Four years ago, when I first joined the SelfDecode team, Joe shared a fascinating story with me about how he overcame brain fog linked to his fish consumption.
I still remember it clearly because at the time, I wasn’t into biohacking or alternative medicine so it all sounded like magic to me. This definitely isn’t the case anymore.
But now, 4 years later, it’s come full circle, and I actually used Joe’s story to solve my own cognitive problems.
Here’s how I improved my mental clarity, and how you can do the same.
Joe’s Story
A few years ago, Joe started to experience serious memory problems and some brain fog.
He took an inventory of his diet and lifestyle, and realized that he was eating fish every day for 2 weeks.
Knowing that fish can be contaminated with dioxins and toxins from plastic, he looked at SelfDecode to see what could be the exact cause of his brain fog.
It turned out that he had a genetic variant of the UGT1A1 gene that made it hard for him to detox plastics.
The UGT1A1 gene encodes for the UGT enzyme. This enzyme is responsible for performing a chemical reaction called Glucuronidation, which is one of the most important steps in the body’s detox process.
This process involves the addition of glucuronic acid to a toxic molecule to make it:
- More water soluble
- Less toxic or reactive
- Easily transported throughout the body
- Possible to eliminate via urine
How I Got Rid Of My Brain Fog
Last month, I took a vacation and went to Thailand. During these 10 days, I pretty much consumed all the fish in the Indian Ocean.
I ate a lot of fish, and when I came back from vacation I realized I was having a hard time focusing on work, my creativity was lacking, and I even felt a little bit of fatigue throughout my day.
That’s when Joe’s story came to mind. I immediately went to check my UGT1A1 gene and I had the same negative genetic variant.
By discovering this, I decided to take Activated Charcoal, which is what Joe took when he was having brain fog issues.
Activated charcoal is charcoal with a chemically increased surface area which increases its ability to bind to or absorb other chemicals.
This reaction and absorption capacity is what makes activated charcoal great for detoxing.
I felt my symptoms go away within a day!
So I guess the Youssef from 4 years ago was somewhat right, it did feel like magic.
How You Can Improve Your Cognitive Function
Remembering Joe’s story helped point me in the right direction, but it was the confirmation of my negative UGT1A1 gene that spurred me to take the activated charcoal.
Taking a personalized approach helped me solve my brain fog issues within a week, and I’m not an expert biohacker.
I just have access to SelfDecode.
There are many DNA Reports that can help you improve your cognitive function, whether that’s the Detox Report, Brain Fog Report, Attention Report, or the Cognitive Function Summary Report.
We even have a Recommendation feature that looks at all DNA reports related to Brain Health and gives you prioritized diet, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations to improve your cognitive function – something no other company in the world has.
Sign up for SelfDecode to improve your cognitive function.
