7 Ways To Produce New Nerve Cells Throughout Life
Many people think that with age, neurons are irreparably and irreversibly lost and no new neurons are born, but fortunately, this seemingly catastrophic situation is not entirely true.
Neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons, continues in the brain even in old age, and especially in the hippocampal region, which is involved in memory and learning, among other things. Once formed, these new neurons are normally associated with the function of other neurons.
What is even better than this, numerous scientific studies suggest that certain lifestyles make it possible to both produce new nerve cells and rejuvenate the brain. In this article, Raquel Marín lists 7 great ways to produce new nerve cells.
1. Learn to play an instrument
Music and playing a musical instrument both speed up brain activity and improve learning ability. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a virtuoso in this case! Simply combining tactile as well as auditory and tactile activity, logic, analytics and movement by following the rhythm of music produces a synchronized collaboration of different areas of the brain.
Learning to play is for the brain like gymnastics. When the practical side is combined with the creative side, in the medium term, problem-solving ability improves, so that memories and learning are also stored in the brain much more efficiently.
Playing a musical instrument can even increase an intellectual relationship in a child’s preschool age. According to a study conducted with preschoolers , the IQ of children among students who learned to play the piano increased more significantly compared to those children who did not attend piano lessons.
As we can see, playing music at any stage of life also brings incredible benefits to our nerve cells and brain function!
2. Give your brain oxygen
Aerobic exercise is considered to be, for example, an exercise in which you walk briskly, run, dance, swim or pedal. This type of training promotes the emergence of new neurons, especially to improve learning ability. In addition, aerobic exercise helps to improve blood circulation, which is particularly extensive in the brain, allowing existing blood vessels to strengthen and even new blood vessels to form.
As a result of optimal vascular remodeling, both the transport of nutrients and oxygen to brain cells and neurogenesis are enhanced.
In this sense, a recent scientific study of people who practiced aerobic exercise has shown that 3 months after the start of training, oxidation improved in some parts of the brain where aging begins to appear first. Subjects also performed better in memory tests and, above all, the number of neurons increased in these areas of the brain, which in turn indicates that the brain remained younger.
3. Moving your legs
Several animal studies have shown that in animals running on an impeller, moving the legs increased neuronal neurogenesis in areas of memory and learning, whereas this effect was not again observed in animals that did not move.
The more we move our legs, the more nerve cells are created, that is, in other words; the longer the walk, the more neurogenesis occurs in the areas of learning and memory. This makes a lot of sense if we consider that while walking, our brains stimulate the exploration of new environments, which in turn helps in navigating and identifying places.
Recent studies have shown that finding new places and finding new objects reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and improves memory. Thus, an excellent way to produce new neurons is to walk to places unfamiliar to you. So get out of the routine and surprise your brain with new things and places!
On the contrary, in situations where the mobility of the legs is reduced, the formation of new nerve cells also decreases. Studies have shown that, for example, in astronauts who spent months in a weightless state and in people with reduced mobility or paralysis of the lower extremities, neurogenesis was reduced by up to 70 percent. However, there are other alternatives for these people to produce new nerve cells, such as practicing meditation.
4. Mind and body exercises
Practicing meditation, yoga, tai chi, and mindfullnes is an important part of learning the natural flow of thoughts and behaviors, and does not necessarily need to add an emotional component. Mind and body exercises help both to stimulate nervous system activity in different parts of the brain and promote the memory functions needed to perform tasks and make decisions.
Daily practice of zen meditation, mindfullnes, or yoga changes nerve circuits after just a few months, when an increase in the amount of gray matter is observed in the memory and emotion management areas of the brain.
Exercises for the mind and body also improve deeper breathing, which is also of immense benefit to our brains, as this organ really craves oxygen.
5. Eat for all your brains
As stated in the article “ Brain loves fat ” by neuroscientist Marín , Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the brain. In addition, these fatty acids accumulate in areas of the brain related to memory and learning, such as the cortex and hippocampus. However, the brain itself produces almost no Omega-3 fatty acids, as they do not contain the metabolic elements that the body needs to make those fatty acids. In other words, adding Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet is essential.
Many scientific studies have shown that adequate intake of Omega-3 fatty acids not only reduces neuronal death but also increases their formation. Something similar also happens in the mood. When levels of Omega-3 fatty acids are low, exposure to depression and low mood is higher and this can even increase the risk of suicide.
On the other hand, diets high in fiber, lactic acid, and adequate amounts of vegetables and fruits help maintain the well-being of the gut and the microorganisms that inhabit it, which in turn make up our “second and third brains”.
Studies suggest that the gut inhabited by real microorganisms increases the number of molecules needed to promote brain neurogenesis. So don’t forget the important fatty acids and fibers to produce new nerve cells!
6. Write a book
A study measuring the brain volume of creative writers published in 2018 has shown that these people dedicated to literature found more gray matter (i.e., they found more neurons) in areas of the brain that control the generation, organization, and evaluation of ideas needed for unpublished texts.
In addition, creative writing engages in tasks related to long-term memory. So we should learn from Marín, as he has written not just one book but already two books on the subject!
7. Develop your creativity
If creative writing isn’t your thing, it’s quite likely that some other creative activity, such as plastic or performing arts and, more generally, any hobby that promotes creativity, can produce new nerve cells.
Creativity is one of the functions to which the brain focuses its energy and stimulates it the most. Creativity is part of our intimate human nature.
How inspiring is the knowledge that when we read this article by Marín, for example, to the beat of music or while walking, we have probably been able to contribute to the birth of some new neurons in our brain!
