38 | id == 38
38 | category_id == 4
38 | category_order == 1
38 | category_name == Brain
38 | category_color == #C47AC0
38 | slug == Boost-Brain-Speed-With-NFKBIL1
38 | title == The Gene That Increases Cognitive Processing Speed by Inhibiting Inflammation (NFKBIL1)
38 | meta_description == Your NFKBIL gene determines how sensitive your brain is to inflammation, which affects cognition. Learn how to optimize it here!
38 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>Chronic inflammation contributes to many health problems throughout the body, and can even affect how quickly your brain processes information! In this post we&rsquo;ll be taking a look at <em>NFKBIL1</em>, an immune system gene that can determine how sensitive your brain is to inflammation &mdash; and therefore how vulnerable you are to &ldquo;brain fog&rdquo; and other chronic cognitive issues. Read on to learn more about your <em>NFKBIL1</em> genotype and how you can potentially improve it!</strong></p>
38 | overall_score_text == Your cognitive function score (based on NFKBIL1 gene)
38 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/Is-This-Gene-Increasing-Your-Risk-Of-Chronic-Inflammation-and-Brain-Fog-NFKBIL1_.jpg
38 | author_id == 4
38 | author_name == Matt Carland
38 | author_title == PhD
38 | author_order == 10
38 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Matt.jpg
38 | author_intro == <p><strong>Matt received his PhD at the Universit&eacute; de Montr&eacute;al in Neuroscience.</strong></p>    <p>Matt holds multiple degrees in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. He has over a decade of experience in academic research and has published a number of articles in scholarly journals. He currently works as a neuropsychologist in Montreal, where he performs research on the links between personality traits and the development of clinical disorders such as addiction, compulsive gambling, and disordered eating.</p>
38 | reviewer_id == 2
38 | reviewer_name == Joe Cohen
38 | reviewer_title == BS
38 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
38 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
38 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
38 | publish_date == 2019
38 | publish_date == 9
38 | publish_date == 6
38 | avg_rating == 5.0
38 | tags_id == 34
38 | tags_name == Brain Fog
38 | tags_id == 13
38 | tags_name == Cognition
38 | tags_id == 95
38 | tags_name == Immune System
38 | tags_id == 24
38 | tags_name == Inflammation
38 | tags_id == 124
38 | tags_name == NFKBIL1 Gene
38 | tags_id == 123
38 | tags_name == Processing Speed
38 | permissions_favorite == False
38 | permissions_rate == False
38 | content_article == <table style="width: 90%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1" cellpadding="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: justify;"><strong>Note:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is one of the 45 unique intelligence-related genes that we analyze in our comprehensive </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mind-protocol-nm/"><strong><em>Cognitive Function DNA Wellness Report</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about the genes that affect your cognitive ability, and the actionable steps that you can take to boost your cognition even further, check it out!</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Does The </strong><strong><em>NFKBIL1</em></strong><strong> Gene Do?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="../../gene/nfkbil1/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is a part of the human </span><strong><em>major histocompatibility complex</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (MHC), a large network of genes that determine the overall function of the immune system [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12509789"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This particular gene codes for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NF-kappa-B inhibitor-like protein 1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a protein that suppresses the inflammatory response. It does this by imitating a compound called </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">IkB</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which counteracts inflammation by inhibiting a pro-inflammatory protein called </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/nuclear-factor-kappa-b/"><strong><em>NF-kB</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17544510"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16644022"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In other words, having higher levels of this gene helps keep inflammation down.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, carriers of low-activity genotypes for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are at increased risk for disorders that involve excessive inflammation, such as arthritis and various cardiovascular diseases [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16720219"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17544510"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19165231"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17855452"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When it comes to the potential cognitive effects of low </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activity, these most likely stem from the brain&rsquo;s high sensitivity to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">inflammation</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. This is probably why SNPs in this gene have also been associated with important cognitive functions, such as processing speed [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21130836"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">By extension, the brain inflammation that can result from not having enough of this gene could contribute to &ldquo;</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/brainfog/"><strong>brain fog</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo; &mdash; a chronic cognitive issue that often leaves people feeling as if their brain has &ldquo;slowed down&rdquo; or become &ldquo;sluggish&rdquo; (among other potential symptoms, such as mood problems).</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The <em>NFKBIL1</em> gene creates a protein that suppresses inflammation. Not having enough of this protein can contribute to a variety of inflammation-related health issues, and increases your relative risk of experiencing cognitive disturbances such as &ldquo;brain fog.&rdquo;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>NFKBIL1</em></strong><strong> Genotype</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can see your genotype for two important </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNPs (</span><a href="../../snp/rs2230365/"><strong>rs2230365</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="../../snp/rs2255798/"><strong>rs2255798</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) in the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">table</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;below:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*4280116503948203*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">*3802288285427717*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />About 75-90% of the population carries the more common major alleles for each of these SNPs. However, </span><strong>when it comes to cognitive function, it&rsquo;s better to carry the less common minor alleles </strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">(i.e. &lsquo;T&rsquo; for rs2230365, and &lsquo;C&rsquo; for rs2255798).</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, a large-scale (GWAS) study of over 1,700 people found that people who carry the minor alleles for these SNPs show enhanced performance on several common tests of cognitive processing speed (such as the &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">symbol search</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo; and &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">digit-substitution</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo; tasks) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21130836"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, this study also linked the minor alleles to enhanced overall processing speed across an even larger number of cognitive skill tests, further reinforcing the connection between </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and the brain&rsquo;s ability to process information quickly [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21130836"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although this study did not directly test whether these alleles were linked with increased or decreased levels of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, given what we know about this gene and its role in the immune system, its effects on cognitive processing speed most likely stem from reduced </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene activity. In other words, the minor alleles lead to increased production of the NFKBIL1 protein, which in turn makes people more resistant to inflammation (both in their brain and in general) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17544510"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16644022"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17855452"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not only would this mean that carriers of the minor alleles have better overall (&ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">baseline</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;) cognitive function, but it probably also reduces their risk of experiencing chronic inflammation-related cognitive issues, such as brain fog.