Nervous system health

The human brain is an incredibly complex information processing system. Our brain controls our muscles, our movements, our actions. The brain controls our moods, hormones produced in the brain make us feel happy or sad, similar hormones are responsible for passion, excitement or even depression and lethargy. Our brain controls our sleep patterns and therefore our dreams. The complex connections between nerve cells (synapses) act as a library - storing information in our memory. The ability to concentrate also requires certain brain hormones and connections between neurons. 

The brain works through nerve cells (neurons). Communication between two neurons is done by hormones (called neurotransmitters) that cause an electrical current to pass from one neuron to another. In this respect, our brain works in a similar way to a computer. Let's take the example of vision: light enters our eyes and is detected by so-called photoreceptors. Depending on what kind (colour and brightness) a very tiny (mV) electric current is generated, which travels along the optic nerve and up to the brain. In the brain, the signal from thousands of light-sensing receptors all at once is then used to build up a snapshot in our minds.

The health of our nervous system is therefore essential to our overall well-being. A damaged nervous system (brain) can have many consequences. Depending on the area affected:

• Sleep problems - insomnia
• Learning difficulties
• Attention deficit (ADHD in children)
• Headaches, migraines
• Depression or bipolar disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Epilepsy
• Alzheimer's disease
• Parkinson's disease
• Myasthenia gravis
• Etc.

Unfortunately, our brains are also exposed to the dangers of oxidative stress (reactive free radicals), which have damaging effects on nerve cells and are the basis of many diseases affecting the nervous system. Antioxidants and herbs can therefore protect the brain from damage and stimulate brain cell recovery.

Overproduction or very low levels of a particular brain hormone can be detected in many diseases. However, there are many supplements available that can help to restore this balance.