Cognitive deficits

Memory loss, brain fog, and forgetfulness all fall under the umbrella of cognitive impairment, and these symptoms can seriously freak you out the first time they happen! Bacteria and biotoxins, like those from Lyme and mold illness, are often the root cause, but almost anything that affects your health can affect your brain's ability to process info. Your risk of developing these symptoms also increases as you get older (in fact, some increased forgetfulness is almost inevitable as you age, and it’s totally normal). But if you begin forgetting things more often, miss appointments, feel overwhelmed by planning and decision-making, or find it harder to follow conversations, talk to a practitioner you trust and try to find the root cause. In the meantime, there are many natural approaches that can help. You already know you should be eating well, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, avoiding recreational drugs and alcohol, and reducing stress—that’s basically your 5-point starter plan for general self-care. In addition, you can make sure your gut is in the best shape possible by getting plenty of probiotics in food and supplement form (kombucha on tap, anyone?). Some people also turn to holistic binders, like activated charcoal, Bentonite clay, and chlorella. Certain IV protocols, like phosphatidylcholine, alpha-lipoic acid, and glutathione, are also geared towards treating cognitive deficits, and their antioxidant effects may help reduce brain fog and all its friends.