| The Autism and Alzheimer communities, as well | | | | damage and dementia. And now there are several |
| as other groups affected neurologically, have a | | | | things that are used to help this glutamate |
| theory about the over excitability in the brain | | | | sensitivity. |
| from something called glutamate. Glutamate is | | | | There is a medication that blocks the NMDA |
| found commonly in our diet and is an amino acid. | | | | receptor from being over stimulated from |
| The brain has a significant concentration of | | | | glutamate called Namenda. It has been used in |
| glutamate, that amino acid is the most abundant | | | | Alzheimer’s and Autism and can be helpful for |
| in the brain. | | | | behaviors such as aggression, stimming and |
| In certain sensitive individuals, their receptors can | | | | excitability. |
| be sensitive to glutamate exposure. The surface | | | | There are also natural alternatives to help with |
| of the brain has receptors and those receptors | | | | glutamate sensitivity. First natural alternative to |
| receive information from other chemicals. It | | | | glutamate sensitivity is something I have talked |
| works very similarly to a lock and a key. | | | | about in a previous recording, nutritional lithium. |
| Glutamate triggers the NMDA receptor which | | | | Nutritional, or elemental, lithium is not the same as |
| unlocks electrical activity in the brain cells. That | | | | the drug lithium. It can regulate or block NMDA |
| electrical activity causes the transmission of | | | | receptor activity. You can also help regulated |
| chemical impulses. That is the normal brain | | | | NMDA response to glutamate through a |
| function process. | | | | supplement called Theanine - an extract of green |
| But, if this electrical activity is happening too much | | | | tea that serves to decrease the over stimulation |
| due to glutamate exposure, premature cellular | | | | that can occur with glutamate exposure. So the |
| damage or even premature cellular death can | | | | glutamate activates the NMDA receptors which |
| occur. In Alzheimer’s it is understood that | | | | lead to over stimulation of the brain cells. Both |
| increased glutamate activation of the NMDA | | | | nutritional lithium and theanine have been shown |
| receptor can predispose individuals to neurological | | | | to reduce that over excitability. |