Mental Health Template – Best Brain Supplements and Foods

We are in unprecedented times of stress and anxiety. Stress, grief, and trauma create inflammation. Neurotoxicity (inflammation in the brain) is correlated with depression and anxiety. Omega 3s, CBD, and vitamin D3+K2 reduce inflammation, individually and synergistically together.

These 4 actions may save your family's mental health:

1. Get your vitamin D tested today! Anxiety, panic attacks and depression may be precipitated by vitamin D deficiency. Most Americans are vitamin D deficient. (Taking 5000 IU per day does not move the dial!). Get tested (online or naturopath). Green Alley’s vitamin D3+K2 is a 10,000 IU pill. It is very important to have vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 together in one pill. Taking 20,000 IU/day will still take months to move from 40 up to 80ng/mL. A good brain/heart/bone goal for vitamin D is 100ng/mL (i.e. your vitamin D blood test should register 100ng/mL). Order here: https://greenalleywellness.com/shop#!/D-Evail-tm- 10K/p/373044572/category=114130018

2. Start taking more omega 3s, specifically DHA & EPA. At least 2,000mg of DHA+EPA combined per day. Because we have so many chemicals in our food (including Omega 6's) we cannot absorb enough Omega 3's from our food sources, so supplements are essential! Capsules, liquids & smoothies are available. Omega 3's make up 60% of your brain matter; line all your nerves and even prevent blood clots, heart attack & stroke. Every one of our billions of cells use a fatty bi-layer to keep out viruses and pathogens. Good fats (Omega 3's) are crucial to this bi-layer. Excellent food sources include anchovies, salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, avocadoes, chia seeds, nuts, and eggs; but unless you are eating 3 anchovies per day- you need to supplement with (stable!) fish oil, krill oil or borage oil (vegetarian). Order here: https://greenalleywellness.com/shop#!/OmegaAvail/p/439503533/category=114130018

3. Get your gut tested for bacterial content. Find out which foods are creating the most inflammation. Inflammation in the gut transfers to the brain via the vagus nerve. Our gut is our second brain. If we have digestion issues, we are more susceptible to brain issues (and vice versa). Viome.com has a home test kit that takes blood and stool samples and gives you a list of superfoods and “don’t eat” foods, so you can reduce inflammation and begin to heal. Order here: viomehq.sjv.io/217JBg

4. Start a CBD regimen. Studies have repeatedly shown that taking CBD twice a day reduces inflammation, calms the Nervous System, and supports our Immune System. The brain and the Immune System house most of our CBD receptors; there are more endocannabinoid receptors in the brain, than all the other brain receptors combined. When we take in CBD, we jumpstart the ECS (Endocannabinoid System). The ECS works on an hourly basis to make you feel calmer, more focused and gives you more energy. CBD has been shown to increase cognitive function, reduce stress & inflammation (brain inflammation is “neurotoxicity”), and to reduce reactivity.

Best Brain Supplements and Foods (Most available @ https://greenalleywellness.com/shop#!/Supplements/c/114130018)

• AmphoraNueva.com Extra Virgin Olive Oil (ask for highest polyphenol count EVOO)

• Organic MCT Oil (readily available ketones that the brain uses for energy)

• Omega 3 Fatty Acids (specifically DHA & EPA): 2,000-5,000mg/day

• Krill, cod liver oil, borage oil

• CBG/CBD Tincture (GreenAlleyCBD.com) CBG is the best brain cannabinoid

• Liquid Vitamin B Complex and Vitamin B1 (Benfotiamine); Vitamin D3+K2; Magnesium

• Wild caught salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, mackerel, avocado, pasture-raised eggs, walnut/pecan/pistachio/Brazil/macadamia nuts, chia/hemp/ground flax seeds, nutritional yeast(unfortified)

• Water and Electrolytes - coconut water, mineral/spring water, watermelon, pink Himalayan salt

• Zinc - shellfish, dark chocolate (>70% cacao), eggs, pumpkin seeds, lentils)

Why CBD Works and Why It Supports Anxiety, Brain Function, PTSD and Panic Attacks:

The body already produces a CBD-like molecule, (2-AG) through the Endocannabinoid System. It is used on an hourly basis to regulate and modulate many functions including pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression, metabolism, blood sugar, detoxification and much more. The Endocannabinoid System oversees every other system in the body - it is the master balancing system, and 2-AG (and plant CBD) feed this system. CBD (and 2-

AG) work the same way to detoxify our brain cells and reduce the over-firing of the neurons in the brain. This over-firing is responsible for anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD.

