkinson’s disease

• Intensifies acetylcholine, glutathione, and secretase enzyme activity

• Inhibits the production of amyloid beta plaques in those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease

• Helps to reverse addiction through its balancing actions on neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin

All of these cognitive benefits help with mental stress, and ashwagandha further helps with mental fatigue through how it supports the functioning of the adrenal glands. An interesting effect of ashwagandha is if it is supplemented before a stressful event/task, the stress response and the amount of cortisol that is secreted after the stressor is greatly blunted, allowing for faster recovery.

Mental fatigue and the corresponding brain fog is often a result of a dysfunctional Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis. the endocrine glands of the HPA-axis influence a lot of biologic functions throughout the body and one’s physiological status, and when the HPA-axis is constantly loaded with greater demands due to stress, it becomes deficient in necessary nutrients and changes its secretion of hormones in response to the demands placed upon it. By stopping the adrenal glands, and the HPA-axis in general, from generating a strong reaction to a stressful event, it provides an opportunity to the body to recharge and begin returning to normal physiological function.

For treating acute bouts of mental fatigue, ashwagandha is best used before the stressful event is to occur, or as soon as possible after it’s happened, and for helping with chronic brain fog ashwagandha should be used daily at a lesser dose.

Various ashwagandha products can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs, and ashwagandha can also be purchased form Nootropics Depot in a variety of formulations, the two I recommend being the standard ashwagandha powder and the other being the shoden ashwagandha powder.

Caffeine for Brain Fog

Lastly we arrive at caffeine, probably the most well-known and abused compound used to help with brain fog and mental fatigue. Caffeine has been well-studied in how it affects the brain and how it improves certain measures of mental performance like focus, attention span, reaction speed, and more, and caffeine also helps reduce sleepiness. For these reasons caffeine is very effective in ameliorating some of the effects of acute mental fatigue if a preexisting caffeine tolerance doesn’t exist, and what’s common is after people first notice some success with caffeine they begin to consume too much caffeine too often in hope of treating not the acute but the chronic brain fog they have. Caffeine is not useful in treating chronic mental fatigue because its stimulatory, and if overused in this manner it’ll usually make the situation worse.

If you have chronic daily brain fog and mental sluggishness, then I recommend you reduce your caffeine intake (if you’re consuming it) to under 100 mg a day, the equivalent of 1 cup of coffee or a couple cups of tea. To learn more on the science behind how caffeine works and how to do, this read my Caffeine Usage and Tolerance Reset Guide.

With that disclaimer said, caffeine is very effective for helping alleviate an acute bout of brain fog brought on from one-off events like a poor night’s sleep or temporarily increased mental and/or emotional stress. The feeling of brain fog can also sometimes descend when dealing with/studying a very mentally complex and demanding subject, and caffeine can also be used in these situations to assist with the increased information processing demands.

One important note with caffeine is that it blocks the binding of adenosine to adenosine receptors in the brain. If caffeine is consumed too early after waking up, adenosine builds up in the brain, and then when the caffeine wears off the flood of adenosine then causes an energy crash. A better method of using caffeine is to wait 90+ minutes after waking up to consume it, which allows the brain to process a lot of the adenosine in that first 90 minutes, and then when the caffeine wears off later, not as much adenosine is pooled up and ready to activate adenosine receptors.

The most common ways to ingest caffeine are by drinking tea or coffee, though caffeine pills are also a viable alternative.

Green Tea

Green tea is my favorite way to consuming caffeine because each cup of green tea only contains about 30-45 mg of caffeine versus 95 mg per cup of coffee, and green tea also contains plant polyphenols known as green tea catechins which have many beneficial health effects. Green tea also naturally contains L-theanine, an amino acid that helps to stabilize the energy increasing effect of caffeine while simultaneously promoting better sleep. Green tea is a wonderful beverage with a broad holistic effect for treating acute mental fatigue, and with each cup of caffeine containing much less caffeine than a cup of coffee, it’s easier to carefully dose caffeine upwards in a sequential manner with green tea to avoid a caffeine overload and subsequent energy crash.

A variety of green teas can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs, Nootropics Depot sells a green tea extract powder and a green tea extract + piperine supplement (piperine is another cognitive boosting compound), and Pique Tea sells green tea crystals that are super convenient and dissolve easily in both hot and cold water.

Coffee

Coffee is the classic beverage of choice fueling millions of people around the world day in and day out, and for good reason! Coffee contains a bunch of beneficial plant phytochemicals, and at ~95 mg of caffeine per cup, one cup of coffee is a significant pick-me-up which can reduce brain fog and the feelings of mental fatigue. Since coffee contains more caffeine than tea, it’s best to stop coffee consumption after 4pm in order to not deviate the circadian rhythm and cortisol secretion (remember caffeine simulates cortisol) too far off normal. The beneficial effects of caffeine greatly taper off after 300 mg, so if you are going to drink more than one cup of coffee, stick to a maximum of three cups in the ideal 90 minutes after waking up to 4pm drinking window.

Other nootropics mix well with coffee, and if you want to experiment with boosting the beneficial mental effects of coffee, then read my article on the best nootropic coffee.

Brain Fog Treatment

How you treat brain fog and mental fatigue is dependent on whether the effect is acute or chronic in nature. Chronic mental fatigue is best treated supplementally with herbs and medicinal mushrooms that activate the parasympathetic nervous system and support the HPA-axis, whereas acute brain fog can be treated preventatively by supplementing with ashwagandha or by using a stimulant like caffeine.

Each of the herbs and mushrooms listed above can be used independently for the treatment of chronic brain fog, but my recommendation would be to brew a tea from a combination of these herbs, for example a 1:1:1 blend of equal parts chamomile:reishi mushroom:green tea would be broadly supportive to the body and brain and overtime will help greatly in reducing chronic fatigue.

If you suspect your mental fatigue is just a symptom of a larger problem like chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as adrenal fatigue, then I suggest you read my article on adrenal fatigue to learn more about the condition and what you can holistically do to turn the issue around.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

References:

1. Miraj S, Alesaeidi S. A systematic review study of therapeutic effects of Matricaria recuitta chamomile (Chamomile). Electron physician. 2016;8(9):3024-3031.

2. McCraty R. The Energetic Heart. HeartMath Institute; 2003

3. Batra P, Sharma AK, Khajuria R. Probing lingzhi or reishi medicinal mushroom ganoderma lucidum (Higher basidiomycetes): a bitter mushroom with amazing health benefits. Int J Med Mushr. 2013;15(2):127-143.

4. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

5. Das SK, Masuda M, Sakurai A, Sakakibara M. Medicinal uses of the mushroom Cordyceps militaris: Current state and prospects. Fitoterapia. 2010;81(8):961-968.

6. Ryu S, Kim HG, Kim JY, Kim SY, Cho KO. hericium erinaceus extract reduces anxiety and depressive behaviors by promoting hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult mouse brain. Journal of Medicinal Food. 2018;21(2):174-180.

7. Zahiruddin S, Basist P, Parveen A, et al. Ashwagandha in brain disorders: A review of recent developments. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2020;257:112876.

8. Cooper R. Green tea and theanine: health benefits. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 2012;63(sup1):90-97.

9. Smith A. Effects of caffeine on human behavior. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002;40(9):1243-1255.

10. Papadopoulos, A., Cleare, A. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome. Nat Rev Endocrinol 8, 22–32 (2012).

Earthing - Connect to the Earth and Heal

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There is a natural, free, and non-invasive health and wellness practice that exists that provides you the most benefits for the least amount of work of any holistic wellness practice that I know of.

This wellness practice, known as earthing or grounding, is as old as time, and recently thanks to the determination of a few resourceful people it’s been rediscovered from a modern scientific perspective.

Earthing is as simple as placing your bare feet on some grass or going for a swim in the ocean.

With earthing you will experience significant changes in a very subtle way. Seems like a paradox but that’s the best way to describe the effects that happen when you begin grounding often. Consistently reconnecting with the Earth’s natural energy restores to the body a vital element largely absent in your life (unless you’re already grounding often 👏).

Your bodies bioelectric system which controls every cellular function operates best when connected to the Earth’s electric field regularly, and if you ground yourself often you will experience a complete physiological and psychological renewal from your DNA up.

Earthing is one of the easiest things you can do for your health that will create more more vitality in your life, and without any negative side effects. Earthing regulates the master bioelectric switch board that controls inflammation, pain, DNA expression, nervous system activity, and so much more.

Put simply, connect to the Earth and heal. In this article we’ll discuss what earthing is, how earthing benefits human bioelectricity, earthing’s numerous health benefits, the geophysics of earthing, and methods of incorporating earthing into your everyday lifestyle.

How Earthing Affects Human Bioelectricity

While it helps to understand how earthing works in a complete sense by examining the geophysics of the Earth’s global electric circuit (covered in the geophysics section), we’ll start with how connecting to the earth affects human bioelectricity. It’s how earthing changes the functioning of the human bioelectrical system that provides it its many and sometimes miraculous health benefits.

We are Electrical Beings

The Earth and the human body are both electrically conductive. What this means is that negatively charged electrons can move easily through both. The Earth is conductive because of it’s mineral content, hydrosphere, and ionosphere, and the human body is conductive because we are made up of mostly water, have numerous electrolytes in our body, and have dedicated cellular structures like neurons and connective tissues which easily conduct electricity. Because of this we are strongly influenced by our external electrical environment. Want to measure the activity of the nervous system? Perform a simple skin conductance test. Some of the bodies most complex systems can be accurately measured in their functioning by testing simple properties like skin conductance or heart rate variability. The relationship between biology and electromagnetism goes very deep,

The human bioelectrical system starts with DNA, the blueprint and building blocks of life, and then works its way up to larger structures like endocannabinoid receptors, cell membranes, neurons, and interstitial connective tissues. The largest expression of the human bioelectrical system is the heart, brain, and human biofield (in spiritual terms, the aura).

All life evolved in the varying electromagnetic fields of the Earth and cosmos at large, from the Earth’s global electric circuit to natural energy fields like the Schumann resonances.

The Schumann Resonances - What are they?

As life evolved for millions of years saturated in these energy fields, its interactions with them became increasingly complex, at which point we reach Homo sapiens (us!), one of the most bioelectrically advanced species on the planet.

For example it appears our brain evolved to transmit to and receive information from a worldwide energy field which Carl Jung dubbed the Collective Unconscious. Our bioelectrical systems evolved for more than just ensuring the proper functioning of our body but also to connect all of humanity over space-time at the speed of light, pretty cool huh?

How to Connect your Brain to the Schumann Resonances

I lay this out because I want to impress upon you some of the amazing complexities of human bioelectricity, and how if the bioelectrical system is functioning properly, how optimizing its functioning can help us achieve amazing accomplishments. It’s the status of the bioelectrical system that determines whether one can perform incredible feats of athleticism or transcend to higher states of consciousness.

Without regularly grounding to the Earth the human bioelectrical system can never operate to its greatest potential, and some metaphysical evidence for this is that grounding can increase lucid dreaming and ESP abilities.

The Heart is the Core of the Bioelectrical System

Every heartbeat is a contraction of the heart muscle generated by an intrinsically produced electrical signal from specialized cardiac cells. This signal is measurable via an electrocardiogram (ECG) and each heartbeat also produces an nanotesla strength (nT) magnetic field that’s measurable with specialized magnetometers.

What’s recently been scientifically discovered is that the heart functions much better when grounded to the Earth. Most people know of a “ground” as a conductive object (typically an iron rod) that is driven into the earth in order to absorb or dissipate electrical charge, allowing what ever is connected to the ground to remain at the same electrical potential as the Earth. Put another way, anytime two conductive objects make contact, electrons flow from where they are abundant to where they aren't abundant, which equalizes both objects to each other. In a nutshell that's earthing, it’s simply an electric equalization to the Earth.

The heart, just like any modern electrical appliance, likewise also benefits from being grounded to the relatively stable electrical potential of the Earth. How the body operates from DNA expression all the way to each heartbeat and your brainwaves is strongly influenced by the internal bioelectrical environment of the body, and when the Earth’s stabilizing electrical reference point is present, the bioelectrical system operates better with less problems.

One way earthing has been qualitatively measured to improve the functioning of the heart is by how it improves heart rate variability.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV): The variation in the amount of time between heartbeats.

Depending on a variety of factors, most notably your breathing, the time in-between heartbeats increases and decreases over time. HRV is the most accurate predictor of sudden death and is a very good measure of stress. When the time variation between heartbeats is low, then the cardiac system is performing poorly as compared to when HRV is high.

In addition to earthing, your mental and emotional status influences HRV.

CC - McCraty R. The Energetic Heart. HeartMath Institute; 2003

By taking your rubber/plastic insulating shoes off and walking barefoot on a natural surface like a grass lawn, dirt, or rock, or by going for a swim in a body of water (the saltier the better), the entire body grounds to the electric potential of the earth due to the movement of free electrons in the body. With the body neutralized of erroneous charges, the heart is able to function better and heartbeats become coherent and regular in their pattern like shown in the graphic above.

Earthing Improves Energy Circulation

Most people live highly insulated from the Earth’s natural conductive environment. They wear insulating plastic and rubber shoes, they live and work in buildings elevated from the earth often made with insulating materials like wood and plastic, and they sleep in comfy beds with big fluffy sheets. Most people are disconnected and “Earth starved”.

More evidence for this comes in the fact that the sole of the foot contains about 1300 nerve endings per inch, one of the highest nerve densities anywhere on the entire human body. Our feet are big conductive electrical paddles meant to regularly be in contact with the conductive surface of the Earth as we go about our day, and this used to be the case up till the advent of modern human society.

Connecting to the Earth often reduces electrical imbalances in the body and improves energy circulation. Anytime you are grounded you don’t carry a built-up charge, and it’s electrical charges in the body that determine a lot of things such as inflammation, the activity of the nervous system, pain and much more. Built-up charges in parts of the body inhibit the easy flow of bioelectric energy, which disrupts overall health and wellness.

Earthing Health Benefits

As a holistic health method earthing helps the body in the ways it needs and isn't necessarily directable. That said earthing commonly helps with a wide variety of conditions and can be employed daily to help with symptom management and also to heal the underlying causal problems.

The human bioelectrical system is the base layer that influences and controls nearly every every aspect of health, and earthing are we evolved to do stabilizes the bioelectric system to the Earth’s surface electric field. As part of our evolutionary heritage, earthing has notable cardiovascular, cognitive, nervous system, digestive, hormonal, and physical health benefits.

Earthing Cardiovascular Benefits

Earthing improves circulation by reducing blood viscosity to its normal level. Red blood cells carry a negative surface charge so they are repelled from one another and don’t clump. The greater the positive charge that builds in the body by staying insulated from the Earth’s negative potential, the weaker the negative surface charge of red blood cells, known as zeta potential. How earthing improves zeta potential is one of its biggest effects.

To preventing clumping of red blood cells, blood viscosity is reduced and the heart has an easier job pumping blood throughout the body and into the small blood vessels and very narrow capillaries. By improving blood electrodynamics, earthing reduces high blood pressure and reduces inflammation. Earthing has also been shown to reduce coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and diabetes. And as discussed already Earthing improves HRV, a very important measure of overall health.

Earthing Nervous System Benefits

The nervous system runs on electrochemical impulses, and by neutralizing any imbalanced charges throughout the body via the stream of free electrons that earthing moves through the body, the nervous system is stabilized in its functioning.

In order for electrical impulses anywhere in the body to be detected and then acted upon, the strength of the signal must stand out significantly from background bioelectrical noise. When ungrounded the bioelectrical noise of the body is higher and therefore bioelectrical signals must be stronger to be actionable, which requires more energy and resources, or certain functions are simply given up as being too costly and are not possible to do, which manifests as a limitation of potential (aka nervous system disorder or simply a reduction in physical/mental ability).

By stabilizing the nervous system and reducing bioelectric noise, earthing helps with disorders of the nervous system like Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Earthing activates the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system instantly. Stress of any kind whether physical, mental, or emotional activates the “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system, increasing cortisol and adrenaline secretion, and by shifting the body back towards a more balanced ratio between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, grounding reduces stress, anxiety, and promotes a deeper more restful sleep. Sleep is when the body undergoes its daily tune-up, repairing and regenerating whatever needs to be fixed, and these natural rejuvenating processes work best when the body is a quiet calm state of nervous system activity.

The body is highly interlinked and it’s these nervous system benefits that are partly responsible for the cardiovascular, cognitive, and digestive benefits that earthing offers.

Note - If you’re really struggling from nervous system dysfunctions then alongside earthing use a natural herbal like reishi mushroom. Reishi mushroom can be used to help treat stress, anxiety, and chronic fatigue, learn more.

Earthing Cognitive Benefits

The bioelectrical neurology of the brain is incredibly sensitive, and by stabilizing the bodies bioelectrical system and reducing excess bioelectrical noise, earthing improves the functioning of the brain. Earthing helps with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health disturbances, and earthing also improves brainwave activity.

Earthing helps with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other neurocognitive diseases, and in general earthing improves cognitive abilities and performance. Earthing has been linked to an increase in lucid dreaming and precognition.

Another big benefit of earthing is that it shields you from power grid, WiFi, and cellular electropollution. The body did not evolve in the presence of high frequency microwaves which cycle millions to billions of times per second, and these rapid electromagnetic oscillations disturb the brain via interactions with magnetosomes.

If you ever get into that tired but wired state, where the mind is racing but the body wants to rest and you’re unable to relax/sleep, then the best thing you can do is to ground yourself and neutralize your bioelectrical system back to the Earth’s normal electric potential.

Note - Watch my video to learn more about how electrosmog impacts the brain (YouTube link).

Earthing Gut Health Benefits

Wild Free Organic has a lot of articles on gut health, and we’re also the home of the Holistic Gut Health Guide eBook, and I mention this because if you have gut health problems then know that earthing is another wellness practice that greatly benefits gut health because of how it normalizes nervous system activity. By increasing parasympathetic “rest and digest” activity, earthing normalizes gut motility and helps the body maintain consistent and regular waves of smooth muscle activity that move food through the digestive system. In this way earthing helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), reduces constipation, and helps with acid reflux.

Note - If you’re really struggling with IBS, peppermint has proven useful for IBS and can be used alongside earthing to enact noticeable improvements.

Earthing Hormonal Benefits

Earthing benefits the endocrine system greatly for both men and women, mainly because it helps to reduce the release of over-stimulated hormones (in modern society) like cortisol while increasing the secretion of under-stimulated hormones like melatonin. Earthing smooths out hormonal imbalances for both men and women.

Earthing is overall helpful for periods, reducing PMS, cramps, and sometimes even period duration. For women who are perimenopausal or in menopause, earthing helps reduce hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, and irritability.

For men earthing can help with erectile dysfunction because of how it improves blood flow, and in general is beneficial for the male hormone system*.

Earthing has also been shown to improve blood glucose through its interactions with the pancreas and insulin secretion.

*Note - If you’re a man and want to boost your testosterone and functioning down under while also improving your overall health and wellness then check out the natural herb cistanche. Average testosterone levels have been declining for decades now and cistanche boosts testosterone effectively.

Earthing Physical Benefits

Earthing has many benefits for the tissue and muscular systems of the body. Whether you’re an athlete or someone wanting to move and feel better, earthing can improve your physical fitness. Earthing improves sleep quality which aids in rest and recovery, it reduces pain, speeds up wound healing, decreases muscle protein breakdown, and has even been shown to improve flexibility.

If you have any sort of physical impairment, wound, injury, or are striving to optimize your athletic abilities to the max*, then earthing consistently everyday is an absolute must.

*Note - The endocannabinoid system is one component of the bioelectric system, and cannabinoids benefit athletes if used appropriately and responsibly.

Other Earthing Benefits

It should be clear by now that earthing has a tremendously beneficial impact on health because it targets an aspect of human biology that is at the foundation of our existence, human bioelectricity. As such it should be no surprise then that there exist even more heath benefits to earthing that haven’t already been discussed. For example:

• Earthing improves renal (kidney) function

• Earthing helps with glaucoma

• Earthing relieves acute and chronic pain

• Earthing speeds up wound healing

• Earthing reduces bacterial growth

• And I’ll say it once more, GROUNDING REDUCES INFLAMMATION (the main driver of 80+ diseases)

Geophysics of Earthing

You’ve now been primed on earthing, bioelectricity, and the health benefits of being grounded, but you may be asking why this is even a thing in the first place?

Well the reason why earthing is something we evolved to do naturally is because the Earth is a 6 sextillion metric ton battery continually replenished with energy from solar radiation and internal radioactivity. This energy keeps the Earth’s geologic processes going which generates a magnetic field deep within its core. From this internal electromagnetism all the other electromagnetic forces of the Earth like the Schumann resonances, telluric currents, and the global electric circuit derive from.

The Global Electric Circuit

About 100 kilometers above the surface of the Earth radiation from the Sun strips electrons from the gas molecules of the atmosphere and breaks their chemical bonds, creating highly charged ions. This atmospheric layer is known as the ionosphere, and its electric potential ranges from 250-500,000 volts. The electric potential of the Earth’s surface is about zero, so as you move up in the atmosphere towards the ionosphere the electric potential increases*. While air is a poor conductor of electricity, it can build up a static charge due to thermal heat convection and the movement of water. As this happens weather storms develop and the built-up atmospheric charge will discharge eventually either via rainfall or lightning strikes. Across the globe lightning strikes 50-150 times a second, and with each lightning bolt being a massive surge of electrons, the Earth’s surface is continuously replenished with free electrons from the constant lightning activity.

Credit: NSF, Jeffrey Forbes - University of Colorado at Boulder

To explain how this works a bit more, as a storm system grows, a positive charge builds in the ground surface underneath, and once the electric potentials of the Earth’s surface and storm clouds reach a critical point, the resistance of the air is able to be overcome and the opposite electric charges of the two systems equalize via a lightning channel (see right side of graphic above). These massive surges of electrons create conductive ionized gas channels which they flow through, always moving along path of least resistance which is either in-between points within the storm system or downwards towards the ground.

*Note - At 1.5 meters up (about head level) the electric potential is around +350 volts, but since air is such a poor conductor of electricity you don’t get zapped from the voltage gradient that exists in-between your feet and head. Since the human body is conductive, if you’re grounded the near-zero electric potential of the Earth rises up to your head and creates a protective umbrella effect that shields you from EMFs and electropollution.

Variations in the Earth’s Surface Electric Potential

The earth’s surface electrical potential isn’t always the same, as discussed above it changes based on atmospheric activity and during storms, its primary rhythm though is that it increases during the day due to solar radiation and decreases at night as the Sun’s energetic influence is removed.

In this way grounding is one of the primary signals the body uses to stabilize its circadian rhythm, in addition to the diurnal fluctuations in visible light and temperature. Having a in-sync circadian rhythm is of course vital to good health and wellness.

When the Earth’s surface electrical potential changes rapidly, like during a powerful thunderstorm, bioelectrically sensitive people sometimes experience symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, headaches, and just overall instability. This can also happen during a full moon. Every 28 days the moon lines up with the Earth and Sun and is positioned inside Earth’s magnetotail, accumulating electrical potential from the Sun non-stop and also from plasma waves from within Earth’s magnetotail. At night on Earth this built-up lunar charge discharges down Earth’s magnetic field lines to our planet’s surface and has a measurable influence on the Earth’s surface electric potential causing it to become more volatile than usual.

I found this Earth-full moon electromagnetic interaction fascinating so I made a video on it which you can watch below to learn more!

The Science of How Full Moon Electromagnetism Affects your Body

How to Ground Yourself

The beautiful thing about grounding as a wellness practice is that it requires almost zero effort, just awareness of whether you’re grounded or not. Overtime grounding will become second nature to you and won’t require any special planning or willpower to accomplish. Below are the easiest ways to practice earthing.

Walk Barefoot

Our feet our loaded with nerve endings, we evolved to walk barefoot and remain in grounded contact with the Earth at all times, and walking barefoot is therefore one of the best ways to ground yourself. When at the park, beach, or in nature kick the shoes off and spend time with your feet in direct contact with the surface of the ground. Wet sand at the beach or wet grass are especially conductive and also simply feel wonderful.

This advice goes beyond just barefoot contact with the Earth. Laying down or meditating in lotus posture in a natural environment will also ground your body, though it may not be as quick in effect. Do some yoga in the park(!), the more time you spend grounded the better.

Go for a Swim

Water can be an excellent conductor of electricity depending on the amount dissolved ions. Ions from salts like NaCl assist in the transfer of electrons, so going for a swim in a salty body of water like the ocean washes you in free electrons and beneficial minerals. The nice thing about swimming is that the entire body is immersed and grounds simultaneously from the outside in. When standing barefoot a wave of free electrons will travel upwards from the feet, and it can take 30+ minutes for the entire body all the way up to the head to become grounded, whereas with swimming the effect is much quicker.

There’s a reason why going for a swim, laying out on the beach, and sunbathing feel so good…you’re earthing the entire time and while also charging your body with solar radiation!

Using a Grounding Mat or Blanket

When unable to spend time outside you can ground yourself using a grounding mat or blanket. Grounding mats and blankets are made of electrically conductive materials and are either connected to the ground port of a building’s electrical system or are connected directly to a ground rod placed outside. I personally only recommend using a grounding mat or blanket if you connect it to a grounding rod you yourself place some distance away from the building. The standard ground rod for a building is placed along its side and its wires run alongside the electrical wires, picking up the electrical field from the power system.

Find a spot of ground far removed from any electrical equipment, lines, transformers, etc and drive in a ground rod there. Connect your grounding mats and blankets to that ground rod using a shielded wire and check the connection occasionally to make sure it hasn’t been broken.

Sleeping grounded is one of the best things you can do for your health, so I recommend sleeping with a grounding sheet connected in this manner. If you want to go all out and purchase a grounding sheet for the bed, a grounding mat, a grounded pillowcase, and grounding patches (for localized pain relief), as well as learn more about Earthing, then you can purchase the Earthing Starter Kit from Earthing.

I want to be clear that grounding sheets and mats are not required to incorporate earthing into your life, but if an honest examination of your lifestyle reveals that you’re unlikely to spend as much time outside as would be needed for best effect, or you have a mental or physical disability which limits your ability to ground naturally, then earthing products are an excellent way to enjoy all the benefits of earthing from within your home or office. Because earthing is so foundational to health, any money spent on earthing products that actually gets you grounded daily will turn our to be one of if not the best health investments you’ve ever made (alongside the Holistic Gut Health Guide 😉).

Interact with an Electrically Conductive Object

Another way to ground yourself not discussed often is to interact with an electrically conductive object that has a neutral charge. This can be the metal railing outside a building, a metal water pipe, or even something as simple as a chunk of metal.

For example I have small sphere of pure copper than I’ll hold occasionally if I’m inside and on the computer for a longer period of time than normal. Since copper is so conductive, any excess electrical charge that I have built-up will flow to the copper sphere, and then when I put it down, it’ll slowly discharge back to neutral ready for the next time I use it. Something like this is great for localized pain relief, I personally use it most for hand or abdominal pain.

Don’t be Electron Deficient Any Longer

As you can see, earthing doesn’t have to be complicated. Once you have a good fundamental understanding of the biophysics and geophysics involved, which I hope this article provided you with, then you begin to see the simplicity of earthing and how staying grounded throughout the day only requires the slightest lifestyle adjustments.

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References:

1. Ober C, Sinatra S, Martin Z. Earthing. Second Edition. Basic Health Publications, Inc.; 2014.

2. Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Sokal K, Sokal P. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the earth’s surface electrons. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2012;2012:1-8.

3. Chevalier, Gaétan et al. “The effect of earthing ( grounding ) on human physiology.” (2005).

4. Chevalier, Gaétan and Stephen T. Sinatra. “Emotional Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Grounding, and Improved Autonomic Tone: Clinical Applications.” (2011).

5. McCraty R. The Energetic Heart. HeartMath Institute; 2003

6. Bevington M. Lunar biological effects and the magnetosphere. Pathophysiology. 2015;22(4):211-222.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

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How to Restore Healthy Microbiome

and how to get rid of bad bacteria in the gut

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated October 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

As our understanding of the gut microbiome and gut-brain axis increases, more and more people are asking the smart question of how they can improve their gut microbiome to upgrade and optimize their physical, mental, and emotional health.

At first it may seem bizarre that small microorganisms can influence foundational aspects of our being like our metabolism, memory, focus, and how we feel emotionally, but with a greater understanding of the microbiome and gut-brain axis it becomes clear quite quickly why cultivating a healthy gut microbiome is so important for not only gut health but for overall health and wellness.

There are two main strategies for improving the gut microbiome, and the first is to diversify the microbiome with more symbiotic microbes and to support their growth, and the second is to select against and reduce pathogenic microbe populations. When both strategies are paired together it’s possible to shift the microbiome towards greater symbiosis in a significant way quite quickly.

To educate you on how to restore healthy gut flora populations, in this article we’ll cover the following topics:

1. The microbiome and gut-brain axis

2. What is gut dysbiosis and why you should improve your gut microbiome

3. How to increase good bacteria in the gut naturally

4. How to starve out bad bacteria

5. Are you ready to heal you gut?

Read to the end to receive a special 10% discount on the Holistic Gut Health Guide, the all-in-one eBook to help you overcome your gut health and microbiome problems once and for all!

The Microbiome and the Gut-Brain Axis

The gut is collectively the largest overall organ, immune organ, and endocrine organ of the human body. Its functions are varied and complex enough that it has its own nervous system known as the enteric nervous system, often described as a “second brain” because the enteric nervous system functions relatively independently of the brain. An example of the independence of the gut, microbiome, and enteric nervous system is how it maintains itself and its functions even in those stuck in a vegetative state.

If we examine the gut from a numbers standpoint, it would best be considered a “microbial organ” because 90-95% of its total cell number are from microorganisms. Important for our understanding of the gut-brain axis is the concept that humans are a “superorganism” in which more than 90% of the total genes and cell numbers of the superorganism are microbial and not human in nature.

We’re more bacteria than human in some regards…

Humans have co-evolved with microorganisms for millions of years, and a healthy microbiome is vital to the optimal development and wellness of Homo sapiens, individually and as a species. Until just recently in our time spent on Earth, humans and the microbiome co-evolved under the conditions of a hunter-gatherer, or still very natural Neolithic villager lifestyle. As hunter-gathers humans were exposed to a wide range of natural environments. Every environment like the ocean or the jungle has a unique microbiome, and by spending time in these different environments, humans inoculated themselves with a wide range of microorganisms, thereby supporting diverse microbiome populations in their guts.

With the recent modernization of human society, dramatic changes to the individual and collective human microbiome have occurred, and exposure to the beneficial microorganisms of the world’s different natural environments has greatly reduced for most people. These alterations in the human gut microbiome are well correlated with the changes in disease patterns in modern society.

Whereas the human gut microbiome used to contain many more symbiotic microorganisms, now the average human gut microbiome contains less symbionts and more pathogens and commensal microbes.

Symbiotic: Symbiotic microorganisms like lactobacillus and bifidobacteria work with you to process food like fiber that you can’t digest into beneficial compounds like short-chain fatty acids and neurotransmitters that you use biologically throughout the body. Inside the gut symbiotic microorganisms interact with the digestive system to keep integrity of digestive barriers high, the immune system strong, the hormone (endocrine) system functioning properly, the activity of the nervous system stable and coherent, and brain functionality at optimal. As you can see, the microbiome touches nearly every aspect of human health.

Pathogenic: Pathogenic microorganisms like C. difficile, salmonella, E. coli, and E. faecalis can inhabit the gut in small or large percentages depending on one’s state of health, and their presence is problematic because pathogens don’t work with you the host, instead they seek to exploit you for their every advantage. If pathogens are able to expand in population unchecked they cause health problems that can range from mild like fever, diarrhea, and pain to severe like chronic disease, cancer, mental health problems, and organ failure.

Commensal: Commensal microbes are typically the most numerous in number, they’re helpful but not to the same degree as symbiotic microbes, and commensal microorganisms will shift to become more symbiotic or pathogenic in nature over time depending on the evolutionary conditions they experience.

What Purpose does the Microbiome Serve?

You can imagine how the human digestive system is a cozy place for microorganisms to live because it’s warm, protected from dangerous ultraviolet radiation from the sun and other hazards, and there is usually a constant influx of food. In exchange for these comfy conditions, a healthy microbiome beneficially influences the development and functioning of you, the host, by working with the cells of the digestive system to better digest food, by influencing and supporting immune and endocrine functions, and by producing valuable neurotransmitters that your nervous system and brain needs. Normal aspects of psychology, such as cognition, emotion, pain perception, social behavior, stress response, and a person’s character are all influenced by the microbiome of the gut.

Gastrointestinal disturbances affect the gut microbiome, and gut microbiome disturbances affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal system, and disturbances to either can be caused by many different factors, including an unhealthy diet, lifestyle and stress, excessive use of medications and antibiotics, mental illness, environmental toxins, and more. Gut dysbiosis can lead to the eventual development of neurocognitive disorders like mood disorders, depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

The reason why humans and microorganisms evolutionarily formed a symbiotic relationship is thought to be primarily for metabolic reasons. The metabolic actions of the microbiome provides additional energy from food that otherwise wouldn’t be extractable, which is highly advantageous from an evolutionary standpoint, and because the composition of microorganisms of the gut microbiome can rapidly adapt to dietary changes, it provided humans an ability to adapt to new environments and novel foods faster, increasing the evolutionary fitness of our ancestors. Additionally, it’s thought that microbiome-brain interactions were a critically important factor that guided the evolution of the human brain and the development of the social brain. It’s our evolutionary history that explains why the gut-brain axis is such an important and powerful system in the body.

To boil it down our gut microbiome makes us more efficiently metabolically, confers upon us brain-development and cognitive benefits, and gives us greater survivability in a diverse range of environments. With this known, who wouldn’t want the best gut microbiome possible?

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Ready to Heal Your Gut?

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Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on.

The Holistic Gut Health Guide contains all the information you need to identify and understand the gastrointestinal and microbiome problems you may have while also providing you the most effective natural methods you can use to heal your gut. No gut health problems are unsolvable, give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

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Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge but when implemented it is highly effective in healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards symbiosis. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

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Why you Should Improve your Gut Microbiome

The are three main reasons why everyone should strive to cultivate the healthiest microbiome possible:

• Improved digestion

• Better metabolism

• Increased consciousness

It’s impossible to have a good metabolism if digestion is inefficient. Metabolism can be defined as the uncountable amount of life-sustaining reactions that occurs every second in our body. By providing a lot of the chemicals required for metabolism, and by facilitating some of those reactions themselves, a healthy gut microbiome is essential for having the best metabolism possible; a metabolism that keeps you lean, healthy, and mentally sharp.

The general flow is Digestion ➞ Metabolism ➞ Cognition

And this cycle repeats around because you (hopefully) consciously choose what to eat! Because the microbiome affects digestion and the gut-brain axis, factors perturbing the gut microbiome affect the brain and mind simultaneously. This is important to know because if gut dysbiosis is experienced, then by result mental health problems have a much greater likelihood of developing.

If you’re reading this you either have a preventative interest in improving your microbiome, or you have some level of gut dysbiosis and are looking for ways to treat your condition. In the next chapter we begin our discussion on how to increase symbiotic microbes in the gut, but first what exactly is dysbiosis?

Gut Dysbiosis

Dysbiosis Definition: Dysbiosis is an unhealthy microbiome imbalance that results from unfavorable changes in the diversity, metabolic activities, and distribution of the gut microbiota

As we mentioned earlier, the diversity of the human microbiome has decreased dramatically with the widespread lifestyle changes that have occurred as people have moved from rural communities to large cities and also from the advent and overuse of antibiotics, pesticides, and antimicrobial cleaning products.

While most people don’t consider themselves to have dysbiosis, the reality of the situation is that unless you take great care to cultivate a healthy and diverse microbiome, then you share in the larger gut dysbiosis that human society is experiencing currently. Then on top of that if you are particularly unhealthy for whatever reason, be it diet, lifestyle, disease, or drug related, then your gut dysbiosis will be even worse.

Gut Dysbiosis Symptoms

Because the microbiome interacts with so many different systems throughout the body, there are a wide range of symptoms that result from gut dysbiosis. The most common symptoms are:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain

• Candida (yeast infection)

• Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities

• Nutritional deficiencies

• Fatigue

• Headaches, brain fog, poor memory

• Mental health problems like anxiety, depression, insomnia

• Skin issues like rashes, acne, eczema, psoriasis

• Auto-immune disorders, allergies

• Asthma

Gut Dysbiosis Treatment

There are many ways to treat gut dysbiosis and a pathogenic microbiome, some being safer and more effective than others. Unfortunately many common treatment methods like antibiotics are prescribed by those with an dangerously limited understanding of how the microbiome works, and while symptoms of dysbiosis may improve temporarily as the microbiome dies off from the antibiotics, the dysbiosis gets worse once the course of antibiotics is finished and pathogens expand outwards.

To treat gut dysbiosis that isn’t immediately life-threatening, one must look back to the factors that caused society’s larger gut dysbiosis to develop, and to then seek to integrate into one’s lifestyle the beneficial gut microbiome practices that our ancient hunter-gatherer and Neolithic ancestors followed, which were:

• Interacting with a large variety of environments, getting “dirty” in the process

• Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fiber, all free of chemical contamination

• Living a relatively stress-free and active lifestyle

• Experiencing occasional periods of nutrient deprivation (aka fasting)

• Utilization of the healing medicinal herbs that exist

What is the Fastest Way to Heal the Gut Microbiome?

To heal the gut microbiome we have our two strategies of promoting microbial diversity and the growth of symbiotic microbes while also selecting against pathogenic microbes. If you integrate into your life the lifestyle and dietary factors above, both goals can be accomplished simultaneously. Fasting and utilizing antimicrobial herbs are particularly useful in treating dysbiosis because not only do they support the growth of helpful symbionts but they in the same stroke make life much more difficult for pathogens. We’ll get into the specific reasons why that is in the next two sections.

The most effective strategy to heal the gut microbiome will be one that combines multiple strategies together holistically in a way that is safe and sustainable to maintain. The gut microbiome cannot be healed in one day, it will take at least a week to begin seeing progress and months to see significant progress, and in reality their is no final end destination as the microbiome is always changing and in flux. For these reasons, in order to make serious and lasting improvements in the microbiome, the recommendations given below must be incorporated into one’s lifestyle and diet naturally and without fuss (indeed they should be happily welcomed!) and become permanent life changes.

How to Increase Good Bacteria in the Gut Naturally

To increase the populations of good bacteria in the gut naturally it’s first required to expose yourself to these different symbiotic microbes in order to diversify the gut microbiome, and then it’s necessary to support their growth. Most people turn to probiotics in order to increase their microbial diversity, and this works because it’s easy to take probiotics, they’re widely available, and different multi-strain formations exist. A much more natural method for increasing microbial diversity is to place yourself in a variety of different environments. Eating fiber and fermented foods also increase good bacteria in the gut naturally. We’ll cover all the main strategies for increasing helpful microbial diversity and then discuss how to support the population growth of symbionts in the microbiome.

Expose Yourself to Different Natural Environments

Microbiomes exist everywhere, not just in the gut. Your skin has a microbiome, your bed has a microbiome, and every toilet has a microbiome. Some microbiomes are beneficial to exposure yourself to because they are full of useful microbes, whereas others like the toilet microbiome are best avoided (yuk!).

Microbes float through the air, live in the water we drink, and exist in the soil. These natural microbiomes, the ones that we interact with to varying degrees just by existing have proven themselves to be on the whole incredibly safe over millions and millions of years, and it’s exposure to the air, water, and soil microbiomes of nature that are the most beneficial for developing good gut health and a strong, diverse, and resilient microbiome. Perform the following activities to not only improve your health and fitness but also to exposure yourself to the diverse microbiomes of nature!

Hiking: Hiking through nature is an excellent wellness activity not only for the physical, mental, and emotional benefits, but also for the microbiome benefits. The fresh oxygen-rich air of a forest has special healing properties and this forest air will lightly expose you to different microorganisms. The density of microbes in the air is very low, but they do exist, and with a long hike with plenty of deep breathing the effect is not insignificant.

You can increase your exposure to the natural microbiome of the environment you’re walking/hiking through by interacting respectfully with the environment. Run your fingers through the moss, splash your face with water from the stream, forage on edible herbs that you may find like miners lettuce or mint. Some of these tips require common sense and some skills, for example don’t drink the stream water or splash it directly into your eyes, and don’t eat plants if you’re not a herbalist and haven’t 100% positively identified them as being safe, but if you have the sense and skills necessary to engage in these practices then it’s a powerful way to increase the diversity of your gut microbiome.

Swimming: Swimming in natural and clean bodies of water is another way to increase microbiome diversity as the full body gets immersed in the microbiome of the water. Swimming in the ocean is fantastic as the salt water naturally keeps a lot of harmful microorganisms low in concentration, and if you swallow some water every now and then accidentally after let’s say being hit by a large wave, that’s not necessarily a bad thing (but don’t go out of your way to do this). The key is natural exposure to the microbiome of the environment, what happens happens! Your gut microbiome is already a highly competitive place with limited space and access to resources, and whatever microbes that come in from the environment, your food, or probiotics will have to compete and carve out space and resources for themselves in order to survive and flourish in your gut whether they are symbionts, pathogens, or commensal microorganisms.

Gardening: Digging your hands into the soil, growing plants, and harvesting the food that results is one of the absolute best ways for the average person to increase the diversity of their gut microbiome. Gardening isn’t limited to just those who live in rural places, if you' live in the city you can likely find a community garden and establish a garden there, or you can garden at home outside on a small plot or inside using pots.

Gardening is the easiest and most fruitful way to expose yourself to the rich and highly diverse microbiome of the soil. Just as with us and our microbiomes, the soil microbiome is of key importance in the health and growth of plants and fungi. Soil microorganisms are the foundational biologic and chemical communication layer that life depends on, and digging around in good soil with your bare hands is a very effective way to improve the diversity of your microbiome over time. I can personally attest to this as gardening over the summer of 2021 noticeably improved my gut health, and anytime I have the opportunity to garden consistently my gut health seems to be more resilient.

Gardening also improves gut health and the microbiome through the cultivation of food. If growing fruits and vegetables without the use of any fertilizers or pesticides (highly recommended), then you can pick food directly off the plant and eat it. Every piece of produce has its own little microbiome, and eating food this way overtime is incredibly effective at diversifying and improving your own microbiome.

Probiotics for Gut Health

Certain species of bacteria have been studied scientifically for their effects on gut health, and as the biologic benefits of more of these strains have been quantified more varied probiotic supplements have hit the market. In some ways choosing the right probiotic can now be overwhelming as there are so many choices available! While probiotics are certainly useful in restoring populations of healthy microbes in the gut, I think it’s best to keep probiotic supplementation simple and consistent and instead spend more time in healthy natural spaces like our paleolithic and Neolithic ancestors did rather than fuss over which probiotics are best for you. It’s the fact that we’ve strayed away from lifestyle’s like theirs, not a lack of probiotics, that has led to the now “normal” gut dysbiosis that most people have.

Probiotics are definitely helpful though, and one reason why probiotics are useful for gut dysbiosis and gut health problems is that some of the microorganisms contained in the probiotic will form biofilms and colonize the mucosal layer of the digestive barrier, these biofilms persisting for a week or longer. If probiotics are taken daily then many probiotic biofilms colonize the gut and permanently change the diversity and composition of the microbiome. It’s like the colonization of North America by the British, French, and Spanish. One ship wasn’t enough to establish permanent colonies, but repeated ships of colonists and time turned out to be successful.

Biofilms are structures that certain microorganisms create that provide them shelter and help them adhere to surfaces, and they are arguably the most successful form of life on Earth, existing in nearly every environment. In the gut environment, both pathogenic and symbiotic microorganisms produce biofilm structures made of mostly polysaccharides, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids and then adhere them to the intestinal mucosa where they can persist for a long period of time.

Used consistently probiotics have been shown to improve functional brain responses in healthy people, reducing psychological distress and anxiety conditions. Probiotics containing strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria appear to be the most effective, and these probiotic formations have also shown small but consistent benefits for those experiencing IBS. A multi-strain probiotic is usually more effective than a single-strain probiotic, and probiotics should be taken with a meal so more of the beneficial microbes survive the harsh acidic conditions of the stomach and can begin populating in the intestines, specifically the large intestine.

I have used the following multi-strain probiotic from Nature’s Bounty successfully many times when experiencing a gut health flareup and I recommend you use take it daily when experiencing a worsening of gut health symptoms.

Eat Fermented Foods for a Healthy Microbiome

Foods that contain sugar, starches, and/or fiber are able to be fermented by microorganisms, and most fermented foods benefit the gut microbiome by diversifying it with new species and strains of beneficial microbes from the fermented food. Fermented foods like kombucha, pickles, kimchi, sauerkraut, and others are typically easy to digest and contain many bioavailable nutrients; it’s no surprise that fermented foods have been cultured for thousands of years by different cultures around the world.

The best fermented foods are the ones that contain abundant fiber, as the fermentable fibers and starchy carbohydrates they possess further positively support the gut microbiome. Some of the symbiotic microbes of fermented foods will survive the transit through the harsh conditions of the stomach, and once this wave of food reaches the large intestine the survivors will establish themselves while the rest of the gut microbiome will begin metabolizing the leftover food as best as possible, producing beneficial biologic compounds like short-chain fatty acids.

Recalling the gut-brain axis, it’s been shown that the consumption of fermented foods is inversely associated with neurocognitive issues like neurosis and social anxiety. Even those at a higher genetic risk for social anxiety disorders showed improvements in their condition when consuming more fermented foods.

Eat a diversity of fermented foods at least a few times per week to receive the greatest benefit and to give yourself the best advantage in establishing a healthy gut microbiome.

Fiber Feeds the Gut Microbiome

Fiber is a type of carbohydrate the body is unable to digest. Some types of fiber are soluble in water, whereas others are insoluble, and some fibers are fermentable by the microbiome whereas others aren’t. The solubility and fermentability characteristics of fiber influence the entire digestive process, notably gut motility, and the more fiber is consumed, the bigger the effect on digestion.

Fermentable fibers are converted into short-chain fatty acids and other biologically useful metabolites by the microbiome of the large intestine, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream for various metabolic and cognitive functions. For example, the short-chain fatty acids that cross the highly selective blood-brain barrier regulate brain development and brain tissue homeostasis through their interactions with microglia immune cells of the nervous system. Disruptions to microbiome short-chain fatty acid metabolism have been linked to the development of neurocognitive disorders.

In general, most people consume too little fiber and would be well served to increase their fiber intake to forty-plus grams a day to improve their gut health, energy metabolism, and microbiome. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of fiber because they also come paired with abundant vitamins and minerals in addition to useful plant phytochemicals. Plant polyphenols for example like flavonoids are also metabolized by symbiotic microorganisms in the gut microbiome, supporting their growth and your health.

How to Restore Healthy Gut Flora with Herbs

Spending time in natural environments, probiotics, and fermented foods increase microbial diversity, and eating adequate fiber is one of the best ways to then support the growth of a healthy microbiome, and the useful strategies for improving the gut microbiome don’t stop there. Herbs are one of the most powerful ways of reshaping the gut microbiome because not only do certain herbs support the growth of symbiotic microorganisms, they also select against pathogenic microorganisms at the same time.

How is it that herbs can do this, and what is the best way to use herbs for this effect?

Herbal tea blend consisting of peppermint leaves, chamomile flowers, and dandelion root

One of the main reasons herbs are so good for the microbiome is because of the plant phytochemicals they contain like flavonoids. Flavonoids are secondary metabolites plants produce via the shikimate pathway for functions like protection against ultraviolet light; defense against insects, fungi, and harmful microorganisms; as antioxidants; and as plant hormone controllers. Flavonoids are biologically useful chemicals for plants, microorganisms, and humans.

With gut dysbiosis it’s also common to have gut health problems like leaky gut and IBS, and flavonoids like apigenin and quercetin are valuable in treating these conditions alongside their microbiome improving effects because they possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Drinking herbal teas, or consuming herbs like parsley, rosemary, thyme, and others as part of your regular diet increases the amount of flavonoids that your body has access too.

As these flavonoids move through the digestive system some are directly taken up and used by the tissues of the gut like intestinal epithelial barriers, some flavonoids are transported and metabolized by the liver before being circulating throughout the body, and whatever flavonoids remain make their way to the large intestine where they interact with the microbiome. Throughout this whole process flavonoids are reducing inflammation throughout the body by neutralizing unstable and highly reactive free radical compounds, stimulate the natural healing and regenerative pathways of the body (autophagy), and improve the functioning of the cardiovascular and cognitive systems.

Flavonoids, and herbs by extension, are so useful for restoring healthy gut flora because they possess selective antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of various pathogens while supporting the growth of useful symbiotic genera like bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. These symbiotic microbes also produce their own antimicrobial compounds that make life difficult for pathogens, and in this way using herbs acts like a one-two punch in remedying gut dysbiosis.

Flavonoid-microbiome interactions further improve gut health and heal dysbiosis because they help regenerate mucosal and epithelial digestive linings. When digestive linings are thin and degraded, biofilms begin to affix directly onto epithelial cells, causing systemic inflammation by triggering a strong immune response, and the consistent use of herbs, say through drinking herbal teas daily, helps to dissolve these biofilms while restoring digestive barriers to healthy integrity. Once this happens symbiotic microbes can begin to reclaim “lost territory” and fulfill their normal role of keeping pathogenic bacteria populations in check by outcompeting them.

My favorite way of using herbs to promote the growth of a healthy microbiome is to drink herbal teas often and to utilize herbs in my cooking daily. A great herbal tea for gut health and the microbiome is a 1:1:1 blend of chamomile, dandelion, and peppermint. These three herbs are very well-known for their digestive enhancing effects, they contain abundant plant phytochemicals like flavonoids, and they have a track record of safe use thousands of years long. Plus this tea blend is remarkably tasty unlike some other effective anti-microbial herbs like wormwood.

In addition to herbal teas, utilizing herbs like parsley, sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary in cooking makes your meals tastier and healthier. Dried parsley is especially useful as it contains absurd amounts of nature’s most powerful flavonoid - apigenin, and dried parsley is really easy to incorporate into a variety of foods. Mix some along with some digestive-boosting black pepper into your favorite dips, spreads, or plain cream cheese. Sprinkle dried parsley onto favorite dishes like a grain bowl, pasta dish, or with potatoes, incorporate into a breading or season your protein of choice (meat, fish, tofu) with it. Herbs are highly versatile in the kitchen, and including more herbs into your diet improves your nutrition in addition to helping improve the health of your microbiome.

Herbs are one of nature’s best prebiotics, and if you have gut dysbiosis and/or are looking to improve your gut microbiome, I would recommend making a habit out of drinking herbal teas and in using herbs in your cooking daily. Personally it’s made a huge difference in my gut health and in the efficiency of my microbiome, and it can do the same for you.

