#1 Brain Neuroscientist: "These Habits Are The Leading Cause Of Alzheimer's!" | Louisa Nicola

Louisa Nicola discusses the alarming rise in Alzheimer's disease, projecting a tripling of cases by 2050. She emphasizes that only 3-5% of diagnoses are genetic, with the majority linked to lifestyle factors like inactivity, poor sleep, and inadequate nutrition. Nicola highlights the importance of deep sleep for brain health, aerobic exercise for neuron growth, and resistance training for muscle and brain benefits. She also underscores the protective role of omega-3 fatty acids and creatine. Nicola advocates for personalized health strategies and stresses the critical role of social connections in maintaining cognitive function.

• Global Prevalence and Future Projections

  • Currently, 50-55 million people worldwide are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
  • The number is expected to triple by 2050.

• Genetics vs. Other Factors

  • Only 3-5% of Alzheimer's cases are driven by genetics.
  • The remaining 95-97% are influenced by other factors, such as inactivity, lack of sleep, and improper nutrition.

"55 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's disease. That number will triple by the year 2050."

• This highlights the alarming increase in Alzheimer's cases expected in the future.

"Only three to five percent of all diagnoses are driven by our genetics."

• Indicates that the majority of Alzheimer's cases are influenced by modifiable lifestyle factors.

• Importance of Sleep

  • Sleep is crucial for brain health and repair.
  • Different sleep stages, especially deep slow-wave sleep (stage three) and REM sleep (stage four), are vital for brain function.

• Pathophysiology of Alzheimer's

  • Alzheimer's involves the accumulation of amyloid-beta protein in the brain, leading to neuron death.
  • This process starts around age 25-30 and becomes symptomatic around age 65.

• Role of Sleep in Brain Health

  • Sleep helps clear out brain toxins, including amyloid-beta, through the glymphatic system.
  • Lack of deep sleep leads to the buildup of these toxins over time, increasing the risk of Alzheimer's.

"Sleep is where you can repair your brain. You have to think of your brain... it is an organ but it's also like a muscle."

• Emphasizes the restorative function of sleep for brain health.

"During deep slow-wave sleep... your brain's glymphatic system clears out the debris and toxins that build up throughout the day."

• Explains the mechanism by which sleep helps maintain brain health.

• Regularity of Sleep

  • Consistent sleep and wake times are crucial for maintaining deep sleep stages.
  • Irregular sleep patterns are linked to higher risks of various health issues, including Alzheimer's.

"Even more important than quality and quantity is regularity of sleep."

• Highlights the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.

"People that had the most variation in sleep timing had a higher risk of all-cause mortality."

• Shows the health risks associated with irregular sleep patterns.

• Types of Exercise

  • Aerobic training, resistance training, and neurocognitive training are all beneficial.
  • Aerobic exercise is particularly effective in promoting the growth of new neurons and enhancing brain connectivity.

• Impact on the Brain

  • Exercise helps grow new neurons in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for memory.
  • Physical activity increases the thickness and connectivity of the brain's cortex.

"Aerobic training is absolutely fundamental for the brain... it can help with the growth and proliferation of new neurons."

• Emphasizes the importance of aerobic exercise for brain health.

"Exercise can increase connections between brain cells and grow the cortex of your brain."

• Highlights how exercise enhances brain structure and function.

• Sedentary Lifestyle Risks

  • A sedentary lifestyle significantly increases the risk of Alzheimer's and other cognitive impairments.
  • Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining brain health and preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

"Over 70% of U.S. adults don't meet the physical activity guidelines."

• Indicates the widespread issue of inactivity and its potential impact on brain health.

"We should change the words to exercise because exercise is going out and stressing your body."

• Stresses the importance of intentional physical exercise over general physical activity.

• Starting Simple
  • Begin with walking and gradually increase intensity.
  • Walking is highly beneficial and a good starting point for those new to exercise.

"Start really easy. You can get so much benefit from walking."

• Encourages starting with manageable exercise routines.

"Walking up a hill... you want to stress yourself just a little bit."

• Suggests progressively increasing the difficulty of exercise.

• Recommended Activity Levels

  • Aim for at least 150-300 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week.
  • Strive for 12,500 steps per day for optimal health benefits.

"The CDC states that we need to be doing at minimum 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate to rigorous physical activity per week."

• Provides guidelines for the amount of exercise needed for health benefits.

"We should be shooting for 12,500 steps per day."

• Sets a higher benchmark for daily physical activity to maximize health benefits.

