Exercise has been shown to help boost brain health. And now researchers in Spain have found that one particular supplement taken when you exercise may significantly lower your risk of Alzheimer’s.

Research from the Barcelona Biomedical Research Institute (IIBB), in collaboration with the University of Granada and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, shows that daily exercise along with melatonin provides synergistic protection against brain deterioration.

“For years we have known that the combination of different anti-aging therapies such as physical exercise, a Mediterranean diet, and not smoking adds years to one’s life,” Coral Sanfeliu, from the IIBB, explains. “Now it seems that melatonin, the sleep hormone, also has important anti-aging effects.”

“Even though many more studies and clinical tests are still required to assess the doses of melatonin which will be effective for a wide range of diseases, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of melatonin mean that its use is highly recommended for diseases which feature oxidative stress and inflammation,” adds researcher Dario Acuña-Castroviejo.