This protein is involved in the process of creating new neurons and is crucial for their protection and survival. It is involved in brain plasticity and regulates inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters.
BDNF is very much involved in maintaining mood.
Without sufficient BDNF, you are at risk of, among others, major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder. The lower the BDNF level, the more severe the symptoms.
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It takes around 20 years to grow a complete human brain, from newborn baby to mature adult. Careful nurturing is a wise, lifelong investment. Although a little shrinkage is to be expected, with age, anything beyond that puts you at risk of memory loss and eventually dementia.
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While cholesterol remains a contentious issue – for good reason – there’s nothing contentious about homocysteine. A high level is a known risk factor for the development of dementia (especially Alzheimer’s), stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In most people, homocysteine is easily controlled, without the use of medication. That so few people know about it is nothing short of a scandal.
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Protein builds muscle and bone. The reason why you need more, the older you get, is that your ability to digest and absorb amino acids — the “building blocks” of protein structures, reduces over time. You need more, just to stay at the same level.
There are two musculoskeletal conditions that can arise from insufficient protein: sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Sarcopenia is age-related muscle loss and function. Osteoporosis is loss of bone density.
Read moreIn 1924, German medical doctor and scientist Otto Heinrich Warburg made a discovery that was to potentially revolutionise our understanding of cancer. His astonishing breakthrough, that was to later earn him a Nobel Prize in physiology, could have — should have — changed the course of cancer prevention and treatment. But it didn’t. It wasn’t about drugs.
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Cholesterol is a word that strikes fear into the heart. But does it also strike disease? Because here’s the curious thing: having a high cholesterol level is associated with living a longer life, especially if you have heart disease. Confused? Of course you are! Welcome to the cholesterol paradox.
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Imagine eating something that quickly causes a dramatic change in personality and behaviour. Or perhaps just creates a mental fog, or a depressed mood. Does that sound like a powerful drug, or mind-altering substance? It’s neither of those. It’s something most people eat every day.
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You know when you’ve been triggered. Once you’ve had time to reflect, you also know that your anxiety or fear was probably an overreaction to a relatively trivial event. It’s easy enough to reason with yourself on a conscious level, but subconsciously it’s difficult to control your emotions.
That’s because you’ve been hijacked.
A study published in October 2021 found that “a meat-free diet was associated with poorer psychological health.” This review may be highly significant, but it does not prove that a vegetarian diet causes mental health problems. It just highlights a strong relationship between two factors. Association is not causation, after all.
This review may be highly significant, but it does not prove that a vegetarian diet causes mental health problems. It just highlights a strong relationship between two factors. Association is not causation, after all.
Vitamin D may be associated with bone health, but there is so much more to this hormone-like vitamin. When it comes to the brain, it protects neurons from damage and is involved in the transmission of messages. It is essential for the regulation of healthy mood and memory.
A broad spectrum of neurological disorders has been linked to vitamin D insufficiency. These disorders include depression, schizophrenia, dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), and Parkinson’s disease.
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