The Brain is Powerful by Solex and Rebecca McQuility

There is no doubt that the most complex organ in the human body is the brain. Not only does the brain produce our every thought, action, memory, and feeling, but it also houses hundreds of miles of blood vessels, billions of neurons, and consumes about 20% of our body’s daily energy.

To meet this energy demand, the brain requires a constant and abundant supply of oxygen. In fact, compared to other organs, the brain uses the highest amount of oxygen to generate the energy it needs to support its intensive neuronal activity. Although this is good for energy consumption, high oxygen levels and lipid-rich content may cause lagging and latent effects that are detrimental to the brain, creating a highly susceptible environment to oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress occurs when excessive free radicals are produced from an insufficiency of the counteracting antioxidant response system. So, what are free radicals? How do they affect the brain? And most importantly, what can we do to prevent them? As you continue reading, you can learn about the benefits of ‘Think’ from Solex and how its ingredients help you fight off oxidative stress.

When cells use oxygen to generate energy in the brain, free radicals are created because of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production by mitochondria. A free radical is composed of an atom or group of atoms that have one or more unpaired electrons; they have a positive, negative or neutral charge. The most significant free radicals in humans are oxygen free radicals (reactive oxygen species). A research article titled, Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health, explains that “These species play a dual role as both toxic and beneficial compounds. The delicate balance between their two antagonistic effects is clearly an important aspect of life. At low or moderate levels, they exert beneficial effects on cellular responses and immune function. At high concentrations, they generate oxidative stress, a deleterious process that can damage all cell structures”.

Free radicals derived from oxygen (ROS) are of most concern in biological systems. Although, as mentioned previously, it is important to clarify that not all are ‘bad’ for the body at moderate levels. Some even operate as mitogens – but these are of less concern compared to those that may harm particles in your brain. Now, you may be wondering; of the oxygen radicals that are of concern, why are they of concern?

Researchers have found that excessive ROS can damage macromolecules. The unpaired electron in free radicals makes them highly reactive and thereby able to damage all macromolecules. Macromolecules are larger molecules that are formed from smaller molecules. While there are several types of macromolecules, the four major types of macromolecules are: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. They provide cells with energy, structural support, send chemical signals, speed up chemical reactions, store and retrieve genetic information, and provide cells with the ability to speed up biochemical reactions. Damage to these macromolecules leads to an overall progressive decline in physiological function, including the brain. Furthermore, a more well-known toxic effect of reactive oxygen species is damage to cellular membranes such as the plasma membrane (cell membrane), the mitochondria, and other endomembrane systems. Reactive oxygen species cause lipid peroxidation in these targeted membranes. The lipid peroxidation process can disturb the assembly of membranes, modifies membrane fluidity and permeability, alters ion transport, and inhibits metabolic processes. This damage to cellular membranes negatively impacts the functions of the central nervous system (CNS).

The Central Nervous System (CNS) & The Brain

The central nervous system (CNS) consists of the brain and the spinal cord. Unlike other systems in the body which only control one function at a time, the CNS controls many functions at the same time. The CNS is where voluntary, involuntary, and our core thoughts, perceptions, and emotions take place; it combines information from the entire body and coordinates activity across the whole organism. Because the brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress due to its high oxygen consumption and lipid content, CNS functions can be negatively impacted.

A research study published in the National Library of Medicine, Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health, states that, “Oxidative stress has been linked to several neurological diseases (i.e., Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, depression, and memory loss). In AD, several experimental and clinical research showed that oxidative damage plays a pivotal role in neuron loss and progression to dementia. β-amyloid, a toxic peptide often found present in AD patients’ brain, is produced by free radical action and it is known to be at least in part responsible for neurodegeneration observed during AD onset and progression”.

Since some reactive oxygen species are essential for neuronal development and function, we don’t want to put an overreaching negative label on this situation. However, we are concerned about excessive levels of the reactive oxygen species and the hazardous impact that can cause on the human brain.

Think by Solex

Solex has developed Think to address the concerns that stem from oxidative stress. Think was exclusively created with the purpose of improving brain and memory function by reducing oxidative damage and inflammation that causes environmental and age-related brain decline. The ingredients of Think not only assist in the removal process of excessive oxygen radicals that damage cells, but they also regulate the ratio of free radicals and antioxidants to prevent further oxidative stress and inflammation.

Additional benefits of the ingredients used in Think include: