Additional Ways to Increase Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)

Lifestyle to Increase NGF

1. Social Enrichment early in life “ Mice reared in a more social environment had higher NGF in selected brain areas (hippocampus and hypothalamus) as adults (R).
2. Yoga (even a single 20-minute session) (R, R2)
3. Stress reduction“ Chronic mild stress decreased the concentration of NGF in the rat hypothalamus (R, R2).
4. Exercise: Low-Intensity Resistance Training (R), Treadmill exercise (R, R2).
5. Falling in love (R)
6. Semen and Injaculation (for men)
7. Intense Exercise: Allergic and neuro-immune disorders such as ALS tend to occur more frequently among athletes. NGF increases with stressors and allergies in humans and after physical exercise in animals. A study of blood levels of NGF in Olympic athletes showed significantly higher levels of NGF than controls (R).

Hormones That Increase NGF

1. Estrogen
2. Progesterone

Supplements to Increase NGF

1. Nicotine “ Activates NGF in cultured spinal cord neurons (R).
2. PQQ “ An antioxidant that also stimulates NGF. It strongly promotes peripheral nerve regeneration (R).
3. ALCAR “ Increases levels of neurotrophins such as NGF (R, R2) and improves nerve regeneration in rats (R).
4. Rosemary (Carnosic acid) - Induces NGF production (R).
5. Quercetin “ Promotes nerve growth, and has shown the ability to regenerate peripheral nerves (R, R2).
6. Ginkgo Biloba (Has Quercetin) (R)
7. Lions Mane (Hericium Erinaceus) “ An edible mushroom that has been shown to boost NGF (R).
8. Zinc “ Zinc may increase NGF; however, memory was improved only when Vitamin A was sufficient (R). Zinc may also bind to NGF, blocking its effect, but that was lessened under a more acidic pH (R).
9. Lithium “ A 14-day Lithium trial increased NGF in specific parts of the brain: frontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and limbic forebrain in adult rats (R).
10. Vitamin D3 “ Treatment with the active form of vitamin D for 24 hours increased the NGF concentration in the brain 2- to 3-fold. Pretreatment with Forskolin doubled the results so that NGF was multiplied by 6 (R). However, this effect could be impaired if your blood sugar is high (R).
11. Melatonin “ A 30-day injection of 1 mcg increased NGF in the submandibular gland of mice. These effects were not observed when the dose of melatonin was increased to 10 and 50 micrograms daily (R).
12. DHEA “ Might induce overproduction of NGF cortical neurons (R).
13. Astragalus “ The extract may act as a nerve-growth-promoting factor (R).
14. Huperzine A “ An alkaloid from herbs that seems to boost NGF (R).
15. Bupleurum (Chinese herb Radix Bupleuri) “ Raises blood levels of NGF (R).
16. Ashitaba “ 10 ml (Two Teaspoons) Increases NGF production by 20%
17. Yohimbine “ Increased blood levels of norepinephrine, which upregulates expression of NGF (in rats) (R).
18. Chrysin - A flavonoid found in honey and some plants, it increases NGF (R).
19. Royal jelly “Topically, royal jelly increases NGF (R, R2).
20. Rehmannia “ Improves learning and memory in rats, possibly due increased NGF in the hippocampus (R).
21. Polygala tenuifolia “ The root extract (used in Chinese Medicine) increased NGF secretion in the lab (R).

Drugs to Increase NGF

1. Idebenone (R, R2)  “ Stimulates NGF, antioxidant properties have been disputed (R).
2. Selegiline (drug) “ A metabolite of Selegiline, desmethylselegiline, elevates NGF, BDNF, and GDNF (R).
3. Noopept “ A smart drug that has been shown to stimulate the expression of NGF in rat hippocampus (R).
4. 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) “ A compound known to produce ketones. 2-DG significantly increased expression of NGF in mice (R).
5. NGF eye drops (rather expensive, but apparently effective) (R).

Supplements That Support NGF Activity

1. Sauna/Heat Shock - Enhances NGF-induced nerve growth (R).
2. Green Tea/EGCG “ Green tea polyphenols increase NGF-induced nerve growth. Among the polyphenols present in green tea, only EGCG significantly enhanced NGF-induced neuronal growth (R, R2).
3. Milk Thistle “ Enhanced NGF-induced nerve growth and prolonged their survival in the lab (R).
4. DHA “ Increases NGF-induced neuronal growth (R, R2).
5. Vitamin A “ Increases NGF receptors and sensitizes cells to the effects of NGF (R).
6. Alcohol “ Increases NGF-induced neuronal growth (R).
7. PS (Phosphatidylserine) “ Protects receptors. PS helps older rats retain more quality neurons and a higher density of NGF receptors (R).
8. Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) - Caused a marked increase in neurite outgrowth in the presence of NGF (R). 
9. Alpha-GPC (choline alfoscerate) “ May increase the expression of NGF receptors in the brain (R).
10. Acetyl-L-carnitine arginate is a patented form of carnitine that stimulates the outgrowth of neurons in the brain. Studies show that ALCA stimulates the growth of neurites by 19.5%, which is almost four times better than acetyl-L-carnitine.
11. Uridine + Choline + DHA  “ Feeding omega-3s (DHA or EPA) to gerbils eating a choline-rich diet improved the nerve membranes, especially when also given with a dietary source of uridine (R). This combination significantly improved performance, implying better brain function (R, R2).
    • Uridine converts to a form of choline called GDP-choline when it enters the brain. (R)
    • Uridine Monophosphate is the compound used in brain research studies. It is a major component of RNA, which is rich in foods such as organ meats, brewer's yeast, tomatoes, and broccoli. When these foods are digested, uridine is released from RNA and is absorbed in the gut.
12. Forskolin “ Further increases NGF (R).
13. Genistein “ Enhanced the NGF-induced nerve growth in rat cells (R).
14. Nardosinone (from Chinese spikenard) Greatly enhances NGF-induced nerve growth (R, R2).
15. 4-O-methylhonokiol “ A compound from Magnolia officinalis, it promotes the release of NGF and increases nerve growth (R).

rs6330

• In females, GG had higher levels of anxiety than AG or AA (R).
• In males, GG had lower levels of anxiety than AG or AA (R).

• The G allele was significantly more common in people with ADHD (P=.05) (R).
• The "A" allele was associated with a 1.47X increased risk of Alzheimer's (R).

rs2072446

rs4332358

rs734194