Mountain Rose Herbs is my go-to supplier of organic herbs and spices, they sell all the herbs I mentioned which are dandelion root, chamomile flowers, peppermint leaves, and black peppercorns.

How to Starve Bad Gut Bacteria

Just as important as increasing microbiome diversity and supporting the growth of symbiotic microbe populations is to select against and reduce pathogenic microbial populations in the gut. This is very important for a few reasons, and it’s something that is underappreciated and often treated dangerously and inefficiently by the standard medical system.

The reason why reducing pathogenic populations in the gut must be a top priority alongside supporting the diversification and growth of symbiotic populations is because pathogens and symbionts compete against each other. When pathogen biofilms are numerous and deeply entrenched in the gut environment, they have established territory and nutrient streams, and from these “strongholds” they produce endotoxins that cause inflammatory and immune health problems and make life difficult for symbiotic microorganisms.

With gut dysbiosis, bringing in new symbiotic bacteria via probiotics (the standard recommendation) helps to beneficially shift the microbiome slightly, but for probiotics and other methods that increase good bacteria in the gut naturally, it’s much more effective to clear out pathogenic bacteria first and then overlap that effort with a symbiotic microbiome supportive protocol.

Salmonella among epithelial cells

The standard medical treatment that is done to accomplish the goal of reducing pathogens in the microbiome is one or more course of antibiotics, but as discussed antibiotics typically make gut dysbiosis worse in the long run unless the condition being treated is immediately life threatening. A better method of reducing pathogens is to cut them off from their food supply by changing the diet and via fasting. Switching the diet from highly-processed low-nutrition foods to whole and unprocessed foods rich in nutrients and fiber like vegetables is the first thing that will help a lot in reducing bad bacteria in the gut. The second thing that can be done which is highly effective in starving bad gut bacteria is to undergo a period of nutrient deprivation by fasting.

Fasting Kills Gut Bacteria

Fasting is incredibly useful in healing the gut and for reducing pathogens in the microbiome, but there is some nuance to the process. The length of a fast determines how strong the gut-healing and pathogen-reducing effect is, as does how often fasts are done, and the food eaten before and after a fast is incredibly important in the effectiveness of any fast. The composition of the microbiome is determined in large part by one’s diet, and eating poor quality food before and after a fast won’t make a noticeable difference in improving the gut microbiome over the long run.

• Intermittent 16:8 Fasting

  Intermittent fasting is the most popular type of fasting, typically scheduled as sixteen hours of fasting followed by an open eight hour feeding window. This ratio of fasting to eating can be shortened to 12:12 or lengthened to 20:4, with the longer intermittent fasts taking the body deeper into autophagy. The benefit of intermittent fasting is that by eating every day and with a long eating window, it’s much easier to maintain caloric balance or even a caloric surplus if trying to gain weight if underweight and/or build lean body mass if an athlete.

  Intermittent fasting is most effective done consistently day after day, and overtime the slight daily increase in autophagy it stimulates during the fasting window heals and regenerates the body.

• 24-Hour OMAD Fasting

  Fasting for twenty-four hours is also known as one meal a day OMAD fasting. The most common type of OMAD fasting is eating dinner every night, though it’s not uncommon to do breakfast or lunch OMAD. OMAD is similar to intermittent fasting in that food is still eaten every day, and OMAD is typically done consecutively or for a certain number of days per week.

  Since OMAD takes the body deeper into a fasted state of autophagy across twenty-four hours than intermittent fasting, it’s a good way to begin experimenting with longer fasts and to examine one’s relationship with eating behaviors. Physiological hunger is quite different than a psychological food craving, and if struggling with making healthy dietary choices, consistent OMAD fasting is a great way to reset psychological behaviors and patterns in regard to dietary eating patterns. The gut-brain axis can be beneficially altered with OMAD and with time you’ll become better at identifying when you’re truly physically hungry or when you simply have a psychological food craving.

• 48 to 72-Hour Fasting

  Fasting for longer than 24 hours reduces the body’s glucose sugars stored in muscle cells and the liver, and around the 48 hour mark when all the glucose has been depleted is when the body will enter ketosis. Ketosis is a process that converts fatty acids to energy molecules known as ketones. The brain runs exclusively on simple sugars, or if those are not available, ketones. When carbohydrates are in short supply, either from fasting or from eating a high-fat ketogenic diet, the body begins producing ketones to keep all the metabolic systems running smoothly.

  Just as fasting is an alternate operating system for the body, switching from sugar metabolism to ketone metabolism is another metabolic state change that can be used to improve health and diagnose health issues. A 48-hour fast is useful because it takes the body deep into autophagy, deeper than most people have ever gone in their lives except maybe during a bad flu (hmmm why is that?). 48 hours of fasting really gives the digestive system time to rest and regenerate and takes the body to the edge of or into ketosis. A longer 72-hour fast will take the body fully into ketosis and the autophagy healing effects are even stronger.

  A 48-hour fast is short enough to be easily completed by most people without serious health issues as long as they have the willpower, it doesn’t require too much planning, and it’s also long enough to bring about noticeable differences in digestion and energy. The gut health observations made possible during a 48+-hour fast are invaluable in accurately diagnosing gut problems and, subsequently, in healing the gut.

Daily 16:8 intermittent fasting has been shown to be useful in changing the composition of the microbiome over time, and more effective are 24 and 48+ hour fasts. The longer a fast, the more food clears the digestive system, and typically at the 48 hour mark the digestive system is cleared of food and strong evolutionary pressures are increasingly placed on the microbiome. Fiber transits through the gut slowly, and being a nutrient that pathogens can’t utilize but symbionts can, if a fiber-rich meal is eaten at the start of a long fast, symbiotic microbes will be supported while pathogens die off from the lack of available “easy nutrients” like sugar that they feed on.

As pathogens die off and the linings of the digestive system repair, space once occupied by pathogens is freed up and symbiotic microbes are able to reclaim this territory in the gut. Then when the first healthy and fiber-rich break-fast meal is eaten, symbionts further expand in their populations and pathogens are further selected against.

In my experience just a single 48 hour fast can be transformative in healing the gut and changing the composition of the gut microbiome as long as the diet eaten around the fast is healthy, nutritious, and fiber-rich. Additionally as discussed earlier zero-calorie herbal teas can be enjoyed during the fast which through their plant phytochemicals and flavonoid content provide nutrition to symbionts while actively suppressing pathogens. Just because you’re not eating any calories doesn’t mean it’s not possible to feed the symbiotic gut microbiome, and combining fasting with herbalism is therefore one of the most effective ways to cure gut dysbiosis naturally.

Foods the Kill Bad Gut Bacteria

Diet has a huge influence over the composition of the microbiome, and regularly eating foods that are nutritious and supportive of the symbiotic microbiome while being selective against pathogens is an excellent way to heal from gut dysbiosis and restore healthy gut flora. Here are three foods that kill pathogens while supporting overall gut health.

Pumpkin seeds are an example of a food that specifically kills bad gut bacteria. Pumpkin seeds have anti-parasitic and anti-microbial properties, and eating a bolus dose of pumpkin seeds (2+ handfuls, can also be alongside something like a slightly-green banana) is not only incredibly nutritious, but it creates a wave of microbiome-supporting food that transits through the digestive system killing pathogens while supporting the growth of symbionts. Eat raw pumpkin seeds as a snack a few times a week and over time it’ll have a positive influence on your microbiome.

Another food that kills bad gut bacteria would be coffee. Coffee contains fiber and flavonoids and other useful compounds that have been shown to shift the microbiome towards greater symbiosis while improving the gut-brain axis.

Pickles are another food that are good at killing bad gut bacteria because not only are they fermented and contain abundant fiber, cucumber seeds like pumpkin seeds have anti-parasitic and antimicrobial properties. In fact all squashes are very nutritious, contains abundant fiber, and are super useful for the microbiome.

Strong Antimicrobial Herbs

Another way to reduce pathogens in the gut is to utilize some of the stronger antimicrobial herbs that exist like oregano, black walnut hull, wormwood, and clove.

Oregano: Oregano is a well-known herb that has powerful antimicrobial and anthelmintic properties. Specifically, oregano oil has been shown to be highly useful in killing and eliminating parasites from the body, and it appears most of this effect comes from its main active chemical, carvacrol.

Black Walnut Hull: The outer hull of black walnut seeds is rich in tannins and black walnut hull is a well-known antimicrobial and anti-parasitic herb. Typically, an extract will be made by soaking black walnut hulls in alcohol, and the resulting tincture is dosed, but powdered black walnut hull can also be used.

Wormwood: Wormwood is a super herb for killing pathogens and expelling parasites from the body, especially roundworms and enterobiasis. Wormwood has been used medicinally in Europe for thousands of years, and it used to be common during medieval times to perform an microbiome and parasite cleanse using it a few times a year. Wormwood is extremely bitter and difficult to drink as a tea, and for this reason, in my experience it’s best used as a powder supplemented in pill form. Ingesting too much wormwood can be dangerous but the amounts used for a microbiome cleanse are nowhere near harmful levels.

Clove: Cloves are effective in killing parasites and pathogens like malaria, cholera, scabies, tuberculosis, and others. The high levels of tannins and eugenol that cloves possess are the chief agents responsible for their antimicrobial and anthelmintic properties. Clove can be taken tinctured or powdered

To utilize these stronger antimicrobial herbs you can take an oregano oil supplement alongside HealthForce SuperFood’s SCRAM supplement which contains black walnut hull, clove, and wormwood. Follow the 17 day dosing instructions for SCRAM and take ~500 mg of oregano oil daily at the same time.

These natural antimicrobial herbs are relatively gentle on the good microbes in the gut but are tough on pathogenic microbes.

I recommend you follow a natural herbal antimicrobial protocol like this at the very onset of your gut dysbiosis healing endeavor, and use those first two weeks to make the dietary changes you need to make in order for the microbiome to stay healthy long after the herbal supplementation is over. During the SCRAM protocol practicing intermittent fasting is useful, and then at the end of the SCRAM protocol you’ll have enough experience with 16+ hour fasts to begin implementing longer 24 and 48 hour fasts 1-2x per week. All the while during this you can drink herbal teas and begin spending more of your free time in natural environments. Make a game of it, make it fun! Write out a plan and stick to it, and if you do all these things together, then with time and consistency your gut dysbiosis can be cured and the gut microbiome can be radically transformed.

The gut-brain axis improvements that result will be striking, you’ll be surprised by the abundant energy and mental clarity you now have, gut health problems will greatly reduce in severity and possibly go away entirely. Expect improvements in any of the gut dysbiosis symptoms you’re experiencing! No promises as everyone is highly individual in their health and wellness, but it’s highly likely and definitely worth a dedicated honest effort.

If we each heal our own microbiome imbalances we can together begin to heal society’s dysbiosis and make the world a happier and healthier place.

Heal Your Gut Naturally

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If you read all the way here then it’s clear to me that you’re ready to do what it takes to finally restore your digestive system and gut microbiome back to healthy and optimal function.

I wrote the Holistic Gut Health Guide to help you accomplish exactly this! It contains all the information that you need to understand the gastrointestinal system, gut-brain axis, and microbiome in-depth, and the Holistic Gut Health Guide also educates you on the natural methods you can holistically use together like fasting and herbalism to transform your health from the inside out.

I’m so excited to be able to help you along your gut health and overall wellness journey with the Holistic Gut Health Guide! Please contact me with any questions you have and wishing you the best.

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This article features excerpts from the Holistic Gut Health Guide. The Holistic Gut Health Guide provides you the information and framework you need to finally make the changes needed to remedy your gut health problems.

References:

1. Modern City Dwellers Have Lost about Half Their Gut Microbes.; 2022

2. Cleveland Clinic | Disease and Conditions. my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases

3. Liang S, Wu X, Jin F. Gut-brain psychology: rethinking psychology from the microbiota– gut–brain axis. Front Integr Neurosci. 2018;12:33.

4. Mayer EA, Tillisch K, Gupta A. Gut/brain axis and the microbiota. J Clin Invest. 2015;125(3):926-938.

5. Sánchez B, Delgado S, Blanco-Míguez A, Lourenço A, Gueimonde M, Margolles A. Probiotics, gut microbiota, and their influence on host health and disease. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2017;61(1):1600240.

6. Appleton J. The gut-brain axis: influence of microbiota on mood and mental health. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2018;17(4):28-32.

7. Cassidy A, Minihane AM. The role of metabolism (And the microbiome) in defining the clinical efficacy of dietary flavonoids. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017;105(1):10-22.

8. Su J, Wang Y, Zhang X, et al. Remodeling of the gut microbiome during Ramadan-associated intermittent fasting. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2021;113(5):1332-1342.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Can Marijuana Help With ADHD?

All Questions Answered

Article by Jennifer Gallagher, edited by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition. It causes individuals to have trouble focusing, staying calm and sitting still when needed, and sometimes those with ADHD display impulsive behavior. Many people with ADHD are looking for natural methods of treatment, and the question often comes up if weed can help with ADHD symptoms, or whether it worsens them?

Cannabis has the reputation of relaxing consumers, which many believe could benefit those with ADHD. So, can weed have a positive effect on the condition? Should you plant cannabis seeds and grow your own medicinal batch to help with ADHD treatment?

Discover how marijuana interacts with ADHD and whether it has the potential to provide relief for patients with the condition.

Can Cannabis Help With ADHD?

There hasn’t been a lot of research regarding the effects of marijuana on individuals with ADHD. Due to weed’s Schedule I status, federal studies are restricted. However, some research is available that provides insights into whether marijuana helps with ADHD:

• A 2016 study (1) looked at online posts that discussed cannabis and ADHD. The results showed that 25% promoted a positive message about combining the two, while only 8% said it might be harmful.

• In 2020 a small study (2) of 112 ADHD patients who used medicinal weed took place. Researchers discovered that those who received a higher dose of cannabidiol (CBD) took less of their ADHD medication.

• A study in 2021 (3) of 1,700 students showed that those who used cannabis for ADHD enjoyed positive results. They reported improved symptoms and fewer side effects from their regular medication.

Despite most evidence pointing to the fact that weed might improve ADHD, more research is needed. Few states include the condition on their qualifying list for a medical cannabis card.

How Does Weed Interact With ADHD Medication?

Adderall is a common medication prescribed to patients with the condition. There’s limited research on how this medication for ADHD and cannabis interact, though. One 2015 study (4) found that when the two were taken together, the effects were unique in comparison to each by itself.

If you take medication for ADHD and consume marijuana, be upfront with your doctor. Cannabis is now legal in various parts of the US, and your healthcare provider can help you understand the benefits and risks when mixing it with ADHD medications.

CBD or THC: Which Is Better for ADHD?

The two main cannabinoids in weed, THC and CBD, determine the physiological and psychological effects you experience when using cannabis. THC is the compound that makes users feel “high” by producing psychoactive effects. Most users experience euphoria and heightened senses with strains high in this cannabinoid. CBD provides similar positive feelings and balances nervous system activity but doesn’t get you stoned.

Most consumers prefer to consume CBD for ADHD, so look for cultivars high in the compound. The calming and focused effects improve their symptoms, and they can continue their day as usual.

THC-V is an interesting cannabinoid in regards to treating ADHD because it is similar in effect to Adderall in increasing focus, but it’s a natural compound. THC-V is found in high concentrations in Durban Poison, a specific strain of cannabis that hails from South Africa.

Which Cannabis Strains Are Best for ADHD?

Many people are unaware of the sheer variety of marijuana strains on offer. Hundreds are available, categorized as indicas, sativas, or hybrids—a combination of both. How do they differ?

Sativa cultivars provide consumers with an energy boost and a feeling of euphoria. Some users report an increased ability to focus and get more tasks done.

Indica strains provide a sense of calm and physical relaxation. Patients with chronic pain claim to experience relief with these cultivars.

Instead of picking just an indica or sativa for ADHD, a hybrid is more suitable. This way, consumers enjoy balanced effects to potentially treat all symptoms of the condition.

The sativa genetics may help patients concentrate better, allowing them to accomplish more goals. The indica heritage could encourage individuals to sit still for extended periods and control impulsive behavior.

Because cannabis is such a diverse herb there are a lot of different factors to consider when selecting the right cannabis strain, learn how to select the right cannabis strain with our cannabis buyers guide.

Are There Any Risks of Using Weed for ADHD?

The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) (5) warns that there may be long-term, adverse effects of using THC, especially in early brain development. The risks include:

• Slowed cognitive development

• Increased risk of depression and anxiety

• Lower IQ

• Attention, learning, and memory problems

For this reason, THC cannabis use for minors is extremely rare. However, there’s not a lot of evidence to support the same idea with CBD. Although more studies need to happen, anecdotal reports suggest CBD may help ADHD symptoms with minimal risk. The reason for this is because CBD has only a low binding affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors but it can still act as an antagonist for these receptors which is useful for treating nervous system and mental disorders.

Can a Child Safely Use Cannabis for ADHD?

ADHD is more common in young people, but marijuana isn’t legal for this age group. Even in regions where recreational cannabis use is allowed, users must be over 18 or 21. Medical marijuana use for children is almost non-existent—only those with a severe form of epilepsy can consume it at the moment. For now, kids with ADHD cannot access the potential benefits of CBD for their condition. Psychoactive cannabinoids like THC should never be consumed by minors.

What Other Herbs are Useful for ADHD?

If you’re still waiting for your state to legalize cannabis, there are some other herbs for those with ADHD to try. These natural remedies make an excellent alternative to prescribed medication and come with little to no side effects.

• Green oats: These are a version of unripe oats and get harvested before the crop matures. Anecdotal reports claim the herb boosts attention and concentration.

• Ginseng: This natural remedy has been used for centuries in China, and ginseng has a reputation for increasing energy and brain function. The “red ginseng” variety may also help calm restless ADHD patients.

• Pine bark extract: A 2021 study (6) of 20 kids with ADHD found this extract helped lower hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.

• Brahmi: This herb, sometimes known as water hyssop, thrives in the wild in India. There, locals have used it for centuries to improve memory and brain function.

• Ginkgo biloba: This is another natural medicine long used to boost mental sharpness and memory. A study in 2014 (7) showed that children with ADHD who took the extract experienced improved symptoms.

• Herbal teas: These drinks are a safe option for children looking for relief from the effects of ADHD. Lemongrass, chamomile, and spearmint are all ideal for drinking before bed to encourage a good night’s rest and to calm hyperactivity.

One key way herbs help with mental health problems like ADHD is by improving the functioning of the gut-brain axis by shifting the gut microbiome towards greater symbiosis with you the host. Learn more about how herbal teas help with gut health by clicking the button below:

The Jury’s Still Out

So, can weed cure ADHD? With few research findings, it’s hard to say for sure. There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence and a few studies to suggest marijuana may help ADHD symptoms, but more is needed. What is clear is that when used responsibly, cannabis increases consciousness, which is useful for all mental health conditions.

In the future, we hope to see further research on cannabis use for the condition. As laws surrounding marijuana consumption ease countrywide in the US and worldwide, there’s hope that soon you’ll be able to pop over to your local dispensary with a medical cannabis card and purchase your favorite strain to help ease your ADHD symptoms, or symptoms from other mental health issues.

If you live where weed cultivation is legal, nothing stops you from buying seeds and growing your own. Remember to speak to your doctor to understand how cannabis reacts to your medication and give it a try.

The potential benefits of marijuana are staggering, and you may find the relief you need from this natural herb. To learn more about all the herbal uses of cannabis and the science of it’s cannabinoids, visit the cannabis herbalism page.

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References:

1. Mitchell JT, Sweitzer MM, Tunno AM, Kollins SH, McClernon FJ. “I use weed for my adhd”: a qualitative analysis of online forum discussions on cannabis use and adhd. Lidzba K, ed. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(5):e0156614.

2. Hergenrather J, Aviram J, Vysotski Y, Campisi-Pinto S, Lewitus G, Meiri D. Cannabinoid and Terpenoid Doses are Associated with Adult ADHD Status of Medical Cannabis Patients. Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal. 2020;11(1).

3. Stueber A, Cuttler C. Self-reported effects of cannabis on adhd symptoms, adhd medication side effects, and adhd-related executive dysfunction. J Atten Disord. 2022;26(6):942-955.

4. Kollins SH, Schoenfelder EN, English JS, et al. An exploratory study of the combined effects of orally administered methylphenidate and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) on cardiovascular function, subjective effects, and performance in healthy adults. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2015;48(1):96-103.

5. NIDA. 2021, April 13. What are marijuana's long-term effects on the brain?. Retrieved from https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/what-are-marijuanas-long-term-effects-brain on 2022, July 22

6. Hsu C, Hsieh L, Chen Y, et al. Complementary effects of pine bark extract supplementation on inattention, impulsivity, and antioxidative status in children with attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder: A double‐blinded randomized placebo‐controlled cross‐over study. Phytotherapy Research. 2021;35(6):3226-3235.

7. Uebel-von Sandersleben H, Rothenberger A, Albrecht B, Rothenberger LG, Klement S, Bock N. Ginkgo biloba extract egb 761 ® in children with adhd: preliminary findings of an open multilevel dose-finding study. Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie. 2014;42(5):337-347.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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How to Heal Leaky Gut with Fasting

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated July 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Systemic inflammation throughout the body can cause many health problems and chronic diseases, and one way chronic inflammation occurs is through a gut health condition known as “leaky gut”. When the barriers of the digestive system are degraded and intestinal permeability is higher than normal, things like too-large food particles, microorganisms, and toxins that normally are unable to cross the digestive barrier into the bloodstream and the body as a whole are in fact able to do so. When this happens, the immune system goes on high alert and works to cleanup and detoxify the body, and the worse the condition of the mucosal and epithelial layers of the digestive barrier, the worse leaky gut is.

Leaky gut is most commonly a gut health condition that is experienced alongside other gut health problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but it can be experienced by itself, and leaky gut is often the first gut health problem that is experienced before other gut health problems develop. The tissues of the digestive system are highly dynamic and undergo cellular turnover quite rapidly, and at the same time the integrity of digestive barriers can degrade rapidly depending on what one eats, environmental or lifestyle stressors, and exposure to pathogens. What this means is that leaky gut can develop rapidly. Everyone has had leaky gut at least a few times in their life due to eating a poor diet, excessive stress, or illness, and while normally leaky gut will go away as everything returns to normal, leaky gut can persist if certain conditions remain.

Because leaky gut is characterized by excessive inflammation caused by chronic activation of the immune system, symptoms of leaky gut can be quite diverse, ranging from skin inflammation to joint pain to cognitive impairment to the typical digestive problems of bloating, gas, constipation, and/or diarrhea. To recover from leaky gut, digestive barriers must be restored to their normal integrity, and this can be done rapidly by fasting. By abstaining from all food and emptying the digestive system over the course of many hours or days, the presence of gut barrier degraders like food particles, gut microbiota, and toxic chemicals like pesticides are dramatically reduced and the digestive system is able to rapidly regenerate in a much quieter immune system environment. Combining fasting with stress reduction practices, certain herbs, and supplements like probiotics and zinc amplify the healing effect further.

Leaky gut can persist for a long time if left untreated and can set the stage for more serious gut health problems or inflammation-based diseases to develop, but it is relatively easy to treat when the right steps are taken.

In this article we cover:

1. The science and biology of digestive barriers, the microbiome, and the immune system

2. Things that cause leaky gut, symptoms of leaky gut, and food intolerances

3. How fasting can rapidly heal leaky gut

4. Beneficial dietary changes for leaky gut, herbs that help with leaky gut, probiotics and zinc

5. How to combine fasting with dietary changes, herbs, and supplements to heal your leaky gut

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Ready to Heal Your Gut?

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Together the digestive system and microbiome are the foundation of health from which everything else is dependent on.

The Holistic Gut Health Guide contains all the information you need to identify and understand the gastrointestinal and microbiome problems you may have while also providing you the most effective natural methods you can use to heal your gut. No gut health problems are unsolvable, give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

Purchase

Some of the information in the Holistic Gut Health Guide isn’t common knowledge but when implemented it is highly effective in healing the gut and shifting the microbiome towards symbiosis. Give yourself every possible advantage along your gut health journey by reading an implementing the advice shared in the Holistic Gut Health Guide.

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Intestinal Permeability and Gut Health

The Role of Digestive Barriers

Digestion is the process that takes nutrients from the outside world and converts them into components usable by your body. As far as the human system is concerned, something is not truly in the human body until it has passed through the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream. Everything inside the digestive system is technically “outside” the cells and tissues of your body. The body wraps around this long, high surface area tunnel that end to end (mouth to anus) is exposed to the outside world, sealed by various gates (sphincter valves) along the way. All the food that is transiting through the gut, the acids and juices that are released into the gut, and the microbiome that reside in the gut all exist outside the human tissues of the body. For there to exist an outside and an inside there must exist a separator between the two; a wall, barrier, divider of some sort. In the case of the digestive system the linings of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine are that divider.

Digestive barriers exist for the following reasons:

• To create a immune-silent environment inside the body, stopping viruses and pathogens from entering into the bloodstream and beyond

• To limit the exposure of epithelial cells to chemically-reactive digestive juices like stomach acid, bile, and digestive enzymes

• To differentiate and select nutrients usable by the body from those that aren’t fully digested and broken down small enough yet

• To protect the body from unwanted chemicals and toxins, like environmental toxins such as pesticides or endotoxins produced from pathogenic bacteria

Healthy intestinal epithelial barrier with no weak tight junctions.

