Should we be heading for the Himalayas ?
 

Breathing thin air could reverse brain damage, study finds

Breathing thin air could reverse brain damage, study finds

But, we need to keep in mind that the damage studies is a DNA defect in the mitochondria.

But, it makes you wonder.

A new form of HBOT. Not Hyper Baric Oxygen Therapy but Hypo Baric Oxygen Therapy.

Do not try this at home.

Hi Mark, I'm new to Neuro Talk but from reading many of the threads, you seem to be one of the more knowledgable people on PCS. Given that, what is your opinion on HBOT

HBOT is a hit and miss treatment. There are no consistent results. Plus, it takes 40 to 60 treatments to see if it helps. That can be a $4000 to $10,000 gamble. Dr Harch's clinic has been studying it. It is proven to increase capillary growth but it has not been shown that capillary growth improved brain healing.

If you are struggling with PCS, feel free to start a thread and tell us about your injury.

Definitely going to within the next few days, thanks for the response. Seems too impractical as a solution.

Dave Asprey talks about breathing in low oxygen air in his new book Head Strong. It is supposedly very helpful.

Also mentioned is the Wim Hof breathing method, which is supposed to saturate your body with oxygen and increase PH levels.

Wim Hof exercises - Wim Hof, The Iceman - Innerfire

I tried the WH breathing. It can be dangerous, so a person has to be smart where and when they do it.

Unfortunately, Dave Asprey makes me doubt his ideas because some are simply wrong. His misuse of ketogenic concepts for profit leaves me doubtful.
He takes snippets of truth out of context and uses them to sell his ideas.

I'm not a fan of his constant sales pitches, but I do like some of his ideas.

Which ideas of his are wrong?

As far as ketosis goes, it sounds like he promotes exogenous ketone sources (he sells Brain Octane and XCT oil), in addition to having glucose as a source of fuel. I found a product that has the C8 and C10 MCT's on Amazon for much cheaper and works well.

Amazon.com: Premium Coconut MCT Oil, Huge 32 Oz. Easier To Absorb and Digest. Triple Filtered. Independent Quality Testing for every batch. Made in USA.: Health & Personal Care

The brain needs glucose for sure, but the damaged brain (from my research) doesn't process glucose well, at least not immediately post-trauma. It comes down to each individual, but it sounds like the brain "prefers" ketones.

Additionally, I've read that the metabolism of the injured brain doubles post-injury. If the brain isn't getting fuel, neurons die.

Humans haven't had a constant source of food until the last few hundred-thousand years. We're adapted to burn fat. Even if a ketogenic diet doesn't work for some people, more research and anecdotal evidence is pointing towards the importance of good fats in a diet.

All fats are a good source of brain food but Asprey claims that one can enter into a state of ketosis from just an overnight of not eating then eating some MCT's. Ketosis requires a true complete fast, not just carbs. The brain is the top priority for energy. If the injured brain needs more energy, it will just take it away from all of the other body systems. MCT's take hours to get through the ketosis cycle, not just a few minutes like he claims. "I drink his Bullet Proof coffee and feel an instant surge of mental energy" is due to the caffeine, not the MCT's. Add some placebo effect and he gets lots of great testimonials.

Consuming MCT's helps build the reserves in the liver but the liver has to wait for a call to release them. It goes not release ketones until all of the glycogen has been released from the liver and used up and there is inadequate adipose fat in the body to metabolize.

I forget all the details about MCT's. I researched them against Asprey's claims long ago. He's no different than Peter Fife. He takes a little bit of truth and builds a mountain of marketing hype from it.

But, the placebo effect can create a strong benefit. Studies show the placebo effect can be quite strong, especially when there is strong belief in a substance consumed or a treatment received. 60% placebo effect is not uncommon. It can out perform real drugs in some cases. Higher prices substances tend to cause a stronger placebo effect.

Interesting.

Do you have any thoughts on the ketogenic diet? I know it doesn't work for everyone, but I think it's worth giving a shot at least once to see.

It does not work for anybody except those with glucose metabolism deficiency, usually exhibited by seizures. There is no 'little bit glucose metabolism deficiency.'

The only way to tell if it will help you is to do it totally for at least 7 days. It can take 7 days for the body to exhaust stored glycogen and trigger ketosis. You will develop an acetone like breath. Keto-acidosis is a risk.

But, I can all but guarantee you that it will not help. Otherwise, you would be manifesting serious symptoms, seizure, motor control, psychosis, etc.