If you want to know how to increase BDNF naturally, start with regular aerobic exercise: it has human trial data behind it, while the supplement and herb claims are weaker and, for lion’s mane, rest on cell and mouse work.
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the neurochemical at the centre of this ranking. Each option below carries an evidence tier, and the later sections explain why a serum BDNF reading is an imperfect yardstick. For the wider picture, see our guide on how to support brain health naturally.
The shortlist at a glance
The options are ordered by how directly the evidence involves people. Treat the tier as the main decision aid: it tells you how much weight a claim can carry.
| Option | Evidence tier | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Aerobic exercise | Human studies show BDNF increases | Make this the foundation; moderate activity such as walking is enough to start. |
| Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction | Reported association in several studies | Not a proven BDNF lever; discuss suitability with a clinician before trying it. |
| Omega-3 fatty acids | Claimed to promote BDNF production; trial data not shown | Fish and flaxseed are low-risk food sources; treat the BDNF benefit as unproven. |
| Curcumin | Listed as BDNF-raising; trial data not shown | An experiment at most, not a substitute for exercise. |
| Lion’s mane mushroom | Cell-line and mouse evidence | Interesting but preliminary; do not expect a human BDNF effect to be established. |
Evidence descriptions draw on a clinician’s overview of BDNF and neuroplasticity and a supplement-focused BDNF guide.
1. Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is the best-supported way to raise BDNF, and the evidence comes from people rather than cells or mice. It also suits almost everyone, because the entry point is ordinary moderate activity.
What the human trial measured
A study of 62 college students (20 athletes, 19 with regular fitness, 23 sedentary) measured serum BDNF and Stroop test performance before and after a single 30-minute aerobic session. Active adults and athletes were sensitive enough to raise BDNF after one bout, while sedentary adults responded to a lesser extent.
After exercise, serum BDNF differed significantly between the regular-fitness and sedentary groups (p = 0.031) and between athletes and sedentary participants (p = 0.030). Regular-fitness participants and athletes did not differ (p > 0.999). The practical reading is that being regularly active matters; you do not need to be an athlete to show the response.
One caution: inhibitory control did not differ between groups or over time in that trial. A rise in serum BDNF after one session did not show up as better Stroop performance, so do not treat a single workout as a short-term mental boost.
Duration, intensity and the hippocampus
The clinician’s overview says rigorous exercise has been shown to increase BDNF. It describes a 2011 study of three weeks of high-intensity cycling and five weeks of aerobic exercise, and reports that the BDNF rise corresponded with a 2% increase in hippocampal volume. That figure is a secondary report, so use it as a direction of travel rather than a promise. If brain volume is your concern, our guide on how to prevent brain shrinkage naturally puts it in context.
The supplement-focused guide adds that moderate exercise such as walking can significantly increase BDNF levels. It also says intense training raises cortisol, a stress hormone said to inhibit BDNF production. That claim is secondary and conditional, but it supports a sensible default: moderate, repeatable sessions rather than constant maximal effort.
2. Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction
Several studies have found that intermittent fasting and caloric restriction are associated with increased BDNF levels, according to the clinician’s overview. An association is a weaker tier than the exercise trial above: it does not show that fasting caused the change or how large the effect is for a given person. Fasting does not suit everyone, so it belongs in a conversation with a clinician rather than on a self-directed list of BDNF hacks. Choose it only if it fits your health and routine for other reasons.
3. Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, flaxseed and fish oil, and the supplement-focused guide says they strengthen nerve cells and promote BDNF production. Both statements come from secondary summaries without trial figures, so the BDNF benefit sits in the claimed tier. Food sources are the sensible way to act on it: they cost little and carry no extra risk from taking concentrated products.
4. Curcumin
Curcumin, which is found in turmeric, appears in the clinician’s overview among compounds said to raise BDNF. No trial figures accompany the claim, so the evidence tier is unproven rather than negative. If you try it, treat it as an add-on to exercise, not a replacement, and keep expectations modest. For how supplements compare when the goal is dementia prevention rather than BDNF, see our guide to supplements to prevent alzheimer’s.
5. Lion’s mane mushroom and other herbs
Lion’s mane is the herb most often said to boost BDNF, and its evidence is the clearest example of a preliminary tier. The supplement-focused guide says it can stimulate production of both nerve growth factor (NGF) and BDNF. The research it cites includes NGF-inducing activity of Hericium erinaceus in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells, which is a cell-line finding about NGF. It also cites antidepressant-like effects in mice through BDNF/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signalling, which is animal evidence.
Neither result shows that eating lion’s mane or taking capsules raises BDNF in people. If you like the mushroom, enjoy it as food or as a low-expectation experiment. Do not swap it for exercise, and do not assume that BDNF-linked supplements work as a class: the overview notes that a BDNF increase from certain drugs is not an accepted indication for any of them.
Low BDNF symptoms and the limits of measuring BDNF
Low BDNF has been linked to depression, brain fog, introversion and weight gain, according to the supplement-focused review at Genetic Lifehacks. The same review reports lower BDNF in people with cognitive impairment in aging and in Alzheimer’s disease. For depression and anxiety, it says low BDNF is a contributing factor only for some people. These are associations from a secondary source, so symptoms alone cannot tell you your BDNF is low.
BDNF can be measured, since the exercise trial assessed serum levels before and after a session. But serum BDNF is an imperfect yardstick for three reasons:
- Fitness changes the baseline. In the trial, sedentary participants had the highest baseline serum BDNF and athletes the lowest, so a higher number is not simply better.
- Time of year matters. A Dutch study of 2,851 participants, summarised in the clinician’s overview, found higher serum BDNF in spring-summer than in autumn-winter.
- One reading is a snapshot. The trial measured levels before and after a single session, which shows a change in blood levels, not what BDNF is doing in brain tissue.
The decision that follows is practical: do not buy a test to chase a number. Build the habits that have human evidence behind them and judge them by how you function.
A short decision checklist
- Start with movement. Add regular aerobic activity, such as walking, before anything else.
- Keep effort moderate. Choose sessions you can repeat rather than maximal efforts.
- Use food for omega-3s. Fish and flaxseed are the low-risk route.
- Label supplements as experiments. Curcumin and lion’s mane belong in the unproven tiers.
- Ignore single readings. Serum BDNF shifts with fitness and season, so it is a poor scorecard.
- See a clinician for symptoms. Persistent low mood or memory changes need assessment, not self-treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Do BDNF supplements work?
Not in a way the evidence establishes. The supplement claims for omega-3s and curcumin come without trial figures, and lion’s mane rests on cell and mouse studies.
Can one workout raise BDNF?
In the 62-student trial, a single 30-minute aerobic session raised serum BDNF in active adults and athletes, and sedentary adults responded less. It did not change Stroop inhibitory control.
Is a high serum BDNF reading always a good sign?
No. Sedentary participants had the highest baseline serum BDNF in the exercise trial, and levels also vary by season.
Is harder exercise better for BDNF?
Not necessarily. Moderate exercise such as walking is reported to raise BDNF, while intense training raises cortisol, which is said to inhibit BDNF production.
