A Better Brain Starts Here

With dementia on the rise, prioritizing cognitive health has never been more important. But amid a cornucopia of health fads, biohacking trends, and advice from self-proclaimed wellness gurus, it's challenging to discern what actually works.

So, we did it for you.

This edition of Longevity Lens focuses on practical, science-backed cognitive enhancers. Each tool is supported by a robust body of evidence, including randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. The evidence is clear: these strategies can help build a better, sharper brain.

Below is an excerpt from this issue. Exercise is just one of nine powerful cognitive enhancers discussed.

Building a Better Brain: Cognitive Enhancers

"Science confirms that it is possible to influence the likelihood of cognitive decline through everyday actions and behaviors. However, an abundance of faulty research, passing trends, and overstated claims can make it difficult to discern what truly works when it comes to building a better brain.

We have carefully sifted through the extensive scientific literature on brain health and cognitive performance to separate science from speculation. Below are evidence-based tools shown to enhance cognition, support brain health, and help protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Exercise

If exercise were a drug, it would be one of the most widely prescribed medications in the world. Its benefits extend far beyond physical performance, with strong evidence supporting its role in enhancing cognition. Resistance training (also known as strength training) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) appear to be especially powerful levers for cognitive health. 

Muscle contractions during exercise release myokines—small, muscle-derived signaling molecules. These myokines travel through the bloodstream to reach various organs, including the brain. 

Irisin is a myokine primarily produced in response to anaerobic exercise, such as strength training. It supports brain health by reducing neuroinflammation and increasing the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an essential protein for neuronal growth and survival. 

Irisin is also thought to mediate the cognitive benefits of exercise, including improvements in memory, focus, and problem-solving skills. In animal studies, mice lacking irisin did not experience the same exercise-induced improvements in spatial learning and memory as mice with normal irisin expression, highlighting its essential role in the cognitive-enhancing effects of exercise (Islam et al., 2023).

(Sadier et al., 2024)

HIIT also increases BDNF to a greater extent than continuous exercise (Saucedo Márquez et al., 2015). Research suggests that higher circulating levels of BDNF may protect against the development of dementia, with individuals in the highest quintile of BDNF levels experiencing a 51% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared with those in the lowest quintile (Weinstein et al., 2014).

The pronounced increase in BDNF during HIIT may be partly due to increased lactate production (Saucedo Márquez et al., 2015). Once considered a metabolic waste product responsible for muscle soreness, lactate is now recognized as an important energy source for the brain. Emerging research suggests that lactate can increase BDNF expression and may mediate many of the neuroprotective effects observed during and after exercise.

(Saucedo Marquez et al., 2015)

Furthermore, HIIT increases friction along blood vessel walls, known as endothelial shear stress. In response, the endothelial cells lining the blood vessels release nitric oxide (NO), which causes vasodilation and improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain. Over time, these adaptations promote new capillary growth (angiogenesis) and increased vascular flexibility, supporting brain health and cognitive performance.

Resistance training and HIIT support brain health and cognition through multiple physiological mechanisms. These effects are both measurable and clinically meaningful. HIIT has been shown to significantly improve performance on the Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, and Memory Orientation Screening Test—assessments that evaluate cognitive domains such as memory, problem-solving, attention, and cognitive flexibility—in older adults and individuals with cognitive impairment (Zhang et al., 2025).

Evidence shows that exercise strengthens not only your body, but your brain and cognition as well."

Inside the full edition, you’ll also find a clear breakdown of Alzheimer’s disease, early signs of cognitive decline, and our Cognitive Optimization Checklist—a practical guide for integrating these cognitive enhancers into a daily routine—along with the MIND Diet Optimization Checklist and the resources that informed this edition.

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