Brain Longevity (Part 2 Of 5): Nutrition For Dementia Prevention

The Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation’s “4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention” are nutrition, exercise for mind and body, stress management and Spiritual Fitness. This talk explores the role of nutrition for dementia prevention. We’ll identify components of the Brain Longevity diet and supplements that promote healthy brain aging. We’ll also consider the benefits of mindful cooking and eating, as well as good oral hygiene habits to protect against disease and promote human connection.

Transcript

Thank you for joining me in this second of five talks about dementia prevention through habits that support brain health.

In part one,

I spoke about the risk factors for dementia that are known to be modifiable.

When risk of disease is reduced or its outward expression is delayed,

Prevention is possible.

As of the time of this recording in the autumn of 2021,

There is no medical intervention that can halt or reverse Alzheimer's disease.

Despite headlines over the summer about the Food and Drug Administration's approval of a new Alzheimer's drug in the US,

The clinical evidence of its effectiveness remains controversial.

Besides that,

The cost is prohibitive and access is restricted to people whose level of cognitive impairment matches the clinical trial participants.

All of which makes lifestyle choices our current best tool for reducing or preventing cognitive decline.

And this has been the focus of the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation for almost 30 years.

The ARPF's four pillars of Alzheimer's disease prevention that I discuss in this series on brain longevity are nutrition,

Exercise,

Stress management,

And spiritual fitness.

In this talk,

We'll look at the role of nutrition.

Despite the best of intentions,

Most of us will not get 365 days a year of exercise or eliminate daily stressors.

But you almost certainly eat every day,

Several times a day.

And so paying attention to nutrition is one of the most accessible ways to actively engage in dementia prevention.

Before I discuss some of the elements of the brain longevity diet recommended by ARPF,

I want to make it clear that I am not a nutritionist and this talk is not a substitute for medical advice.

And because you are listening to this talk and not reading it on a page or seeing it on a screen,

I encourage you to learn more on your own and to work in collaboration with your healthcare providers before making any changes to your diet.

Ingredients aside,

I also believe it will be helpful to talk about some lesser known influences related to eating that engage the brain.

One thing I hope you'll remember from this talk is that how we eat is not less important than what we eat.

A second takeaway point about nutrition in general is that any dietary changes you think about making for yourself or others in your care should be carefully considered in the wider context of your life.

The foods and supplements we consume and the way we consume them really do have a lot of influence on how we feel and our overall health,

But there is no recommendation that will be good for every single person.

To illustrate this point,

I remember a conversation that happened during one of my support group meetings for the family caregivers of my clients who were diagnosed with dementia.

The wife of a man with moderate Alzheimer's disease had just finished reading a book by Dr.

Dale Bredesen at UCLA whose bestseller,

The End of Alzheimer's,

Claimed that memory loss could be reversed based on a therapy of lifestyle changes,

Including changes to diet.

Like many caregivers,

She was trying to stay one step ahead of the disease progression.

She had also concealed the severity of her struggle from the couple's adult children and their friends,

Believing she might be able to remain in control without asking for help.

In fact,

It was a big step for her to begin attending these support group meetings.

Her initial enthusiasm about the diet recommended in the book and her commitment to protecting her husband from further decline turned into resignation in the following months.

It was not because his memory or behavior had worsened,

They actually remained stable for a while.

Instead,

The diet caused other problems,

Mainly for her.

Changes to what her husband ate,

In particular the addition of many more vegetables and fruits,

Led to challenges with continence that ultimately added to the overwhelm she already felt as a sole caregiver,

And she had to discontinue the program as an act of self-preservation to be able to still care for him.

It would be great if we could simply make a list of foods we like,

A list of foods that nourish us completely,

And in an ideal world what we like and what's good for us are the same.

Of course,

I can see simply by looking at a plate of monochromatic fettuccine alfredo that it's not going to give me everything I need for a healthy body.

Even if my favorite thing to eat was a big bowl of raw vegetables in every color of the rainbow,

I still might not get all of the key nutrients I need from food alone.

Supplements are often necessary because in many parts of the world the soil has been depleted of nutrients.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture,

Food today contains an average of 50% fewer vitamins and minerals than they did 30 years ago.

Between 1963 and the year 2000,

The vitamin C content in spinach decreased by about 45%.

The calcium in broccoli has dropped by 50% since 1975.

