I explain why the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a crucial signaling protein for cognitive, neurological, and mental health and how to enhance it naturally.

Note: This story reflects my research and personal experiences related to cognitive health as a postdoctoral researcher. This post does not include health advice. It is only for information and awareness purposes.

Photo byMilad FakurianonUnsplash

When we lose our neurological and mental health, life does not mean much. I start my article by asking three questions to make my points.

1 — Do you want to improve your cognitive, neurological, and mental health?

2 — Do you aspire to have an excellent working memory, switch from one task to another effortlessly, and solve complex problems efficiently?

3 — Do you desire to create cognitive reserves as you age to function reasonably later in your life?

If your answers are yes to these questions, you are not alone. Like you and I, millions of people have these goals, especially as they get older.

I had these aspirations for many years and invested significant time in enhancing my brainpower and improving my cognitive, neurological, and mental health, inspired by many scientists and biohackers in my circles.

One of the tools to achieve my aspiration was to increase BDNF intentionally and naturally. My subscribers ask why I mention BDNF frequently in my mental health articles. With this inspiration, I’d like to provide my experience, reviews, and perspectives on this crucial signaling protein in the brain.

This article is not academic and theoretical. Instead, it provides practical steps to increase this critical molecule using healthy lifestyle habits. My goal is to inform the reader of the importance of BDNF, raise awareness of its value, and provide helpful tips to leverage the power of this vital protein to improve neurological and mental health.

In this article, my specific purpose is to introduce the importance of BDNF and provide practical tips to increase it with simple lifestyle habits. First, I’d like to briefly introduce BDNF and touch on its benefits.

What is the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor?

BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) is a signaling protein. Parts of the brain, the cortex, hippocampus, basal forebrain, and cerebrum produce it.

BDNF can influence neuronal function, creating neuroplasticity in the brain. In short, we need BDNF for neuronal maintenance, survival, plasticity, and regulating neurotransmitters.

Specific genes activate and control the process. For example, the BDNF genes are part of the neurotrophin group of growth hormones. Neurotrophins are crucial for our neurological and mental health.

Neurotrophin proteins support neurons’ survival, growth, and functioning in the brain.

In other words, neurotrophins contribute to the development of neurons in the brain. Thus, they are essential for the survival of neurons.

As documented in this review paper, “BDNF has been suggested as a candidate biomarker of pathological conditions, and therapy efficacy, as most of the current treatments are accompanied by a significant change in blood BDNF levels.”

In addition, the brain needs BDNF to maintain memories and learning. BDNF exists actively in brain regions associated with memory. These regions help us learn and build new memories.

As confirmed in this paper: “BDNF is essential to promote the persistence of long-term memory storage.” BDNF is relatively low in dementia patients, especially Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Measuring and validating the levels of BDNF in humans is possible, as discussed in this paper. However, as pointed out in this paper, “The use of BDNF as a biomarker is limited by the poor reproducibility of results, likely due to the variety of methods used for sample collection and BDNF analysis.”

The good news is that we don’t need supplements to enhance BDNF. Instead, we can increase it via healthy lifestyle habits. I documented them in the subsequent sections.

Health Benefits of BDNF

Regarding neurodegenerative disease prevention, the central hypothesis is the benefits of boosting BDNF to reduce neurological and mental health risks.

From my experience and perspective, the fundamental premise of increasing or maintaining an adequate amount of BDNF in the brain is to create cognitive reserves as we age.

My concern is neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Korsakoff’s Syndrome, and Motor Neuron disorders.

Recent studies indicate that higher BDNF might reduce the risk of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Likewise, lower BDNF levels can increase neurological and mental disorder risks.

This paper in JAMA Neurology titled Serum Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and the Risk for Dementia investigated and provided valuable insights.

Another study in Nature titled Potential Therapeutic Uses of BDNF in Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders investigated the possible therapeutic application of BDNF in modifying fundamental processes underlying neural disease.”

In addition to brain health, another use case of BDNF in my mental health kit is to keep vitality and enhance mood.

