It has always been said that physical exercise is beneficial for creating new neurons in the brain, it seems that due to the increase in a key protein for the transport of selenium in the bloodstream, and on that basis, a team of researchers from The University of Queensland (Australia) have analyzed whether selenium supplements could also achieve these brain effects in people who consume them.
The study has been clear: selenium – a mineral found in foods such as meat, grains or nuts, and especially in Brazil nuts – has the ability to reverse the cognition-damaging effects of stroke like a stroke. In addition, it can also help promote learning and memory, slowing its decline due to age.
To reach these conclusions, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, animal models were used with mice that were given selenium supplements and their brain changes due to age and stroke, which often causes problems in the brain, were measured. memory and learning.
Selenium supplements are not a substitute for exercise
As the years go by, the level of creation of new neurons slows down, causing a deterioration in memory. This occurred in the same way in mice as in humans, but it was observed that the animals that had taken selenium supplements had an increase in the production of neurons that reversed the cognitive deficits associated with age.
Selenium could be a new way to stimulate the brain of people who cannot play sports due to health problems or age
“Young mice are really good at learning and memory tasks, but after a stroke, they were no longer able to perform these tasks. We found that the learning and memory deficits of stroke-affected mice returned to normal when they were given selenium supplements,” said Dr. Tara Walker, lead author of the study.
These results indicate that selenium supplements could indeed have a protective role on cognition and memory, similar to that of physical exercise. However, the main author has stressed that this option represents a new way to stimulate the brain of people who cannot play sports due to health problems or because they are very old.
In any case, he stresses that selenium supplements should not be seen as a substitute for exercise and that even taking it in large amounts can be harmful. “A person who follows a balanced diet of fruits, nuts, vegetables and meat usually has good levels of selenium. But in older people, particularly those with neurological conditions, selenium supplementation might be beneficial,” he concludes.
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