• Higher Risk for Women
  • Two out of three Alzheimer's cases are women, possibly due to hormonal differences.
  • The decrease in estrogen post-menopause may increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

"Two out of three cases of Alzheimer's disease are women."

• Highlights the increased prevalence of Alzheimer's in women.

"As we go through the menopausal stages... we don't produce any more estrogen."

• Explains the potential link between decreased estrogen and increased Alzheimer's risk.

• Importance of Exercise for Women

  • Exercise is crucial for postmenopausal women to maintain brain health.
  • Women should prioritize physical activity to mitigate the increased risk of Alzheimer's.

"Exercise is really important for a healthy functioning brain, especially for females."

• Stresses the importance of exercise for women, particularly postmenopausal.

• Overall Message
  • Lifestyle factors such as sleep, exercise, and diet play a significant role in Alzheimer's risk.
  • Regular sleep, consistent physical activity, and proper nutrition are crucial for maintaining brain health and preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

"We need to understand how fundamental exercise really is for the health of your brain and body."

• Emphasizes the critical role of exercise in overall health and disease prevention.

"What's good for the heart is what's good for the brain."

• Summarizes the interconnectedness of cardiovascular and brain health.

• Maximal Aerobic Exercise: Pushing past limits to achieve significant cardiovascular benefits.
• Study on 50-Year-Olds: 2 years of vigorous exercise reversed heart age by 20 years.
• Cardiac Remodeling: Structural changes in the heart, such as a thinner left ventricle wall and larger ventricle size, improve blood flow.
• Incremental Exercise Approach: Gradually increasing exercise intensity from walking to maximal aerobic exercise.

"He found that he reversed the age-related changes in the heart by 20 years."

• Vigorous exercise can significantly reverse aging effects on the heart.

"You can change the structure of your heart; it's actually called cardiac remodeling."

• Exercise leads to beneficial structural changes in the heart.

"You want to set the foundations, build up some angiogenesis, the creation of new blood vessels."

• Gradual increase in exercise intensity is crucial for building cardiovascular health.

• Gray Matter and Exercise: Exercise modifies 70-80% of brain gray matter.
• Neuron Structure: Gray matter consists of neuron cell bodies; white matter involves myelinated axons.
• Dendrites and Synapses: Exercise promotes the growth of dendrites, enhancing brain connectivity and function.
• Brain Health: Regular exercise is essential for cognitive functions such as memory, learning, and sleep regulation.

"70 to 80% of brain gray matter is modifiable by exercise."

• Exercise has a substantial impact on brain structure and health.

"We can grow new dendrites, and that's what is responsible for greater cortical area and mass."

• Exercise stimulates the growth of new neural connections.

"If you care about brain health, you have to care about exercise."

• Exercise is crucial for maintaining and improving brain health.

• Brain Composition: The brain is 60-70% fat, predominantly DHA (omega-3 fatty acids).
• Cholesterol Misconception: Dietary cholesterol does not feed the brain due to the blood-brain barrier.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Essential for brain health, reducing inflammation, and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases.
• Supplementation: Due to dietary limitations, omega-3 supplements are recommended.

"Your brain is made around 60 to 70% of fat, and the rest is water."

• The brain's composition highlights the importance of dietary fats.

"Dietary cholesterol does not go into your brain and feed your brain."

• Cholesterol from food does not directly affect brain health.

"Four grams of EPA and DHA are absolutely fundamental for brain health."

• Adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids is crucial for maintaining brain health.

• Genetic Mutations vs. Risk Factors: Distinction between mutations that guarantee disease and risk factors that increase likelihood.
• APOE4 Gene: Increases risk but does not guarantee Alzheimer's.
• Lifestyle Interventions: Can significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, even with genetic predispositions.

"Only 3 to 5% have the APOE4 gene, raising their risk of getting the disease."

• A small percentage of Alzheimer's cases are due to genetic risk factors.

"Alzheimer's disease is a preventable disease."

• Lifestyle changes can prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer's.

"Lifestyle interventions in Nigeria showed a lower incidence of Alzheimer's despite genetic risk."

• Lifestyle factors play a crucial role in the prevalence of Alzheimer's.

• Omega-3 Index Test: Measures omega-3 levels in red blood cells, recommended for optimal brain health.
• Blood Tests: Regular testing for deficiencies like vitamin D and magnesium is crucial.
• Supplementation Caution: Only take supplements like omega-3 and creatine without a blood test; others should be based on test results.

"The omega-3 index test measures the amount of Omega-3s in a red blood cell."