For example, after deliberately increasing my BDNF using various methods, my mental energy increased, my mood improved, and my anxiety decreased.

The measurable effects of increasing BDNF are reflected in my working memory, task-switching, and problem-solving capabilities, which I monitor using various tools. These cognitive abilities are critical for my profession and fulfilling life.

Factors Reducing the Levels of BDNF

Before introducing the factors to increase BDNF, I’d like to mention the aspects of reducing it so that the points in the next section make better sense.

One known factor reducing BDNF is impaired glucose levels in the bloodstream. This was observed in clinical studies and verified in reviews of those studies.

Those who experience metabolic disorders and insulin resistance seem to have less BDNF in the brain. For example, this paper confirms:

“Low levels of BDNF accompany impaired glucose metabolism. Decreased BDNF may be a pathogenetic factor involved not only in dementia and depression but also in type 2 diabetes, potentially explaining the clustering of these conditions in epidemiological studies.”

Within an impaired glucose context, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome are also associated with low levels of BDNF.

For example, this study informs:

“BDNF serves widespread roles in regulating energy homeostasis in both fetuses and adults, by controlling patterns of fetal growth, adult feeding, and physical activity, and by regulating glucose metabolism in peripheral tissues. Impaired BDNF signaling may be implicated in the etiopathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome.”

Another risk factor for declining BDNF levels is sedentary life. As informed by this study, “Physical exercise was able to maintain geriatric cognitive function performance by BDNF protein regulation.”

The researchers found a lower amount in the sedentary group after assessing the BDNF level by ELISA.

As BDNF comprises amino acids, especially branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), protein deficiency might cause low levels, as explained in this paper.

Lifestyle Factors Increasing the Levels of BDNF

This section introduces key factors such as ketosis, exercise, sleep, rest, and nutritional efficiency for increasing BDNF safely.

1 — Enter Ketosis Safely.

Ketosis means that the body can produce ketones as alternative energy when it detects glucose shortage in the bloodstream and glycogen stores. I wrote an article about fasting on NewsBreak that explains ketosis.

An effective way to enter ketosis is by refraining from food or caloric drinks. People use intermittent and long-term fasting to initiate ketosis. One of the ketone bodies that the brain can use happily is β-Hydroxybutyrate

As this study informs, “β-Hydroxybutyrate induces BDNF expression by activating cAMP/PKA/p-CREB signaling and enhances H3K27ac level independent of HDAC.”

Another paper informs:

“Neurobiological evidence suggests that the ketone metabolite β-hydroxybutyrate exerts many neuroprotective functions for the brain. The previous study revealed that β-hydroxybutyrate could promote the expression of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor at glucose inadequate condition.”

Glucose inadequate condition refers to ketosis. Please note that ketosis is different from ketoacidosis, usually experienced by patients with type one diabetes.

I choose to stay in mild and sometimes deep ketosis to maintain my brain and mental health. Intermittent fasting is an effective tool to remain in ketosis that I have been using for decades.

Ketogenic diets, including high amounts of healthy fats and limiting refined carbs, are another solution to enter ketosis. However, in my experience, fasting is more efficient than the keto diet.

2 — Move the Body More Frequently and Intensely.

The literature includes significant evidence of the efficiency of aerobic workouts in increasing BDNF levels.

For example, as this study points out:

“It is well established that acute exercise increases circulating levels of BDNF, and numerous studies have sought to characterize this response to improve brain health.”

In addition, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and resistance workouts can also increase BDNF.

This paper confirms that “intense resistance exercise increases peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factors.

An optimal way of accelerating ketosis is by adding exercise to the fasting regime. However, this might be risky for some people. Thus, fasting and fasting workouts require support from medical professionals.

3 — Get Restorative Sleep, Meditate, or Do Yoga.

Stressful situations seem to decrease BDNF in the brain. One of the culprits of stress is a lack of restorative sleep.

As pointed out in this critical review:

“Poor sleep quality is related to alterations in the BDNF concentration. Some authors argue that most cases show that impaired sleep quality increases stress and, consequently, the vulnerability to depressive disorders, suggesting that there is a relationship between sleep, depression, and BDNF levels.”

Mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga can significantly reduce stress and improve brain chemistry. These practices seem to have an impact on BDNF levels, too.

For example, this study in Human Neuroscience concluded:

“Yoga, Meditation and Mind-Body Health: Increased BDNF, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Altered Inflammatory Marker Expression after a 3-Month Yoga and Meditation Retreat”.

4 — Address Nutritional Deficiencies.

I touched on the importance of nutritional deficiencies in the brain and mental health previously in various articles. You may check out some essential nutrients listed in an article titled Enhance Metabolic and Mental Health by Reducing Deficiencies of Key Nutrients.

Some minerals are essential for creating BDNF. As I mentioned in previous articles, magnesium plays a critical role in the body and brain. The specific form of magnesium (L-Threonate) is believed to pass brain-blood barriers.

For example, as informed in this study titled Antidepressant-like activity of magnesium in the olfactory bulbectomy model is associated with the AMPA/BDNF pathway.”

The study concludes:

“Magnesium significantly increased the levels of BDNF, GluN2B, P-S831, and P-S845 protein (and mRNA) primarily in the pre-frontal cortex and the hippocampus in animals.”

So, consuming adequate magnesium might contribute to increasing BDNF. I documented my reviews and experience with magnesium in the following articles:

What Happens If You Don’t Get Enough Magnesium?

Why Magnesium Is Not Just Another Mineral

In addition to micronutrients, some macronutrients, like protein, also play a critical role in the formation of BDNF.

Let’s remember that BDNF is a protein made up of amino acids. Thus, a deficiency of essential amino acids can impair BDNF production. Getting amino acids from bioavailable protein sources is crucial.

5 — Make the Body More Insulin Sensitive.

As I mentioned in the section about factors reducing BDNF, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome can reduce the amount of BDNF.

Making the body more insulin sensitive and reducing the risks of metabolic syndrome can be an excellent investment to increase BDNF levels sustainably.

I published several articles about insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. The following two articles can provide helpful tips.

Three Tips to Eliminate Insulin Resistance and Shrink Waistline

Defeat Metabolic Syndrome and Slim Down Waistline with Three Tips

Conclusions and Takeaways

After reviewing BDNF research for many years, I am convinced that this signaling protein in the brain is vital for our neurological and mental health.

Studies indicate that reduced BDNF is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, increasing BDNF can reduce the risks by protecting the brain and preventing cognitive decline.

Since I witnessed the difficulties of people with dementia in my circles, I particularly pay attention to increasing BDNF to improve brain health and create cognitive reserves as I get older.

As informed in this study:

“Several lines of evidence suggest that BDNF is involved in depression, such that the expression of BDNF is decreased in depressed patients. In addition, antidepressants up-regulate the expression of BDNF.”

The effects of BDNF on Alzheimer’s disease are heavily studied. For example, this study published in Nature highlights:

“A growing body of evidence indicates a potential protective effect of BDNF against amyloid-beta-induced neurotoxicity in animal models.”

In addition to reducing the risks of neurological disorders, increasing BDNF might improve the quality of life by enhancing working memory, task switching, and problem-solving capabilities.

For example, this study stated that

“Music exposure can enhance brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression level in the dorsal hippocampus and thus enhance spatial cognition ability.”

These cognitive abilities are necessary for joyful creativity, productivity, and happy life. I also believe that BDNF can contribute to longevity. Thus, I’m investigating its effect on our lifespan.

We can increase BDNF with healthy lifestyle factors such as fasting, regular exercise, quality sleep, rest, and nutritional efficiency.

BDNF can be one of the tools to activate self-healing systems in the brain.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

To inform my new readers, I wrote numerous articles that might inform and inspire you. My topics include brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, writing/reading, science, technology, business, and humor.

I compile my health and wellness stories on my blog, EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.