Stem Cell Therapy Proven to Increase Memory
We’ve all come to accept the notion that our brain will continue to shrink as we age. Nowhere is this decline more impactful than in the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, one of the primary brain areas that’s first to decline in Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers measuring the size of the hippocampus using MRI scans demonstrate a clear correlation between shrinkage of the hippocampus and declining cognitive function. So, at least as it relates to the hippocampus, size does matter.
Challenging the status quo notion that loss of hippocampal function is inevitable is new and exciting research showing that we have the potential to actually grow new cells in this vitally important are of the brain, expanding the hippocampus in size and enhancing memory function.
The growth of new cells in the brain, neurogenesis, is enhanced under the influence of a specific protein called BDNF. And while there is no pharmaceutical approach to increasing BDNF, animal research has long recognized that aerobic exercise causes a robust increase in BDNF levels and as a consequence increases both the growth of new cells in the hippocampus as well as increase in memory.
But while the animal research has long confirmed the relationship between aerobic exercise and the growth of new brain cells, this relationship has been only recently demonstrated to occur in humans.
Neuroscientist Kirk Erikson and his research team at the University of Pittsburgh publishing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science studied a group of 120 adults over a one year span. Half the group was given a stretching program to perform 3 times each week while the other half did engaged in 3 days of aerobics.
After one year, the 2 groups were evaluated looking at 3 parameters. First, using MRI scans, the change in size of the hippocampus was calculated. Second, serum measurements before and after the trial were measured. And finally, the study actually measured memory function at the beginning and end of the trial.
The results were breathtaking. While the group doing the stretching program manifested a decline in memory, hippocampal size and BDNF levels, the aerobics group showed not only improvement in memory, but an actually increase in the size of the hippocampus accompanied by an increase in their blood levels of BDNF. The authors concluded: “These results clearly indicate that aerobic exercise is neuroprotective and that starting an exercise regimen later in life is not futile for either enhancing cognition or augmenting brain volume.” Simply stated, this landmark research demonstrated that aerobic exercises increases the growth of new stem cells in the human brain, and these stem cells mature to become fully functioning neurons.
What’s more, research just published several weeks ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that blood levels of BDNF almost perfectly predict future risk for developing dementia as long as 10 years in the future.
The results of these studies have huge implications. There is no effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and yet, simple aerobic exercise can turn on the genetic machinery to manufacture BDNF, the brain’s “growth hormone,” creating new stem cells that become fully functioning neurons in the brain’s memory center and actually improving memory. Despite the lack of any pharmaceutical development to enhance this process, you have direct control of your BDNF levels and thus the fate of your brain.
You can increase your BDNF levels and enhance the growth of new brain cells and memory. Here’s how:
- Engage in regular aerobic exercise. I recommend 20 minutes per day, 6 days each week. A good target heart rate is around 180 minus your age. Your specific target rate will depend on your level of fitness as well as medications you may be taking.
- The omega-3 DHA, like aerobic exercise, has been shown to activate the genes that turn on BDNF production. So take a supplement that contains DHA. DHA is available in fish oils as well as algae-derived (suitable for vegetarians). While krill oil is popular, the DHA content is typically only 10% of fish or algae-based products.
