Neuroscientist reveals the most important factor in changing your brain and improving your mood

Have you ever wondered whether you could change the way you think, even though you are an adult?

Not too long ago, people believed that once a human had fully grown up, their brain had developed to a certain point. That meant that people thought they couldn't grow new brain cells and that they couldn't change the structure of their brain.

However, recent neuroscience has proven this claim to be wrong.

Research has discovered that the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain do change in response to new situations in their environment.

In this riveting TED talk, neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret describes how our brain produces 700 new neurons each day in the hippocampus.

While you may not think that's much, compared to the billions of neurons each one of us has, by the time we turn fifty, we'll have exchanged the neurons we were born within that structure with adult-born neurons.

According to Thuret, these neurons are essential for memory capacity and the quality of these memories.

More interestingly, Thuret claims that new research shows a strong connection between neurogenesis (the process of birth of neurons) and depression. So, in an animal model of depression, it has been discovered that there's a lower level of neurogenesis.

By giving anti-depressants, it raises the production of these newborn neurons and lowers the symptoms of depression, establishing a clear connection between neurogenesis and depression.

More significantly, if you block neurogenesis, then you also block the efficacy of the anti-depressant.

In short, there's enough evidence to prove that neurogenesis is the target of choice if we aim to improve memory, mood and even prevent the decline linked to aging.

Of course, the question we are all asking is: Can we control neurogenesis? Yes, we can. Watch the TED talk below to see how:

In short, these are the answers to increasing neurogenesis:

1) Learn new things.
2) Have more sex.
3) Get enough sleep.
4) Calorie restriction of 20-30%.
5) Intermittent fasting (spacing time between meals
6) Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fatty fish, such as salmon
7) Avoid saturated fat.
8) Avoid alcohol.
9) However, resveratrol, found in red wine, has been to shown to promote the survival of these new neurons.

Reference: The Power Of Ideas