DOI: 10.1038/s12276-018-0126-x | CC4.0

The Mucosal Layer

The digestive lining starts with a layer of mucus which sits over the one-cell-thick internal lining of the gut made of different types of epithelial cells. The mucosal layer is a chemical barrier that limits contact between the epithelial cells and the microbiome, which is of critical importance. Mucus also protects epithelial cells from the various digestive juices such as stomach acid, bile, and enzymes. Depending on the gut health of an individual, mucosal layers can be thick and healthy or eroded and unhealthy, and this can vary between the different sections of the digestive system.

In the context of leaky gut it’s typically the intestinal mucosal layer that is degraded, whereas an eroded mucosal layer for the stomach can lead to issues like gastritis and acid reflux (GERD). If the gut is healthy when viruses and pathogens in the digestive system make contact with the mucosal layer, there is a robust immune response from white-blood cells like T-cells and monocytes that occurs. Dysregulation of the mucosal immune response is a very important factor in the progression of gut health problems like leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and more serious conditions like irritable bowel disease (IBD).

Epithelial Cells and Tight Junctions

Underneath the mucosal layer are epithelial cells, the main component of digestive linings. Once food particles are fully digested they pass through the mucosal layer and upon reaching the villi of the intestinal epithelium are transported across the cell membrane and into the bloodstream. Epithelial cells are wedged tightly together to stop things from passing in-between them, and the strength of these tight junctions are a key component of gut health.

The layers of the digestive system are selectively permeable, and the status of the mucosal layer and the epithelial cells determines intestinal permeability. The defining characteristic of leaky gut is that intestinal permeability has increased because the mucosal layer is thin and the tight junctions of the epithelium are degraded and gaps exist in-between the epithelial cells.

An increase in intestinal permeability allows food particles, chemicals, toxins, and microorganisms to pass from the digestive system into the body, which then triggers the immune system to clean up the “mess”. If digestive barriers are degraded and inflamed, restoring these digestive barriers to optimal health and function is one of the most important things that can be done to improve gut health. Restoring intestinal permeability to normal is the key to healing leaky gut.

Symptoms of Leaky Gut

Increased Intestinal Permeability

Leaky gut is a gut health condition characterized by increased intestinal permeability caused by eroded protective mucosal layers and an inflamed epithelial cellular layer. Leaky gut isn’t a health condition currently recognized to exist by the medical establishment, but its existence is undoubtable simply due to the sheer volume of people who suffer from health symptoms caused by increased intestinal permeability. Leaky gut can exist by itself as a gut problem, though more typically it is a gut health problem that exists concurrently with other gastrointestinal issues like IBS and IBD.

It’s the inflammation of the epithelium and the systemic response of the immune system that is primarily responsible for the symptoms of leaky gut.

Leaky Gut and Inflammation

By far the most notable symptom of leaky gut is that it triggers a constant inflammatory response in the body. It’s this inflammation that causes a lot of the symptoms commonly associated with leaky gut like:

• Skin problems like acne, rashes, auto-immune skin issues

• Joint pain, swelling, arthritis

• Chronic fatigue and energy an overall deficit

• Neurocognitive problems such as brain fog, anxiety, depression,

• Asthma

Being caused by the inflammatory response of the body, when leaky gut is healed and inflammation goes down these symptoms can disappear quite rapidly.

More common are symptoms digestive in origin which themselves are effected by the inflammation leaky gut causes but are triggered primarily through mechanisms before the inflammatory response. These symptoms are:

• Bloating and gas

• Abdominal and stomach pain

• Changes in gut motility like constipation and diarrhea

• Food sensitivities and intolerances

• Nutrient deficiencies

The body is always doing its best to heal itself, and with leaky gut it recognizes that its digestive barriers are functioning poorly, so it alters digestion how it can to help the digestive barriers heal. For example this could mean that if a meal is eaten that will make the leaky gut condition worse because it contains damaging foods, the transit of the food through the digestion system may be expedited and diarrhea experienced. Or since leaky gut is typically paired with some degree of microbiome dysbiosis, bloating from excess gas production of an overgrown pathogenic microbiome is common. As it is with gut health problems, the answer to the problem can be found in the symptoms experienced.

With leaky gut every meal feels like an unknown in whether symptoms will be triggered and which ones at that. The reason fasting is so effective in healing leaky gut is that it completely empties the digestive system of food, and food is one of the main triggers of leaky gut symptoms. Food may trigger symptoms of leaky gut, and certain foods can cause leaky gut, but leaky gut can be caused by factors other than food.

*Read till the end to receive a special discount code for the Holistic Gut Health Guide, the all-in-on eBook on how to heal the gut using natural methods.

Things that Cause Leaky Gut

Pesticides and Leaky Gut

Pesticides are well-known to increase intestinal permeability and thin mucus linings. In the USA ~2.5 kg of pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, and rodenticides) are applied per hectare of land (100 x 100 meters). What this means is that most of the food sold in grocery stores is contaminated with significant amounts of pesticides. Excessive pesticide exposure also causes gut dysbiosis and unfavorably alters the gut-brain axis because pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium spp. and Salmonella, which produce noxious health-disrupting endotoxins, are more resistant to common pesticides like glyphosate (the herbicide roundup) than symbionts like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.

Pesticide residues are found in high concentrations on many fruits and vegetables as well as wheat, oats, rice, beans, and legumes. Eating these foods, particularly wheat and oats in excess (multiple times per day), exposes the body to pesticide concentrations beyond tolerable and can contribute greatly to leaky gut.

Pathogens Increase Intestinal Permeability

Toxic pesticide exposure in excess will lead to gut dysbiosis, a condition marked by an increase in harmful pathogenic microorganisms in the gut microbiome while helpful symbionts decrease in population. Pathogens and the toxic metabolites they produce degrade digestive linings and increase intestinal permeability. An especially troublesome situation is when hard-to-dislodge pathogenic biofilms are able to adhere close to or directly onto epithelial cells because the mucosal lining is thin/non-existent. Biofilms are protective structures both symbiotic an pathogenic microorganisms make for a variety of reasons and to increase the survivability. In the worse cases of leaky gut the presence of pathogenic biofilms on the intestinal epithelium is almost assured, and this creates many complications.

Drugs and Antibiotics Increase Intestinal Permeability

Certain pharmaceutical drugs and antibiotics erode and degrade digestive linings. For example oral low-dose antibiotics are often prescribed for skin acne, and this daily antibiotic will slowly degrade digestive linings while simultaneously altering the microbiome towards gut dysbiosis. A short-course of antibiotics or certain drugs will also unfavorably alter intestinal permeability and the microbiome, but the effect is generally less than that caused from the constant use of these drugs, and can be recovered from quickly if the right steps are taken.

Stress/Anxiety and Leaky Gut

The gut-brain axis is a bidirectional connection pathway that exists between the gut microbiome and nervous system/brain, and not only does the microbiome effect the functioning of the brain, but conditions of the nervous system and brain like stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and more in-turn effect the microbiome and gut. Excessive stress and anxiety in particular degrade digestive function and the integrity of digestive barriers.

For example an extended stressful period of one’s life can lead to gut health problems like gastritis (stomach inflammation) and IBS. The depth of the connection between stress and the gut isn’t well-known by most, and it’s often a mystery to people who are experiencing gut health problems like leaky gut why they are having these problems; they never consider that the stress they are experiencing day by day may be a large contributing factor in their gut health problems.

Food Intolerances and Leaky Gut

A food intolerance occurs when the digestive system has a difficult time breaking down a particular food or chemical, and it can be common to be intolerant to many foods at once. When intestinal permeability is high and undigested food particles are slipping past epithelial tight junctions and into the bloodstream, then the immune system begins to recognize that certain food nutrients are constantly causing problems and a preemptive immune response can develop to those foods. If the body is having difficulty breaking down certain food macronutrients in the digestive track, like with fructose, lactose, or wheat proteins, then greater numbers of those nutrients will be not fully digested as compared to other food nutrients that are being adequately digested, and they will trigger the immune system strongly causing greater amounts of inflammation.

Food intolerances are highly individual, and it’s often hard to diagnose what food(s) is causing the digestive problems without first performing a few carefully observed 48+ hour fasts or with a 6+ week elimination diet.

The Case of Joe and Kate

To understand how all these leaky gut causing factors interplay with each other let’s examine a hypothetical scenario that unfortunately is all too common.

Joe and Kate eat a typical American diet high in wheat, other grain products, and ultra-processed foods. Their poor quality diet causes chronic inflammation of the digestive system (and body), and the high levels of pesticides they expose their gut and microbiome to through their diet exacerbate the problem more by further degrading digestive barriers and promoting the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. Both Joe and Kate take a few different pharmaceutical drugs for health conditions they have, and then when they mention that their developing gut health problems to a gastroenterologist they are prescribed a low-dose antibiotic, worsening the problem. Overworked and underpaid, the stress from each of their jobs bleeds over into their daily life, and one of the few ways they find comfort is by eating highly-pleasurable junk foods that trigger the food intolerances they’ve developed (but don’t yet know they have). With limited gut health consciousness, the health of their gastrointestinal systems and their overall wellness goes down day by day.

As you can see every factor is influencing the others, creating a feedback loop that degrades gut health further and further, and whereas leaky gut was the first and only gut health problem that existed, if things aren’t changed then eventually IBS and then IBD develops. If those conditions aren’t treated, then long term chronic diseases and cancers can develop. To unravel this knot of problems is no easy task, but one way significant progress can be made quickly is stop the downward spiral at the beginning and to abstain from all food for a period of time.

Fasting for Leaky Gut

There are many ways to reduce stress on the digestive system, from a liquid diet to removing intolerant foods from the diet, but there is no question that the simplest and most effective way to reduce digestive stress and inflammation is to simply not eat. The epithelial layer of the digestive system regenerates about 20% per day, and this rate is increased even further when the regular stress of digesting food is alleviated via fasting.

Luckily it’s in our physiology to fast, it’s a second “default mode network” for the body that has developed over millions of years of evolution. In fact the body wants you to fast every now and then, it’s the most efficient way to active autophagy, the cellular process that repairs and regenerates the tissues of the body.

With leaky gut the barriers of the digestive system are highly degraded and dysfunctional, and to heal leaky gut these tissues must be repaired and regenerated. Not only does fasting create an environment in the gut free of triggering food particles and greatly reduces microorganism populations, it also triggers this value process of autophagy which is essential in recovering from leaky gut. Leaky gut will not be remedied if autophagy isn’t activated, and autophagy is most powerfully activated by nutrient deprivation.

Intermittent Fasting for Leaky Gut

Most information out there that discusses how fasting can be used to remedy leaky gut focuses on daily 16:8 intermittent fasting. Most people eat every few hours, so food is constantly transiting through their digestive systems, and intermittent fasting changes this by condensing food consumption to an eight hour window (typically) with the other 16 hours of the day being free of all food consumption. Intermittent fasting is a good place to start for people brand new to fasting and interested in experimenting with fasting for gut health, metabolism, and overall wellness benefits. To see the biggest benefit from intermittent fasting, it should be done consistently everyday.

Intermittent fasting can certainly be effective in reducing leaky gut, but it can take a long time (weeks to months) to see beneficial changes because the digestive system is still processing food everyday. To really heal the gut and regenerate the digestive barriers quickly, the digestive system should be completely emptied of all food, and this takes 24+ hours of fasting. Longer fasts are much more effective in healing the digestive system, and intermittent fasting is a good protocol to follow in-between longer fasts to keep autophagy elevated.

OMAD for Leaky Gut

A 24 hour fast will take the body deeper into autophagy than intermittent fasting will, and it’s a good way to begin experimenting with fasting for healing leaky gut because it’s easy to perform with a little preparation and the beneficial effects are more likely to be felt and experienced. The best way to stick to something is to actually feel how it’s helping you, and guaranteed after a 24 hour fast if you pay attention you’ll notice that your gut health has noticeably improved and whatever symptoms you normally have have reduced in severity. Twenty four fasting can be done daily with what’s known as one-meal-a-day (OMAD) fasting. As has been shown intermittent fasting is useful for treating leaky gut, and OMAD is even more so.

48 Hour Fasting for Leaky Gut

Most effective for treating leaky gut significantly and quickly is a 48 hour fast. While not eating anything for 2 days may seem daunting, in fact a forty-eight-hour fast is short enough to be easily completed by most people without serious health issues as long as they have the willpower and do a little bit of planning. Remember the body is physiologically designed to go through periods of nutrient deprivation, and most people carry around enough body fat to make fasting for 48 hours, let alone a week or two, no problem. Abstaining from eating for 48 hours really clears the digestive system of all food and greatly reduces the size of the microbiome through nutrient deprivation. Symbiotic microorganisms are more adaptable to conditions of nutrient deprivation than pathogens and better survive the conditions an extended fast, and this makes fasting an excellent way to treat gut dysbiosis, which is often a main contributor to leaky gut.

Fiber and Fasting

The size and composition of the 1-2 meals before a fast is critical for the success of any fast. A final pre-fast meal rich in fiber with a balanced fat, carbohydrate, and protein macronutrient profile will provide long-lasting energy to the body during the first 24 hours of the fast, and once it has transited to the large intestine, the microbiome there will metabolize the fiber present into short-chain fatty acids and other useful metabolites which provide energy to the body and are useful for the brain for the next 24+ hours. It’s remarkable how much easier a fast can be when the last meal eaten is for example a grain bowl loaded up with fresh vegetables, versus a highly processed meal like pizza with glass. Fiber also normalizes gut motility and helps to remedy gut dysbiosis by promoting the growth of symbiotic microorganisms like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.

I don’t recommend you try fasting off a low-quality meal. If you really want to heal your leaky gut you should make healing your gut a priority, make a plan, eat the right foods, and provide yourself the time you need. How well you stick to the plan is up to you and no one else.

For example when I do a 48 hour fast I will schedule it during the weekend so I have no outside responsibilities that require my energy or attention. I specifically set aside those two days for deep relaxation which reduces my stress levels, and the biggest physical activity I may do is go for a walk and practice some yoga/stretching. While fasting, keep physical and mental energy demands on the body low and dip into a deep state of parasympathetic relaxation and healing. This places less stress on the metabolic and energetic systems of the body and greatly reduces the chance of experiencing any unwanted side effects from fasting like low blood sugar and lightheadedness.

Before embarking upon your first fast I recommend you learn more about the nuances of fasting, either by reading my article on fasting to reset the digestive system, or by reading chapters 8 and 9 of the Holistic Gut Health Guide. You should also consult with a medical professional to make sure fasting will be safe for you to do.

Heal Leaky Gut in Two Weeks

By utilizing fasting and a few other gut health boosting strategies, significant progress can be made in healing leaky gut in just two weeks.

First and most important is to eat a very simple and gut health promoting diet during this period of time. Only organic/biodynamic foods should be eaten in order to reduce pesticide exposure, lifestyle and environmental stress should be reduced as much as possible, and the use of drugs/antibiotics should ceased if possible.

Diet to Reduce Intestinal Permeability for Leaky Gut

Different people can react to the same food quite differently, and for this reason I won’t give sweeping dietary advice, but there are a few best practices I am comfortable recommending which you can try and evaluate for yourself.

The first step is to increase your fiber and vegetable intake. Aim for 40+ grams of fiber in a day. A healthy symbiotic microbiome is critical in having healthy digestive barriers, and eating sufficient fiber and flavonoids is the main way to promote a healthy microbiome through dietary measures. Polyphenols and flavonoids are plant phytochemicals found in fruits, vegetables, and herbs that possess strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial (for pathogens) properties. Flavonoids in particular are well-known to strengthen intestinal tight junctions, decrease intestinal permeability, and decrease gut dysbiosis, which are the exact things needed to heal leaky gut.

Second step is to eat more rice. Rice is a very easy grain to digest that can be prepared into a wide variety of meals, and I recommend eating rice over other grains when healing gut health problems like leaky gut. Organic rice will contain much less pesticides than non-organic rice, and rice flour is also the backbone of many gluten-free products.

Third step is to remove the most common food allergens from the diet, these being eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat. With some preparatory meal planning, it’s not difficult to eat a nutritious and filling diet without these foods.

Begin Fasting Regularly

Alongside these dietary changes you can begin experimenting with fasting regularly. Start with daily 16:8 intermittent fasting, and then on the easy days in your schedule add in some 24 hour and 48 hour fasts. One 48 hour fast for example will cause a huge improvement in your leaky gut condition, and during this focused two week effort to heal your leaky gut you should aim to complete two separate 48 hour fasts and a few 24 hour fasts. It is possible to keep caloric intake at maintenance while fasting, but if you have some body fat to lose then don’t worry about eating the same volume of food and let your body burn some body fat for energy as that’s beneficial for your health too.

Supplements and Herbs for Leaky Gut

Lastly the whole gut healing process can be helped along significantly by utilizing the gut healing and normalizing properties of herbs like black pepper, dandelion, and chamomile in addition to supplements like multi-strain probiotics and zinc. Herbs are so useful for gut health because they contain abundant amounts of useful flavonoid phytochemicals like apigenin, and a tea brewed from herbs like dandelion and chamomile contains no calories making it the perfect drink to enjoy during fasting. In fact a herbal tea like this makes fasting much easier metabolically and more effective in healing the gut via an upregulation of autophagy.

Black Pepper: One of the main chemicals found in black pepper is piperine, it’s the chemical responsible for black pepper’s pungency. Piperine is a gut health wonder chemical because it improves digestion by stimulating the body to release more digestive enzymes, restores healthy mucous linings, is antimicrobial against pathogens, increases the bioavailability and absorption of nutrients, reduces inflammation and mitigates stress, reduces the toxicity of certain chemicals, and boosts the metabolism. Black pepper and piperine by extension are great for gut health problems because not only does black pepper improve digestion and balance the microbiome, but it also aids in nutrient absorption, and many people who suffer from gut problems like leaky gut have problems absorbing the nutrients they consume.

Nootropics Depot sells a good piperine supplement which is useful taken with meals or during fasting. The main way I dose piperine is to simply grind extra black pepper on all my meals. Piperine makes up 3-10% of peppercorns by weight, so if you grind up enough black pepper, you’ll receive a significant amount (20+ mg) of piperine every time.

Dandelion Root: Dandelion is useful for fasting and healing gut problems because it normalizes gut motility (the speed of food transit through the gut), increases gastrointestinal mucus production thereby restoring protective mucous linings, applies beneficial antimicrobial pressures on pathogens in the microbiome, increases bile production (improving fat metabolism), and helps heal gastric ulcers. In addition to these amazing benefits, the phytonutrients found in dandelion help purify the blood of pathogens, reduce inflammation throughout the body, and heal blood vessel epithelial linings.

Dandelion also boosts fat metabolism, improves blood cholesterol parameters, and reduces unwanted platelet aggregation, which improves energy and oxygen transport throughout the body. Dandelion also aids the autophagy process by inducing unhealthy cells to undergo apoptosis while protecting healthy cells.

Dandelion is a wonder herb, use it often and you’ll be amazed by how much it helps you to heal your leaky gut.

Chamomile Flower: Chamomile is a digestive aid, calms the nervous system, and improves cardiovascular health. Chamomile is one of the best herbs for fasting and gut health because it improves gut motility, applies a gentle antimicrobial pressure to the microbiome, and increases gastrointestinal mucous production. Chamomile improves blood cholesterol levels, reduces excessive platelet aggregation, and normalizes blood sugar levels.

Chamomile is notably calming and increases the parasympathetic activity of the nervous system, which aids in relaxing and improving digestion. Balancing the activity of the autonomic nervous system is foundational to good health. Sometimes during a fast, energy levels will dip and become more volatile, and chamomile tea helps normalize metabolism and promotes relaxation, which smooths out the energy volatility that otherwise might have been experienced. The autonomic nervous system is also responsible for the waves of smooth muscle activity that propel food through the digestive system, and by normalizing these peristaltic waves, chamomile stabilizes gut motility to the Goldilocks zone, with food not transiting too quickly or too slowly through the digestive system

Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic dried dandelion root and chamomile flower which can be blended together into a 1:1 tea blend. Steep with boiling water for 5-15 minutes and drink daily to enjoy the gut health and overall wellness benefits it promotes. Drinking this tea in-between fasts with every or in-between meals is another way to keep autophagy increased and the gut healing.

Multi-Strain Probiotics: Probiotics containing strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria appear to be the most effective in helping with gut health problems, and these probiotic formations have also shown small but consistent benefits for those experiencing IBS. A multi-strain probiotic is usually more effective than a single-strain probiotic, and probiotics should be taken with a meal so more of the beneficial microbes survive the harsh acidic conditions of the stomach and can begin populating in the intestines, specifically the large intestine. I have used the following multi-strain probiotic from Nature’s Bounty successfully, I recommend you try it if you have leaky gut.

Zinc: Zinc has been shown to strengthen epithelial tight junctions, and you can consume more zinc by increasing your consumption of zinc-rich foods like oysters, pumpkin seeds, pulses (beans, lentils, etc), cashews, leafy greens, mushrooms, and avocado. You can also take a zinc supplement. Taking zinc in too high of doses (>25 mg) can cause digestive upset and nausea, and it’s for this reason I recommend the 15 mg Zinc Balance supplement from Jarrow Formulas. This Zinc Balance supplement also comes with 1 mg of copper which helps to keep zinc and copper levels balanced in the body.

Signs Leaky Gut is Healing

The clearest sign that your leaky gut is healing is that your gut motility normalizes and you experience much less bloating and gas after eating a meal. If you are having inflammatory health problems as a result of the leaky gut, then you’ll begin to notice that these issues are decreasing in severity and/or becoming less frequent. For example you might notice your skin clearing up, your brain fog go away, joint pain lessens in severity or vanishes, and chronic fatigue lessens.

These are the initial signs that leaky gut is healing, once intestinal permeability has returned to normal because the mucosal lining is restored and the epithelium is once again strong and intact, then you may notice that foods which previously triggered your leaky gut symptoms now no longer cause problems. To elaborate on this further I will describe how I healed my leaky gut and the changes I noticed.

How I Healed my Leaky Gut

Leaky gut was one of the many gut health problems I had for many years, alongside IBS, small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO), food intolerances to gluten and fructose, gut dysbiosis, and other issues. Yeah it was a handful, and my gut health problems are one reason I started Wild Free Organic.

Restoring the integrity of my digestive barriers was a key step in healing myself of my many gut health problems as leaky gut was one of the main contributing reasons to my IBS and food intolerances.

The main way I healed my leaky gut was by focusing on the following:

• Fasting regularly with intermittent, 24 hour, and 48 hour fasts scheduled at regular intervals.

• Constantly optimizing my diet to increase my vegetable and fiber intake. Introducing more fermented foods like pickles into my diet also helped considerably.

• Reducing environmental stressors like pesticide exposure by shopping organic and by growing my own food. I also switched from drinking tap water which is bad for the gut microbiome to drinking only spring water free of added chemicals like fluoride and chlorine.

• Reducing lifestyle stress by being more mindful of my energy levels and being careful with the intensity of the exercise I did, listening to my body and resting more when needed, and not letting factors beyond my control (like at work) stress me out needlessly.

I hope you found the information in this article on leaky gut and fasting useful, and if you really want to heal your gut then I recommend you continue your gut health and wellness education by purchasing the Holistic Gut Health Guide. Use the code LEAKY10 for 10% off at checkout, and best of luck!

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Heal Your Gut Naturally

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If you read all the way here then it’s clear to me that you’re ready to do what it takes to finally restore your digestive system and gut microbiome back to healthy and optimal function.

I wrote the Holistic Gut Health Guide to help you accomplish exactly this! It contains all the information that you need to understand the gastrointestinal system, gut-brain axis, and microbiome in-depth, and the Holistic Gut Health Guide also educates you on the natural methods you can holistically use together like fasting and herbalism to transform your health from the inside out.

I’m so excited to be able to help you along your gut health and overall wellness journey with the Holistic Gut Health Guide! Please contact me with any questions you have and wishing you the best.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

References:

1. Chelakkot C, Ghim J, Ryu SH. Mechanisms regulating intestinal barrier integrity and its pathological implications. Exp Mol Med. 2018;50(8):1-9.

2. Cleveland Clinic | Disease and Conditions. my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases

3. Suzuki T. Regulation of the intestinal barrier by nutrients: The role of tight junctions. Anim Sci J. 2020;91(1).

4. Rudea-Ruzafa L, Cruz F, Roman P, Cardona D. Gut microbiota and neurological effects of glyphosate. Neurotxicology. 2019;75:1-8 5. Zhao GP, Wang XY, Li JW, et al.

5. Imidacloprid increases intestinal permeability by disrupting tight junctions. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 2021; 222:112476

6. Wang X, Valenzano MC, Mercado JM, Zurbach EP, Mullin JM. Zinc supplementation modifies tight junctions and alters barrier function of CACO-2 human intestinal epithelial layers. Dig Dis Sci. 2013;58(1):77-87.

Apigenin is Nature's most Powerful Flavonoid

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated May 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

In the English Ballad Scarborough Fair, most well-known as sung by Simon and Garfunkel in their album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, a man and women ask of each other impossible tasks so the other may demonstrate their true love, and sprinkled throughout the song is the refrain of “parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme”.

To many curing cancer and other chronic inflammation-based diseases likewise seems an impossible task, but if the herbs of the ballad are sprinkled liberally throughout life then true healing is no longer out of reach thanks to the presence of a unique and very powerful anti-cancer phytochemical contained in all those herbs known as apigenin.

In this article we discuss the health benefits of apigenin, what foods to eat to receive more apigenin into the diet, and other high-density ways of supplementing apigenin so you can enjoy all the amazing health benefits of this unique flavonoid phytochemical.

Curly parsley from my 2021 summer garden, zone 7a. Yum!

Pharmacology of Apigenin

Apigenin is a phytochemical flavonoid (more specifically a flavone) naturally produced by plants shown to exhibit several biologic activities such as being an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective.

