BDNF: The Secret to Better Mental Health

A Bite-Size Read for Your Health and Your Waistline

Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash

As mental health month wraps, we’ve seen countless outlets telling us how to alleviate stress, manage our challenges and more. From journaling to yoga, meditation, and therapy there are a multitude of options which certainly support mental health. What’s often missing from many of the conversations is neurochemistry. I’m not saying we all need a biology degree, but I do think there are some interesting factors worth exploring to round-out the conversation. Let’s touch on one: BDNF or Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor.

Fun fact, (or maybe not so fun if you’re not as nerdy as I am) BDNF was first discovered in 1989 by Yves-Alainn Barde and Hans Thoenen in a pig brain. It’s a protein produced by the BDNF gene that encourages the survival, growth, maturation, and maintenance of neurons. The BDNF protein supports learning and memory, and a lack of it can make you vulnerable to anxiety disorders. Similarly, low BDNF levels are associated with obesity, type-2 diabetes, anorexia, depression, and overall poor mental health. In fact, BDNF is so essential to our wellbeing that it could be considered a “natural anti-depressant”.

So how do you support healthful levels of BDNF? First, manage stress (insert eye roll). BDNF levels drop in response to stress, which means your efforts to…