The Glymphatic System Part 2
In my last post, we learned that our brain detoxes. Pretty cool, right?
Your brain detoxes through its own drainage pathway called the glymphatic system. The term “glymphatic” was coined by a Danish neuroscientist, Maiken Nedergaard, who discovered the system. The name, glymphatic system, is a reference to the glial cells, which are vital to this waste clearance system.
The central nervous system (CNS), is comprised of the brain and the spinal cord. The CNS is highly active and metabolic waste can build up quickly. The CNS is sensitive to fluctuations in its environment, so the body needs to remove cellular garbage—that’s where the glymphatic system comes into play. The glymphatic system is the brain’s designated waste clearance system. It’s literally the way your brain takes the trash out.
Despite being just as numerous, glial cells are relatively unknown compared to neurons. We now know that glial cells play a role in the immune system, as well as insulate, nourish, and protect neurons. The glymphatic system runs parallel to the arteries and harnesses the energy of the pulsing blood to keep things moving. The glymphatic system connects with the lymphatic system.
Put simply:
Throughout the day, your brain is constantly using energy and in turn, creates toxins and waste as by-products.
The brain removes these toxins via a network of vessels that gathers and clears toxins and waste from the CNS. Remember how I said the glymphatic system is connected to the lymphatic system? The toxins and waste are transported to the lymphatic system for removal.
If you have sluggish lymph and this drainage pathway is blocked, toxins are unable to be removed from your body. These toxins built up around your brain cells and your brain’s command center becomes compromised. This is brain inflammation (read more here) and it impacts our ability to think, breathing, the function of many organs within the body, our hearing, our memory, and our speech. Over time, this leads to advanced neurological dysfunction and ultimately to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and stroke.
How do you know if your glymphatic system is sluggish? Here’s a few signs to be on the lookout for:
Anxiety
Brain fog
Depression
Difficulty making decisions
Feeling overwhelmed
Insomnia + sleep disturbances
Poor concentration
Remember, this is not medical advice. This is meant for education purposes only.