Brain Health & BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor)
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF); frequently colloquially described as ‘Fertiliser for the Brain’ because it is that useful. But what exactly is it, and how does it support Brain health & Brainspan?
BDNF is, scientifically speaking, a Neurotrophin. This means it belongs to a family of proteins which regulate growth (it is a ‘nerve growth factor’), function and survival of Neurones (Brain and Nervous System cells). It is made in our cell apparatus; specifically, the endoplasmic reticulum (where it starts as pre-pro-BDNF before undergoing a morphology into BDNF), and has an important role to play in a concept called Neurogenesis which is the Brain’s ability to adapt, learn, and to stabilise & grow new connections & pathways within the Brain to reach the intended end goal. (It is not dissimilar to using different telephone numbers to reach the intended contact.)
So how does BDNF support Brain health, function and survival? Ultimately, it is Neuroprotective. It nurtures the connections between Neurones in the Brain (this is where the ‘plasticity’ semantic in ‘Neuroplasticity’ derives from), supports their structure & function (how robust they are, how well they work, and their scaffolding support network), and acts protectively to risk-avoid Neurones’ demise. Rather like Human Beings’ systemic functionality in-totality, when you think about it. BDNF is also highly supportive of learning and memory forming & storage so it’s pretty integral and useful in our Brain’s everyday, indeed everyminute, functioning.
So, how can we encourage the generation of BDNF? Here are three strategies:
1. Movement & exercise. This is the most impactful method of galvanising our body to naturally synthesise BDNF. (Although this is not a straightforward tri-directional translation of more exercise = more BDNF = more health benefits since over-expression of BDNF may occasionally be linked to seizures … so if you are relatively new to exercise, then over-exercising should not be endorsed; simply move your body however and whenever you can to subtly create and experience BDNF Brain-benefits.)
2. Chewing. Not quite exercise, but mastication does involve small movements and every little helps. (And chewing is all-round good for health, appetite, digestion and nutrient absorption so there are multiple on-route benefits.)
3. A KetoFlex dietary approach; i.e. ample beneficial Omega-3 fats in the diet (for example avocado, extra virgin olive oil, oily fish, seeds & nuts where allergy/intolerance & dentition permit) are the most evidenced to support the natural synthesis of serum levels of BDNF. However, it is as yet unclear to what extent BDNF in this setting is able to actively cross the Blood-Brain-Barrier, therefore in this instance diet is a secondary & supportive to movement/exercise which typically yields the greatest generation of BDNF.
Please note that these are just a few general recommendations; they are not personalised and they are not tailored to include recommendations for any existing health imbalances or medical conditions. In these cases, if you have a health or medical condition that needs specific nutritional management and requirements, please consult a medical professional alongside a Nutritionist/Dietician expert.
In the meantime, don’t forget Eat, Drink, Think Nutrition INSERT HYPERLINK TO BRAIN HEALTH PAGE and spare a thought (no pun intended) for your Brain health. Losing your Brain power can be even more devastating to you, and those around you, than losing an aspect of your physical health, so why wouldn’t you start to look after your Brain ASAP since diet and lifestyle modifications actioned NOW could save a lot of distress and heartbreak later in life.
REMEMBER: if you are taking any medications always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist as well as your Doctor before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes. This blog post is written for educational purposes only and in reference to ‘food’. It is NOT advocating taking dietary supplements. It is very important to always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist and your Doctor before introducing any dietary supplements into your health regime as these qualified professionals will be able to offer personalised and safe recommendations.
If Brain, cognitive and/or memory are issues which you are struggling with and you want to discover the inspiring & sustainable diet & lifestyle programmes offered by Nutritional Therapy, get in touch via the Contact Me page on this website, or directly on info@eatdrinkthinknutrition.co.uk for more information about 1:2:1 Consultations with Kate at Eat Drink Think Nutrition®
In the meantime, don’t forget to Eat, Drink, Think Nutrition and spare a thought (no pun intended) for your Brain health. Losing your Brain power can be even more devastating to you, and those around you, than losing an aspect of your physical health so why wouldn’t you start to look after your Brain ASAP since diet and lifestyle modifications actioned NOW could save a lot of distress and heartbreak later in life.
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REFERENCES
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its clinical implications; doi: 10.5114/aoms.2015.56342
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: A Key Molecule for Memory in the Healthy and the Pathological Brain; https://doi.org/10.3389/fncel.2019.00363
The physiology of regulated BDNF release; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-020-03253-2
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is related to stress and chewing in saliva and salivary glands; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdsr.2019.11.001
Reduced mastication during growth inhibits cognitive function by affecting trigeminal ganglia and modulating WNT signaling pathway and ARHGAP33 molecular transmission; DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2023.102370
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor released from blood platelets prevents dendritic atrophy of lesioned adult central nervous system neurons; https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad046
The effect of dietary interventions on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in adults: a systematic review of clinical trials; doi: 10.1186/s40795-025-01174-3
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the omega-3 fatty acids effects on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF); doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2023.2245996