Additionally, in the case of injury, a tincture (sublingual oil) will immediately reduce the inflammation and start a cascade of anti-inflammatory cytokine activity to keep the inflammation down, thereby decreasing nerve and tissue damage (as happens in stroke, concussion, and heart attack). CBD is the ONLY compound that jumpstarts the Endocannabinoid System. This system reduces inflammation in the brain, stops the neurons in the deep brain from over-firing, detoxes our cells, regulates our autonomic nervous system and a million more functions - all on a minute-by-minute basis. Our body does not store CBD (or our own CBD called 2-AG), therefore we cannot overdose, but because CBD is not stored, we also usually need to take it twice a day.

Green Alley is solidly based in science and education. We have scoured the world, literally, for the safest and most efficacious organic, cold-processed CBD hemp products. We also offer Sleep Support, Brain Support, and Immune Support CBD tinctures that are grown in Marin County, CA.

CBD Product Formulations: Any way one can ingest CBD is good. Tinctures (CBD oil that is absorbed under the tongue) are most efficient and work within minutes. Capsules and gummies need to be digested; therefore, onset is 45 minutes or more. A CBD Spray can be inhaled through the nose and works quickly for sinus congestion and for uplifting one’s mood. CBD Topicals are effective on local pain, but little gets into the bloodstream, affecting the Endocannabinoid System which uses CBD.

First 5 PubMed results with CBD Neurological (457 papers):

Current application of cannabidiol (CBD) in the management and treatment of neurological disorders. Neurol Sci. 2020 Nov;41(11):3085-3098. doi: 10.1007/s10072-020-04514-2. Epub 2020 Jun 16.

Abstract

Cannabidiol (CBD), which is nonintoxicating pharmacologically relevant constituents of Cannabis, demonstrates several beneficial effects. It has been found to have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. As the medicinal use of CBD is gaining popularity for treatment of various disorders, the recent flare-up of largely unproven and unregulated cannabis-based preparations on medical therapeutics may have its greatest impact in the field of neurology. Currently, as lot of clinical trials are underway, CBD demonstrates remarkable potential to become a supplemental therapy in various neurological conditions. It has shown promise in the treatment of neurological disorders such as anxiety, chronic pain, trigeminal neuralgia, epilepsy, and essential tremors as well as psychiatric disorders. While recent FDA-approved prescription drugs have demonstrated safety, efficacy, and consistency enough for regulatory approval in spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and in Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut Syndromes (LGS), many therapeutic challenges still remain. In the current review, the authors have shed light on the application of CBD in the management and treatment of various neurological disorders.

COVID-19 and Cannabidiol (CBD). J Addict Med. 2021 Sep-Oct 01;15(5):355-356. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000771.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in devastating mortality and morbidity consisting of socioeconomic and health effects that have included respiratory/pulmonary, cardiovascular, mental health and neurological consequences such as anxiety, depression, and substance use. Extensive efforts are underway to develop preventive vaccines and therapeutics such as remdesivir, dexamethasone, convalescent plasma, and others to treat COVID-19 but many report residual mental health problems after recovery. Cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD) are being advertised for the treatment of COVID-19 associated mental health problems and substance use disorders. This commentary will briefly clear the myth that CBD can ameliorate a wide range of COVID-19 associated health effects including anxiety, depression, or any substance use disorder, and show that there is a clear lack of sufficient unbiased clinical evidence from well-designed double-blind, placebo- controlled clinical trials to prove the anti-anxiety or anti-depression therapeutic properties of CBD and support its wide use as medicine to treat COVID-19- associated mental health conditions or substance use disorders. Finally, we suggest that addiction physicians must play an important role in dealing with their patients requesting CBD prescription for treating any of these conditions. Copyright © 2020 American Society of Addiction Medicine. Research grants to the institution from Merck, Inc., Gillead Sciences, and Airbutus pharmaceuticals. Other authors report no conflicts of interest. “Though CBD may be a promising drug to treat panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, and depressive disorders8 via serotonergic pathways and endocannabinoid system, extensive literature search failed to find sufficient clinical evidence to support CBD for treating any of the above-mentioned mental conditions.9 Much more clinical research from well-designed clinical trials is needed to support the use of CBD in treating anxiety and depressive disorders and bipolar disorders.10 CBD may promote wakefulness via triggering increased dopamine levels in areas of the brain and thereby treat narcolepsy, and in a case report,11 CBD did improve the quality and quantity of sleep of a 10-year old young patient with PTSD, likely due to its anxiety-relieving benefits. But these data from one patient are clearly insufficient to support the use of CBD for treating sleep disorders.”

Cannabidiol: pharmacology and therapeutic targets. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021 Jan;238(1):9-28. doi: 10.1007/s00213-020-05712-8. Epub 2020 Nov 21.

