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THE HOLE IN THE HEART AND THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER THE HOLE HEART AND THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER THE The blood-brain barrier becomes permeable as a result of stress, toxins, heat, EMF, nutritional deficiencies and heart defects, causing many illnesses. The Nature of the BBB and its Relationship to Chronic Illness ecent discoveries about the permeability of the once-thought- impenetrable blood-brain barrier (BBB) may be involved in many brain and systemic diseases. These include stroke, migraine, Izheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory diseases, allergic disorders, Lyme disease, traumatic brain injury, hypertension, obesity and mental illnesses. Stress, heat, histamine, toxins, allergies, nutritional deficiencies, microwaves and a heart defect—which every third person unknowingly has—can cause permeability of this crucial barrier to our brains. Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Australia,’ and his hidden heart defect is now known to be a leading cause of stroke. We've known about this barrier to perhaps our most precious entity—our brains—since 1885 when Paul Ehrlich, MD, discovered it.2 He found that upon injection of blue dyes into living animals, most organs were stained— but not the brain. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that dyes injected into the brain did not stain any of the peripheral organs. Ehrlich and others would postulate that some type of barrier protects the brain from rapid or arge influx of factors circulating in the blood. These include bacteria, viruses, toxins, inflammatory substances, inflammatory cells, growth factors, neurotransmitters, amino acids and other substances that might otherwise ave drastic effects on the brain. But it wasn't until 1967 that electron microscopy proved the existence of the BBB. The BBB is now known to consist of a continuous layer of endothelial cells hat are joined by tight junctions with very high electrical resistance. These endothelial cells line the over 400 miles (644 kilometres) of cerebral capillaries in the brain. Their tight junctions impede influx of ions and molecules across the plasma membranes of the endothelial cells. Besides he physical barrier, a complex set of biochemical factors is also part of the BBB. Small fat-soluble (lipophilic) transport molecules can ordinarily cross he BBB. They transport glucose, choline and some amino acids. Nature intended for only a few things in the blood to get into the brain, as brain cells can so easily—and perhaps disastrously—be affected by many things circulating in the blood. Until recently, the blood-brain barrier was thought to be nearly unalterable. Much research has now disproved this. Stroke, traumatic brain injury, heat stress, ischaemia, inflammation, drugs, toxins, certain diseases, hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, electromagnetic fields (EMF), microwaves, ultrasound, heart defects and even emotional stress have been proven to cause changes in the BBB. These changes lead to increased permeability of the BBB. This in turn is suspected of being a crucial element in—and perhaps even the initiator of—certain diseases. Recently it has been found that the BBB is not completely formed until the middle of the first year of life. by Steven Rochlitz, PhD © November 2010 - February 2011 Post Office Box 2154 Cottonwood, AZ 86326, USA Email: info@wellatlast.com Website: http://www.wellatlast.com Post Office Box 2154 Cottonwood, AZ 86326, USA Email: info@wellatlast.com Website: http://www.wellatlast.com APRIL - MAY 2011 NEXUS ¢ 35 www.nexusmagazine.com