BDNF Archives - Your body ~ Your brain ~ Your diet

How Exercise Changes Your Brain and Your Mood

February 1, 2021September 1, 2022 MariaC BDNF, bipolar, dementia, Depression, schizophrenia

Beyond the runner’s high lies a biochemical process that is part of the brain’s growth and repair system. Central to that process is a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF protects existing brain cells from damage. It strengthens the synapses (a synapse is the structure between nerves, through which messages are transmitted), and helps form new synapses. BDNF is also involved in a process called neurogenesis, the creation of new brain cells.

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How to Detox Your Brain

August 12, 2020September 1, 2022 MariaC Alzheimer's, autophagy, BDNF, Huntingdon's, Intermittent fasting, misfolded protein, organelles, Parkinson's

Sometimes described as “cellular housekeeping”, autophagy — meaning “self-eating” in Greek – is a process that takes place in all mammalian cells and tissues. It was in the 1960s that researchers first became aware that each cell can destroy its own components. These components include damaged proteins and organelles, considered to be “common features of neurodegenerative diseases”, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.

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How Exercise Can Help Stop Alzheimer’s Disease

April 16, 2020September 1, 2022 MariaC Alzheimer's disease, BDNF, brain derived neurotrophic factor, hippocampus, Intermittent fasting, MCI, mild cognitive impairment

Exercise, as you know, has many positive benefits. Aside from raising your buff rating, it improves all aspects of health, from pulmonary and musculoskeletal fitness, from immunity to metabolism. It is celebrated for its heart health benefits, and because cardiovascular fitness is considered a predictor of long-term health exercise can extend your life expectancy.

However, there’s another area of exercise research that is proving to be just as positive, and that’s brain health. It’s becoming clear that the right kind of exercise can help prevent the onset of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

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How intermittent fasting with exercise can boost your brain

March 11, 2019September 1, 2022 MariaC Alzheimer's, BDNF, brain derived neurotrophic factor, Depression, hippocampus, Intermittent fasting, ketogenic diet, ketone bodies, low carbohydrate, Parkinson's

Most people practise intermittent fasting in order to lose weight, and it is indeed an effective strategy. Less well known are the neurological benefits, which include improved mood and memory, and reduced risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

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