Abstract

Rationale: Cannabidiol (CBD) products lacking regulatory approval are being used to self-treat a myriad of conditions and for their unsubstantiated health benefits. The scientific evidence supporting these claims largely arises not from controlled clinical trials, but from the recognition that CBD has numerous biological targets. Yet, CBD is commonly consumed and often in over-the-counter products that are unapproved and of unknown composition. Epidiolex® is the only product that has undergone rigorous pharmacokinetic assessment and testing in clinical trials; it was approved as a non-scheduled drug by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of intractable childhood-onset seizures. However, studies investigating CBD for other medical conditions are limited in number and often lack the scientific rigor, controls, or sample sizes required to draw clinically meaningful conclusions. Although Epidiolex® is safe for human consumption, recent changes in regulation of commercially available CBD products have resulted in limited quality control and products marketed with unknown CBD bioavailability. Even scientifically rigorous studies have used different sources of CBD and different suspension vehicles for administration, making it difficult to compare results among studies and resolve mixed outcomes.

Objectives: This paper reviews the molecular targets, pharmacokinetics, and safety and abuse liability of CBD; additionally, the extant evidence on its potential therapeutic effects for neurological disorders, pain, inflammation, conditions related to immune function, psychiatric disorders, and substance use are described. Keywords: Cannabidiol; Cannabis; Human; Marijuana; Medical cannabis; Pharmacokinetics.

Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in neuropsychiatric disorders: A review of pre-clinical and clinical findings. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2019;167:25-75. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.06.005.

Abstract

Cannabis sativa (cannabis) is one of the oldest plants cultivated by men. Cannabidiol (CBD) is the major non-psychomimetic compound derived from cannabis. It has been proposed to have a therapeutic potential over a wide range of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this narrative review, we have summarized a selected number of pre-clinical and clinical studies, examining the effects of CBD in neuropsychiatric disorders. In some pre-clinical studies, CBD was demonstrated to potentially exhibit anti- epileptic, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory anti-psychotic, anxiolytic and anti-depressant properties. Moreover, CBD was shown to reduce addictive effects of some drugs of abuse. In clinical studies, CBD was shown to be safe, well-tolerated and efficacious in mitigating the symptoms associated with several types of seizure disorders and childhood epilepsies. Given that treatment with CBD alone was insufficient at managing choreic movements in patients with Huntington's disease, other cannabis-derived treatments are currently being investigated. Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have reported improvements in sleep and better quality of life with CBD; however, to fully elucidate the therapeutic potential of CBD on the symptoms of PD-associated movement disorders, larger scale, randomized, placebo-controlled studies still need to be conducted in the future. Currently, there are no human studies that investigated the effects of CBD in either Alzheimer's disease or unipolar depression, warranting further investigation in this area, considering that CBD was shown to have effects in pre-clinical studies. Although, anxiolytic properties of CBD were reported in the Social Anxiety Disorder, antipsychotic effects in schizophrenia and anti-addictive qualities in alcohol and drug addictions, here too, larger, randomized, placebo- controlled trials are needed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of CBD.

The Pharmacological Case for Cannabigerol. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2021 Feb;376(2):204-212. doi: 10.1124/jpet.120.000340.

Abstract

Medical cannabis and individual cannabinoids, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are receiving growing attention in both the media and the scientific literature. The Cannabis plant, however, produces over 100 different cannabinoids, and cannabigerol (CBG) serves as the precursor molecule for the most abundant phytocannabinoids. CBG exhibits affinity and activity characteristics between Δ9-THC and CBD at the cannabinoid receptors but appears to be unique in its interactions with α-2 adrenoceptors and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT1A). Studies indicate that CBG may have therapeutic potential in treating neurologic disorders (e.g., Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, and multiple sclerosis) and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as having antibacterial activity. There is growing interest in the commercial use of this unregulated phytocannabinoid. This review focuses on the unique pharmacology of CBG, our current knowledge of its possible therapeutic utility, and its potential toxicological hazards. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Cannabigerol is currently being marketed as a dietary supplement and, as with cannabidiol (CBD) before, many claims are being made about its benefits. Unlike CBD, however, little research has been performed on this unregulated molecule, and much of what is known warrants further investigation to identify potential areas of therapeutic uses and hazards.

Ali Stoddard | (925) 899-4539 | GreenAlleyCBD.com | AskGreenAlley@gmail.com

I have 30 years’ experience in medical devices in the operating room and working with surgeons and physicians. My expertise in orthopedics, back surgery, oncology, pain management and wound healing has led me to holistic healing, where West meets East, and we are not managing symptoms and disease but finding root cause and healing. CBD isn’t about symptom management; it is about balancing and healing.

Order CBD & Supplements HERE or at GreenAlleyWellness.com/Supplements

*These statements and this guide have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This guide is provided as an information resource only and is not to be used or relied upon for any diagnostic or treatment purposes.

Ali Stoddard | GreenAlleyWellness.com | (925) 899-4539