50 | id == 50
50 | category_id == 4
50 | category_order == 1
50 | category_name == Brain
50 | category_color == #C47AC0
50 | slug == Boost-Plasticity-With-The-BDNF-Gene
50 | title == How to Increase Intelligence and Enhance Learning (BDNF)
50 | meta_description == The BDNF gene has a major impact on synaptic plasticity and many cognitive abilities. Learn how to optimize it here!
50 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The <em>BDNF</em> gene is responsible for creating one of the most important compounds your brain uses to promote neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and many other processes crucial for optimal brain function. The variants you carry in this gene determine how much of this important compound you produce, which can in turn influence many aspects of your cognitive ability. Read on to learn more about BDNF, how it works, and the steps that you can take to boost your <em>BDNF</em> genotype even further!</strong></p>
50 | overall_score_text == Your cognitive function score (based on BDNF gene)
50 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/BDNF_image.jpg
50 | author_id == 4
50 | author_name == Matt Carland
50 | author_title == PhD
50 | author_order == 10
50 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Matt.jpg
50 | author_intro == <p><strong>Matt received his PhD at the Universit&eacute; de Montr&eacute;al in Neuroscience.</strong></p>    <p>Matt holds multiple degrees in psychology, cognitive science, and neuroscience. He has over a decade of experience in academic research and has published a number of articles in scholarly journals. He currently works as a neuropsychologist in Montreal, where he performs research on the links between personality traits and the development of clinical disorders such as addiction, compulsive gambling, and disordered eating.</p>
50 | reviewer_id == 2
50 | reviewer_name == Joe Cohen
50 | reviewer_title == BS
50 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
50 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
50 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
50 | publish_date == 2019
50 | publish_date == 9
50 | publish_date == 23
50 | avg_rating == 5.0
50 | tags_id == 159
50 | tags_name == BDNF
50 | tags_id == 160
50 | tags_name == BDNF Gene
50 | tags_id == 13
50 | tags_name == Cognition
50 | tags_id == 94
50 | tags_name == Fluid Intelligence
50 | tags_id == 28
50 | tags_name == Intelligence
50 | tags_id == 59
50 | tags_name == Learning and Memory
50 | tags_id == 27
50 | tags_name == Myelination
50 | tags_id == 26
50 | tags_name == Neurogenesis
50 | tags_id == 123
50 | tags_name == Processing Speed
50 | tags_id == 50
50 | tags_name == Stress
50 | tags_id == 57
50 | tags_name == Synaptic Plasticity
50 | permissions_favorite == False
50 | permissions_rate == False
50 | content_article == <table style="width: 90%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1" cellpadding="10"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 54px;"> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: justify; height: 54px;"><strong>Note:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene is one of the 45 unique intelligence-related genes that we analyze in our comprehensive </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/mind-protocol-nm/"><strong><em>Cognitive Function DNA Wellness Report</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. If you&rsquo;re interested in learning more about the genes that affect your cognitive ability, and the actionable steps that you can take to boost your cognition even further, check it out!</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Is BDNF?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Brain-derived neurotrophic factor</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &mdash; or </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/bdnf-genes-correct/"><strong>BDNF</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for short &mdash; is one of the most important compounds that your brain uses to promote the growth and development of neurons [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27167299"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16869232"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF is a &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">neurotrophic factor</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo; &mdash; a family of compounds that also includes </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/all-about-nerve-growth-factor-and-50-ways-to-increase-it/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">nerve growth factor</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (NGF)</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">neurotrophin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and others &mdash; and which play many key roles that support your brain&rsquo;s ability to grow and learn [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28215294"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25267504"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12974988"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, your brain uses BDNF to stimulate the production of new neurons (through the process known as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ways-increase-neurogenesis/"><strong><em>neurogenesis</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29099059"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF also helps existing neurons grow new connections to other brain cells, which gives it a key role in </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/synaptic-plasticity/"><strong><em>synaptic plasticity</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. By extension, BDNF is critical for your ability to learn and store new information and memories [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28215294"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12890761"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25267504"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF also helps brain cells recover from damage, as well as helps neurons to maintain their </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/myelin/"><strong>myelin</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sheaths &mdash; the fatty coating over neurons that enables them to transmit and receive electrical signals as efficiently as possible [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30572673"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25579386"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28849178"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">All together, the many important roles that BDNF plays throughout your brain also makes it one of the most important factors that can affect your cognitive ability! In this post, we&rsquo;ll be looking at the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene, the main gene that is responsible for determining how much of this important compound your brain produces.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">BDNF is one of the main compounds your brain uses to promote the growth and development of neurons. By stimulating key processes such as neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and more, the total amount of BDNF your brain produces can have a significant effect on your overall cognitive ability.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Does The </strong><strong><em>BDNF</em></strong><strong> Gene Do?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the most important factors that determines your overall levels of BDNF is the (aptly-named) </span><a href="../../gene/bdnf/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the main gene responsible for creating BDNF in your brain and throughout the rest of your body.