Canyougrowyourhippocampus?Yes.

Hereshow,andwhyit
matters
sharpbrains.com/blog/2015/11/04/canyougrowyourhippocampusyeshereshowandwhyitmatters/

ByDr.MajidFotuhi

11/5/2015

.
Apairofthumbsizedstructuresdeepinthecenterofthehumanbrainarecriticalforourabilitytolearnand
remember.Thankstotheirshape,eachofthemiscalledhippocampuswhichmeansseahorseinGreek.
Thesebrainareashavetheuniquecapacitytogeneratenewneuronseveryday.Infact,recenthumanstudies
haveshownthatthereare700newbraincellsinthehippocampuseveryday.Mostoftheseneurons,however,
donotsurvive.Intheirnewborn(premature)phase,theyneedagreatdealofsupporttosurvive,grow,and
becomeanactivememberofthehippocampalcommunityofneurons.
Researchshowsthatwehavethecapacitytogrownewneuronsaboveandbeyondwhatisgenerallyproduced
inourhippocampusandtomakethembecomematureandstrongwithinweeksandmonths.
Thebestwaytogeneratenewhippocampalneuronsistoexercise.Inonestudycomparingbrainsoftwogroups
ofmice,thegroupthatwasassignedtorunning(livedinacagewitharunningwheelinit)generatedfarmore
newneuronsintheirhippocampusthanthegroupthatwasassignedtoaregularcagewithoutarunningrefill.
Otherstudieshaveshownthatpeoplewhoexerciseregularlyandarephysicallyfithaveamuchbigger
hippocampus.Themoreyouwalk,thebiggeryourhippocampuswillgetandthelesswouldbeyourriskfor
developingAlzheimersdisease.OnestudyshowedthatwalkingonemileadaylowerstheriskofAlzheimers
diseaseby48%.
Recentresearchhasalsoprovidedinformationabouthowhippocampuscangrowevenwithoutgenerating
brandnewneurons.Thesmallprematureneuronsthatareborneverydayhavethecapacitytogrowtaller,
larger,andstrongerbygettingtherightnutrition,plentyofoxygen,amoleculecalledBDNF(BrainDerived
NeurotrophicFactor)andstimulation.Someofthewayswecanmatureandnourishhippocampalneurons
includeeatingaMediterraneandietthatincludesoliveoil,salmonandotherfoodthatarehighinomega3fatty
acids,andnuts.Omega3fattyacidsarealsoavailableasDHAandEPAsupplements.Myrecentresearch,
publishedinNatureReviewsandreferencedbelow,showedthathigherbloodlevelsoftheseimportantfatty
acids,whicharethebuildingblocksofneurons,isassociatedwithlargerhippocampussize,bettermemory,and
amuchlowerriskofdevelopingAlzheimersdisease.
Thefascinatingnewneurosciencediscoverieshaveprovidedcompellingevidenceonhowothersimplelifestyle
interventionscanalsogrowthehippocampussize.Stressreductionandmeditation,forexample,havebeen
showntosubstantiallyexpandthevolumeofhippocampus.Treatmentofsleepapnea,withusingaCPAP
machine,isanotherwayyoucangrowyourhippocampus.
Learninganewlanguageorchallengingonesbrainbylearningnewfactsisyetanotherwaytogrowthevery
partofyourbrainthatiscriticalforourabilitytokeepyourmemoriesaliveforalifetimeandstaysharpasweget
older.
Unfortunately,hippocampuscanshrinkaseasilyasitcangrow.Someofthewaystoquicklyshrivelitwithin
monthsoryearsincludestress,anxiety,untreateddepression,obesity,uncontrolleddiabetes,sedentarylifestyle,
eatingjunkfood,andconcussions.Eachofthesenegativeriskfactorshavebeenassociatedwithasmallersize
hippocampusandahigherlikelihoodofdevelopingAlzheimersdiseaseinthefuture.
Insummary,forthefirsttimewehavesolidscientificevidencethatweallhavethecapacitytogrowthepartof
ourbrainsthatshrinkswithagingandmakesuspronetodevelopingAlzheimersdisease.Abiggerhippocampus
canprotectusagainstdementiasymptomsinour70sand80s.Theseexcitingnewdiscoveriesshouldempower
allofustobeproactiveinkeepingourbrainhealthytodayandtowardoffAlzheimersdiseasedecadeslater.

References:
Modifiablefactorsthatalterthesizeofthehippocampuswithageing.NatRevNeurol.2012Mar
138(4):189202.doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2012.27.FotuhiM1,DoD,JackC.
Lowintensitydailywalkingactivityisassociatedwithhippocampalvolumeinolderadults.Hippocampus.
2015May25(5):60515.doi:10.1002/hipo.22397.Epub2014Dec26.VarmaVR1,ChuangYF,Harris
GC,TanEJ,CarlsonMC.
Regularfishconsumptionandagerelatedbraingraymatterloss.AmJPrevMed.2014Oct47(4):44451.
doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2014.05.037.Epub2014Jul29.RajiCA1,EricksonKI2,LopezOL3,KullerLH4,
GachHM2,ThompsonPM5,RiverolM6,BeckerJT7.
AHarvardandJohnsHopkinstrainedneurologistandneuroscientist,Dr.MajidFotuhiischairmanofMemo
synNeurologyInstitute,MedicalDirectorofNeuroGrowBrainFitnessCenter,andAffiliateStaffatJohnsHopkins
HowardCountyGeneralHospital.Hellchairafascinatingsessionattheupcoming2015SharpBrainsVirtual
Summit(November1719th).
Tolearnmore,readthearticleSolvingtheBrainFitnessPuzzleIstheKeytoSelfEmpoweredAging.
Categories:CognitiveNeuroscience,Health&Wellness
Tags:aging,Alzheimersdisease,BDNF,brain,BrainDerivedNeurotrophicFactor,BrainFitnessCenter,
exercise,hippocampus,lifestyle,Neurogenesis,Neurons,neuroscience