Energy balance
Central administration of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) or ventromedial hypothalamus (VMN) reduces food intake, increases energy expenditure, and reverses diet-induced obesity in rodents.
This research highlights that the brain, specifically the hypothalamus, plays a critical role in regulating body weight through BDNF. While direct injection is not a practical human intervention, the paper notes that exercise increases hippocampal and muscle BDNF. Therefore, engaging in physical activity may naturally support the neurobiological pathways that help regulate appetite and energy expenditure, potentially aiding in weight management and metabolic health.
We have found that injections of BDNF in the PVN increases energy expenditure, mainly by increasing resting metabolic rate, and increasing thermogenic capacity... Animals who were made obese with a high-fat diet (HFD) and subsequently given PVN injections of BDNF on alternate days over an extended period, had significant reductions in energy intake, body weight, and body fat... BDNF also normalized HFD-induced hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperleptinemia
Why this rating
Strong evidence in rodent models (knockouts, infusions), but human data is correlational and mixed.
Source
The lighter side of BDNF
Emily E. Noble et al. · American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology · 2011
DOI 10.1152/ajpregu.00776.2010
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