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This gene has been extensively studied, as the variants that different people carry for this gene can have a very significant influence on </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/bdnf-genes-correct/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">how much BDNF they produce</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> &mdash; and therefore how much of it is available in the brain to help promote neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because the functions of BDNF are so important for overall brain function, genotypes for SNPs in the <em>BDNF</em> gene have been associated with many aspects of cognitive function, including overall cognitive ability [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14636373">R</a>], fluid intelligence [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14730195">R</a>], learning and memory [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25267504">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27551971">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553913">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12890761">R</a>], cognitive flexibility (executive function) [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22911909">R</a>], and even total brain size [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28755387">R</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20493546">R</a>]!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The genetic variations you carry in the main </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene determines how much BDNF you produce, which in turn affects many different aspects of your cognitive function.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>BDNF</em></strong><strong> Genotype</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the most important and highly-studied SNPs for determining your total overall levels of BDNF is </span><a href="../../snp/rs6265/"><strong>rs6265</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, also known as the &ldquo;</span><strong><em>Val66Met</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo; polymorphism [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16869232"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. You can see your genotype for this critical SNP in the table below:</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*4240211248378875*</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*4565697532259865*</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br />The two possible alleles for this SNP are the major &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele (also widely referred to as the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">valine</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">val</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;, allele), and the minor &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele (also known as the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">methionine</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">met</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;, allele) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16869232"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>When it comes to cognitive function, it&rsquo;s better to carry the </strong><strong><em>homozygous major</em></strong><strong> &lsquo;CC&rsquo; (&ldquo;val/val&rdquo;) genotype</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which about 64% of the general population has.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, a targeted gene study gave 437 people a large number of cognitive tests, while also recording their genotype for this </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNP. They found that people who carried two copies of the &lsquo;C&rsquo;/&ldquo;val&rdquo; allele showed significantly </span><strong>enhanced verbal memory and visuospatial processing ability</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> compared to people who carried copies of the &lsquo;T&rsquo;/&ldquo;met&rdquo; allele [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, another targeted study in 114 healthy people found that carriers of two &lsquo;C&rsquo;/&ldquo;val&rdquo; alleles had significantly </span><strong>higher levels of fluid intelligence</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (&ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">performance IQ</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;) relative to people with one or more copies of the &lsquo;T&rsquo;/&ldquo;met&rdquo; allele [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14730195"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because this SNP is so widely studied by scientists, there are literally dozens of other studies that have shown similar results! Instead of going through them all individually, we&rsquo;ll summarize them in the list below.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The beneficial &lsquo;C&rsquo; (&ldquo;val&rdquo;) allele of </strong><a href="../../snp/rs6265/"><strong>rs6265</strong></a><strong> has also been associated with:</strong></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Better working memory (on the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">n-back</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> task) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22379239"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Enhanced learning and memory [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20075215"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25267504"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Increased executive function and greater cognitive flexibility [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22911909"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14636373"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Larger overall brain volume [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19205731"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], as well as higher amounts of grey matter in several key cognition- and memory-related brain areas (such as the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19335934"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Increased activation in the hippocampus while storing and recalling memories (leading to 25% enhanced memory performance compared to &ldquo;met&rdquo; allele carriers) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18501457"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12890761"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Better reading comprehension and verbal memory, as well as more efficient brain activation (in children) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27551971"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greater resilience against the negative effects of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/factors-counteract-stress-response/"><strong>stress</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-anxiety/"><strong>anxiety</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22379239"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023662"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20075215"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">All in all, a very large body of evidence indicates that it&rsquo;s better to carry the &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele for this important </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNP!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Having more copies of the good &lsquo;C&rsquo; (&ldquo;val&rdquo;) allele for </span><a href="../../snp/rs6265/"><strong>rs6265</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is associated with a large number of cognitive and other benefits &mdash; whereas people who carry the bad &lsquo;T&rsquo; (&ldquo;met&rdquo;) allele are at a relative disadvantage.