{"id":502,"date":"2022-08-12T02:33:18","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T02:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.nootopia.com\/?p=502"},"modified":"2022-08-30T22:43:17","modified_gmt":"2022-08-30T22:43:17","slug":"how-to-increase-bdnf-naturally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nootopia.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-bdnf-naturally\/","title":{"rendered":"How to increase BDNF Naturally"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The good news is that you can stimulate BDNF<\/a> production and boost your brain’s BDNF levels naturally. In this article, we\u2019ll share with you how to increase your BDNF levels naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19 Ways to Increase BDNF Naturally <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many ways to increase BDNF are hormeses, which are stressors that make you stronger in small and healthy doses. In response to these stressors, your brain produces BDNF to grow and adapt. In addition, you can mix and match these hormeses in order to reap even more health benefits, including greater increases in BDNF levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Exercise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Exercise increases neurogenesis and favorable brain responses that come with an increase in BDNF in both aged and young people.<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longer exercise sessions increase BDNF more, but even 10 minutes of intense exercise can somewhat increase BDNF and improve your cognitive function.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this is not a quick fix, as BDNF can fall to pre-exercise levels in 30 – 50 minutes. Therefore, to sustainably increase BDNF, you should exercise regularly.<\/span> If you wish to step it up, working out in a hot room even further increases your BDNF levels than exercising alone.<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heat exposure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hyperthermic conditioning is the process of continuous exposure to high temperatures for a short time. You can get hypothermic conditioning from any type of heat exposure, including, steam saunas, dry saunas, hot baths, and infrared saunas<\/a>.<\/span> Any of these heat exposures can increase your BDNF.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infrared saunas expose the human body to as high temperatures as 60\u00b0C for at least 15 minutes, typically increasing core body temperature by around 1\u00b0C. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, rat studies show that infrared lights on the brain show antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects partly by improving hippocampal neurogenesis and increasing BDNF levels.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your BDNF levels increase either by performing exercise in a hot room, enjoying your day submerged in hot water, or relaxing in infrared saunas.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stress management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

BDNF levels decrease in response to stress, so it is important to keep your stress levels in check.<\/span> Proper nutrition and exercise aid in stress management and enhance cognitive function.<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intermittent fasting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Intermittent fasting is defined as not consuming food or caloric beverages for twelve or more consecutive hours.<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, all of which connect to increased production of BDNF.<\/span><\/span> It also helps with BDNF levels by improving blood sugar control<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ketosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ketosis delivers similar anti-aging and cognitive enhancement benefits as intermittent fasting, except with more ketones to fuel the brain.<\/span> Naturally, you may also enter ketosis while fasting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the body is in ketosis, ketone bodies aid in the production of BDNF.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A ketogenic diet decreases neuronal death in the presence of inflammation and excess glutamate. Also, ketone bodies have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deep sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our body goes through four sleep stages, including rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM).<\/span> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep is divided into five stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n