• Regular testing helps ensure optimal omega-3 levels.

"Everyone should be getting a blood test standardized every six months."

• Regular health checks are essential for maintaining overall health.

"Vitamin D receptors on the brain stem are correlated with sleep."

• Vitamin D levels significantly impact brain function and sleep.

• Neuroprotection: Creatine is beneficial for brain energy metabolism and protection.
• Muscle and Bone Health: Increases muscle mass and bone density, particularly beneficial for postmenopausal women.
• Dosage and Form: Recommended 5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate in powder form.

"Creatine is fundamentally so incredibly important for cell energy metabolism."

• Creatine supports cellular energy production in the brain.

"Postmenopausal women increased their bone density and muscle mass due to creatine."

• Creatine has significant benefits beyond muscle building.

"Take creatine monohydrate in powder form and mix it with your morning coffee."

• Proper form and usage of creatine ensure maximum benefits.

• Standard American Diet: Avoid fried, packaged, and sugary foods.
• Antioxidants: Essential for brain health; include vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium.
• Plant-Based Diet: A diet rich in plants provides necessary antioxidants and nutrients.

"Stay far away from fried foods, packaged foods, and sugary foods."

• Avoiding unhealthy foods is crucial for brain health.

"Your brain loves antioxidants like vitamin E, vitamin C, and selenium."

• Antioxidants are vital for maintaining brain health.

"My diet is around 70% plants by volume."

• A plant-rich diet supports overall health and brain function.

• Creatine is naturally present in the body and can be supplemented to meet daily requirements.
• Creatine is found in foods like beef and liver, but not in sufficient quantities for optimal benefits.
• Start with a lower dose (2.5 grams) and gradually increase to avoid gastrointestinal distress.
• Dosage should be tailored to individual tolerance and body size.

"If you start on 2.5 grams a day then that is fine if you can tolerate it. You should always start with a small amount of anything really."

• Starting with a low dose helps in assessing tolerance and avoiding side effects.

"There are some men who are having 20 grams per day and they're not experiencing any kidney issues."

• Higher doses can be tolerated by some individuals without adverse effects.

• Alzheimer's is not an inevitable part of aging; it is preventable.
• Early signs of Alzheimer's can appear 10-20 years before diagnosis.
• Mild cognitive impairment is a pre-dementia state that can be detected early.

"The biggest misconceptions that I see with Alzheimer's disease is that it is just something you get as we get older. Dementia is not a natural aging disease."

• Alzheimer's is not a natural consequence of aging and can be prevented with early intervention.

"The earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease can be seen 10 maybe even 20 years before you end up with a diagnosis."

• Early detection is possible and crucial for prevention.

• A new monoclonal antibody drug, lanam or LMI, has been approved by the FDA.
• The drug is expensive ($60,000 per year) and has significant risks, including brain bleeds.
• The effectiveness of the drug is minimal, offering only a 1% improvement in brain function.

"We've just had in the United States a new FDA-approved drug that came out on the market. It's around $60,000 a year for that drug."

• The cost of the drug is prohibitively high.

"Even though you may be ameliorating some of the amalo beta, you are also increasing your risk of hemorrhaging like brain bleeds."

• The risks associated with the drug outweigh its minimal benefits.

• The pharmaceutical industry heavily influences government and media narratives.
• This influence affects public perception and health decisions.
• Mainstream media often disseminates information that benefits pharmaceutical companies.

"We are all at the mercy of these massive conglomerates that are putting the narratives of our life together and essentially dictating how we are going to live for the rest of our lives."

• The pharmaceutical industry shapes public health narratives for profit.

"If mainstream media is what you are watching, we need to get out of there. We need to get into the free market which is podcasts like yours getting information that is true."

• Alternative sources like podcasts can provide more reliable health information.

• The speaker's motivation comes from systemic issues and personal experiences.
• A specific patient encounter highlighted the devastating impact of Alzheimer's.
• The speaker is passionate about educating others to prevent the disease.

"My father in 2019 had a stroke, but it's actually more of a systemic issue that I feel like I'm fighting here."

• Personal experiences and systemic issues drive the speaker's passion.

"There was one woman who stood out to me and she was we'll call her Betty, 52 years old, and she kept coming in with complaints of memory decline, brain fog."

• A specific patient encounter underscored the impact of Alzheimer's and motivated the speaker.

• Exercise, particularly resistance and aerobic training, is crucial.
• Quality sleep is essential for brain health.
• Nutrition, including antioxidant-rich foods and proper hydration, plays a key role.