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>SNP Mechanisms</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In general, the benefits of the good &lsquo;C&rsquo; (&ldquo;val&rdquo;) allele stem from relatively increased overall levels of BDNF in the brain, whereas the bad &lsquo;T&rsquo; (&ldquo;met&rdquo;) alleles are worse because they decrease the amount of BDNF a person produces [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23326649"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24713399"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15128854"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the genotype you carry for this SNP also changes the way that neurons store and use BDNF. Normally, BDNF needs to kept close to neural synapses (the place where two neurons &ldquo;connect&rdquo; to each other) in order to help trigger plasticity-related changes. However, the &lsquo;T&rsquo;/&ldquo;met&rdquo; allele causes neurons to store BDNF farther away from synapses, in the main &ldquo;body&rdquo; of the cell (the &ldquo;</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">soma</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23326649"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17023662"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. This makes it more difficult for BDNF to be activated by neural activity, which further contributes to the cognitive effects of the different </span><strong>rs6265</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> genotypes [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22379239"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818862"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12553913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lower levels of active BDNF ultimately makes your brain less able to grow and adapt to new information, which is most likely where this SNP&rsquo;s major cognitive effects come from. For example, deleting the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene in mice causes greatly reduced synaptic plasticity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8901619"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], which in turn produces significant impairments in their ability to learn [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14521993"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Given everything we know about the many different ways this gene can influence peoples&rsquo; cognitive ability, it&rsquo;s likely that similar mechanisms are at play in humans as well.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Compared to carriers of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele, people with the beneficial &lsquo;CC&rsquo; genotype for </span><strong>rs6265</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have a copy of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">BDNF</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene that produces more active BDNF.</span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>How Can I Improve My </strong><strong><em>BDNF</em></strong><strong> Genotype?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you carry the bad &lsquo;T&rsquo; alleles for this SNP, don&rsquo;t get too worried just yet! Because the effects of this SNP stem from differences in the brain&rsquo;s levels of BDNF, you can potentially increase your cognitive ability by taking advantage of lifestyle hacks and supplements that boost your brain&rsquo;s ability to produce and use BDNF.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*9663873097841136*</strong></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle:</strong></h3> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exercise</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Getting plenty of regular </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/"><strong>exercise</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is one of the best ways to promote overall health. Among its many well-known benefits, exercise can directly boost the production and release of BDNF in the brain and throughout the body [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27253067"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11991541"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31386821"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise has also been linked to enhanced working memory, greater cognitive flexibility, faster cognitive processing speed, and higher levels of synaptic plasticity [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28146680"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28975416"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20890449"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">] &mdash; and it is likely that increased BDNF levels are directly responsible for many of the proven physical and cognitive benefits of exercise [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23615664"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19748969"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Sunlight</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another key lifestyle factor that can influence your BDNF levels is how much </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><strong>natural sunlight</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> you get. Lack of sunlight significantly reduces BDNF levels in the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20614233"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Conversely, increasing sun exposure can be a powerful way to boost your BDNF levels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23133609"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span><strong>.</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sun exposure also increases alertness and cognitive performance &mdash; and regular exposure to sunlight can even help protect against cognitive decline (both directly, as well as by stimulating the production of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, an important nutrient for higher brain function) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16920622"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638195"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18579197"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19794127"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Stress Management</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/stress-bad-uncovering-hidden-effects-stress/"><strong>stress</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is another key lifestyle factor that can significantly decrease the amount of BDNF you produce [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25584253"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16024125"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15341606"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9220467"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Therefore, it would be a good idea to cultivate some stress-busting hobbies, such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-yoga/"><strong>yoga</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24049209"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25558129"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22891145"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23440614"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">] or </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/meditation/"><strong>meditation</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24395196"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22377965"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23541163"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, practicing yoga has been found to increase BDNF levels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24049208"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. It has also been linked to significant improvements in attention, executive function, processing speed, and social cognition [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26186435"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24049210"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Similarly, meditation has also been linked to many cognitive benefits, such as increased executive function, enhanced attention and concentration, and faster cognitive processing speed &mdash; even after just as little as 4 sessions of practice [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20363650"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18769538"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]! Meditation can even help your brain grow, as it has been associated with increases in grey matter volume in several key brain areas related to cognition and emotional control [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22814662"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. These benefits also appear to get even stronger with continued practice, making meditation a great long-term strategy to boost your brainpower [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17596341"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18955268"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22363278"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements:</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several great supplements can also help counteract any risk alleles you carry by directly stimulating BDNF production.