Apigenin is synthesized in a number of plants as secondary metabolite via the shikimate pathway* (how all flavonoids are synthesized). Once apigenin has been produced by a plant it’s bound to sugar molecules in various ways creating what are known as glycosides which are another class of powerful health-promoting phytochemicals. Flavonoids like apigenin are produced by plants for functions like protection against ultraviolet light, defense against insects, fungi, and microorganisms, as antioxidants, and as plant hormone controllers. Just as plants use flavonoids to improve their lot in life, so too can we, with flavonoids like apigenin and quercetin (among many others) raising the efficiency and stable functioning of biologic systems.

Note* - The reason pesticides like glyphosate are so effective at killing bacteria, fungi, and plants is because they turn off the shikimate pathway. Non-organic produce having been grown with disrupted shikimate metabolism will therefore contain much less of the valuable phytochemicals that our bodies crave! Something to consider next time you’re purchasing vegetables and are wondering whether to buy conventional (sprayed with glyphosate) or organic (not sprayed with glyphosate) fruits and vegetables.

Apigenin Bioavailability

Apigenin glycosides are more bioavailable than free apigenin as free apigenin has very poor water solubility.

In the intestines, apigenin is extensively metabolized into forms more readily transported to the liver before being distributed out to tissues of the body. Any apigenin that makes it past the small intestine transits to the colon where it also has biologic effects before eventually being eliminated from the body. Remaining apigenin from the tissues (and some from the liver) are eventually processed by the kidneys and excreted via urine.

From the whole-food source of parsley (the densest source of apigenin known), the excretion half-life for apigenin was observed to be about 12 hours. There exist significant individual variation in the bioavailability and excretion of apigenin, but in general apigenin is absorbed slowly by the body and eliminated slowly by the body (important to discuss further, see side effects section below). No difference in the mean excretion of apigenin has been observed between men and women.

If apigenin is taken in reasonable amounts the long half-life of apigenin proves to be one of its main benefits as a wellness promoting phytochemical. The longer a chemical can stay in the body, the more time it has to exert biologically-relevant effects, and by eating a diet high in apigenin, over time the body builds up consistent levels of apigenin in the bloodstream that keep inflammation low, among many other health improvements.

Apigenin Benefits and Uses

If you’ve read through the herb section of Wild Free Organic, you’ll have found that the theme of many health-promoting herbs is that they are always possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals in the body which otherwise would cause oxidative stress and DNA damage. Inflammation isn’t bad per-say as it is vitally important in the healing process, but the out-of-balance modern lifestyle has inflammation elevated way beyond normal levels chronically for many people. And the natural antimicrobial properties of herbs keep the gut’s microbiome healthy and in-check while also sweeping the bloodstream clear of pathogens which increases immunity.

When antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties are combined together thanks to flavonoids like apigenin, and biologically relevant amounts are consumed consistently, beneficial actions at the cellular scale are felt at the human scale for example as reductions in cancer, improved sleep and less anxiety, better gut health, and optimized hormone levels for men and women. Apigenin is most popularly known for its anti-cancer, anti-mutagenic, and chemoprotective effects so we’ll start there when discussing the health benefits of apigenin.

Apigenin for Cancer

In most situations when a cell undergoes a genotoxic mutation DNA repair mechanisms kick in and repair the damage or the cell undergoes apoptosis (programmed cell death) and is terminated. If the DNA damage isn’t fixed and the cell doesn’t undergo apoptosis then the mutated cell begins to deviate from its normal behaviors and becomes cancerous.

Apigenin plays an important role in cancer prevention by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation in mutated cells. Apigenin triggers various anti-cancer pathways and activates tumor suppressive genes. Apigenin also further combats the rise and spread of cancer through its binding action to certain proteins and also in how it adjusts certain cellular receptors in their expression and density. Apigenin bolsters all of these anti-cancer effects but also inhibiting excessive platelet adhesion thereby improving the transport of oxygen, nutrients, and immune cells throughout the body.

One special trait of apigenin is that it is able to overcome the multi-drug resistance some tumor cells have by inhibiting the viability of the mutated cells while increasing their cellular uptake of doxorubicin (a chemotherapy medication).

Apigenin is one of the most powerful anti-cancer phytochemicals currently known and for anyone who has cancer reading this I would suggest you read the full research paper linked as the sixth reference for this article (see end).

Apigenin for Sleep

Apigenin binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain which, if taken in high enough doses, can trigger muscle relaxation and sedation.

Chamomile is a common source of apigenin, and chamomile is well-known for it’s relaxation and sleep benefits, which can be partly ascribed to apigenin’s neurochemical interactions. Not only does chamomile activate the "rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system, it also improves day-time functioning because 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves are increased in power. Alpha brainwaves are the gateway between wakefulness and sleep, and strong alpha brainwave activity in general is correlated with higher levels of consciousness.

Apigenin for Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health issues are central nervous system (CNS) related disorders, and apigenin’s influence over the CNS is beneficial in reducing these mental health issues. There is increasing awareness surrounding the effectiveness of phytochemicals like apigenin or sulforaphane in treating mental health issues, and an important thing to know then if seeking to use natural alternatives for mental health treatment is the effectiveness of a bioactive compound is determined in part by its ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier. Of the many flavonoids that exist, apigenin is near the top of the list in its ease of penetration of the blood brain barrier.

Apigenin reduces anxiety, depression, and other central nervous system disorders through a few different factors. Apigenin upregulates the production of brain-derived neurotropic factor, an important protein for nerve cell growth and survival. Apigenin lowers stress-induced alterations in the brain and it reverses mild stress-induced increases in corticosteroid hormones. Apigenin possibly has a role in modulating the neurotransmission activity of noradrenalin, dopamine, and serotonin, and by doing this apigenin helps to prevent abnormal behavior.

The beneficial neuroprotective effects of apigenin listed in the next section are also applicable to this section.

Apigenin is Neuroprotective

As a neuroprotective agent, apigenin reduces oxidative damage, neural inflammation, and activation of the central nervous system’s immune microglial cells. Apigenin has been shown to cause a reduction in amyloid deposits in the brain and it has an ameliorating effect on Alzheimer’s disease. Apigenin causes improvements in memory, most notably spatial learning and memory.

Possibly one of apigenin’s most important effects is that is has a neurovascular protective effect, helping to keep the brain well supplied with oxygen and nutrient-rich blood. Not only does apigenin have an easy time passing through the blood-brain barrier, its presence also maintains the healthy status of the brain’s vascular network, which is a win-win.

Apigenin for Gut Health

Not all flavonoids will be absorbed in the small intestine, and any flavonoids (like apigenin) that reach the colon beneficially interact with the microbiome there. Flavonoids and their metabolites alter the microbiome by inhibiting the growth of various pathogens while increasing the beneficial genera such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Through these actions gut health is improved because endotoxin production is reduced, the conversion of primary into secondary bile acids is increased, and overall nutrient absorption increases. Flavonoids are one of the best things to ensure you’re getting adequate amounts of in your diet if looking to heal gastrointestinal issues or maintain good gut health. Flavonoids improve intestinal barrier function by strengthening epithelial tight-junctions which has a big impact on reducing gut inflammation.

If you are experiencing gut health problems then the Holistic Gut Health Guide is the all-in-one-guide you need to begin healing your digestive system and microbiome.

Apigenin for Women

As women age hormone levels decline, notably progesterone which affects the functioning of various neurotransmitters like GABA. Women with lower progesterone levels at any age have a greater likelihood of experiencing depression, anxiety, irritability, and insomnia. Headaches, migraines, and mood changes are more common, as is irregularity in the menstrual cycle. Apigenin has some effect in improving progesterone levels and thus can help mitigate the effects of low progesterone levels in women of all ages.

Apigenin for Men

The two main ways apigenin specifically helps men is in regards to their hormonal and prostate health.

Apigenin and Testosterone

Apigenin broadly improves the function of Leydig cells, the cells responsible for testosterone production in the testes. Apigenin also reduces heat-induced damage to the extremely heat sensitive Leydig cells. Apigenin enhances steroidogenesis by increasing the sensitivity of Leydig cells to cAMP stimulation.

In addition to improving steroidogenesis, apigenin can promote skeletal muscle hypertrophy and myogenic differentiation of muscle cells through its actions as a potent aromatase inhibitor (like most plant flavonoids). Aromatase is an enzyme that converts androgens like testosterone into estrogenic hormones like estradiol, and by inhibiting the action of aromatase enzymes throughout the body more androgenic hormone levels can be maintained.

Apigenin for Prostate Health

Plant flavonoids like apigenin induce apoptosis in prostate carcinoma (epithelial cancer) cells by inhibiting fatty acid synthase, a long chain fatty-acid synthesis enzyme that is over-expressed in prostate cancer cells. Apigenin also changes various cellular pathways the inhibits the growth of prostate cancer. One of these pathways is the uptake and accumulation of apigenin in the nuclear matrix of a cell, binding apigenin to DNA which reduces oxidative DNA damage and apoptosis in healthy prostate epithelial cells.

One of the main concerns regarding any chemotherapy treatment is how it also damages and kills healthy cells alongside mutated ones. By protecting healthy cells and by fighting cancer in its own way apigenin is truly a miracle flavonoid that is easily and safely added alongside existing cancer treatment options.

What is Apigenin Found In?

As a plant-created flavonoid apigenin is found in a variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables. Most commonly apigenin isn’t found in its free form but bound as one of its various glycosides. For example apigenin does not occur in living chamomile flowers, instead residing in the plant as apigenin 7-glycoside and its derivatives. Once harvested some of the apigenin glycosides convert into free apigenin.

Whether an apigenin containing food is eaten fresh or dried (a denser source), the apigenin will be absorbable.

Herbs High in Apigenin

Parsley is the richest known source of apigenin and there is nothing else that comes close. Fresh parsley contains ~2.2 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh parsley. With its water content removed dried parsley is an even denser source of apigenin coming in at ~45 mg/g.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is another source of apigenin that’s well-known, with dried chamomile flower containing 3-5 mg/g.

Peppermint contains 0.055 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh leaves, and the apigenin density is higher in dried peppermint.

Thyme contains ~0.025 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh leaves, and dried thyme has a higher apigenin density.

Oregano contains ~0.025 mg of apigenin per gram of fresh leaves, and dried oregano is an even denser source of apigenin.

Sage, rosemary, and tea leaves are other sources of apigenin. Lastly one important thing to note regarding the apigenin content of herbs, and this also applies more broadly to all polyphenols found in herbs, is that there typically is a significant increase in total polyphenols from April to September, so the apigenin content of food does vary with the seasons.

Fruits and Vegetables High in Apigenin

Since apigenin is a common flavonoid it’s found in some concentration in most fruits and vegetables.

Celery is a vegetable known for its high apigenin content, and all parts of the celery plant contain apigenin in different ratios. Celery seed has the densest concentration of apigenin at 0.8 mg/g, whereas celery hearts have a lower density of 0.02 mg/g, and celery stalk is even lower still at only 0.003 mg/g.

Other fruits and vegetables known for their apigenin content are rutabaga, green chili peppers, onions, and oranges.

Liposomal Apigenin

The health benefits of apigenin are becoming more well-known in the medical field and it’s common to be recommended liposomal apigenin for a variety of health reasons. A liposome is a spherical drug delivery vehicle made of a lipid bi-layer that increases bioavailability of the nutrient encapsulated within it into the bloodstream. Apigenin is already very bioavailable and liposomal apigenin is only really useful in the context of shuttling the majority of the apigenin into the bloodstream, whereas normally the tissues of the digestive system will absorb and use some apigenin themselves, some apigenin will make it into the bloodstream, and some apigenin will also make its way to the microbiome of the large intestine.

There are benefits to letting apigenin naturally be distributed throughout the body, specifically having apigenin make it to the microbiome is very valuable for the gut-brain axis, metabolic health, and the cardiovascular system. The microbiome produces biologically useful secondary metabolites from flavonoids like apigenin, and for this reason supplementing with a natural source of apigenin like dried parsley is preferred.

Apigenin Side Effects

There is some concern that exist regarding apigenin and its potential to build up in the body based on its half-life in rats, which is 92 hours. The half life of apigenin in humans though is 12 hours, and there is little evidence to suggest that apigenin builds up to dangerous levels or promotes adverse metabolic reactions when consumed as part of a normal diet.

Direct supplementation of high doses of isolated apigenin can result in liver toxicity over time, and its for this reason that I believe its best that those who wish to supplement with apigenin capsules don’t supplement with them daily and instead follow a more holistic approach, sticking with whole foods and herbal teas. Information for those interested in supplementing with high doses of apigenin and for others who want to follow the holistic approach is below.

Supplement Apigenin

There are two main methods to follow when supplementing with any compound or chemical. The first method is to supplement with the desired chemical just 1-3x at a high dose for an acute effect. The second method is to incorporate into the diet natural sources of the desired chemical for much broader long term health benefits. With good understanding of what a chemical does and its safety profile methods 1 and 2 can be combined. We’ll start with the low-dose daily way to add apigenin into the diet and then progress upwards towards the most potent forms available.

Chamomile, Dandelion, Peppermint Tea for Apigenin

An excellent way to add extra apigenin to the diet is to drink a 1:1:1 chamomile, dandelion, and peppermint herbal tea. This herbal tea blend is so powerfully healthy for you because of the presence of flavonoids like apigenin, quercetin, and hundreds of other health-promoting phytochemicals.

All three of these herbs are powerful antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and natural antimicrobials. Drinking this tea will boost your immune system and help you get over a cold/flu/covid faster, will reduce symptoms associated with inflammation-based and autoimmune diseases, and is excellent for healing the digestive system and keeping it functioning at a high level. I’ve writen more about the benefits of drinking herbal teas for improving gut health and for use during fasting, and if you’re currently facing gut health problems I highly encourage you to learn more.

Drinking herbal teas is one of the best preventative health strategies that exists. Each cup is packed with biologically useful phytonutrients that the body craves, and with so many different herbs that exist it never gets boring. Drink a cup or two of chamomile/dandelion/peppermint tea a day and with the 12 hour half life of apigenin it’s not an issue if a few days are missed every now and then. All three of these herbs are extremely safe with no known toxicity concerns.

Mountain Rose herbs sells organic dandelion root, chamomile flowers, and dried peppermint leaves.

Dried parsley for Apigenin

Dried parsley is a ridiculously dense source of apigenin coming in at ~45 mg/g. While pure apigenin supplements do exist as you’ll see below, dried parsley is the best way to supplement with high amounts of apigenin because in addition to receiving the apigenin you also receive all the other useful vitamins, nutrients, and phytochemicals that parsley has to offer. Parsley is a dense source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, calcium, and iron. All of the components that make up parsley aid in the bioavailability and health effects of the other components in what’s known as the entourage effect. So when using dried parsley to intake higher levels of apigenin (for example to aid in the fight against cancer), you not only receive abundant apigenin but lots of other health promoting goodies that would not come when supplementing with apigenin in a standardized pill form.

You can purchase dried parsley in the spice section at the local supermarket or save some money by buying dried parsley online. You can purchase dried parsley on amazon, where it’s usually sold in greater quantities and cheaper in price than the supermarket, or from my favorite supplier of herbs, essential oils, and other health and wellness products Mountain Rose Herbs who also sells organic dried parsley leaf.

Easy ways to incorporate dried parsley into your diet is to mix it into different spreads like cream cheese and hummus, to sprinkle it liberally on top of meals like a grain bowl, mix it into soup or paste-type dishes, you get the idea.

Pure Apigenin Supplements

Highly standardized apigenin supplements can be useful under certain circumstances. For example if someone is having severe gut health issues and even dried parsley is likely to cause too much gastrointestinal upset, then a pure apigenin supplement can be useful combined alongside herbal teas. Nootropics Depot sells a few different supplements that contain apigenin, most notably they sell a raw 98% apigenin powder that’s also available as 98% apigenin capsules.

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Try Herbalism

A final message to leave you with is to never underestimate the healing power of natural remedies, a great introduction being herbal teas. A lot of supplements are very expensive and have poor safety and quality testing. For the same price or less as a few different health supplements an entire assortment of health-promoting herbs can be acquired through a supplier like Mountain Rose Herbs. Try natural herbal remedies at least once and see if they can help you. A good place to start learning more about herbs is on the herbs section of this website.

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References:

1. Ali F, Rahul, Naz F, Jyoti S, Siddique YH. Health functionality of apigenin: A review. International Journal of Food Properties. 2017;20(6):1197-1238.

2. Nielsen SE, Young JF, Daneshvar B, et al. Effect of parsley (petroselinum crispum) intake on urinary apigenin excretion, blood antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers for oxidative stress in human subjects. Br J Nutr. 1999;81(6):447-455.

3. Salehi B, Venditti A, Sharifi-Rad M, et al. The therapeutic potential of apigenin. IJMS. 2019;20(6):1305.

4. Pei R, Liu X, Bolling B. Flavonoids and gut health. Current Opinion in Biotechnology. 2020;61:153-159.

5. Higdon J. Flavonoids. Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/flavonoids

6. Shankar E, Goel A, Gupta K, Gupta S. Plant flavone apigenin: an emerging anticancer agent. Curr Pharmacol Rep. 2017;3(6):423-446.

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Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Articles on Herbalism and Nutrition

Healing a Relationship with Cannabis

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated August 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Cannabis is an amazing plant with many profound qualities. Using cannabis responsibly can profoundly change one’s life and assist with an evolution in consciousness. Because of its powerful effects on human physiology and psychology, cannabis has held a prominent place spiritually and medicinally in human culture around the world for thousands of years. It is a very powerful herb capable of changing perception of time and reality, and though its use is most likely to cause an awakening of consciousness, it does possess some narcotic properties which have the potential to be abused.

I have gone through many different phases of using cannabis in my five years with the plant, from initial exploration to only using it spiritually and then overusing it on a daily basis, and in this article I’ll share what I’ve learned in the process of healing my relationship with cannabis back from overuse to conscious use.

Smoking the Devil’s Lettuce

The alternate label of “Devil’s Lettuce” for cannabis was coined sometime during the late 19th or early 20th century as an anti-cannabis movement sprung up. No doubt the abusive use of cannabis by some morphed into a widely held belief that cannabis had no valid recreational, medical, or spiritual use. Dark negative labels were placed onto the plant, casting a shadow over its potential to heal various ailments and awaken human consciousness. Cannabis (and psilocybin containing magic mushrooms) is still characterized as a schedule 1 drug under the United States Controlled Substances Act which states that “it has a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.”

While cannabis does have a potential for abuse, it’s not a high potential, especially not when compared to the other drugs on the Schedule 1 list that deserve to be there like heroin and bath salts. Points two and three, that it has no valid medical use and a lack of accepted safety practices, are blatant lies by the United States government. Cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years and has an extremely strong safety profile.

A further issue with classifying cannabis as a schedule 1 drug is that it’s changed the economics of growing cannabis. Cannabis cultivation was driven to the black market, and overtime high-THC strains became dominant. Whereas a 15% THC strain used to be considered very powerful, now local dispensaries in legal states regularly sell cannabis with THC concentrations above 30%. THC is the main psychoactive in cannabis, and when cannabis is not balanced in its cannabinoid ratios between THC, CBD, CBN, CBC, and others, the narcotic properties of cannabis are amplified. By labeling cannabis as a narcotic and criminalizing its usage, the United States government created the very thing they were seeking to destroy.

I lay out this history because in states and countries where cannabis is legal for use, or if someone has a hookup, they are usually at the mercy of the cannabis available for purchase. Most dispensaries I’ve gone to have at least one or two strains of cannabis that were grown outdoors and organically (and ideally it’s a 1:1 THC to CBD hybrid) but those options exist among dozens or even hundreds of other cannabis products that are out of balance in their cannabinoid ratios, may have been heavily processed and distilled, were grown with pesticides and fertilizers, and may have been grown under artificial lighting in microbiologically “dead” soil. Cannabis grown under unnatural conditions produces unnatural cannabis that has much greater addictive properties, can cause health problems, and may disturb mental health.

Cannabis and the Bioelectrical System

To understand how an abuse of cannabis can develop, and how to then heal that dysfunctional relationship to cannabis, it’s important to fist learn the basic of how cannabis effects the body.

Running parallel to the nervous system is the endocannabinoid system, and the two are both components of what’s known as the bioelectrical system. The bioelectrical system is what controls the flow of energy and information throughout the body, and its cannabis’s effects on the bioelectrical system that give it many of its healing abilities. For example consider how cannabis can stop epileptic seizures and Parkinson’s muscle spasms; epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease both being disorders of the bioelectrical system.

Cannabis’s activation and balancing of the bioelectrical system is also responsible for its ability to increase human consciousness. A person’s bioelectrical status is not the sole determining factor in their state of consciousness, but it’s typically the largest factor. The bioelectrical system has a very powerful influence on health, wellness, and consciousness, and cannabis along with magic mushrooms provide a pathway towards healing bioelectrical imbalances and then further evolving the bioelectrical system. The evolutionary path Homo sapiens has taken for millions of years now has been to further increase our bioelectrical abilities; our big brains prove that. This drive to evolve the bioelectrical system to better feel subtle energies is innate in us and encoded into our very DNA. In fact, bioelectric fields alter DNA expression and optimizing human bioelectricity has the ability to radically change a person inside and out.

Cannabis is Food for Human Consciousness

Humans have a strong evolutionary drive to increase their bioelectrical capabilities (as it has proven successful for our species) and cannabis is a herb that harmoniously activates the bioelectrical system when grown under biodynamic conditions.

The reason why so many people have broken and abusive relationships with cannabis is because they’re using low quality cannabis.

A certain amount of bioelectrical activation is required to reach certain thresholds of consciousness. This activation is dependent not solely on THC but also other cannabinoids like CBD as well as phytochemicals like terpenes. Cannabis that is grown removed from nature (sun, rain, soil microbiome, fungal networks, etc) is imprinted with less consciousness and energy than cannabis that is grown in harmony with nature. Even if grown in a poor environment, the genetics of cannabis still provides it some unique goodies like abundant terpenes and cannabinoids, and for people who instinctually are seeking out a way to evolve bioelectrically, lesser quality cannabis will still do more for them than a simple banana ever will.

Food allows us to draw the best parallel to what’s happening here. The nutritional quality of food has been declining for decades now as monocrop industrial agriculture has been destroying the soil microbiome and draining the soil of nutrients. The nutrient quality of a tomato from the 2010’s was remarkably less than the nutrient quality of a tomato from the 1850’s, and while the nutritional quality of most of our food has plummeted, our nutritional needs have remained the same. It might take eating two tomatoes to now receive the nutrition of eating one back in the day, and with some fruits and vegetables the number is much higher. Eating more and more food to receive the same amount of nutrition places unwanted stress on the body, which then can lead to inflammation, obesity, and disease.

Like our food supply, most cannabis now is heavily deficient in the nutrients the body desires except for THC of which there is now an overabundance. And so just like the overeating epidemic that we have, there is an overconsumption of cannabis epidemic that is occurring as people smoke/vape/ingest more and more in an attempt to reach those critical thresholds required for bioelectrical and consciousness advancement. More consumption that does less places a much greater stress on the body, resulting in physical and mental health symptoms. As cannabinoid receptors become overly activated, over time they downregulate in their action potential and the entire endocrine (hormone) system adapts in a way to encourage a cessation of use.

Armed with this knowledge it’s now clear to see how this unbalanced relationship with cannabis can be healed and again placed on the right trajectory.

Resetting Cannabis Usage

There are a few methods that are very useful in resetting a dysfunctional relationship with cannabis. I found my relationship with cannabis became dysfunctional when I began using cannabis once a day or more and I wasn’t using cannabis of the highest caliber. Everyone is different in how they use plant medicines, but in general I recommend that cannabis should be used sparingly and respectfully. Allow time in-between each use to really integrate the lessons realized from the prior use.

The first and most important thing to do in resetting cannabis usage is to completely stop using cannabis and cannabis derived products. This is known as a T-break, and where one person might require only a 2 week T-break, someone else might require a 3 month T-break or longer. Ceasing all usage of cannabis allows cannabinoid receptors to return to normal in their distribution and effect. If cannabis receptors are completely out of balance, even in someone switches from poor quality cannabis to high-quality cannabis, the system will still be overloaded and the beneficial effects of the good cannabis won’t be felt. Then if the effects aren’t easily observed, the person may think “bugger this, I’m not spending extra on this fancy weed! I’ll keep smoking my regular stuff, or even better let’s see if they have a higher THC strain available”. Only with a T-break can cannabinoid receptors and the entire hormonal system be reset to baseline, a necessary step.

After a t-break of sufficient duration, and you’ll have to be honest with yourself to know how long that will be, then the second step to healing a relationship with cannabis is to only use high-quality cannabis and to say no to everything else. The bare minimum as I see it is outdoor organically grown cannabis, and if it’s not possible to find a 1:1 THC:CBD strain, then get a hold of both a THC strain and a CBD strain grown organically outdoors without pesticides and mix them together for use. Being very mindful of pesticides is very important because smoking or vaporizing cannabis coated in pesticides volatilizes them and causes major health problems with continuous exposure.

After a successful T-break and now armed with high-quality weed, the next step is to break old habits by establishing a new intention behind using the plant and to create a ritual around that. Rituals are a powerful way to bring awareness into a situation, and for example you could create a ritual where you only use cannabis if surrounded in nature with plans to do yoga, grounding, or meditation (three bioelectrical activities themselves) during the high. Set an intention, say a few words about what you’d like the cannabis to help you do, whether that’s increase your level of consciousness or simply to help you relax, and then have a small amount. Wait and see how it feels, stay in the present and shift your awareness internally. If guided by spirit to have more, then have some more, but follow your intuition not past behaviors. By creating and following the right ritual, old behaviors can be broken and forgotten and in their place a new relationship to cannabis can blossom.