Tiba ya Chembe za Msingi Imeonyeshwa Kuongeza Kumbukumbu Sote tumekubali wazo kwamba ubongo wetu utaendelea kupungua kadiri tunavyokua. Hakuna mahali ambapo kupungua kwa uwezo wa kukumbuka kunaathiri zaidi kuliko hippocampus, kituo cha kumbukumbu cha ubongo, mojawapo ya maeneo ya ubongo ambayo hupungua kwa mara ya kwanza katika ugonjwa wa Alzheimer. Watafiti waliopima ukubwa wa hippocampus kwa kutumia MRI wanaonyesha uhusiano wa wazi kati ya kupungua kwa hippocampus na kupungua kwa utendaji wa utambuzi. Kwa hivyo, angalau inahusiana na hippocampus, ukubwa ni muhimu. "Utafiti mpya unaonyesha kwamba tuna uwezo wa kukuza seli mpya katika sehemu hii muhimu ya ubongo, kupanua hippocampus kwa ukubwa na kuboresha kazi ya kumbukumbu. """ Ujenzi wa seli mpya katika ubongo hufanywa kwa kutumia protini inayoitwa BDNF. Ingawa hakuna mbinu ya dawa ya kuongeza BDNF, utafiti wa wanyama umegundua kwa muda mrefu kwamba mazoezi ya aerobic husababisha ongezeko kubwa la viwango vya BDNF na kwa sababu hiyo huongeza ukuaji wa seli mpya katika hippocampus na kuongeza kumbukumbu. Hata hivyo, utafiti uliofanywa kwa wanyama umethibitisha uhusiano kati ya mazoezi ya aerobic na ukuaji wa chembe mpya za ubongo, lakini ni hivi karibuni tu kwamba uhusiano huo umeonyeshwa kwa wanadamu. Kirk Eriksson, mtaalamu wa sayansi ya neva, na timu yake ya utafiti katika Chuo Kikuu cha Pittsburgh, walichapisha katika Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, kikundi cha watu wazima 120 zaidi ya kipindi cha mwaka mmoja. Nusu ya kikundi hicho walipewa mazoezi ya kunyoosha mara tatu kwa wiki, na nusu nyingine walifanya mazoezi ya aerobics kwa siku tatu. Baada ya mwaka mmoja, makundi mawili yalikadiriwa kwa kuangalia vigezo vitatu. Kwanza, kwa kutumia uchunguzi wa MRI, mabadiliko ya ukubwa wa hippocampus yalihesabiwa. Pili, vipimo vya seramu kabla na baada ya jaribio vilipimwa. Mwishowe, utafiti huo ulipima utendaji wa kumbukumbu mwanzoni na mwishoni mwa jaribio hilo. Matokeo yalikuwa yenye kustaajabisha. Wakati kikundi cha mazoezi ya kunyoosha kilionyesha kupungua kwa kumbukumbu, ukubwa wa hippocampus na viwango vya BDNF, kikundi cha aerobics kilionyesha sio tu uboreshaji wa kumbukumbu, lakini kuongezeka kwa ukubwa wa hippocampus, ikifuatiwa na ongezeko la viwango vya damu vya BDNF. "Wanahabari wa utafiti huo walisema: ""Hizi matokeo wazi kuonyesha kwamba aerobic mazoezi ni neuroprotective na kwamba kuanza mazoezi ya baadaye katika maisha si bure kwa ajili ya ama kuongeza utambuzi au kuongeza kiasi cha ubongo.""Utafiti huu wa kihistoria alionyesha kwamba aerobic mazoezi huongeza ukuaji wa seli mpya za shina katika ubongo wa binadamu, na seli hizi shina kukomaa kuwa neurons kikamilifu kazi." Utafiti uliochapishwa wiki chache zilizopita katika jarida la American Medical Association ulionyesha kuwa viwango vya damu vya BDNF vinaweza kutabiri hatari ya kuambukizwa ugonjwa wa akili kwa miaka 10 ijayo. Matokeo ya uchunguzi huo yana matokeo makubwa. Hakuna tiba ya ugonjwa wa Alzheimer, lakini mazoezi ya aerobic yanaweza kuamsha mfumo wa chembe za urithi wa BDNF, homoni ya ukuaji wa ubongo, na kuunda seli mpya za shina ambazo zinafanya kazi kikamilifu katika neuroni za kumbukumbu. Ingawa hakuna maendeleo ya dawa ya kuongeza mchakato huu, una udhibiti wa moja kwa moja wa viwango vya BDNF na hatima ya ubongo wako. Inaongeza viwango vya BDNF na kuongeza ukuaji wa seli mpya za ubongo na kumbukumbu. Hapa ni jinsi: - Kushiriki katika mazoezi ya kawaida ya aerobic. Inashauriwa kufanya mazoezi kwa dakika 20 kila siku, siku 6 kila wiki. Kiwango cha kawaida cha moyo ni karibu 180 - umri wako. Kiwango chako cha lengo kitategemea kiwango chako cha mazoezi na vilevile dawa unazotumia. Omega-3 DHA, kama mazoezi ya aerobic, imeonyeshwa kuamsha jeni ambazo huamsha uzalishaji wa BDNF. Kwa hiyo, chukua dawa ya kuongeza ambayo ina DHA. DHA inapatikana katika mafuta ya samaki na vile vile kutoka kwa mwani (inafaa kwa mboga). Mafuta ya krill ni muhimu kwa afya ya binadamu, lakini DHA ni asilimia 10 tu ya mafuta ya samaki na algae.