The chemical element selenium may be the key to how exercise boosts the brain’s ability to create new neurons, according to new studies in mice.
“I’ve been working on neurogenesis for almost 20 years … and we’ve never seen anything like that before,” Walker says.
“It’s the first time a substance that is usually in the diet has been found to have such a relevant and clear effect in neurogenesis,” says Juan Encinas, a neurobiologist at the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience. But he saysTo find out whether selenium can help the aging brain, Walker’s team added selenomethionine to the drinking water of 18-month-old mice . After nearly 1 month, the number of new neurons in the rodents’ hippocampi had doubled.
Finally, the researchers investigated whether selenium could help reverse the cognitive deficits that result from brain injury. They injected a molecule into the mice’s hippocampus to cause a strokelike lesion that destroys neurons and hurts memory. The lesioned but treated mice performed just as well as normal mice on a suite of memory tasks.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Enhance your workouts with 'invisible exercise' and brain trainingThe power of the mind-body connection has long been known among professional athletes. Here's how you may be able to use it too.
Read more »
Pets can boost your brain power, study saysHaving a long-term pet companion may delay memory loss and other kinds of cognitive decline, a new study has found.
Read more »
Pets can boost your brain power, study showsA new study shows it could delay memory loss and other kinds of cognitive decline, especially verbal memory, like memorizing a list of words.
Read more »
Does Sex Count As Exercise? Here's What Experts Say | Well+GoodIf you're sexually active, you might wonder, 'Does sex count as exercise?' Learn what exercise experts and a sexologist say.
Read more »
Photo of Ukraine officer wearing 'Don't mess with Texas' patch goes viralThe post of the Ukrainian officer was widely shared across social media platforms.
Read more »