BDNF is an important protein that modulates the effect of various neurotransmitter receptors.

Neurotransmitters make you feel different things, for example, GABA and glycine are inhibitory neurotransmitters, and epinephrine and norepinephrine are some of the excitatory neurotransmitters. Basically Inhibitory transmitters make you relax and excitatory neurotransmitters pep you up!

BDNF encourages growth and differentiation of new neurons and synapses.

Neurons are cells, if a carrot was a cell the carrot would be the neuron and the roots of the carrot would be the synapses, that’s a very basic example that doesn’t include all the different parts of the cell, like dendrites and myelin but it gives you a basic idea.

Your cells need BDNF like a carrot needs sunlight.

When you release BDNF you feel happier because it makes you release beta endorphins.

So just like carrots need water, air and nutrient rich soil to grow and thrive your brain needs BDNF to learn, to remember, and to feel good.

Rats that are deprived of BDNF suffer from premature death, have bad coordination, bad balance, bad hearing etc.

Rats that were engineered to not produce BDNF at all died of heart failure, that’s how important it is.

BDNF is really important….!

Earlier I talked about neurogenesis, the brain creates new neurons in the hippocampus, the hippocampus is responsible for learning information, storing long term memories and regulating emotions, so neurogenesis is really important.

So it’s exciting that aerobic exercise can cause BDNF induced neurogenesis, participants experienced a threefold increase of BDNF synthesis with the right amount of aerobic exercise.

So if you can do really intense aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes 3-4 times a week before you sit at a desk to study or work for 8 hours your brain will thank you for it in 50 years with a better memory that will impress your grandchildren…

Also, please do work that is not too repetitive and mind numbing, do work with some kind of variety that makes you think independently and with other people.

Helping people doing work that you love will make you happier 🙂