Exercise activates a transporter that delivers selenium to your brain, where it sparks the creation of new neurons. One Brazil nut has your daily selenium dose, and studies show it improves cognition in people with mild memory loss.
Stop scrolling and check this out. Now, I'm an MD-PhD neuroscientist, and I'm here to tell you exercise protects your brain in a way almost no one talks about. Exercise hijacks a critical element, literally an element. It's number 34 on the periodic table. Do you know it? Selenium. Yes, selenium. Selenium is a key building block of proteins in your body called selenoproteins. Makes sense, right? And here's the wild part. Research shows that exercise, physical exercise, increases the transport of selenium into your brain through a transporter called SEPP1. Don't worry, there's no quiz. But once selenium gets into your brain, it's incorporated into selenoproteins, triggering a cascade of events that leads to neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons. So next time you finish a workout, don't chase it with just a protein bar. Maybe try a humble Brazil nut instead, containing your daily recommended allowance of selenium in just one nut. And get this, Randomized controlled trials have even shown that one Brazil nut can improve cognition in humans with mild cognitive impairment. That's nuts! Literally. Now, for the full scientific breakdown, the deep dive, including high-yield interventions you can do today to protect your brain for tomorrow, check out the long-form content. You won't be disappointed.
