Regular exercise can create new brain cells and may also slow down the onset of dementia
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SEPTEMBER , 2023 | THE HEALTH
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BRAINNOTES
BY TONY PEREIRA
DURING WORLD War II , a young , unassuming scientist named Rita Levi-Montalcini made an astonishing discovery . She discovered nerve growth factor when experimenting in her bedroom , which also doubled as her research laboratory .
Nerve growth factor stimulated the growth of new cells . Montalcini was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Physiology in 1986 for discovering this . She went on to live to the ripe old age of 103 before she passed on in 2012 .
The brain at its peak has 87 billion neurons or brain cells . We reach our peak at around our mid-twenties . After that , the body stops producing brain cells .
We lose brain cells every day . Our lifestyle choices may also accelerate the daily loss of brain cells . For example , stress , smoking , drinking and lack of sleep are some activities or habits that will accelerate the loss of brain cells .
But thanks to the discovery of nerve growth factor by Levi-Montalcini , neuroscientists believe that it is possible to grow new brain cells . This process is called neurogenesis . And here is the beauty of neurogenesis -no prescription is required ; it does not cost anything , and anyone can do it .
Research going back over 30 years has indicated that a routine of exercising will create new brain cells , especially in the hippocampus . The hippocampus is a structure located in the temporal lobe and is associated with memory and learning .
Hippocampus is Greek for seahorse . The shape of the hippocampus resembles that of a seahorse . We have two hippocampi - one on each side of the brain .
CREATING NEW CELLS
Dr Neal Barnard , a physician in Chicago and author of several books on well-being and health , relates the results of an experiment carried out in Illinois where several elderly people had their brains scanned and , for a year after that , were asked to exercise three times a week for 40 minutes each time . After a year of exercising ( brisk walk ), their brains were scanned again .
The researchers found that the hippocampus of these volunteers had grown in size ( instead of reducing in size due to age ). They were able to reverse the ageing process of the hippocampus .
In 2021 , a review of the research on the effects of exercise on the brain published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that regular exercise can create new brain cells and may also slow down the onset of dementia . Even more remarkably ,
Exercise and the brain
Regular exercise can create new brain cells and may also slow down the onset of dementia
the publication states that regular exercise may help clear amyloid-beta , which forms around brain cells and has been identified as one of the causes of Alzheimer ’ s .
There is a link between exercise and neurogenesis . When we exercise , we stimulate the development of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( or BNDF ) protein .
BDNF supports existing neurons ’ survival and promotes the growth of new neurons . If we develop a regular exercise routine , BDNF is produced , which will trigger the growth of new cells .
Research has affirmed the importance of developing such a routine . Consistency in exercising is more important than the duration . In other words , exercising three times a week for 40 minutes each time ( as recommended by the Centre for Disease Control ) is preferable to exercising for an hour once a week .
AN IDLE BRAIN IS AN AGEING BRAIN
Further research by neuroscientists Gregory Bratman , Gretchen Daly , Benjamin Levy and James Gross found that people who exercise outdoors tend to perform better in memory and cognitive tests . For someone who has been an avid gym user since I was a student , the research results by Bratman et al . was a surprise . I set out to understand why exercising outdoors helps the brain .
What I learned was that BDNF is attracted to natural light . So when we walk outside for example , BDNF is
activated because of the attraction of BDNF to sunlight . This would explain the results of the experiments by Bratman et all . I think back to the Covid-19 days of 2020 , where I could not
Tony Pereira is an Independent Consultant and Founder of SuperTrouper365 go to the gym like I used to , but I did walk for about an hour each day in the compound of the condominium where I live .
It probably explains why I felt less brain fog after some months of this regular activity than I had experienced before . In effect , this change in how I felt led me down the route of learning about neuroscience and how to boost brain health .
One other piece of research I encountered in my journey to understanding how the brain works and how to maintain brain health - an idle brain is an ageing brain .
You may have read about the five blue zones of the world . These are areas where people live the longest and are also the healthiest . The five blue zones are Okinawa ( Japan ), Sardinia ( Italy ), Loma Linda ( California ), Nicoya Peninsula ( Costa Rica ) and Ikaria ( Greece ).
One of the common features of people who live in these zones is that they never retire . Yes , they retire from the workforce but they make it a point to keep the brain active through various activities .
GETTING RID OF BRAIN FOG
Learning is a great way to keep the brain active . An experiment by Professor Eleanor Macguire from University College , London , found that the hippocampus grows in size when people keep learning . Over time , I have picked up many habits that stop challenging the brain .
Therefore , it was not surprising that I started to experience brain fog . One very simple bad habit I picked up was to take a photo of the location of my car each time I was in the car park of a mall .
I was very pleased with this , until I learned that I was actually giving my brain a reason to contract . So , after attending a course on how to boost our memory , I stopped this practice . Instead , I devised a method to associate where I parked the car with a phrase .
So if I parked in say bay D25 , I would simply remember the location as “ Christmas ”. Another common complaint people have made to me is that they often forget where they leave their car keys or mobile phone . I tell them that it is not because they have forgotten .
It is because the brain never knew where they left their personal belongings in the first place . Typically when we leave our personal belongings , we are not paying attention to what we are doing ( a typical System 1 activity ). We are probably thinking about something else or focusing on some other activity .
The brain can only deal with one thing at a time . So if you focus on another matter , the brain will not record where you are leaving your personal items . So this is what you can do : 1 . Exercise three times a week ( if possible outdoors ), for at least 40 minutes each time ;
2 . Make sure you keep the brain active . Reading , crossword puzzles or learning new skills are all great activities which stimulate the growth of the hippocampus ;
3 . Focus on one thing at a time .
Therefore , if you want a prescription for better brain health , you can implement these three things immediately . – The Health