How to Protect Your Brain From Neurotoxicity

Last updated September 23, 2024.
Edited and medically reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC. Written by Deane Alban.

There is plenty you can do to safeguard yourself against neurotoxicity by minimizing and offsetting your exposure to toxins that can harm your brain.

It can also be acute — severe and sudden in onset — usually from one major exposure over a short time.

While neurotoxicity is largely a modern problem, it’s not new.

The ancient Romans were aware that too much lead could cause madness, paralysis, and even death, yet they continued to use it for cookware, drinking cups, and lining aqueducts anyway.

Symptoms of Neurotoxicity

The symptoms of neurotoxicity fall along a continuum ranging from temporary, minor, and reversible to chronic, quite serious, and potentially fatal.

Some symptoms manifest immediately after exposure, while others can be delayed. 

Causes of Neurotoxicity

Over 80,000 man-made chemicals have been introduced into our environment and less than 20% of them have been tested for safety. 

Unfortunately, many people get exposed to neurotoxins at work.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has listed neurotoxic disorders as one of the top 10 occupational disorders in the United States. 

Some experts believe we are facing a “silent pandemic” of brain damage in children caused by neurotoxins. 

For example, vitamin A is an essential nutrient, but too much can be neurotoxic. 

In moderation, alcohol may provide many health benefits, but, in excess, can cause severe neurotoxicity. 

And ironically, even our own brain chemicals can be neurotoxic.

The neurotransmitter glutamate is the most abundant neurotransmitter in the brain and central nervous system and is considered the most important for brain health and function.

But, in excess, glutamate becomes a potent excitotoxin.

Excitotoxins are substances that, in excess, overstimulate brain cells, even to the point of death. 

How to Protect Your Brain From Neurotoxicity

There’s no doubt that we are living in a sea of neurotoxins, and it’s impossible to avoid them all.

But what you can do is reduce your total load by reducing the total number of neurotoxic “burdens.”

William J. Rea, MD, founder of the Environmental Health Center in Dallas, Texas, recommends active avoidance of neurotoxic pollutants found in air, food, and water as the first line of defense against neurotoxicity. 

While that might sound daunting, there are steps you can take to minimize neurotoxin exposure without dramatically altering your lifestyle.

Avoiding Neurotoxins in Foods

The best and simplest advice for avoiding neurotoxins in food is to stick with “real food” rather than processed food.

When the body processes aspartame, it ultimately gets broken down into formaldehyde, a known carcinogen and neurotoxin. 

By avoiding sugar-free and diet products, you can easily avoid aspartame, but avoiding added MSG is not so easy because it’s not always clearly labeled.

A good rule of thumb is that salty processed foods such as chips, ramen noodles, canned soups, and soy products are most likely to be high in MSG.

You’ll find a list of food additives that often contain MSG here.

Aluminum

Aluminum is one of the most common metals, but it’s also a known neurotoxin.

It is found in foods that contain baking powder and is sometimes added to foods as an anti-caking additive.

Aluminum is also found in antacids and even in drinking water.

It can leach from aluminum cookware into your food, especially when you cook acidic foods like lemon, vinegar, or tomato sauce.

Hexane

If you buy seed-based vegetable oils like soy oil or canola oil, be aware that they are processed with and contain traces of hexane, a chemical that the US Environmental Protection Agency considers a neurotoxin. 

(This is one of the many reasons we prefer extra virgin olive oil to canola and other seed-based vegetable oils.)

Fluoride

One neurotoxin that is controversially added to tap water in some parts of the world is fluoride.

If you live in a pro-fluoride country like the US, Canada, or Australia, you might be surprised to learn that less than 6% of the world’s population drinks artificially fluoridated water. 

Currently, more than 70 human studies have linked fluoride to reduced IQ in both children and adults. 

Research published in The Lancet, one of the most prestigious and highly regarded medical journals, recommends that fluoride be classified as a developmental neurotoxin. 

If you don’t know whether your water is fluoridated, you can check at the CDC’s interactive webpage My Water’s Fluoride, or check with your local water department.

If the water is fluoridated, consider buying a water filter that removes fluoride.

But be aware that few water filters do.

You can further reduce your fluoride exposure by switching to fluoride-free toothpaste.

Instead, look for a toothpaste that contains nano-hydroxyapatite which safely remineralizes teeth even better than fluoride. 

Instead, you can do your nails at home in a well-ventilated area using a low-toxicity nail polish.

Many companies, including OPI Products, have gotten on the bandwagon and make nail polish that is free of some of the worst chemicals.

There are even a few brands of water-based nail polish like Honeybee Gardens or Suncoat that claim to be toxin-free.

Foods and Supplements That Protect Against Neurotoxicity

Now that you know how to minimize exposure to neurotoxins in your diet and your environment, you may want to take your brain protection one step further.

This step is especially important if you are not in a position to clean up your environment, regularly face unavoidable neurotoxin exposure in your workplace, take neurotoxic medicines, or use recreational drugs.

Here are some foods and supplements that help protect the brain from toxins.

Turmeric / Curcumin

Curcumin is the main bioactive compound in the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa).

Research has found that curcumin protects the brain from arsenic, fluoride, formaldehyde, insecticides, pesticides, mycotoxins, and neurotoxic pharmaceuticals, including chemotherapy drugs. 

Ginger

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)is one of the oldest and most widely used culinary spices.

You can use it in cooking or take it as a supplement.

Ginger protects the brain against neurotoxic levels of glutamate. 

Fish 

There’s evidence that eating one to two servings of fish per week might counter the neurotoxic effects of air pollution. 

If you don’t eat fish, consider taking a fish oil supplement instead. 

Gotu Kola

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is a traditional relaxing herbal remedy used as a brain tonic.

It has been found to protect the brain from lead, arsenic, aluminum, and excess glutamate. 

L-Theanine

L-theanine is a relaxing amino acid that naturally occurs in tea.

It can protect the brain from environmental neurotoxins, especially those thought to play a role in Parkinson’s disease. 

You can get l-theanine from tea or take an l-theanine supplement. 

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an important herb in Ayurvedic medicine.

There’s evidence that it offers neuroprotection against excess glutamate. 

Folate

Folate is an essential B complex vitamin that protects the brain from environmental neurotoxins. 

Since children deficient in folate are more susceptible to lead poisoning, folate may help offset those effects.

MSG Protection

If you accidentally ingest MSG, immediately take vitamin C, ginger, or the amino acid taurine.

All provide substantial protection from the neurotoxic effects of MSG.