And to add to that challenge,

The absorption of nutrients in our food is affected by things like the quality of our drinking water,

Any medications we take,

The air we breathe,

And even stress levels.

I will try to summarize some key components of the brain longevity diet.

In a nutshell,

So to speak,

We are encouraged to eat a mostly plant-based diet rich in vitamins B,

D,

And E,

Polyphenols from fruits and vegetables,

And to choose healthy fats from foods like walnuts,

Almonds,

And avocados,

And omega-3 rich fish over animal-based fats that clog the arteries.

These recommendations may sound familiar if you know about the Mediterranean diet,

And you may have heard that there are so-called blue zones in the world,

Such as in Greece and Japan,

Where residents are much more likely to live to be 100 years old.

People who live in these blue zones typically eat fresh whole foods rather than manufactured options.

A big reason why this way of eating is beneficial is because it avoids so-called alarm foods like sugary drinks,

Refined carbohydrates,

Processed meats,

And artificial additives that stress the body.

The body's response to the attack of unhealthy food is to release adrenaline and cortisol.

Those are substances that would serve us well in a fight or flight situation,

But when they go unchecked,

They cause oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

Oxidative stress is the result of the body not having enough antioxidants to neutralize harmful free radicals.

Free radicals are unstable molecules that react with other substances to create abnormal cells,

And they damage existing healthy ones.

If they are allowed to accumulate over time from eating refined and processed foods,

Free radicals lead to neurodegeneration.

And then there is inflammation.

Inflammation is useful when the body is fighting an acute infection,

But uncontrolled inflammation triggers disease onset.

These two processes,

Oxidative stress and inflammation,

Happen without our awareness in most cases,

But they lead to conditions like arthritis,

Cancer,

Depression,

Obesity,

And Alzheimer's disease.

I'll speak a little about the role of some vitamins that are recommended in the brain longevity diet and how they relate to brain health.

First,

The B vitamins.

B vitamins are essential to cell metabolism.

They are found naturally in beans,

Fish,

Grains,

And potatoes.

In particular,

Multiple studies have shown that low B12 and folate double the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

These compounds are vital for memory.

Low B12 impairs memory and reasoning,

While folic acid protects cells,

DNA,

And RNA,

And may decrease homocysteine,

Which is a toxic chemical found in the blood that is a possible risk factor for both dementia and heart disease.

Vitamin D is important for more than just your bones.

It is involved in the reduction of beta amyloid damage to brain cells and the inflammation secondary to Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin E,

Found in seeds and nuts like almonds,

Reduces cognitive decline in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

It is considered to be a neuroprotective antioxidant,

Meaning it tackles those free radicals that lead to oxidative stress and cognitive decline.

Polyphenols are substances found in fruits and vegetables that are even more potent in their antioxidant capacity than traditional vitamins.

You don't necessarily have to eat more fruits and veggies to get them.

Polyphenols are found in olive oil and in beverages like coffee,

Green tea,

And red wine.

Polyphenols are powerful because they counter both of the harmful processes that lead to chronic disease,

Oxidative stress,

And inflammation.

Choosing organic foods not only reduces your intake of poisonous pesticides,

But supports those farms that recognize the importance of healthy soil for healthy plants and therefore healthy people.

Consuming less meat might be easier for digestion and improve focus.

But if you do eat meat,

Look for humanely raised products free from hormones and antibiotics.

We can also try to avoid genetically modified foods that harm humans and the environment.

Periodically detoxifying the body in ways that you determine to be safe and effective for you will also likely contribute to more energy and mental clarity.

When it comes to supplements,

The ARPF recommendation is for a daily high potency multivitamin to correct the previously mentioned insufficiencies.

High potency in this case refers to a supplement that contains 50 mg of vitamin B complex.

And here again I'll reiterate that what I'm sharing is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for medical advice from your healthcare provider.

Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant.

If you're someone who only takes extra vitamin C during cold and flu season,

You might like to know that supplementing the amount of vitamin C beyond what you get from morning orange juice has been shown to reduce dementia risk.

Adequate intake of vitamin C also reduces the risk of diabetes,

Which we know now is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

A surprising fact is that levels of vitamin C are 15 times higher in the brain than elsewhere in the body.