The final thing that can be done to help reset a relationship with cannabis is to change the method of usage. If you smoke cannabis then switch to using a dry herb vaporizer like those sold by Healthy Rips. Vaporizing is healthier and more efficient. If you vaporize excessively experiment with cannabis lotions and creams. Mix cannabis with other herbs like chamomile, lavender, or mint and see how they blend together synergistically. By changing the method of delivery you can experience new ways that cannabis can activate your bioelectricity which provides a new perspectives to examine your past usage from.

I hope you found this information useful, it’s a summarization of what I’ve learned about cannabis in my five years of use and how I reset my relationship with cannabis successfully where I no longer feel I “need it”. Please share your cannabis relationship stories in the comments below.

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Piperine Improves Digestion and Enhances bioavailability

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated July 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

There exists a phytochemical that dramatically improves digestion while also boosting the bioavailability and absorption of nutrients. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory, has neuroprotective effects, and can even reduce the toxicity of certain chemicals. With such a broad range of health effects, it almost seems too good to be true that piperine exists, and lucky for us it is 100% real and one of the main reasons why black pepper is the “king of spices” worldwide.

White pepper contains the greatest percentage of piperine

Piperine is the main active ingredient in black pepper, white in color and makes up 3-10% of a peppercorn by weight, and piperine is responsible for the pungency of black pepper. If the oxidized black skin of a peppercorn is removed, this creates what is known as white pepper, and white peppercorns have a greater percentage of piperine than black pepper does. This article examines the different uses of piperine, in particular its ability to dramatically enhance the bioavailability of certain chemicals like curcuminoids and psilocybin, and how to best supplement with piperine.

Piperine Health Benefits

Because piperine stimulates quite a few different pathways throughout the body, it has a wide range of health uses depending on what health issues are present and how it is dosed. The main health benefits of piperine are:

1. Increases bio-absorption of vitamins and trace elements

2. Improves digestion

3. Decreases fat accumulation

4. Antimicrobial

5. Effective against acute inflammation

6. Piperine ameliorates chronic mild stress

7. Stimulates anti-cancer pathways

8. Reduces the extent of toxicity for certain chemicals

Piperine is an inhibitor of MAO activity, which is a potential treatment path for depression, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Piperine also can increase serotonin and dopamine levels under conditions of stress. Piperine’s effects on cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases is still actively being researched into, and at this moment in time piperine is best known for it’s ability to enhance the absorption of other compounds like curcuminoids (antioxidant anti-inflammatories found in turmeric).

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Piperine Curcumin Bioavailability Enhancement

Curcuminoids are the yellow to orange pigments found in turmeric. There are many different curcuminoids but the main and most common of them is curcumin. The issue with curcumin is that it has nearly zero physiological effects on the body if taken by itself because it has terrible bioavailability, measured at less than 1%. The bodies ability to absorb curcuminoids is limited due to its poor solubility in the aqueous phase of the digestive tract and what does reach the bloodstream is rapidly metabolized and excreted. A lot of time and effort has gone into increasing the absorption of curcumin, and piperine has proven to be one of the best ways to increase curcumin’s absorption and therefore increasing its health effects, the main ones of which are:

1. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

2. Anti-depressive and is neuroprotective

3. Dramatically reduces symptoms of osteoarthritis

4. Improves prostate health

5. Reduces inflammation of the digestive system

Piperine works synergistically with curcumin by inhibiting curcumin's rabid absorption by the liver and intestinal wall, thereby increasing the absorption of curcumin by 2000% (20x better). Now able to pass into the bloodstream in much greater quantities thanks to piperine, curcumin can circulate throughout the body and past the blood-brain barrier for much more powerful full body anti-inflammatory effects. It takes about one hour after supplementation for curcuminoids and piperine to reach max concentrations in the blood, and they are metabolized almost completely a few hours later.

Most studies that observed the bioavailability enhancing effects of piperine on curcumin used a ratio of 5 mg piperine to 500 mg curcumin, and as a result most supplements are formulated with the same ratio. New research is currently being done where the amount of piperine relative to curcumin is increased, and being considerate of all the health benefits piperine has of its own, increasing the ratio by 4x by supplementing with 500 mg curcumin and 20 mg piperine is worthwhile to try.

Piperine for Psilocybin Absorption

Because piperine has been shown to increase the ability of various phytochemicals (curcumin, green tea EGCG) to be absorbed into the blood stream, there is a growing interest in if piperine can aid in the absorption of other compounds like psilocybin. Psilocybin is a chemical produced by over 200 species of fungi that is water soluble and is biologically inactive. Once in the body though, psilocybin is rapidly metabolized into psilocin which creates psychedelic effects such as hallucinations, feelings of euphoria, changes in perceptions, and space/time distortions, and for these reason psilocybin is often used for spiritual journeys or in the treatment of mental illness.

Though good scientific evidence is very limited in regards to piperine’s ability to increased the absorption of psilocybin, mechanistically it should work as piperine in general increases gastrointestinal function and absorption ability. My personal anecdotal experience backs this up (N=1) as I’ve experimented with psilocybin using magic mushrooms while also taking some piperine. Piperine in theory is the perfect pair for psilocybin because it also has neurologic functions and can cross the blood-brain barrier like psilocin. Taking 1.5 grams of magic mushrooms paired with 25 mg of piperine increased the effect of the magic mushrooms noticably for me, to the point where it felt like I actually took about 2-2.5 grams of mushrooms. My experience in pairing piperine and psilocybin together is limited but it seems piperine makes magic mushrooms about 20-30% more potent simply by increasing the amount of psilocybin that successfully passes through the digestive system into the bloodstream.

Since psilocybin is water soluble, one effective way to use magic mushrooms is to powder them and stir that into a chamomile tea steeped in 170F water. Take the piperine supplement while drinking the tea.

Piperine for Medicinal Mushrooms

It’s also very likely that piperine increases the absorption and effect of medicinal mushrooms like reishi and cordyceps. Medicinal mushrooms have powerful immune-boosting and cognitive-enhancing health effects, and it’s worth keeping a piperine supplement on hand for use in boosting the absorption of herbal supplements like curcumin or medicinal mushrooms.

How to Supplement with Piperine Capsules

Piperine is one herbal supplement I always keep on hand because it enhances the absorption and actions of many other herbal supplements like turmeric and green tea. If herbal supplements do include piperine into their blend, it’s usually in amounts of 2-5 mg per serving, which is quite low. To supplement with piperine by itself or in conjunction with other herbals use 0.25-0.5 mg piperine per kg of bodyweight. A good starting dose is 10-25 mg.

Nootropics Depot Piperine

Nootropics Depot conveniently sells piperine extract in 10mg capsules. Piperine is highly sensitive and will degrade quickly when exposed to light, so supplementing with piperine in capsule form instead of with a powder is not only easier to dose but also lowers the amount of degradation that will occur due to light exposure.

The 10 mg capsules also make experimenting with piperine dosages quite easy. If interested start with 10 mg a few times and then increase to 20 mg or beyond. This is especially useful when digestive upset is being experienced. Consuming black pepper is one way to help ease digestive ailments, but it can be difficult to consume enough black pepper directly to be especially effective, but piperine can be supplemented at whatever 10 mg increment desired.

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References:

1. Butt MS, Pasha I, Sultan MT, Randhawa MA, Saeed F, Ahmed W. Black pepper and health claims: a comprehensive treatise. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2013;53(9):875-886. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2011.571799

2. Rahman Khan Z, Moni F, Sharmin S, et al. Isolation of bulk amount of piperine as active pharmaceutical ingredient (Api) from black pepper and white pepper(&lt;i&gt;piper nigrum&lt;/i&gt; l.). PP. 2017;08(07):253-262. https://doi.org/10.4236/pp.2017.87018

3. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-6.

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

The Best Nootropic Coffee

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated March 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Your life will never be the same after trying out this secret nootropic coffee recipe because afterwards you’ll never go back to a regular cup of coffee.

In the United States of America where 146 billion cups of coffee are enjoyed per year, and worldwide where that number is MUCH larger, this coffee drink might even change the world.

One reason coffee is so popular is because each cup contains ~100 mg of caffeine. Caffeine is a mild stimulant that increases alertness and focus, wards off sleep, and boosts the metabolism. Caffeine is the most widely used nootropic worldwide and coffee makes it easily to consume a physiologically and psychologically relevant dose. So how do you improve upon the world’s most widely consumed nootropic beverage?

Well in my quest to make the perfect coffee, one that’s smooth, not too bitter, packed with micronutrients, and doesn’t create any anxiety or jitter I turned to herbalism, experimenting with many different recipes, and one day I blended together the ultimate cup of joe.

This super coffee is such a health and productivity hack that I honestly shouldn’t share it with anyone, but I’m feeling magnanimous so here goes.

The Dark Mocha Rises

One of the main drawbacks of coffee is that it can sometimes cause jitteryness and anxiety, especially when multiple cups are consumed and when plenty of extra sugar is added. Instead of creating a triumphant feeling of focus and productivity, you’re left feeling worn and emotionally snappy.

Bulletproof coffee was the first to address this issue by replacing sugar with a fat like butter or coconut oil, in the process taking the paleo community by storm. The blend of fat and coffee nicely enhances alertness and focus while boosting fat metabolism, providing all day energy without any blood sugar crashes. Why stop with one improvement when we can go one step further with what I call the dark mocha.

A typical mocha combines coffee with steamed milk and chocolate, delicious. A dark mocha is different.

Instead of mixing in cream and sugar, a dark mocha starts with a cup of black coffee and mixes in 100% pure cacao along some honey and a few synergistic herbal supplements.

Pure cacao powder contains a good blend of fat, fiber, and protein which together function better than butter or coconut oil in stabilizing blood sugar and without creating an oily coffee. Cacao also has a delicious flavor and melts easily into a warm cup of coffee. Add to that some honey to cut some of the bitterness, Ceylon cinnamon for flavor and for it’s insulin sensitizing effects, and chaga mushroom and cistanche for a wealth of health and longevity benefits, and you have the ultimate cup of coffee. Here’s the recipe.

Dark Mocha Recipe:

• 1 cup (8oz) black coffee

• 1 tbsp cacao powder

• 1 tsp honey

• 1/2 tsp ceylon cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp chaga mushroom powder

• 1/8 tsp cistanche powder

Instructions:

Brew a cup of black coffee using your favorite coffee beans and pour into a shaker bottle.

Add cacao honey, cinammon, chaga, and cistanche

Blend together for 1-2 minutes until the cacao and honey are fully dissolved. Drink from the bottle or pour into a mug.

Some of the cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche will slowly settle out over time, so give the coffee the occasional swirl or stir with a spoon to keep everything suspended.

The Health Benefits of a Nootropic Coffee

It’s common knowledge that many herbals exist which are great for health and wellness, and incorporating cacao, cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche into coffee (is it a coincidence they all start with the letter C?) makes it real easy to boost the beneficial energetic and cognitive effects of coffee and one’s overall health at the same time.

No messing around with pills or brewing a pot of tea to practice herbalism, simply turn on the coffee machine, scoop the different powders into the cup, and mix. This nootropic blend is so good that it can also help curb a coffee dependency, because a second, third, or fourth cup of coffee won’t be needed to keep alertness, focus, and productivity high. To better understand why this is, let’s learn about the health benefits of each herbal ingredient in the dark mocha.

Health Benefits of Cacao

Cacao is best known for it’s voluptuous flavor and mood-boosting effects, widely considered an aphrodisiac by many. Cacao contains procyanins which are strong anti-inflammatories and have been shown to increase longevity and be neuroprotective. Cacao flavonols reduce mental fatigue and improve cognition during sustained mental effort, also reducing anxiety and depression. Cacao is also good for the heart and cardiovascular system at large and has insulin-sensitizing effects.

The balanced combination of fat, fiber, and protein in cacao also makes it an excellent addition to coffee helping to stabilize it’s more jittery effects.

Health Benefits of Ceylon Cinnamon

Ceylon cinnamon has great flavor and is a well-known anti-diabetic herbal. Cinnamon reduces blood sugar spikes, improves glucose utilization in cells, and can reduce fasting blood glucose alongside cholesterol levels.

Using Ceylon cinnamon instead of cassia cinnamon is important because ceylon cinnamon contains much lower levels of coumarin, a compound that is toxic to the liver in high doses. To receive a concerning dose of coumarin more than an ounce (28 grams) of Ceylon cinnamon would have to be consumed, which is nowhere close to the 1/2 tsp amount recommended in the dark mocha recipe above.

Health Benefits of Chaga Mushroom

Chaga Mushroom is typically found growing on birch trees and is best known for it’s immune system boosting and anti-cancer properties. Chaga mushroom fortifies the cardiovascular system, helps with digestive upset, increases work capacity, and is a potent antioxidant with gene-protecting properties. Chaga is well tolerated in large doses and therefore has a strong safety profile.

Chaga is also a general immune system enhancer which possesses anti-tumor properties. Chaga has been used for thousands of years in traditional Chinese medicine and is now used the world over.

Health Benefits of Cistanche

Cistanche is a plant found growing in arid deserts that contains a wealth of plant compounds such as glycosides, lignans, polysaccharides that boost health across the board. Cistanche fortifies the kidneys and renal system at large, increases learning and memorization ability, protects against neurodegenerative diseases, improves immunity, increases longevity, is an endocrine adaptogen (often boosting testosterone levels), and helps with chronic fatigue syndrome. Cistanche has a strong safety profile and has been used for thousands of years, first in traditional Chinese medicine and now worldwide.

Cistanche also strengthens the cardiovascular system and improves endurance, prevents bone loss, and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in general. Cistanche is one of the ultimate herbs for increasing general longevity and vitality, and it goes great with coffee.

Note - I’ve used cistanche (at greater doses than what’s in this recipe) to boost my free testosterone levels over 50+%. Learn more about the Cistanche and Cholesterol Protocol.

The Best Super Coffee

The combination of coffee, cacao, cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche is a match made in heaven. All are dark brown and ready to please your palate, together enhancing your energy, mental cognition, and health in a way few supplements can match. If you want to make the dark mocha 100% plant-based and vegan, substitute the honey for a sweetener like agave syrup.

If you’re consuming more than 300 mg of caffeine per day, switching to a dark mocha will help in reducing daily coffee consumption simply because more cups of coffee won’t be needed. The synergistic effects of the cacao, cinnamon, chaga, and cistanche make one dark mocha all that’s needed to maintain all-day focus and cognitive performance.

Alternatively if you are struggling with your high consumption of coffee and running into negative symptoms as a results, I recommend undergoing a coffee tolerance reset in order to resensitize to the beneficial effects of coffee. Lucky for you I’ve written the complete guide below, check it out!

Nootropic Coffee Ingredients

The ingredients needed to blend together a dark mocha are sold from Mountain Rose Herbs and Nootropics Depot.

Raw Cacao Powder

Ceylon Cinnamon

Chaga Mushroom Powder

Organic Raw Cacao Powder

Mountain Rose Herbs grinds raw whole beans harvested from the tropical plant Theobroma cacao to produce their raw cacao powder. It is not roasted as is typically done.

Standard dose is 2 - 5 grams.

Organic Ceylon Cinnamon Powder

Ceylon cinnamon is true cinnamon and is preferable to use compared to cassia cinnamon because it contains dramatically lower levels of coumarin as discussed earlier.

Standard dose is 0.5 - 2 grams.

Organic Chaga Mushroom Powder

The Mountain Rose Herbs chaga powder is milled from the entire sclerotia. As a whole milled powder it contains the full spectrum of beneficial health compounds found in chaga such as beta-glucans and triterpenes.

Standard dose is 0.5 - 3 grams once daily.

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Cistanche is not available from Mountain Rose herbs and instead can be purchased from Nootropics Depot, as can a more finely milled chaga powder.

Cistanche Tubulosa Powder

The cistanche product sold by Nootropics Depot is highly standardized, containing a minimum of 50% echinacosides and 10% acetoside, overall delivering more echinacosides and acetoside per gram than most other cistanche products.

Standard dose is 200 mg once daily.

Chaga 1:1 Mushroom Extract Powder

The chaga mushroom powder sold by Nootropics Depot is very finely milled which makes it excellent for stirring directly into a drink like coffee without creating any unpleasant clumps or graininess.

Standard dose is 500 mg once daily.

Beta-Glugan (β-Glucan) minimum content: 8%

Contains Triterpenoids

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References:

1. Malcom Stuart, et al. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Crescent Books, New York.

2. Latif R. Health benefits of cocoa: Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 2013;16(6):669-674.

3. Ranasinghe P, Pigera S, Premakumara GS, Galappaththy P, Constantine GR, Katulanda P. Medicinal properties of ‘true’ cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum): a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13(1):275.

4. Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.

5. Li Z, Lin H, Gu L, Gao J, Tzeng CM. Herba cistanche (Rou cong-rong): one of the best pharmaceutical gifts of traditional chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

Heal Adrenal Fatigue

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Small adrenal glands are found above the kidneys which produce a variety of hormones as part of the endocrine system. A common health complaint often heard of is adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is characterized by the abnormal production of cortisol, an important stress hormone connected to the circadian rhythm and metabolism. The timing and release of cortisol is the last component of a complex pathway of hormones governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). Cortisol influences other body systems to alter their energy metabolism. Cortisol production is downstream of many hormones so many variables have the potential of affecting cortisol levels, with light being one of the main causal factors.

Because of the complicated pathway that leads to cortisol production, it has been argued that adrenal fatigue is a myth and that no evidence points to adrenal insufficiency in people who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In this article we examine the evidence for adrenal fatigue, better known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and explore natural treatment options that may help restore balance to the HPA axis.

Note - This article does not constitute as medical advice, it is presented for informational purposes only. For medical conditions please consult a medical professional.

Is Adrenal Fatigue Real?

Before a discussion of treatment options to help heal adrenal fatigue, we must first determine if it actually exists or whether the symptoms of adrenal fatigue are due to an unidentified state of disease elsewhere in the body.

Common Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

• Poor metabolism, weight gain

• Low energy, generalized fatigue

• Difficulty waking up, unrefreshing sleep

• Impairment in short-term memory and concentration (brain fog)

• Low stress tolerance

• Overuse of stimulants

Lesser Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

• Anxiety

• Tender lymph nodes

• Muscle and joint pain

• Sore throat

• Headache

• Low libido

Examining the symptoms, we can see that they are quite broad in scope but generally deal with the metabolism, disrupted circadian rhythms, degraded cognitive function, and tender/painful body parts. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is responsible for governing many of the systems that could exhibit the above symptoms, especially when immune dysfunction and neurochemical alterations are taken into effect.

Adrenal fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome are different terms that describe the same issue, and the causal factors for these fatigue problems aren’t strictly defined yet because the system has proven complex to understand. That said, there are a few known factors that are well associated with adrenal fatigue which will be discussed below.

Main Factors of Adrenal Fatigue

Across the many studies that have been done on those with chronic fatigue syndrome and health controls, the most commonly observed changes are (1):

1. Mild hypocortisolism (low cortisol)

2. Attenuated diurnal variation of cortisol (less cortisol variation)

3. Blunted HPA axis responsiveness

4. Enhanced negative feedback by cortisol on the production of certain hormones by the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and pituitary glands.

Women are more likely to show hypocortisolism than men, and experiencing the abnormalities above is more probable for people who are inactive and/or depressed.

Examined biologically, adrenal fatigue is characterized by low cortisol levels and blunted cortisol plasma variation across the diurnal (24 hr) cycle (which governs in large part the wake/sleep cycle and energy levels throughout the day). In addition to hypocortisolism, HPA axis responsiveness is blunted by enhanced negative feedback.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA Axis)

Cortisol hormone is one of the end products of the HPA axis, and cortisol also cyclically regulates the functions of the HPA axis through its actions on glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors. Glucocorticoid receptors are found in the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary gland. Mineralocorticoid receptors are found primarily in the hippocampus.

CC Sandi, C. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 5, 917–930 (2004).

Hippocampus

The hippocampus is a major component of the brain consisting of two hippocampi, one of each side of the brain. As part of the limbic system, the hippocampus is important for the consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory, as well as in spatial memory used for navigation. The hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is part of the limbic system and regulates certain metabolic processes and activities of the autonomic nervous system. Hormones are synthesized in the hypothalamus that stimulate or inhibit the secretion of hormones from the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus controls circadian rhythms, body temperature, sleep, fatigue, thirst, hunger, and attachment behaviors.

Pituitary Gland

The pituitary gland regulates hormone activity in other endocrine glands and organs. The pituitary has an anterior and posterior lobe. Hormones produced by the anterior pituitary include growth hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropin hormones, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prolactin. Hormones produced by the posterior pituitary lobe include oxytocin and vasopressin.

How Adrenal Fatigue Develops

Cortisol is one of the bodies main stress related hormones, and it is release in a diurnal cycle in response to stress and low blood-glucose levels. Cortisol increases blood sugar through gluconeogenesis and aids in the metabolism of fatty acids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Cortisol also suppresses the immune system and decreases bone formation.

When engaging in acutely stressful activities such as strength training or cardiovascular exercise, cortisol is released from the adrenal glands to increase metabolism, blunt pain, and improve performance. Social stressors at work or home can also increase cortisol production, and cognitive behavioral therapy is able to reverse some HPA axis changes associated with adrenal fatigue.

Many of the activities that benefit from the increased stimulation of cortisol by the adrenal glands are health promoting when done in moderation against the backdrop of a low-stress lifestyle. Adrenal fatigue develops when increased cortisol stimulation is abused by excessive exercise and activity, social stressors, a poor diet, abuse of psychedelics, and poor sleep. Adrenal fatigue can also result from inactivity, a factor which highlights the importance of exercising in moderation for optimal wellness. Cortisol is a feel good hormone which can ease the feeling of pain and promote feelings of euphoria. One of the ways adrenal fatigue can develop in the first place is because its overstimulation overtime can be slightly addicting, and that encourages repeat behavior.

Adrenal fatigue is commonly observed in a few subsets of people. One group has a high-stress job and also excessively works out while restricting their calories to lose weight. Adrenal fatigue is also observed in overweight individuals who are extremely inactive. Adrenal fatigue is a widespread problem that affects people from a variety of lifestyles because the HPA axis can become deregulated in a variety of ways. Women are more susceptible to developing chronic fatigue then men.

Abuse of the metabolic pathways governed by cortisol dampens the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system and overstimulates the sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system. Left unchecked, excessive cortisol stimulation overtime makes it harder to go parasympathetic, compromising the bodies recovery and healing mechanisms. Muscle and joint inflammation increases, bone strength decreases, the endocrine system is altered in function, libido lowers, and chronic stress and fatigue accumulate eventually resulting in even larger health problems if left untreated.

My Experience with Adrenal Fatigue

I first realized I was experiencing some level of adrenal fatigue after I recovered from SARS-CoV-2 early in 2020. My immune system was suppressed from an overindulgence in strength training while stress at work was increasing steadily. I was also dry-vaporizing cannabis regularly which had an effect on my metabolism and endocrine system.

While I was knocked out for 7-10 days because of the coronavirus, I realized that I had been placing too much stress on myself and on my adrenal glands, dysregulating my HPA axis. Afterwards I took a step back from lifting weights and shifted my exercise to calisthenics, walking, and yoga. A few months later I transitioned to a plant-based diet which further helped me recover from the mild chronic fatigue I had.

Now with a properly functioning HPA axis, my blood pressure is lower, my digestive system is healthy, I’m calmer and more emotionally stable, and I make better food choices. I’m more focused, no longer have any anxiety, and I enjoy restful sleep.

When plagued with chronic fatigue, it’s difficult to see how to get out of it because the energy to do anything is so low. Motivation feels ethereal, willpower is seemingly nonexistent, and depression may also be a factor. For these reasons it’s important to keep the treatment for chronic fatigue simple and to slowly build on the success first gained by various methods available.

Treatment for Adrenal Fatigue

When it come to treating adrenal fatigue, it’s suggested to start with the “low hanging fruits” that will provide quick and immediate improvements to one’s condition. Remember cortisol is a stress hormone connected to the circadian rhythm and metabolism, and by manipulating these variables fatigue can be reduced.

Diurnal cortisol variation averaged across 28 individuals. CC Whitaker, Martin et al Clinical endocrinology 2014;80554-61

Adrenal fatigue occurs when there is an accumulation of chronic stress that hasn’t been properly recovered from yet. Focusing first and foremost on restful activities will help to reduce and eliminate built-up chronic stress an inflammation while also resensitizing the HPA axis to normal function.

Prioritizing SLEEP is the first thing that should be done. Everyone receives the same 24 hours in a day, and setting aside a quality 8 hours a night for sleep is foundational to reducing and eliminating adrenal fatigue. There will be times where sleeping for the normal 7-9 hours isn’t possible, so when those variations are unavoidable, keep in mind the overall number of 56 weekly hours of sleep and catch up when possible. Catching up on sleep has the best success on the day following a shortened sleep cycle. Some simple advice is to listen to your body and to enjoy a nap if feeling tired.

Have time to REST and decompress every day. This doesn’t have to involve closing the eyes and can instead be performing some self-care, enjoying a peaceful walk through nature, or simply reading a book. When dealing with excessive muscle and joint inflammation and fatigue, Yin Yoga is great way to facilitate the recovery process while keeping energy expenditure low.

