‘Neuro-protection: Addressing Neuroinflammation and Neurotoxicity with Neuroimmune Support’ sponsored by Rio Health

To download a PDF of the presentation, click here.

Questions & Answers from Rose Holmes, Nutritionist, BSc, Dip.ION, PGCE, MBANT Rio Health, Education and Training Manager

• What is the legal position as to recommending CBD oils to clients if not a nutritionist?

CBD oils like the one Rio Health sell in the Best Choice range are entirely legal since they are under the limits set for THC. The Best Choice CBD oil has less than 0.05% THC and will not give a ‘high’. Qualified Nutritional Therapists can recommend CBD oils to clients if, in their professional judgement, this might benefit. 

With regards to other health practitioners, individuals should contact their professional bodies to determine ethical and legal stance for recommending supplements of any type.

•  Do you have a basic protocol for MS please?

As mentioned in the presentation, the aim must always be neuroprotection, via addressing neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation, and supporting neuroimmunity. All protocols discussed in the presentation may potentially benefit for clients with MS. 

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune condition and involves damage to myelin. Since viruses, moulds and toxins may be involved, support for detoxification processes (Green Magma, Burbur-Pinella, etc) and immune health should be investigated and supported. Rio Health and I presented webinars (in conjunction with IHCAN/Target) on viral (6th March 2018) and fungi/mould infections (16th October 2018) which might give further insight on support for these types of microbial infection. The contribution of stress, particularly emotional stress should be considered. A product like NutraMedix EZOV as well as CBD oil may benefit in this respect. 

Vitamin D status should be determined, and support given for this very important vitamin/pro-hormone. 

Other specific considerations may include digestive enzymes, serrapeptase, quercetin, L-cysteine, vitamin B12 (which helps with nerve formation) and carotenoids (e.g. astaxanthin), CBD/cannabis, curcumin and EGCG/green tea (Matcha). Samento may benefit and is immunomodulatory rather than immunostimulatory.

• Which form of Vitamin C did you say is best for crossing the BBB and which vitamins best support Vitamin C crossing the BBB?

Vitamin C is very important for brain health and there are higher concentrations of vitamin C in the brain than in the blood. In both the brain and blood, vitamin C is present primarily as ascorbic acid. Whilst ascorbic acid doesn’t appear to cross the blood-brain barrier, its oxidised form, dehydroascorbic acid, readily enters the brain and is retained in the tissue as ascorbic acid. 

The GLUT1 transporter (which is responsible for aiding glucose entry into the brain) also transports dehydroascorbic acid into the brain.

High levels of ascorbic acid in the brain may help protect against oxidative damage and confer neuroprotection.

Vitamin C is thought to work best in combination with other vitamins and nutrients. Bioflavonoids may be particularly synergistic. Using a wholefood source of vitamin C, such as the fruit Camu-Camu can provide these nutrients naturally in conjunction with the vitamin C.  Ensuring adequate intake of all vitamins must always be the aim.

• What is it about exercise that is neuroprotective?  Lymphatic clearance, improved blood flow?

Mild intensity exercise can have a significant effect on Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), memory strength and learning ability.   High intensity exercise also may boost BDNF levels and memory. 

BDNF is one of the most active neurotrophins and can help stimulate and control neurogenesis. BDNF is particularly active in parts of the brain vital to memory, learning and higher thinking.  It also has a role in neuroplasticity so may aid re injury to brain tissue or altered environment.

In addition to exercise, other lifestyle factors involved in stimulating BDNF and thus neuroprotection, include: sleep, stress reduction, and intermittent fasting.

Exercise may also benefit, of course, by lymphatic clearance, improved blood flow, production of endorphins…….

• How much of curcumin/ginger/green tea a day to influence /reduce inflammation in the brain?

A number of natural substances are mentioned in the studies referred to in the presentation, although dosages were not given.

Regarding EGCG benefit conferred by green teas, in particular by Matcha tea, Singh et al, 2016 (Nutrition Journal 15:60) discuss various studies re green tea polyphenols. Three or more cups per day was reported to reduce risk of Parkinson’s disease, and ‘with ingestion of 5 cups of tea in a day, the green tea polyphenol concentration in the plasma increased by 12 fold, which is enough to exert antioxidant activity against oxidative damage’ (refs given in Singh et al).

