Plasmalogen Health
What are Plasmalogens?
Plasmalogens are lipids or fats. They comprise about 20% of your body’s lipids. They are fundamental to the health and functioning of your cells. In particular, they are critical to your brain health.
Amongst other things, plasmalogens impact the communication between the nerve cells in your body (aka synaptic function). Think of this as the message system on your phone. Healthy function means all messages are reliably sent and received exactly as they are written. Unhealthy means you are missing messages or they are being distorted.
Plasmalogens also impact the structure of the walls of your cells. The walls
Your body must make a lot of your own plasmalogens to remain healthy. Diet, overall health, ageing and genetics play significant roles in plasmalogen levels. For those with low plasmalogen levels, diet alone may not be able to provide what is needed for healthy levels if you .
To support the production of plasmalogens in your body through diet you need to include a diversity of foods and nutrients such as:
Fatty Acids: Eating foods rich in fatty acids is important. This includes:
- Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish (like salmon, mackerel, sardines), flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.
- Omega-6 fatty acids, present in foods like nuts, seeds, and vegetable oil
- Eggs, particularly the yolks,
- Lean meats, poultry, and fish.
- Dairy products.
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
Vitamins and Minerals: Certain vitamins and minerals can support the enzymes involved in plasmalogen synthesis. These include:
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- B vitamins, found in whole grains, meats, eggs, and legumes.
- Antioxidants like vitamins C and E, found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, can also help protect plasmalogens from oxidative damage.
In contrast, a diet high in ultra-processed foods and sugar can create an environment in the body that counters healthy plasmalogen levels. This is because such a diet has biochemical impact on your body. It increases oxidative stress, inflammation, alters lipid metabolism, and puts you at an increased risk of metabolic disorders.
Adopting a balanced diet rich in unprocessed foods, healthy fats, and nutrients is a simple approach towards healthier plasmalogen levels and overall health.
However other factors that can cause low plasmalogen levels such as ageing, genes and/or disease usually require a more targeted approach to improve plasmalogen levels.
What happens when Plasmalogen levels are low?
A deficiency in plasmalogen levels has been linked to an alarming increase in mortality risk, with studies showing an increase of as much as 870%.
Like a vehicle’s oil level is critical to keep your engine working well, plasmalogens are continually consumed and need to be replenished. A consistent low level, however, can lead to silent, unnoticed damage.
Plasmalogen levels can now be measured using the technology created by the neuroscientist, inventor, and longevity expert Dr. Dayan Goodenowe.
He has developed a test for identifying low levels of plasmalogens, as well as supplement to support healthy levels. Rebuilding and maintaining your body’s plasmalogen infrastructure is an essential aspect of overall health. The supplements developed by Dr. Goodenowe are available at the links at the end of this page.
Why have I never heard of Plasmalogens?
Many health professionals currently don’t know what the word plasmalogen means. Plasmalogens are the fatty acids that build the walls of the cells, but for a long time it was believed they were just a structural component of the body, not something that was a variable that is linked to disease.
This perspective changed when Dr. Goodenowe invented a new ‘mass spectrometry’ technology for measuring what is happening with your body’s chemistry. It measured thousands of components in your biological chemistry in one blood sample.
Up till that point, scientists had to specify the target they wanted to measure one by one. Now they can target everything and see the difference between situation A and situation B in one shot. A true breakthrough technology. That enabled scientists to contrast the differences in the chemical profiles between healthy vs unhealthy groups. It also allowed them to recognise to difference of chemical profiles before and after supplementation with Plasmalogens.
Plasmalogens and Alzheimers Disease
Dr. Goodenowe’s research, particularly his analysis of blood from dementia patients compared to healthy individuals, highlighted the significant role of plasmalogens.
He found plasmalogens are deficient in both Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment. Lower levels are correlated with the severity of cognitive impairment and the rate at which it declined.
He found that low plasmalogen levels are associated with a 350% increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Conversely, high plasmalogen levels can decrease the risk of death within 5.3 years by up to 87%, with the effect varying based on age. Research papers with this data are available.
Plasmalogens and Brain Health
Low plasmalogen is now believed to be the primary cause of dementia. Keeping your plasmalogen levels in a healthy range will reduce the risk of dementia. High plasmalogen levels increases your body’s effectiveness at ensuring your nerves and neurological transmitters work well. This provides a superior brain function than if you had low plasmalogen.
Summary of the Wider Impact of Low Plasmalogen Levels
- Plasmalogens are integral in mitigating inflammation and oxidative stress, two major contributors to declining health.
- It resides in every cell in your body and provides the framework for holding fatty acids and other critical chemicals designed to protect the body.
- Low levels are linked to a spectrum of diseases, including dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, diabetes, heart diseases, and cancers.
- Research is showing that in the brain, insufficient plasmalogen can lead to unchecked inflammation, deterioration of the communication systems of the nerve system including the myelin sheath wrapped around all our nerves.
- In the heart, where plasmalogens account for 50% of the lipids, low levels can lead to myocardial damage and increase the risk of heart attacks.
Case Study: The Effectiveness of Plasmalogen in disease
This VIDEO shows the big difference Plasmalogen management made for a child born with a brain that made little Plasmalogen. At 5 years old the boy in the video was rarely walking and had almost no social interactions. When they provided plasmalogen replacement therapy everything changed within 6 months. It is currently being offered for free to research its impact on children with a wide range of childhood rare diseases.
Curious?
The purpose of this information is to draw attention to the critical role of plasmalogens and highlight the differences plasmalogen can make in someone’s health.
If you are curious, you are encouraged to delve into the scientific data available to fully grasp the significance of plasmalogen management in maintaining overall health and preventing various diseases. I can also provide you with more details through the scientific papers if you wish.
Hopefully from reading this, you are now considering the functional differences plasmalogen can make in someone’s health.
Plasmalogen Supplements
Dr. Dayan Goodenowe 20 years of research into plasmalogens and their role in human health has led to the creation of effective plasmalogen supplements.
According to claims, the supplement is 100 to 900 times the strength of other plasmalogen supplements. It’s designed for maximum absorption in the human gut so that rather than being degraded during digestion, you get more plasmalogens into your system.
Customer reviews claim this supplement seems to help with focus, sleep, and energy and reduce brain fog. If you’re interested in a plasmalogen supplement, this is the one that is core to Dr Goodenowe’s research.
You can learn more about Plasmalogens and purchase Dr Goodenowes Plasmalogen supplements here: https://prodrome.com
Interested to know more?
Contact me if you want access to the 25% DISCOUNT CODE off all supplements at the Prodrome shop:
Either make a time for a FREE 20 minute health and wellness coaching consult with me at the link further below.
Or simply email me for the discount code at eva@wellhabit.com.au
