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Clearing Up Brain Fog

By Chris Brown

If you've ever felt a bit numb in the head, without your ability to recall information or focus on any one topic for long, you may have experienced a phenomenon known as brain fog. Brain fog, or the symptom of reduced mental clarity and memory, can be caused by factors ranging from nutrition to anxiety to bodily dysfunctions. For those whose cause is outside of a specific physical condition (such as an overactive thyroid), there are three major elements of your life to attack in the battle to clear your mind.

Vitamins and Nutrients


Whether as a primary cause or secondary effect of brain fog, low chemical levels play a role in brain fog's cognitive impairments. Targeted supplementation can help guide you out of the fog long enough for your brain to recover from other causal contributors. Depending upon the supplement and your own natural chemical state, continual supplementation may be needed to keep brain fog at bay long-term.

Some supplements that may be beneficial for clearing brain fog are:

  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin C
  • Fish oil and omega-3
  • Vitamin B-12
  • Ginkgo biloba
  • Choline
  • L-Theanine
  • Phosphatidylserine
  • Gamma oryzanol

Strengthen Your Parasympathetic System 

In short bursts, stress (the result of an active sympathetic nervous system) temporarily heightens cognitive function. However, when stress persists for long periods, it is a key contributor to brain fog. Quelling your sympathetic nervous response is key in these cases and can be accomplished by boosting the opposite state: the parasympathetic system.

Support you parasympathetic system with the below life changes:

  • Mindfulness exercises - From meditation to breath exercises to simply refocusing your attention upon your surroundings, mindfulness can be one of the most powerful changes one can make to clear the fog
  • Cold showers - Although uncomfortable, cold showers are a proven method of instantly pulling the body into a parasympathetic state
  • Positive attitude - Even when you are feeling sad, thinking optimistically can help you avoid entering a pit of increased anxiety that worsens brain fog

Eliminate Stressors

Daily life contains a number of unavoidable stressors, from financial problems to interpersonal frictions. Reducing the avoidable, environmental stressors can help save your anxiety for the problems deserving your attention and prevent an overload to your central nervous system.

Bodily stressors that can be easily eliminated are:

  • Electronic screen time - Screen viewing is inevitable to some degree; however science has found that reducing screen time provides an corresponding boost in mood
  • Too much time indoors - The human body is designed to operate optimally when exposed to the elements of nature, so maintaining a balance between your time spent indoors versus outdoors can make a world of difference with your brain fog
  • Alcohol - Alcohol stresses the body's systems, causing it to divert resources necessary for recovery in order to neutralize alcohol's poisons
  • Certain medications - If you noticed the fogginess arose following a change in medication type or dosage, discuss a medication change with your doctors

Brain fog can be frustrating and seemingly endless. Oftentimes, moments of brain fog arise when you ironically need your brain the most. For example, during high-stress periods of life difficulty. Taking the above steps to eliminate your fog, and having patience with the process, should eventually bring back your normal, smart, memory-recalling self.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic Harlingen, Tex.

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