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The minor alleles of </span><strong>rs2230365</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><strong>rs2255798</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are associated with relatively enhanced cognitive processing speed &mdash; most likely because carriers of these alleles have higher levels of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which gives them added protection against the negative effects of inflammation.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How Can You Improve Your </strong><strong><em>NFKBIL1</em></strong><strong> Genotype?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you&rsquo;re in the majority of people who carry the non-beneficial alleles for one or more of these SNPs, don&rsquo;t worry!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because the risk genotypes for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> likely involve increased inflammation, </span><strong>you can effectively counteract the potential negative effects of your genotype(s) by taking steps to reduce inflammation &mdash; especially in the brain</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">*4660650619241620*</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT)</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>One of the most effective ways to reduce inflammation is to use </strong><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/my-review-of-lllt/"><strong><em>low-level laser therapy</em></strong></a><strong> (LLLT).</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> This involves shining a specially-designed set of lights on whatever part of the body you&rsquo;re trying to treat: in this case, the head. This light passes through your skin and bones to stimulate many different mechanisms related to reducing inflammation, increasing blood flow, and enhancing other important systems that help keep your brain at its optimal health [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15954817"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23807510"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16706694"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23003120"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LLLT is especially good at treating inflammation. For example, it can directly counteract your genotype by inhibiting </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/nuclear-factor-kappa-b/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NF-kB</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (the same pro-inflammatory compound that the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene naturally targets) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25207838"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18328453"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21142721"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29116611"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LLLT also decreases many other inflammatory markers, such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-lifestyle-factors-influence-tnf-interleukin-6-il-6/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">TNF-alpha</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cox2-natural-cox2-inhibitors/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">COX-2</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">nitric oxide synthase</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (NOS), and several types of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">interleukins</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/interleukin-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-1</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/interleukin-6/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-6</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23003120"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16706694"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23807510"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">LLLT also has other major health benefits, such as increasing your production of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-natural-ways-to-increase-bdnf/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/all-about-nerve-growth-factor-and-50-ways-to-increase-it/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NGF</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23003120"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29116611"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], as well as reducing </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/oxidative-stress-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">oxidative stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &mdash; one of the major underlying causes of chronic inflammation [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16706694"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23281261"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In other words, the many different inflammation-related targets of LLLT means that it not only fights inflammation directly, but can even help prevent it before it starts.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">All together, these many effects may explain why LLLT has also been associated with significant cognitive benefits such as improved attention, learning, and memory [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29116611"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24672439"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. It also has other psychological benefits, such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-depression/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">boosting your mood</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24672439"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19995444"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The best way to counteract risk factors in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">NFKBIL1</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is to use LLLT, which directly targets many of the major inflammation-related factors that can lead to brain fog and other chronic cognitive issues.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <table style="width: 95%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="2" cellpadding="30"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%;"> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The SelfDecode blog is the first personalized genetics blog in the world, where our content and recommendations change based on </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em>your</em></strong></span><strong> genetic data!</strong><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: 400;">Therefore, to get the full value out of this blog, you should </span><a href="../../#!#features"><strong>sign up</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and upload your genetic data.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you haven&rsquo;t had your genes tested before, you can order one of our specialized testing kits </span><a href="../../#!#analyze-my-genes"><strong>here</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.<br /><br /></span>If you're curious, here's <a href="https://www.loom.com/share/ec670d4097654467aa55b9e599bc6fda">a video of the view when you're logged in.</a> This allows you to see your overall risk score, as well as a detailed breakdown of how each of your SNPs relate to a health condition or trait, and &ndash; most importantly &ndash; your personalized lifestyle and supplement recommendations!</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
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38 | content_learn_more_3802288285427717_text == Based on your data for these SNPs, your NFKBIL1 gene levels are slightly higher than average. This suggests that you have relatively increased resistance to the negative effects of inflammation, as well as a reduced risk of experiencing "brain fog" and other cognitive issues!
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rsIDs = rs2255798,rs2230365
rsStatus = rs2255798,NFKBIL1,chr6,31553525,G,C,T,,5,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs2230365,NFKBIL1,chr6,31557671,C,T,,,13,0,Normal
