We have listed the allies of the brain. Let us now turn our attention to its enemies, all of which either are, cause, or become oxidants in the brain and body (please note that all these destructive elements wreak havoc on the highway and chaos at home, jeopardizing, impairing and devastating many thousands of lives every year).
ALCOHOL: Alcohol destroys brain cells, impairing cognition and memory. It sabotages the necessary 80 percent hydration of the brain by reducing its supply of essential water, obstructing the capacity and functioning of the cells of the brain (neurons). It also erodes and disintegrates the fatty acids that create and maintain the anatomical structure of the brain. During this destruction, alcohol also blocks the conversion of fats into DHA and prostaglandins, causing severely impaired mental functioning. Every alcoholic beverage disturbs, limits and destroys brain func¬tion and cognition.
TOBACCO: The catastrophically destructive effects of tobacco have been scientifically acknowledged for many years. Tobacco is unique among life's enemies because it is the most virulent airborne pollutant, poisoning not only its user but also those who are unfortunate enough to be nearby. The tobacco infestation caused by severely toxic second-hand smoke not only permanently harms but also kills hundreds of millions of people per year in North America alone.
SMOKE — not only from cigarettes, but also from cigars, pipes, and marijuana (which we discuss in the next citation) — kills red blood cells, creating the free radicals that cause us to age prematurely. This vile despoiler of our air also reduces the level of oxygen in the bloodstream, crippling the immune system and ultimately causing every ailment from cancer to stroke to heart disease.
The noxious nicotine that is an ingredient in all tobacco products poisons the bloodstream, permanently impairing organ function, significantly reducing normal circulation, and dramatically inhibiting both sexual desire and sexual functioning.
A study conducted at North Carolina's prestigious Duke University revealed that the human body takes 17 smoke-free years before it can purge itself of the chronic effects of cigarette smoke. If you smoke, stop. Better yet? Never start.
If you have been — or still are — a chronic smoker, quit. In such circumstances, heed the advice of Dr. Thierry Souccar, a member of the Biology Society of Paris, who counsels people to have complete daily supplementation of whole-food vitamins C and E combined in order to avoid future vascular disease.
"RECREATIONAL" DRUGS: Among the many types of mind-altering and body-chemistry-altering drugs that are included under the misnomer of "recreational drugs" are marijuana, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine (including crack), opiates including heroin and opium, LSD and mescaline. Let's discuss each individually:
MARIJUANA: Despite the disclaimers by those who promote the medical use of marijuana, reputable studies have shown that smoking it produces three times greater susceptibility to contracting cancer than cigarettes. Smoking it also impairs response function, inhibits cognition, and destroys neurons.
AMPHETAMINES: These extremely dangerous man-made drugs alter the chemistry of both brain and body by artificially arousing and exhausting their ability to function. These fabricated addictive stimulants are often the cause of sleep deprivation, cardiovascular disorders, ventricle erosion, memory loss, sexual impairment and death.
BARBITURATES: These depressants numb brain function, causing lethargy, incoherence, speech impairment and decrease of mental functioning (destroying memory, distorting thought, and depriving the brain of its necessary oxygen). The narcotic effects of these drugs are often permanent, leading to respiratory problems, renal disorders, and the eradication of sexual desire and sexual potency. Clearly, "recreational drugs" are falsely named and truly dangerous.
COCAINE/CRACK: These singularly addictive killers alter brain chemistry and create a false sense of self that leads to erratic, dangerous, self-destructive behavior. They permanently alter the development of blood cells, distort the structure of bones and tissues, and attack cardiovascular functioning. Again, please note that although all of these "recre¬ational" poisons are addictive, cocaine and crack are exceptionally so. So is heroin, about which we shall speak in the next listing.
Opiates (heroin, opium): Opiates — among which the most exten-sively used and dangerous is heroin — deaden the senses and destroy both mental and physical functions. Chronic use of these extremely addictive toxins renders the user unfit both for normal social interaction and even minimal self-maintenance. The incessant ingestion of heroin causes the following permanent catastrophic effects: It impairs thought and creativ¬ity, destroys gastrointestinal function, sabotages both sexual desire and sexual performance, and alters vision and speech.
LSD AND MESCALINE: These hallucinogens are both natural and manmade; in either version, however, they not only distort perception but encourage paranoia, often rendering the user vulnerable and defenseless. Their use and abuse can cause permanent mental debilitation, psychiatric disorder, perpetual suspicion and a lack of self-confidence and coherent appreciation of reality.
TOXIC POLLUTANTS: The fumes generated by airborne pollutants such as tobacco smoke and chemical vapors (including everything from paint to perfume) also destroy brain cells, impairing mental function. These oxidants destroy the essential fats that create and sustain the structure of the brain by literally making them rancid and useless. This destructive process is often accompanied by fermentation that causes all types of headaches, including excruciating migraines. The vilest of oxidants is the smoke of tobacco and marijuana spewed from cigarettes, cigars and pipes; it harms everyone whom it assaults, whether first-hand or second-hand. Scientific estimates indicate that a single puff of any of these substances contains as many as one trillion — that's 1,000,000,000,000 — oxidants. This smoke also contains and emanates the heavy metal cadmium, which causes gradual depletion of the necessary zinc content of the brain. As we have noted, an insufficiency of zinc in the brain causes confusion, mind fog, loss of appetite, depression, limited concentration and lack of motivation.
HYDROGENATED FATS AND FRIED "FOODS": Most culpable among frequently consumed oxidants are the destructive so-called conventional "foods" ingested by billions of people. The molecular structure of these disease-causing enemies of brain, life and longevity is violated by the processing and heating of their oils. When they are processed and/or heated, they become indigestible and accumulate along arterial walls, within organs, and throughout the anatomy, causing diminished blood circulation, including its most essential component — oxygen.
As we have discussed, the most important fuel for the brain is glucose, which is a combination of H20 and CO2. Another critical element of brain health is the oxygen independent of these combinations. Without a constant adequate supply of oxygen, the brain deteriorates to a point at which it eventually ceases to function, causing death.
STRESS: Stress causes distress. While the first two enemies of the brain are external chemical substances, stress is the internal saboteur that impairs brain function and restricts thought and mental potential. Under any kind of stress, levels of the hormone cortisol — one of the foremost antagonists of the brain's structure and functioning — increase. Research conducted at Stanford University by Dr. Robert Sapolsky has revealed that a mere two weeks of intense stress increases cortisol levels to the extent that they destroy dendrites, the connecting elements between brain cells. Although the dendrites are reinvigorated when cortisol levels decline, their functioning is impaired while stress is impinging upon them.
Of the various factors that cause premature aging, stress is the most virulent and prevalent. Our modern technological age oppresses us with the destructive, incessant, excessive stress that it imposes upon us at every chronological age. Researchers at La Sapienza University in Rome have discovered that the brains of the people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease have much higher levels of cortisol than the brains of those who are not thus impaired. In addition, the higher the cortisol level, the more pronounced the level of Alzheimer's disease.
