Overview
Alzheimer’s doesn’t just happen overnight; it’s the severe end of a spectrum, that comes after decades of changes have already been occurring in the brain. So why is it that we’ve grown accustomed to dreading this diagnosis, instead of doing what we can to proactively stop it in its tracks? For one, we’ve long been told that once the brain starts downsizing we can’t reverse the process. Now, we know that’s not the case. It’s possible to avoid brain degradation and actually even rebuild it.
Today’s guest on The Doctor’s Farmacy has been a pioneering detective for Alzheimer’s and other neurological issues. Dr. Dale Bredesen and I talk about the many factors that lead to inflammation in the brain, cognitive decline, and eventually Alzheimer’s. Exposure to toxins like mercury and mold, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and an overload of sugar are some of the most common contributors.
Genetics play a part, too—Dr. Bredesen breaks down the different ways the ApoE4 gene increases Alzheimer’s risk and how it impacts the general population. We also talk about the relationship between insulin resistance and the spectrum of brain disorders and why limiting sugar is such an essential piece when treating the brain. Cognitive decline stems from an insufficiency in the network that mediates plasticity—the ability to change and mold the brain, to add new thoughts and memories. Insults, like sugar, damage our synapses and stop information from being transmitted effectively, taking us from plasticity to rigidity. When we look at those insults we begin getting to the root cause of brain damage. We talk about all this and more on this episode.
I hope you’ll tune in to hear about the groundbreaking program for preventing and treating Alzheimer’s that Dr. Bredesen has created.