ESTABLISHING A ROUTINE and making a habit out of following a normal sleep cycle and resting when needed makes it easy to begin enabling positive incremental changes day by day without having to rely solely on motivation or willpower (which fluctuate). How each day is started determines in large part one’s physical, mental, and emotional status throughout the entire day. Simple movement, meditation, and BREATHING EXERCISES gently activate the metabolism and bring balance to the body and mind.

While making these lifestyle adjustments, the following herbs, supplements, and dietary changes can be made in tandem to facilitate the healing of chronic fatigue and the return to normal cortisol function.

Herbs for Adrenal Fatigue

There are many herbs that effect the energetic systems of the body and there are many ways the HPA axis can become dysregulated, therefore it is best to use adaptogenic herbs which help bring the systems of the body into balance irrespective of the starting conditions.

Ashwagandha for Adrenal Fatigue

Ashwagandha is a grounding and nourishing herb found in India. Popular in Aryuveda.

• Helps to cope with stress and enhances sleep

• Increases vital energy and balances hormones

• Supports overall cognitive health

Ashwagandha - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Siberian Ginseng for Adrenal Fatigue

Siberian Ginseng is also known as eleuthero root and is native to Siberia (Asia). Eleuthero root is mildly stimulating.

• Supports the adrenals, boosts the immune system, and fights fatigue

• Reduces inflammation, improves sleep, and helps with depression

• Improves vital energy, sexual energy, and enhances digestion

Siberian Ginseng - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Reishi Mushroom for Adrenal Fatigue

Known as the mushroom of immortality and found worldwide. Reishi is highly rejuvenating and a potent immune booster.

• Has powerful immune strengthening, antiviral, and antitumor properties

• Regulates blood sugar and lowers cholesterol by fighting free radicals

• Reduces fatigue and fights depression through its strong neuroprotective effects

Reishi mushroom can be eaten raw, brewed into a tea, tinctured, or made into a herbal broth for soup.

Reishi Mushroom - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Chamomile Flower for Adrenal Fatigue

A gentle herb used worldwide to promote relaxation and calm.

• Relaxant, relieves stress and tension, and improves sleep

• Promotes the production of alpha brainwaves which increase sense of calm alertness

• Supports digestive health, helps with stomach ulcers, and improves regularity

Chamomile Flowers - from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Preparation: All of these herbs can be brewed into a tea individually or together in equal parts. Steep at 170 F (75 C) water for 5-15 minutes. These herbs can also be decocted into a tincture.

Supplements for Adrenal Fatigue

The herbs above can also be purchased as supplement pills for use in resolving adrenal fatigue. With a tea or tincture it’s more effective and costs less, but if the ease of use of pills is preferred that option exists.

Other supplements that are useful in healing chronic fatigue include key vitamins and minerals which are used by the endocrine and energy systems of the body.

Vitamins for Adrenal Fatigue

The main vitamins that are useful in the context of adrenal fatigue are the B vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

B vitamins help with energy metabolism, detoxification, and can have mood-elevating effects. For adrenal fatigue getting enough B vitamins through a food like nutritional yeast or by taking a B vitamin complex can help. I recommend the following vitamin B supplement.

The adrenal gland is one of the organs with the highest concentration of vitamin C in the body because it uses it in the production of all adrenal hormones including cortisol. Adrenal fatigue is marked by chronically reduced cortisol levels, and providing the body more vitamin C ensures that vitamin C is not a limiting factor in the production of normal levels of adrenal hormones. I don’t recommend vitamin C supplements because getting enough vitamin C is easy enough by eating fruits and vegetables, for example one orange contains 90% DV of vitamin C.

Vitamin D is important for the healthy functioning of the endocrine system, and most people are deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D can be synthesized endogenously by the skin through sun exposure. Depending on skin color and the weather, bathe some or all parts of skin for 10-60 minutes to produce the vitamin D needed for 1-3 days. Limit sun exposure in order to not get sunburnt. If healthy sun exposure is not possible or problematic I recommend Nootropic Depots Vitamin D3 + K2 + C supplement.

Minerals for Adrenal Fatigue

Magnesium and boron are two important minerals which are used extensively throughout the body and supplementation with each is helpful in the context of adrenal fatigue.

Magnesium is the second most common micronutrient deficiency, and getting enough magnesium ensures the bodies hormonal systems, metabolism, and circadian rhythm function properly. Magnesium supplementation in the evening aids in relaxation and improves sleep quality. I recommend the following magnesium supplement.

Boron is a trace mineral which assists the actions of vitamin D and magnesium. Boron has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, improving healing from tissues wounds and injuries. Boron improves the brain’s electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders. Learn more about supplementing with boron.

Herbs for Adrenal Fatigue

There are two herbs that readily come to mind, chamomile and ashwagandha, that help mitigate the symptoms of adrenal fatigue and provide the body the support it requires to overcome and heal the issue.

Tea brewed from chamomile flowers has relaxing and sleep benefiting properties while also having the benefit of improving daytime functioning. Chamomile increases 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves which provide a sense of stability and calm, and chamomile contains many flavonoids like apigenin which help the brain to repair itself and maintain proper function, important for HPA axis dysfunctions. Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic chamomile flowers which are easy to brew into a tea and can be used for a variety of other purposes.

Ashwagandha is one of the premiere herbs known for its ability to reduce the amount of stress experienced from a stressful event. For example ashwagandha taken before an endurance activity greatly lessens the depletion of cortisol from the adrenal glands in response to the stress experienced, thereby reducing the demand for nutrients like vitamin C for the production of new cortisol. Taking ashwagandha before a stressful event, whether physical, mental, or emotional will help reduce the stress burden that results from after the event which is super useful for those who already have chronic fatigue. Taking ashwagandha daily also is helpful. Mountain Rose Herbs sells organic ashwagandha root powder (recommended), ashwagandha root, ashwagandha root capsules, and ashwagandha extract.

Nootropics Depot also sells a variety of ashwagandha products that have been standardized to contain a certain minimum percentage of withanolides (the main active component of ashwagandha) and I recommend their Shoden Ashwagandha Capsules which has a minimum of 35% withanolides for those looking for a more potent ashwagandha supplement.

Diet for Adrenal Fatigue

There are two aspects of diet that are important in the context of healing adrenal fatigue, or really any health issue.

First is to eat foods that contain the micronutrients the body is currently deficient in. For the nutrients listed above, the following foods can be eaten:

• B Vitamins - Nutritional yeast, leafy greens, sunflower seeds, fish, meat, dairy, and fortified grains

• Vitamin C - Citrus fruits, parsley, rose hips, peppers, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts)

• Vitamin D - Fish, eggs, mushrooms (exposed to sunlight), fortified milk

• Magnesium - Pumpkin seeds, nuts, avocado, dark chocolate, beans

Second is simply to eat a healthy well-rounded diet full of unprocessed foods which contain enough fiber and protein. This means eating fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and pulses if vegan. If vegetarian eggs and dairy can be added if easily digestible, and if a meat eater then pasture-raised meats and seafood can be further added to the diet. The main takeaway is to avoid sugary and ultra-processed foods is important to make sure cortisol secretion returns to normal because cortisol is released in response to blood glucose levels.

Adrenal Fatigue and Caffeine

Caffeine has an effect on cortisol levels. When caffeine isn’t used regularly, then caffeine will cause a robust increase in cortisol during morning, afternoon, or evening usage. When consuming caffeine on a daily basis, then morning caffeine usage doesn’t impact cortisol significantly but afternoon caffeine usage will elevate cortisol blood concentrations for up to six hours. Even if caffeine creates an afternoon cortisol increase, cortisol levels will drop to normal levels by nighttime.

Since it is the circadian rhythm and cortisol which plays a large part in the wake and sleep cycles of the body, it is important to be mindful of caffeine usage throughout the day and to limit usage of caffeine to time windows that won’t affect normal sleep, unless that is the desired goal. A good rule of thumb to follow is to not have any caffeine after 2 pm.

In the context of adrenal fatigue, it is best to not have any caffeine until the problem is well on its way to being resolved. An abuse of caffeine through heavily caffeinated drinks or excessive coffee usage often is a main factor that led to chronic fatigue syndrome in the first place. For help in quitting caffeine or in resetting a caffeine tolerance, read my caffeine guide:

Reset the Adrenal Glands

Incorporating wellness practices that promote balance into one’s lifestyle has a tremendous impact on health and wellness over the long term. Learning to evenly balance mind, body, and emotions takes time but the effort is well worth the reward. Healing occurs when the body is in a state of balance, so consider adding a morning routine that functions as a “balancing gyroscope”, bringing consistency and balance to day to day life. Establishing a grounding practice outside in nature is a great way to bioelectrically balance the various systems of the body

The human circadian rhythm is driven in large part by the cycles of light and temperature on our planet. Rising with the light and not going to sleep too long after the sun sets is the best way to stay aligned with these natural cycles. If experiencing insomnia and falling asleep is difficult, simply resting at the appropriate times when sleep normally should occur will create the habit of rest during that time window, and with consistency that habit will make falling asleep at regular hours easier.

Healing the adrenal glands and restoring normal function to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis can take a long time, sometimes months to years. One step in front of the other will lead to eventual success.

As a holistic wellness practitioner I offer coaching services, contact me to learn more.

References:

1. Papadopoulos, A., Cleare, A. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome. Nat Rev Endocrinol 8, 22–32 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2011.153

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Recovery

Turmeric Curcumin Bioavailability and Supplement Guide

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Turmeric is a flowering plant (Curcuma longa) of the ginger family and the bright orange rhizome it grows is used as a spice, most notably in India. Turmeric has many medicinal properties due to it’s unique blend of essential oils, plant polyphenols, and it’s main active ingredient curcumin which is a pigment chemical that gives turmeric its bright orange color.

Turmeric and its main active ingredient curcumin have become popular supplements worldwide because of their anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antioxidant capabilities (1). There are many different ways turmeric and curcumin supplements are formulated, and some formulations are more effective than others because of their superior bioavailability.

This turmeric and curcumin buyers guide discusses the health benefits of turmeric, the science of how to increase it’s bioavailability, and the characteristics the best turmeric and curcumin supplements share.

Whole turmeric rhizome, slices, and powder

What Are Turmeric Supplements Good For?

The different active compounds of turmeric are known as curcuminoids, and for thousands of years Ayurvedic and Tradition Chinese Medicine have held turmeric root in high esteem due to its healing properties. Turmeric and its curcuminoids are helpful for a variety of health conditions such as cognitive ailments, pain, poor digestive function, and diseases that are inflammation based. I recommend incorporating turmeric spice into the diet for a generalized heath benefit and to also keep a curcumin supplement readily available so it can be used whenever pain or inflammation is experienced in excess. Curcuminoids are especially excellent at relieving pain, such as joint pain, a headache, or generalized discomfort. For those with ongoing health conditions which curcuminoids would help with, using a turmeric and curcumin supplement daily is a safe and practical option.

The drawback to turmeric is curcuminoids are not very bioavailable under normal circumstances. There have been many different attempts made to find a way to increase the bioavailability of curcumin, and this has flooded the supplement market with different turmeric and curcumin formulations some of which are well formulated and effective, and others which will have minimal health effect.

Without reading the research papers directly, detailed information regarding how to best take turmeric and curcumin supplements is hard to find, and this comprehensive guide to turmeric/curcumin supplements solves that problem by explaining the different type of turmeric supplements that exist on the market, their bioavailability and effectiveness, and the health benefits different formulations have on different systems of the body.

Curcuminoids

Curcumin is the yellow to orange pigment found in turmeric. The more alkaline the curcumin the darker the color. Curcumin has a massive catalogue of studied health benefits (2). It's anti-inflammatory, anti-depressive, a minor antioxidant, dramatically reduces symptoms of osteoarthritis, improves prostate health, reduces mucositis, and so much more. Curcumin is one of the most well researched supplements known, and more is still being discovered. It is mostly the curcuminoids in turmeric that give turmeric its noted health benefits.

Most pure curcumin supplements consist of a blend of different types of curcuminoids, such as curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin (BMC), and demethoxycurcumin (DMC), which all together usually total around 500 - 750 mg per serving. When analyzed, curcumin is the dominant curcuminoid at 60%, with BMC and DMC coming in around ~20% each.

The issue is that curcumin has nearly zero physiological effects on the body if taken by itself. Like turmeric powder, curcumin has terrible bioavailability, measured at less than 1%. Curcumin’s bioavailability is limited due to its poor solubility in the aqueous phase of the digestive tract. The body also rapidly metabolizes and excretes it. Bioavailability is also different between the sexes, with women on average reaching double the blood concentrations of curcumin compared to men. The reason for this difference in bioavailability between the sexes is unknown.

To fix the bioavailability problem, scientists have various methods to increase the bioavailability of curcuminoids in the body, and supplement manufacturers have created different formulations based on these scientific studies.

Turmeric and Curcumin Bioavailability

The reason so many different types of turmeric and curcumin supplements exist is because turmeric isn’t highly bioavailable in the human body under normal circumstances. If taking a supplement consisting of pure turmeric powder and nothing else, only 1-2% of the curcuminoids that make up part of the turmeric spice will enter into the bloodstream. Curcuminoids make up about 6% of turmeric by dry weight, so if taking a 1000 mg turmeric supplement, then ~1mg of curcuminoids will enter into the bloodstream, an insignificant effect.

Curcumin’s bioavailability is limited due to its poor solubility in the aqueous phase of the digestive tract. Furthermore, curcuminoids are rapidly absorbed by the tissues of the digestive system, limiting their ability to enter into the bloodstream. The digestive system, particularly the small intestine, is under constant stress from having to digest food and being in contact with the microbiome, and as a result it’s inflamed to some degree. Curcuminoids being potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds are quickly absorbed by the tissues of the gut for their own use.

Bioavailability is also different between the sexes, with women on average reaching double the blood concentrations of curcumin compared to men. The reason for this difference in bioavailability between the sexes is unknown.

If interested in using turmeric for its digestive healing effects, then taking plain turmeric without any bioavailability enhancement is desirable because it will specifically target the tissues of the gastrointestinal system and little else.

If curcuminoids are able to enter into the bloodstream in large quantities, then they exert their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body, reducing pain and inflammation and enhancing cognition.

Methods of Increasing Curcumin Bioavailability

Curcumin is the main active ingredient found in turmeric responsible for its potent health and wellness benefits. Increasing its bioavailability increases its medicinal effect. That said, other compounds exist in raw turmeric that are health promoting, such as turmeric essential oils. Extracting more curcuminoids from turmeric increases the potency of its health effects, but for the complete benefits of turmeric, whole turmeric must also be consumed. The methods below describe how curcumin bioavailability can be increased, but keep in mind that the most effective curcumin supplement will also be one that incorporates some portion of powdered turmeric into its formulation.

Turmeric Dual Spectrum X:1 Extract

One way to achieve the synergistic health effects of raw turmeric while still receiving enough curcuminoids is to take a turmeric supplement concentrated through extraction.

Extraction is used to refine and purify a product. An extract is prepared using alcohol or water, and at the end of the concentration process the resulting extract is more potent. Depending on the level of extraction, curcuminoids can be much more heavily concentrated or just lightly more concentrated. With the right extract formulation, it is possible to create a turmeric supplement which retains all of the beneficial compounds of the turmeric rhizome while still increasing the potency and concentration of the main active curcumin compounds.

Curcumin with Piperine Supplements

Piperine is an enzyme inhibitor found in black pepper, giving black pepper its iconic pungency, and it has been shown to increase the bio-availability of curcumin (and by extension, turmeric) by 20x (3). Piperine works synergistically with curcumin, inhibiting curcumin's rabid absorption by the liver and intestinal wall. This inhibition allows curcumin to circulate into the blood stream for full body anti-inflammatory effects. Curcuminoids and piperine together enter into the blood stream rapidly peaking sharply about an hour after ingestion before being fully metabolized about 2-3 hours later.

When used in supplements, piperine is most often listed as biopiperine. Most studies which have researched the effect of piperine on curcumin absorption have used 20 mg of piperine per 2 grams of curcumin, and most curcumin/piperine supplements use 5 mg of piperine per 500 mg of curcuminoids, which is the same ratio.

Piperine is a bioavailability enhancer for more than just curcuminoids, and it has it’s own long list of health benefits (gastrointestinal aid, cognitive enhancer, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory) that overlap quite a bit with curcumin. Ancient Ayurveda knew this, and it’s why black pepper and turmeric spice are paired together for some many dishes in India.

Nootropics Depot sells a curcumin + piperine supplement which contains 1000 mg of 95% standardized curcuminoids and 6 mg of piperine.

Micellar Curcumin Supplements

Micellar curcumin is a special type of curcumin supplement shown to have better bioavailability that curcumin paired with piperine. Curcumin is a lipophilic molecule, meaning it is poorly water soluble, and that in large part is why curcumin is so poorly bioavailable. A micelle as shown to the left is a collection of lipid (fat) molecules that can simultaneously interact with water and lipids.

When curcuminoids are encapsulated in micelles, their ability to enter into the bloodstream skyrockets, and they stay active in the body for much longer

Through a special chemical process, curcumin molecules can be contained inside micelles. Protected by the micelles which are able to interact with water soluble materials and membranes, the curcumin is much more easily transported though the digestive system and into the blood stream.

Micellar curcumin is incredibly bioavailable (4), more so than curcumin taken with piperine, and curcumin concentrations in the blood stream stay elevated for up to a day as compared to a few hours with curcumin and piperine supplements. This approach to increase curcumin bioavailable is completely independent of enzyme inhibition which is how piperine works.

Because the addition of micelles increases the bioavailability of curcumin so dramatically, its health effects can be too potent at times, and caution is recommended. In a study measuring micellar curcumin’s bioavailability (4), the researchers took note of the side effects observed. Out of 13 women and 10 men total, 7 women and 3 men experienced mild nausea. Since curcumin is ~2x more bioavailable in women in men, we’d speculate that more women experienced nausea than men because they received too much curcumin. 1 woman even vomited! The nausea prevalent with use of micellar curcumin did not occur when those same men and women used the other two formulations (Micronized Curcumin and Meriva® type formulation). Unless you have a serious health condition that would benefit from all day elevated curcumin blood levels, I would stick to the safer and more widely available curcumin with piperine supplements.

Nootropics Depot sells a Longvida curcumin supplement which uses micellular technology to dramatically increase the bioavailability of curcuminoids.

Micronized Curcumin Supplements

Micronized curcumin is effectively “crystallized” curcumin. The method one study used to create micronized curcumin involved mixing 25% curcumin powder with 58.3% triacetin (an anti-fungal) and 16.7% panodan (an emulsifier) and spraying and soaking the solution onto porous silicon dioxide crystals (basically glass, inactive physiologically) (5). The resulting micronized curcumin powder contained ~15% curcumin.

Micronized curcumin was found to be 9x more bioavailable than regular standardized curcumin averaged between men and women. Micronized curcumin was also shown to be more bioavailable in women compared to men. Compared to regular curcumin, the micronized version was more bioavailable, but still less so than curcumin with piperine.

Micronizing curcumin is a complex process which uses a lot of chemicals, and I would stay away from micronized curcumin supplements for these reasons.

Curcumin with Turmeric Essential Oils Supplements

As discussed, it is turmeric/curcumin’s poor water solubility that negatively affects its bioavailability. When taken with fats, curcumin’s bioavailability improves.

It is also usually the case that when an herb or root with medicinal properties is taken in its original whole form a type of entourage effect occurs. With the entourage effect, the secondary compounds which are normally standardized out can now contribute to and boost the overall health effect, and the benefits of supplements that take this into account this holistic nature are broader in their beneficial medicinal effect.

The essential oils found within the turmeric root are some of those secondary compounds, and it’s been shown that when standardized curcumin is taken with turmeric essential oils the bioavailability of curcumin improves significantly (6). This increase in bioavailability is because of the synergistic effect these plant compounds exhibit, and also the fact that the essential oils add fat to the supplement, aiding assimilation into the blood stream.

One formulation that employs this tactic is known as BCM-95 (Biocurcumax), and it’s been shown to be 7x more bioavailable than standard curcumin (7). BCM-95 is more bioavailable than curcumin with piperine, and with piperine added to a BCM-95 curcumin formulation, I think the bioavailability would be improved even further, possibly rivaling or surpassing the bioavailability of micellar curcumin due to the entourage effect.

Curcumin with Emulsifiers (lecithins)

Emulsifiers such as lecithins have also been used in an effort to increase the bioavailability of curcumin. The idea is that the emulsifiers help to carry the curcumin through the gut and into the bloodstream. Meriva is one such formulation, and overall bioavailability is improved compared to just curcumin, but not by much. In one study, a reference dose of 1800 mg of standardized curcuminoids, was compared to a Meriva formulation (8). Compared to the reference dose, the Meriva formulation was 5.5x more potent and stayed in the bloodstream for longer. Interestingly, the Meriva formulation dramatically boosted the bioavailability of demethoxycurcumin (DMC), a less prominent curcuminoid.

The specific physiological effects of just DMC are not well studied yet, and it is unknown why the addition of lecithins to standardized curcuminoids dramatically increases the bioavailability of DMC compared to the other curcuminoids.

Fermented Turmeric Supplements

Fermented turmeric is yet another supplement type. During fermentation curcumin is metabolized by bacteria into a different yet similar compound called tetrahydrocurcumin (THCC). Typically chemical reactions result in more stable compounds, and it’s been observed that THCC is more stable than curcumin. Likely as a result of it’s increased stability, THCC has a longer half-life of 323 minutes in plasma versus 111 minutes for curcumin.

One study which measured the effect of fermented turmeric observed that 36 hours of fermentation using Aspergillus oryzae at 25°C reduced regular curcumin levels from 2.0 mg/g to 0.79 mg/g (9). The reduction in curcumin in fermented turmeric is offset by the creation of THCC, though the exact ratios of how fermentation converts curcumin to tetrahydrocurcumin is unknown.

With rats, tetrahydrocurcumin appears to be more bioavailable than curcumin (10). In general its been observed that rats absorb curcumin much easier than humans. Like curcumin, THCC was found to primarily be absorbed by the intestine and liver. No studies have been performed measuring tetrahydrocurcumin’s bioavailability in humans or rats when paired with piperine or encapsulated in micelles.

Fermented turmeric is highly experimental and as of now it’s medicinal effects are poorly quantified. Fermented turmeric doesn’t appear to be unsafe in any way considering normal usage, but the effects on your body are not well researched. Below are two non-comprehensive lists laid out in layman’s terms outlining some of the benefits of curcumin over THCC, and vice versa. Nootropics Depot sells a Curowhite curcumin supplement which is standardized to 25% to contain dura, hexa, and octa curcuminoids.

Curcumin Benefits over Tetrahydrocurcumin:

• Curcumin was more effective than THCC in preventing skin tumors in mice

• Curcumin was more effective than THCC as an antioxidant

• Curcumin induced apoptosis (cellular death) of leukemia cells but THCC did not

• Curcumin, but not THCC, was effective in reducing amyloid plaque burden and amyloid aggregation (think Alzheimers)

• Curcumin, but not THCC, inhibited Ca(2+) influx through CRAC for activating immune cells

• Curcumin, but not THCC, inhibited entry of hepatitis C virus genotypes into human liver cells

• Curcumin inhibited type A influenza virus infection to a greater extent than THCC by interfering with viral hemagglutination activity (red blood cell clumping)

Tertahydrocurcumin Benefits over Curcumin:

• THCC was more active than curcumin as an antioxidant

• THCC was more active than curcumin for suppression of LDL oxidation

• THCC was equal to curcumin in potency for suppression of histamine release

• THCC was more active than curcumin in normalizing blood glucose and improvement of altered carbohydrate metabolic enzymes in diabetic animals

• THCC was more active than curcumin in increasing plasma insulin in diabetic rats

• THCC was more active than curcumin for antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic (blood lipid lowering) effects

• THCC was more active than curcumin in a hepatoprotective role in CCL4-induced liver damage in rats and alcoholic liver disease model rats

• THCC was more active than curcumin as an antihypertensive

Comparing Curcumin Supplement Effectiveness

Below are the different well studied curcumin supplements compared across three markers, Cmax, AUC, and Tmax.

• Cmax is the peak concentration reached in blood plasma, expressed in nmol/L.

• AUC (area under the curve) is the concentration in blood plasma over time, expressed as nmol/L * H

• Tmax is the time it took to reach Cmax. Higher values for Cmax and AUC are typically better.

A lower value for Tmax is preferred if you are looking for a fast acting curcumin supplement for immediate pain relief. A higher Tmax value indicates a broader effect.

Cmax (nmol/L)

• 7.1 - 2g Curcumin

• 41.6 - 410mg Micronized Curcumin

• 489 - 2g Curcumin, 20mg Piperine

• 1240 - 2g BCM-95®

• 1765 - 297mg Meriva

• 3228 - 410mg Micellar Curcumin

AUC (nmol/L * H)

• 65.6 - 2g Curcumin (measured for 24 hours)

• 217.2 - 2g Curcumin, 20mg Piperine (measured to zero after 3 hours)

• 582.7 - 410mg Micronized Curcumin (measured for 24 hours)

• 1460.4 - 297mg Meriva (measured for 24 hours)

• 8690 - 2g BCM-95® (measured for 8 hours)

• 12147.7 - 410mg Micellar Curcumin (measured for 24 hours)

Tmax (H - hours)

• 0.69 - 2g Curcumin, 20mg Piperine

• 1.1 - 410mg Micellar Curcumin

• 3.0 - 2g BCM-95

• 3.8 - 297mg Meriva

• 7.5 - 2g Curcumin

• 7.5 - 410mg Micronized Curcumin

If choosing a turmeric/curcumin supplement based purely off of the blood markers above, micellar curcumin is the clear winner, with the BCM-95 formulation coming in second and the Meriva formulation coming in third.