At the University of Hawaii,

Researchers followed people over 10 years and found that taking both vitamin C and vitamin E in supplement form provided a significant benefit against vascular dementia and other dementias,

And was even shown to be associated with better performance on tests of cognitive ability for people who were not diagnosed with dementia.

Vitamin E is another potent antioxidant that can protect the brain from free radical damage to memory,

And was shown to slow cognitive decline even on its own in a study that compared vitamin E supplementation with a placebo.

Other things to look for in your daily multivitamin are calcium,

Magnesium,

And zinc.

What we have discussed so far about nutrition is only part of the overall recommendation for brain longevity.

Beyond any list of foods or supplements that you can investigate for yourself,

There are some simple shifts that are applicable with any diet that you decide is right for you.

First,

The process of how we prepare and consume our food matters as much as the food itself.

In those so-called blue zones where many residents live to be 100 years old,

There is a cultural emphasis on eating with others and eating slowly.

No matter what you cook,

And even if you eat alone,

You can decide to cook consciously in a positive state of mind.

You can choose to be aware of and grateful for how your food arrived at your table,

The many hands responsible for its planting,

Tending,

Harvesting,

And transport.

Awareness of and engagement with textures and flavors as you eat stimulates multiple brain areas.

This can contribute to neuroplasticity,

The capacity of neurons in the brain to form new connections,

And it increases well-being in the present moment.

Another point I hope you'll remember from this talk about nutrition has to do with the overall health of your mouth.

A frequently overlooked aspect of our physical condition that is related to eating is how we care for our teeth.

Active dental habits preserve oral health,

And poor oral health has been linked to several serious illnesses,

Including heart disease and breast cancer.

When you think about it,

Our mouths are constantly interacting with environmental microbes.

The mouth,

Tongue,

And throat are essential for chewing,

Swallowing,

Digestion,

And speech.

In fact,

Some studies show that the number of natural teeth in a person's mouth is a predictor of the lifespan.

Research about exactly why is ongoing,

But it's likely that inflammation caused by gum disease is the connecting factor that increases a person's chance of developing a number of these serious illnesses,

Including Alzheimer's disease.

A 2016 King's College of London study noted that people with mild to moderate dementia and gum disease had a six times higher rate of cognitive decline after six months.

Academic research aside,

There is another big incentive for caring for our teeth.

Tooth loss can cause people to not smile,

Or to smile less often,

Because they are embarrassed about how they appear to others.

The loss of a smile affects our self-image,

Too.

People who are missing many of their teeth might be self-conscious about difficulties with eating as well,

Causing them to avoid interacting with others in social settings.

As we'll see in the following talks in this series,

Social isolation is a risk factor for developing dementia,

And staying connected with others is protective of our cognitive health.

I think we all know what it feels like to witness someone's beautiful and genuine smile.

It feels good to do the smiling,

Too.

Yet another reason to practice good oral hygiene over the lifespan.

The four pillars of Alzheimer's prevention I learned during my brain longevity specialist training with ARPF is a holistic approach that addresses most of the modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.

In the talks that follow this one,

I will share more about the roles of exercise for the body and mind,

Stress management,

And spiritual fitness.

I hope you will listen to the complete series for the most comprehensive benefit.

Whether you are currently living with cognitive impairment or are more concerned about preventing it,

I share these teachings with love and as a witness to the renewed vitality that comes from compassionate connection.

Many future cases of dementia may be preventable.

Meanwhile,

There are currently millions of families who live with dementia today.

Nor should we forget those individuals who are isolated from their families due to physical or emotional distance or pandemic restrictions who also deserve to be seen,

Heard,

And supported.

Thank you for your willingness to not look away.

Reviews

Very informative!
Thank you. 🩷

Thank you

This is a wonderful talk on the role and importance of nutrition in dementia prevention or lessening. Thanks so much.

Look forward to parts 3-5 of so much good info packed in so concisely. (A must re-listen) Thank you…. Lots of helpful preventative measures; and it’s always good to be reminded to not look away!

This series is helpful and important for people seeking to minimize their chances of dementia. Thanks for putting it together.
Donna

Thank you for this valuable information and for your careful, non sensationalistic presentation of it.

Very informative. My Mother died if Alzheimers and I am trying to take preventative measures.

Extremely informative. Thank you for your research and presentations. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Thank you, Kelly for another great talk. I love how you balance existing evidence with appreciating how different people & their preferences are