You can grow new brain cells. Here’s how
Can we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way.
Things that promote neurogenesis:
- Resveratrol (found in red wine, has been shown to promote the survival of these new neurons)
- Omega 3 fatty acids
- Calorie restriction (20-30%)
- Intermittent fasting
- Blueberries
- Flavonoids (found in dark chocolate and blueberries)
- Caffeine
- Folic acid
- Zinc
- Curcumin And physical activities:
- Running
- Sex
- Learning
Things against neurogenesis:
- Vitamin E, B, A deficiency
- Ethanol (alcohol - red wine counter balanced with resveratrol)
- High sugar
- High saturated fat
- Soft diet (So Japanese groups are fascinated with food textures, and they have shown that soft diets impair neurogenesis, as opposed to food that requires mastication – chewing – or crunchy food.) And physical activities:
- Sleep deprivation
- Stress
- Aging
So all of this data, where we need to look at the cellular level, has been generated using animal models. But this diet has also been given to human participants, and what we could see is that the diet modulates memory and mood in the same direction as it modulates neurogenesis, such as: calorie restriction will improve memory capacity, whereas a high-fat diet will exacerbate symptoms of depression – as opposed to omega-3 fatty acids, which increase neurogenesis, and also help to decrease the symptoms of depression. So we think that the effect of diet on mental health, on memory and mood, is actually mediated by the production of the new neurons in the hippocampus. And it’s not only what you eat, but it’s also the texture of the food, when you eat it and how much of it you eat.