There are other important considerations besides just Cmax and AUC values though. Anytime a drug, supplement, or food is ingested, body chemistry is altered. Care must be taken when taking supplements, as too much of even a good thing can have negative health effects. Take for example that curcumin strongly activates AMPK (adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), an very important enzyme which governs metabolism (aka fat oxidation or fat storage).

With micellar curcumin, curcumin concentrations in the blood are elevated very strongly and for a long time, overly activating AMPK and other systems throughout the body. If using a curcumin supplement everyday as many people do, using a micellar curcumin supplement will strongly influence AMPK 24/7, and over a long duration the effect this will have hasn’t been studied yet. Positive or negative, the effects are currently unknown. The high reports of nausea from the use of micellar curcumin is also troubling. With a supplement to be used often, exerting caution is always the best approach. Start conservatively, gauge how it affects your body, both physiologically and psychologically, and tweak the dosing from there.

Micellar curcumin was the front runner based on having the highest Cmax and AUC values, but with these concerns noted, I recommend a more conservative approach, and a curcumin formulation that is more holistic in nature.

Where to Buy Curcumin Supplements

After studying into the health benefits of curcumin and how its bioavailability can be increased, the best marketplace I have found for curcumin supplements is Nootropics Depot. They carry three different types of curcumin supplement, each having their unique bioavailability differences which are worth trying separately.

Curcumin + Piperine Capsules

The standard curcumin supplement they sell is a blend of 1000 mg of 95% standardized curcuminoids and 6 mg piperine derived from black pepper. This is a good curcumin supplement that is readily bioavailable and can be used for a wide range of purposes, from treating headaches to joint pain or to boost metabolism.

Longvida Curcumin Supplement

Nootropics Depot also carries a Longvida curcumin supplement. Longvida curcumin has been coated in a blend of highly purified fatty acids and phospholipids, which increases greatly increases curcuminoid bioavailability into the bloodstream. Each capsule contains 400 mg of the Longvida opimized curcumin extract.

Curowhite Curcumin Supplement

Lastly Nootropics Depot carries a Curowhite curcumin supplement which is a blend of tetra, hexa, and octa-curcuminoids standardized to at least 25%. These hydrogenated curcuminoids have differing effects physiologically than regular curcuminoids and are worth experimenting with.

1-2 servings of the any of the curcumin supplements sold by Nootopics Depot will be enough to use for digestive relief, pain relief, headaches, inflammatory diseases, and for general health and wellness purposes.

Mountain Rose Herbs also sells a variety of turmeric products, from the rhizome itself to different supplements and teas.

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References:

1. Hewlings SJ, Kalman DS. Curcumin: A Review of Its' Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017;6(10)

2. Kamal Patel. Curcumin. Examine

3. Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, Majeed M, Rajendran R, Srinivas PS. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Med. 1998;64(4):353-6.

4. Schiborr C, Kocher A, Behnam D, Jandasek J, Toelstede S, Frank J. The oral bioavailability of curcumin from micronized powder and liquid micelles is significantly increased in healthy humans and differs between sexes. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014;58(3):516-27.

5. Schiborr C, Kocher A, Behnam D, Jandasek J, Toelstede S, Frank J. The oral bioavailability of curcumin from micronized powder and liquid micelles is significantly increased in healthy humans and differs between sexes. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014;58(3):516-27.

6. US Patent 7883728B2

7. Antony B, Merina B, Iyer VS, Judy N, Lennertz K, Joyal S. A Pilot Cross-Over Study to Evaluate Human Oral Bioavailability of BCM-95CG (Biocurcumax), A Novel Bioenhanced Preparation of Curcumin. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008;70(4):445-9.

8. Cuomo J, Appendino G, Dern AS, et al. Comparative absorption of a standardized curcuminoid mixture and its lecithin formulation. J Nat Prod. 2011;74(4):664-9.

9. Kim SW, Ha KC, Choi EK, et al. The effectiveness of fermented turmeric powder in subjects with elevated alanine transaminase levels: a randomised controlled study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13:58.

10. Pianpumepong Plangpin, Et al. Study on enhanced absorption of phenolic compounds of Lactobacillus‐fermented turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) beverages in rats. International Journal of Food Science & Technology 47(11). November 2012.

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Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Natural Supplements

Caffeine Usage and Tolerance Reset Guide

Article by Stefan Burns - Updated June 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

Other than water, coffee and tea are the most popular beverages worldwide, both of which contain caffeine. Caffeine is a neurostimulant which has a variety of effects on the brain and body, most notably caffeine increases attention, arousal, power output, and fat oxidation. Beyond the simple pleasure in enjoying a cup of tea or coffee, people use both beverages, as well as other forms of caffeine, for increasing focus, productivity, and to help stay awake. In moderation caffeine usage poses little risk to health and for most people caffeine usage is beneficial to overall wellness.

In this guide we discuss the psychological benefits of caffeine if used in moderation, what those dosages are, the symptoms that may arise with caffeine overuse, caffeine withdrawal symptoms, how to reset a caffeine tolerance, and recommendations on the best ways to consume caffeine.

How Caffeine Works

The main mechanism of action that explains caffeine’s effects throughout the body is that it blocks the effects of the naturally occurring neuromodulator adenosine.

Adenosine is one of four nucleoside building blocks to DNA and RNA, which are essential for all life. Adenosine mono-, di-, and triphosphates, also known as AMP/ADP/ATP, are organic compound that provides energy to many of the cellular processes vital to life. Adenosine causes sedation and relaxation when it acts upon its receptors.

The chemical structure of caffeine

Caffeine binds to some of the same receptors as adenosine, acting as competitive antagonists and in the process blunting the sedative effects of adenosine. Caffeine’s effect on adenosine changes the activity of neurotransmitters noradrenaline, acetylcholine, dopamine, and others. When caffeine is overused adenosine receptors alter in behavior away from normal and as such the behavior of the important aforementioned neurotransmitters is also changed.

If caffeine is being over used at dosages of >3 mg/kg bodyweight per day, then it takes several days or weeks of caffeine abstinence to return all systems back to normal. With moderate usage (<3 mg/kg) overnight abstinence from caffeine is sufficient in preventing tolerance formation in central nervous system adenosine receptors systems. If you don’t drink more than a couple cups of coffee or tea in a day, and you don’t drink any at night, then it’s unlikely that you have a caffeine tolerance.

Beneficial Effects of Caffeine

There’s the common saying that coffee makes the world go around, and it’s such a popular beverage because of it’s caffeine content of approximately 95 mg per cup of coffee. Caffeine is a mild and relatively safe stimulant that has a number of beneficial health effects. Because caffeine blocks adenosines sedative properties, caffeine is an energy boost for the brain and body. For most people, caffeine usage in moderate dosages at <300 mg/day has the following beneficial effects:

• Caffeine improves simple and choice reaction time

• Caffeine increases the speed of processing new stimuli

• Caffeine increases alertness and reduces fatigue in low arousal situations such as in the early morning, when working at night, when experiencing a cold, with sleep loss, or it can even remove the sedative effects of certain drugs

• With illnesses such as the common cold, caffeine can improve mood

• For tasks requiring sustained attention, caffeine increases alertness and vigilance when already in a normal alert state

• Caffeine eliminates the sleepiness produced by the consumption of lunch

• Caffeine usage during the day reduces the slowing of reaction times seen at the end of the day, helping maintain performance levels

• Caffeine at night maintains the performance of individuals as seen during the day

• Fatigued people show a larger performance boost from caffeine than well-rested people.

• High consumption of caffeine (2-3 cups of coffee everyday for long periods of time) is associated with better mental performance in the elderly.

• Caffeine reduces depression

• Caffeine improves fat oxidation and power output

The standard scientific definition of caffeine moderation is <300 mg per day. The beneficial effects of caffeine start at around 30 mg which is the amount found in a cup of green tea.

When doing performance tasks, the beneficial effects of caffeine are most pronounced when circadian alertness is low. Little evidence suggests there are any impairments following the consumption of normal amounts of caffeine, and while caffeine changes alertness levels, it does not noticeably increase or decrease distractibility.

The benefits of moderate caffeine usage discussed here are what the majority of people who use caffeine will experience. That said, everyone is as different on the inside as they are on the outside, and individual response to caffeine consumption can vary quite a bit among individuals.

Caffeine Sensitive Individuals and Caffeinism

If sensitive to the effects of caffeine, then potential negative side effects of caffeine usage may appear at doses below 3mg/kg bodyweight per day. For others, these symptoms may appear at doses above 3 mg/kg. The main negative symptoms of caffeine which are sometimes experienced include:

• Sleep loss

• Increased anxiety, especially if stress is encountered

• Reduced fine motor control, aka jitteriness

To feel the negative symptoms of caffeine usage, one typically has to consume amounts greater than 300 mg/day. Studies that have shown these negative effects using dosages of 6 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or bolus doses such as 600 mg at once.

Daily intake of caffeine in the range of 1000 mg and beyond is known as caffeinism, and at these very high intakes the associated symptoms are virtually indistinguishable from severe chronic anxiety. Anyone that suffers from anxiety is recommended to keep their caffeine intake below 300 mg/day, and if especially sensitive to the effects of caffeine, then lower than 100 mg/day is my recommendation.

How Long does it take for Caffeine to Kick In?

Peak plasma levels of caffeine occur 15-45 minutes after ingestion and begin to decrease from there. The plasma half-life of caffeine is 5-6 hours. If 100 mg of caffeine is ingested, as would be found in a cup of coffee, then caffeine blood concentrations will be highest for the first 2 hours and then decrease steadily.

Metabolism of Caffeine

Most of the beneficial effects of caffeine follow a linear dose-response relationship (that is, the more given the bigger the effect) up to about 300 mg. Beyond 300 mg the beneficial effects typically flatline or even begin to decrease again as undesirable symptoms like anxiety and jitteriness may develop.

How Caffeine and Cortisol Interact

Caffeine has an effect on cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that most notably rises and falls everyday as part of the circadian rhythm. In concert with light and temperature, it’s a peak in cortisol blood concentrations that causes someone to wake up in the morning.

When caffeine isn’t used regularly, then caffeine will cause a robust increase in cortisol during morning, afternoon, or evening usage. When consuming caffeine on a daily basis, then morning caffeine usage doesn’t impact cortisol significantly but afternoon caffeine usage will elevate cortisol blood concentrations for up to six hours. Even if caffeine creates an afternoon cortisol increase, cortisol levels will drop to normal levels by nighttime.

Since it is the circadian rhythm and cortisol which plays a large part in the wake and sleep cycles of the body, it is important to be mindful of caffeine usage throughout the day and to limit usage of caffeine to time windows that won’t affect normal sleep, unless that is the desired goal. A good rule of thumb to follow is to not have any caffeine after 2 pm.

Caffeine and Sleep

The fact that caffeine reduces or removes sleepiness means that it can interfere with normal sleep. Caffeine’s interactions with normal sleep at night depend on how much is taken and when. If large amounts of caffeine are consumed shortly before bed, then for most people sleep will be disturbed.

Caffeine in these situations increases sleep latency, which is how long it takes to fall asleep, and caffeine also decreases sleep duration. The latency increasing effect of caffeine occurs in the first half of the night and reduces as caffeine is metabolized. Interestingly, people who use caffeine frequently will report less sleep disturbances than people who are infrequent users. Infrequently using caffeine makes the effects of caffeine more pronounced as less tolerance has developed, as it is with me. I am caffeine sensitive because I rarely enjoy more than 100 mg of caffeine on any given day.

Green tea is a common source of caffeine, though weaker than coffee, and it’s worth pointing out that green tea also contains an amino acid known as L-theanine. L-theanine has been shown to improve sleep quality because it helps stabilize and increase in amplitude 8-12 Hz alpha brainwaves. As the body and mind wind down at night in preparation for sleep, brainwave frequency decreases from predominately 12-30 Hz beta brainwaves to alpha brainwaves and lower. Deep sleep is characterized by strong 0-4 Hz delta brainwaves and REM sleep is characterized by strong 4-8 Hz theta brainwaves.

Green tea is a unique caffeine containing beverage because consumption of green tea in the morning or early afternoon will provide the user the same beneficial effects of caffeine that many get from coffee while simultaneously improving their sleep at night. L-theanine has also been show to reduce anxiety and to help with the jitteriness that caffeine can cause in high doses. It’s for these reasons I don’t drink coffee often and instead prefer green tea, as it’s a better nootropic compound that also improves gut health and metabolism.

Is 200 mg of Caffeine a lot?

For the average person, 200 mg of caffeine in a day, either taken at once or spread out across 2+ usages, is a moderate amount of caffeine. 200 mg of caffeine would equal about 2 cups of coffee or a few cups of tea.

For a sensitive individual, 200 mg of caffeine can be a significant amount that may cause unpleasant side effects such as anxiety and jitteriness. I’m caffeine sensitive myself, especially if I drink coffee on an empty stomach, and I know that if I have more than 100-150 mg of caffeine at once I become shaky, experience symptoms of low blood sugar, and in general feel unwell. One reason I am caffeine sensitive is because I don’t use large amounts of caffeine often. I drink green tea around 4-5 times a week but even with 3 cups of green tea throughout the day I don’t ingest more than ~100 mg of caffeine.

Since caffeine takes 15-90 minutes to reach peak blood concentrations, I recommend only having one caffeine containing beverage at a time and then waiting to see how you feel. I only recommend the usage of foods that naturally contain caffeine like coffee, tea, or yerba matte, and I advise avoiding high-dosage caffeine containing beverages that are full of sugar, artificial flavors and colors, and other chemicals of questionable nature. The research is clear that when consuming caffeine as found naturally in food products such as coffee and tea, it’s rare to experience negative side effects and most people will intuitively control their caffeine intake to maximize the positive benefits.

Caffeine Withdrawal Symptoms

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms are generally the same as those experienced by caffeine sensitive individuals. The main symptom is headache, followed by increases in anxiety and generalized fatigue. Since the adenosine receptors are recalibrating from the removal of caffeine, extra drowsiness and feelings of low energy may be experienced.

Unless a severe caffeine tolerance has developed, caffeine withdrawal is typically fairly mild and lasts a few days at most. If large amounts of caffeine (>3 mg/kg bodyweight per day) have been consumed for months without break, then caffeine withdrawal will be more severe and can be quite difficult. Most people are able to control their caffeine intake to maximize the benefits while limiting the negatives, but for those whose caffeine usage has gotten out of hand, resetting their caffeine tolerance is highly recommended for overall health reasons

How to Reset Caffeine Tolerance

Heavy habitual caffeine usage leads to an insurmountable tolerance in which more caffeine usage no longer leads to any useful effects except for it’s ability to delay sleep. To reset a caffeine tolerance, the two main methods strategies are to reduce caffeine usage slowly over time, or to completely stop caffeine usage over a period of time. Let’s examine each.

Weaning off Caffeine

The first method available for resetting a caffeine tolerance is to slowly reduce caffeine usage over the course of 2-6 weeks. If consuming 600 mg of caffeine daily, then reducing caffeine usage by 100 mg per week until reaching zero would cause little if any withdrawal symptoms. Once no caffeine is being used, staying at zero usage for a few weeks is recommended. Caffeine’s effects on adenosine receptors in the brain are not yet fully understood and it’s likely best to cycle off from caffeine from time to time in order to return to normal baseline brain activity, and this goes for all users.

While weaning off caffeine it’s also useful to narrow the consumption time window. If coffee is normally consumed anywhere from 6 am to 6 pm, narrowing these hours to 8 am to 12 pm will create less of an impact on cortisol and be beneficial for the overall circadian rhythm.

Quitting Caffeine Cold Turkey

The second method for resetting a caffeine tolerance is to stop all usage of caffeine immediately. While quitting caffeine cold turkey is the fastest method in resetting a caffeine tolerance, it’s also the most likely to produce noticeable withdrawal symptoms. Some individuals don’t do well with weaning off things slowly and though the withdrawal effects may be more severe, they may be most successful with a complete halting of all caffeine. If quitting caffeine dead stop, then a tolerance may be gone in as little as one week, though it’s typically best to stop caffeine usage for 2-6 weeks before reintroducing caffeine back into the diet in moderation.

The Importance of Ritual

Drinking coffee or tea every morning creates a daily habit, and the enjoyable ritual of brewing a steaming cup may be one of the reasons why it’s tough to break the habit of using caffeine. In this case, the ritual of brewing a cup of coffee or tea can be used to one’s advantage. If a heavy coffee drinker, brewing green tea doesn’t break the ritual but provides only about 1/3rd of the caffeine that coffee does, while also having the aforementioned heath benefits that go beyond just those of caffeine. Brewing a cup of decaf coffee also works, though it contains <10 mg caffeine per cup. Mixing regular and decaf coffee into a blend is one way to brew coffee of certain caffeine concentrations.

While rare, if dealing with a caffeine tolerance as a tea drinker, switching to a non-caffeinated peppermint tea for example is a great option. Peppermint tea is tasty and fantastic for brightening the mood while improving gut health.

The Coffee Bean Method

Another effective way of weaning off excess caffeine consumption, more specifically from coffee, is to use coffee beans.

Instead of brewing less coffee day by day, quit coffee cold turkey and have a few coffee beans available at all times. If caffeine withdrawal symptoms appear, simply eat a single coffee bean and move on. At the beginning many coffee beans may be eaten, but fairly quickly into the reset they’re only rarely or no longer needed and the caffeine tolerance is gone. To make it extra effective, eat dark chocolate covered coffee beans! The theobromine found in chocolate is similar to caffeine in effect but functions differently metabolically and won’t affect a caffeine tolerance reset.

Want a Better Coffee?

Coffee can be made better with the addition of a few herbals that support cognition and energy metabolism while have general synergistic effects on health and longevity. I call this herbal coffee blend a dark mocha, learn more about how cacao, cinnamon, chaga mushroom, and cistanche will revolutionize your relationship with coffee.

Switch from Coffee to Tea

While coffee has a bunch of wonderful health effects when consumed black and with no sugar, it’s often a vehicle for more sugar, cream, and calories to enter into the body. Coffee can also overstimulate the digestive system to hurry on up, negatively impacting normal gut motility unless constipated (which requires examination in and of itself).

Because of it’s lower caffeine content, green tea is a gentler way to enjoy the benefits of caffeine while reducing the negatives like increased anxiety and jitteriness. Additionally it’s really easy to add other herbs to green tea and create herbal tea blends that can be used for various medicinal effects. In general I recommend you check out the herb section of this website and explore the many uses and health benefits of herbs more!

I purchase my green tea from two places, Mountain Rose Herbs and Pique Tea.

Mountain Rose Herbs has a bunch of different types of green, white, black and other teas, as well as many other herbs which can also be brewed into tea. For green tea simply heat water to 170 F (75C), pour, and let steep for 5-8 minutes.

My favorite way to brew green tea is part of a vitality blend which also includes ginger root, Siberian ginseng, and Reishi mushroom. All the products from Mountain Rose Herbs are organic and are very cost-efficient.

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If convenience is the ultimate goal, then Pique Tea sells tea crystals in small packets which are incredibly easy to use and can be dissolved into hot or cold water. I like their ginger green fasting tea and matcha green fasting tea, available separately or together. Pique Tea has dozens of different teas available in their unique tea crystal packets at different quantities, and even if you primarily brew your tea using using loose ingredients like I do, having some tea crystal packets on hand comes in handy more often than you’d think. Use WILDFREEORGANIC for 5% off at checkout

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I hope you found this guide on caffeine and how to reset a caffeine tolerance useful. Overconsumption of caffeine can lead to undesirable effects and many people who overuse caffeine feel trapped because they don’t want to experience the withdrawal symptoms which can be quite unpleasant. If you know someone who is searching for guidance on how to reset a caffeine tolerance, please share with them this guide, they’ll be glad you did!

References:

1. Smith A. Effects of caffeine on human behavior. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2002;40(9):1243-1255. 10.1016/S0278-6915(02)00096-0

2. Lovallo WR, Whitsett TL, al’Absi M, Sung BH, Vincent AS, Wilson MF. Caffeine stimulation of cortisol secretion across the waking hours in relation to caffeine intake levels. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2005;67(5):734-739. 10.1097/01.psy.0000181270.20036.06

3. Juneja L. L-theanine—a unique amino acid of green tea and its relaxation effect in humans. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 1999;10(6-7):199-204. 10.1016/S0924-2244(99)00044-8

Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.

Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.

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Other Articles on Performance

How to Overcome Fear

Article by Emily Wojcik - Updated November 2021. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!

I have a deep desire for keeping my emotional energy flowing. Fear is one emotion that stops everything dead in its tracks. When I let emotions sit, they (like food) can go undigested and become toxic to the health, wellness, and balance of my whole being.

Take a breath with me

1. Relax your jaw and facial muscles. Let your shoulders down. Surrender any other tension you may be feeling in your body.

2. Breathe into the newly relaxed space within you, gifting yourself with as much expansion as is comforting.

3. Surrender the mind into an effortless concentration as you absorb the following perspective.

This is a safe space for all who read:

There are moments in our lives that trigger us: our hearts sink into our guts (and our butts) when we learn about something that terrifies us or we find ourselves in a precarious situation.

The world stops for an eternal moment.

• Our emotions flare.

• Our physical bodies show tangible signs of disruption.

• Our minds race around in circles to find anything to hang on to-- any semblance of familiarity, comfort, justification or reasoning.

How do we manage ourselves when we are experiencing all of this?

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The Physiology of Fear

The autonomic nervous system (the part of the body that functions without conscious thought) is the aspect that responds to fear first. It sets off a series of chemical reactions throughout many parts of the brain and into the rest of the body.

Blood vessels constrict, heart rate and breathing increases, muscles contract, sweat beads.  

We may even feel our body wants to extricate the food we were in the middle of digesting. *cue reminiscent love for the previous meal </3

Since we are faced with varying degrees of stimuli, our bodies will have varying responses. Our subconscious beliefs, programming, and conditioning come to the surface. This can be what our bodies remember from previous experiences and/or how our parents and ancestors responded to fear.

Do you know how your body responds to fear?

You may be thinking: Emily, why would I want to know that? I don’t want to feel any fear ever.

It’s not the slightest bit fun. In fact, feeling fear in my body scares me just as much (if not more) than the trigger itself.

I have to agree… it’s not in my Pleasant Experiences Category either. But I am capable of feeling fear ripple through my mind, body, and emotions and that makes it a wonderfully viable aspect of me to observe and artfully master.

Okay, Emily, fabulous… how do we go about that? Below is the approach I take.

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Four Steps to Overcoming Fear

1. Tune into the Breath

There is extraordinary power in Presence. We can absolutely get wrapped up in and overwhelmed by the physical body’s response—that is ultimately what makes emotions such a real experience: the physical body responds to a cascade of chemical reactions and produces new sensations. Those sensations can absolutely be alarming and don’t necessarily make it easier to consciously process the situation.

By breathing deeply and slowly, you welcome your full focus to witness how the inhales and exhales feel. Pulling your awareness into the present moment allows busyness to subside, anxiety and worry to disappear. Physiologically, slow deep breathes share oxygen with every cell and slow the heart rate. You’re giving yourself permission to become centered, grounded, and rational when surrendering into that state.

2.  Drop into the body

Imagine your awareness dropping like a rock in a pond into the root of your pelvis. You can begin to breathe in more deeply into the body; really feeling your vessel. Fear challenges everything that we know about ourselves. It’s an extremely intimate experience. It is empowering beyond measure to witness and BE with yourself during your most vulnerable moments.

3. Drop any inner resistance by relaxing the mind

When we hit a limit of how much we think we can handle; we unconsciously tense our bodies. Here is a challenge to change behavior: allow stimuli, information, and emotions to flow through you without resistance. You step into your Higher Seat of Consciousness when you make the choice to observe yourself and experiences.  I learned about equanimity and neutrality when I sat in Vipassana for 10 days. I’ve personally found this to be highly beneficial for a deeper and more thorough understanding of myself and the situation at hand.

4. As it is safe to do so, sit with it

Light a yummy smelling candle, dim the lights, get a soft blanket—soothe your senses as a way to be gentle and kind to yourself. Mastering the fear response is not an easy human lesson. Remember how deeply you love yourself, and make this part as sensationally delicious as possible to ease your way. Hold safe space for your Self to feel every suppressed thought and physical sensation that has been building up pressure, friction, and conflict within you. You can gift yourself with this intentional space to feel and process emotions that are held in your field and your physical body.  Being purposeful with this process can hold the subconscious “Things to Process” door wide open. This is both an effective and efficient way to process and integrate emotional pain: going all in and feeling it fully.

This four step practice is definitely character building. The emotions don’t decrease in intensity, but we can choose to be empowered to respond in new ways to our lived experiences. Once I was able to embrace the courage I needed to develop a deep sense of Trust with myself, I was able to grant myself full permission to process emotions in a satisfying and effortless flow.

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The Connection between Fear and Gut Health

Fear is such a powerful emotion that it interacts significantly with the physical body. One place that fear has the greatest impact is the digestive system. Depending on how strongly and how long fear is experienced, it can affect gut motility (the time it takes food to transit through the digestive system), the level at which food is digested, and how at ease you feel throughout digestion. Since being in a fearful state can degrade gut health, having poor digestion will leave you more vulnerable to experiencing fear. Prioritizing gut health with the FoodFast method while at the same time utilizing the meditation practice above will allow you to overcome fear triggers and responses that previously may have been crippling.

Overall, this is an amazing way to level up your your relationship with yourself and deepen into a successful gut health journey.

I love you

Be well,

Emily