An exercise-induced hormone linked to a range of benefits might add another to its repertoire: protection against Alzheimer’s disease.

A new paper, published in Nature Medicine, explains that the hormone irisin, released by our bodies when we exert ourselves, seems to offer protection against the memory loss and brain damage associated with Alzheimer’s. In those with the disease, however, irisin levels are depleted. Boosting irisin levels through exercise, then, might be a way to stave of