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Cognition & social

BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor)

BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a growth-factor protein. It supports neuron survival, the formation of synapses, and (at least in animals) the birth of new neurons in the adult hippocampus. (How much of that happens in adult humans is still debated.) Your BDNF levels rise with aerobic exercise and good sleep. The effect of intermittent fasting is well-established in rodents, but less clear in humans. And levels fall under chronic stress and depression. In longevity research, lower BDNF is linked to depression and Alzheimer's risk. That connects your lifestyle to your memory and mood.

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Sources

  1. Erickson KI, Prakash RS, Voss MW, Chaddock L, Heo S, McLaren M, Pence BD, Martin SA, Vieira VJ, Woods JA, McAuley E, Kramer AF. (2010). Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Is Associated with Age-Related Decline in Hippocampal Volume. *Journal of Neuroscience*doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6251-09.2010
  2. Miranda M, Morici JF, Zanoni MB, Bekinschtein P. (2019). Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: A Key Molecule for Memory in the Healthy and the Pathological Brain. *Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience*doi:10.3389/fncel.2019.00363

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