Regarding curcumin, a 2016 study with rats (Attari et al, 2016, Arch Neurosci 3(2):e32600) found that the neuroprotective effects of curcumin are dose and area dependent. It seems that, assuming human brains respond as for rats, control over dosage is possible, though control over area of the brain impacted is not. I suggest that high dose curcumin is best option. Choosing a curcumin product (like a micellised curcumin, epigenar Curcumin Forte) that is both fat soluble and water soluble, as well as highly bioavailable and high-strength makes sense.

• Does this study indicate that supplemental melatonin aids in slowing neurodegeneration?

There are many studies that discuss the importance of melatonin, its role in the body as one of the most important antioxidants and its particular ability to protect the nerves and the brain. 

Melatonin supplements are not available in the UK although I believe they can be prescribed by GPs. They are readily available in other countries, however. 

Humans produce melatonin when they sleep in the dark. Most of us, however, are impacted by the ubiquitous presence of light at night and so do not sleep long enough, often sleeping in daylight hours (unless rising with the sun) as well as hours of darkness, but also, often with artificial light sources impacting the body’s ability to produce its much-needed melatonin.  Please see the slide on Good Sleep Hygiene for suggestions to improve quality of sleep and thus, potentially, production of melatonin.

• Are there any resources available that list supplements/conditions for all the products that Rio Health sells?

Rio Health do have some leaflets on product ranges but not one catalogue that covers all products.  A 2015 version of our Practitioner Manual is posted on our Practitioner-Dedicated website (as Product Datasheets, with more in-depth descriptions, active constituents, uses, and references) and can be accessed by fully qualified Nutritional Therapists, Herbalists, Naturopaths, Chiropractors, Osteopaths and GPs once registered.  Basic information for all products is also viewable via our consumer website.

Fully qualified nutrition practitioners registering with Rio Health may receive in their Welcome Pack the 2015 digital version of this same Practitioner Manual on USB (whilst stocks last). The Manual had a section on protocols with products listed. This is not posted on the website, although an updated version will likely be created and posted in the future. In the meantime, if you have one of the Rio Health USB sticks or are lucky enough to receive one on registering with us, you will find the protocols information in the early pages of the first PDF document listed on the USB. 

Products and potential protocols are discussed in every webinar. Past webinars in the series ‘Natural Therapies with Rio Health’ include, in addition to Christine Bailey’s ‘Blood Brain Barrier Support’ webinar in June 2017, the following presentations by Rose Holmes:

• Broad-Spectrum Microbial Defence Using Amazonian Botanicals (April 2017)
• Implications of Mouth and Dental Health Including Biofilms and Dental Amalgams on Chronic Disease (August 2017)
• Parasite Problems, Protocol and Prevention (December 2017)
• Viruses and Viral Infections (March 2018)
• Bacteria and bacterial infections (July 2018)
• Fungal Infections (including Moulds) (October 2018)
• Skin Health: Why We All Need ‘Skin Superfoods’ (December 2018)
• Botanical Support for Lyme Disease and Co-infections (March 2019)

Some of these webinars are available to registered fully qualified nutrition practitioners via the Rio Health Practitioners website. More are planned to be posted soon. Protocol possibilities are better understood in conjunction with their mechanisms of action and the pathology of the health condition, and I recommend accessing (or re-visiting) the webinar PDFs as resources in this way. (Great Tip: I save all webinars, PowerPoint presentations and useful PDFs onto a USB stick I call my ‘Nutrition Encyclopaedia’.)

Students and other practitioners are also invited to register with Rio Health and are eligible to obtain full practitioner discount. These practitioners are sent available leaflets in their Welcome Pack on registration. Resources for students and associated practitioners will soon be posted online on the Practitioner-Dedicated website although no date has been set yet for this.

Registration is available at www.riohealthpractitioners.co.uk and involves completion of contact details, upload of qualifications, creation of a password and choosing of your free Welcome Gift. 

I warmly invite all practitioners and students to register and join our family of practitioners.