</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Sodium Butyrate</em></strong><strong> / Resistant Starch</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>HDAC inhibitors</em></strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">, such as </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/butyrate-health-benefits-butyrate-derivatives-sodium-butyrate-phenylbutyrate-trybutyrine-butyric-acid-butyrate-prodrugs-butyrate-producing-bacteria/"><strong><em>sodium butyrate</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/resistant2-resistant-starch-metabolism-autoimmunity-cancer-weight-loss-digestion/"><strong>resistant starches</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, have been shown to boost BDNF production in the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19549282"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23615664"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Supplementing with these natural compounds has also been linked to direct cognitive benefits, such as enhanced learning and memory [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28364391"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30130560"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30304709"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29867447"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28220041"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. They also boost neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity &mdash; benefits which are probably directly linked to increased BDNF levels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19549282"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23615664"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26868600"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25284351"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Butyrate can be obtained from dairy sources such as milk or butter, or it can be supplemented directly [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10386321"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27346602"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Alternatively, you could also try increasing your consumption of resistant starches, common dietary compounds that your gut flora naturally convert into active butyrate [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21831780"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27357127"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28166818"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Foods that are rich in resistant starch include corn, rice, green bananas, and potatoes [</span><a href="http://r"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>Lithium Orotate</em></strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another great supplementation choice for you would be </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/the-benefits-of-lithium/"><strong><em>lithium orotate</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a natural form of lithium that significantly boosts BDNF levels throughout the brain [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21886605"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21743136"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12974988"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Its ability to promote brain growth by increasing BDNF is probably responsible for many of its beneficial effects of cognition, as well as its ability to fight against age-related cognitive decline and other common cognitive impairments [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22746245"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28832877"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21525519"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29103043"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h5 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Fish Oil / </strong><strong><em>Docosahexaenoic Acid</em></strong><strong> (DHA)</strong></h5> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, another excellent supplement for carriers of </span><strong>rs6265</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> risk alleles is </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><strong>fish oil</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Fish oil contains </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">polyunsaturated fatty acids</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (PUFAs) such as </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">docosahexaenoic acid</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (DHA), which promote neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity by boosting BDNF levels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15672635"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24860731"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26901223"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17284765"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplementing with fish oil / DHA has also been associated with enhanced learning and memory [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20434961"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], faster processing speed [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23515006"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], increased verbal intelligence (IQ) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20181791"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">], and enhanced overall cognitive performance [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20181791"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23877090"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The best way to counteract risk alleles for </span><strong>rs6265</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is to use lifestyle hacks and supplements that boost your BDNF levels, which can help you give you the cognitive advantages of the beneficial genotypes by boosting neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity.</span></span></p>
50 | content_snp_table_4240211248378875_key == 4240211248378875
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50 | content_snp_table_4240211248378875_hidden == False
50 | content_learn_more_4565697532259865_key == 4565697532259865
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50 | content_learn_more_4565697532259865_hidden == False
50 | content_learn_more_4565697532259865_text == Based on your data for this SNP, you have slightly reduced BDNF production, which may slightly reduce your overall cognitive ability. To find out what you can do to counteract this, see your personalized recommendations below.
50 | content_recommendation_9663873097841136_key == 9663873097841136
50 | content_recommendation_9663873097841136_blur == True
50 | content_recommendation_9663873097841136_hidden == False
rsIDs = rs6265
rsStatus = rs6265,BDNF,chr11,27658369,C,T,,,38,0,Normal
