Expert: Florence M Rollwagen - 5/20/2009

Question
I have been searching the internet and my extensive library on nutrition and can not find a list of nutrients (vitamins, amino acids etc) that can cross the BBB.

I was wondering if you know of what nutrients or have a list of what nutrients cross the BBB?

Answer
Hi Karoly:  Thanks for your question.

I don't know of any list of substances that can pass the BBB.  The rules for entry are highly variable, depending on what the brain needs, what is available and what (if any) stress the organism is facing.  It's also important to remember that the BBB is not a static wall, but a live membrane with transporters that can facilitate entry of selected substances.  The ability of nutrients to pass the BBB will have any number of variables, and will vary by particular location in the brain.

Here's a link that I found:
http://books.google.com/books?id=rbuqS2Isow0C&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=blood+brain+ba...

You'll have to copy and paste it, it's a Google Books link.

Here's an article, but you'll have to pay for total access:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/r43063375j51w730/

Hope this helps, write back if you have more questions.

FM Rollwagen, PhD