"You want to be exercising resistance training if you can find a trainer or just start lifting weights or doing body weights."

• Resistance training is important for brain health.

"Work out your sleep. You don't want to skimp on sleep making sure that you're improving quality, quantity, and regularity of sleep."

• Quality sleep is crucial for preventing Alzheimer's.

"Antioxidant-rich foods, you want to maintain a good cholesterol panel, your lipids, you know, test them aggressively."

• Nutrition and maintaining a good cholesterol panel are essential.

• Saunas can mimic the effects of cardiovascular training.
• Heat shock proteins released during sauna use can benefit brain health.
• Saunas can be a good alternative for those unable to exercise due to injury.

"You can mimic the effects of cardiovascular training with these heat shock proteins that are released when you are hot."

• Saunas can provide similar benefits to cardiovascular exercise.

"Remember the word stress, you know, there's a term called allostatic load. You want to stress your body in a good way."

• Saunas provide beneficial stress to the body.

• Brain scans (EEG and qEEG) can measure brain function and processing speed.
• VO2 Max tests are a strong predictor of longevity and overall health.
• Improving VO2 Max involves increasing mitochondrial function, lung capacity, and stroke volume.

"The most exciting part of the practice when I work with these people is doing a brain scan which consists of an EEG and a qEEG."

• Brain scans can provide detailed insights into brain function.

"I truly believe that the VO2 Max is the strongest predictor of longevity that we have."

• VO2 Max is a crucial metric for predicting longevity.

"The process that you must take to improve your VO2 Max is so beautiful because you have to increase mitochondrial function, lung capacity, and stroke volume."

• Improving VO2 Max involves comprehensive physiological changes.

• Elite health assessments involve comprehensive testing: blood, urine, stool, saliva samples.
• Around 16 different tests are conducted to understand various body metrics.
• Full body MRIs and DEXA scans are used for detailed insights into bone density and muscle mass.
• Emotional health is a critical component of overall well-being.

"We do blood, urine, stool, saliva samples so we're getting to know every single piece of you through all these different metrics."

• Detailed testing provides a holistic view of an individual's health.

"The thing that really separates it is actually we've worked really hard on the emotional aspect of our component."

• Emotional health is crucial for overall well-being and is often overlooked.

• Social connections significantly impact brain health and longevity.
• Harvard study shows strong social connections improve brain health as you age.
• Emotional well-being influences sleep, exercise, relationships, and overall life quality.

"The number one thing that can improve brain health as you age is social connections."

• Strong social connections are essential for maintaining brain health.

• Invest time and energy in maintaining deep, meaningful friendships.
• Regular social interactions with like-minded individuals provide emotional energy.
• Organized social activities, like weekly hikes, strengthen bonds and provide support.

"I maintain extremely beautiful friendships that are like relationships if you will to some extent."

• Deep friendships are treated with the same importance as familial relationships.

"Every day I'm meeting with people who are in my network who share the same vision as me for health and performance."

• Regular interactions with a supportive network are crucial for emotional well-being.

• Organized social groups, like "man morning," provide a structured way to maintain connections.
• Regular meetings with a set agenda, like discussing personal celebrations and challenges, foster deeper connections.
• Social groups can help mitigate the crisis of isolation, especially among men.

"We have man morning every Thursday here somewhere in Los Angeles."

• Regular, organized social interactions help maintain strong social bonds.

"Maintaining these friendships takes work but it's one of the biggest return on investments that you can get in life."

• Investing in friendships yields significant emotional and health benefits.

• The Roseto Effect shows that strong social connections can protect against heart disease.
• The town of Roseto had low heart disease rates due to its strong social framework.
• As social connections weakened, heart disease rates increased to match the national average.

"Our social relationships, our friendships, our closeness with our family could have such a protective effect over our health."

• Strong social connections can significantly impact physical health, particularly heart health.

• Resistance training is crucial for brain health and overall well-being.
• Exercise releases myokines, which help with brain cell growth and reduce inflammation.
• Resistance training can also inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells.

"Resistance training is absolutely crucial for the brain. We know that it can build better brains."

• Resistance training has direct benefits for brain health.

"These myokines can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells."

• Exercise has potential benefits in cancer prevention and treatment.

• Aim for 3-4 days a week of intense resistance training.
• Training should be at 75-80% of one repetition max to be effective.
• Combine resistance training with aerobic exercise for optimal health benefits.

"You want to be shooting for 3 to 4 days a week of resistance training but here's the caveat you have to be going hard."

• Effective resistance training requires high intensity and regularity.

• Resistance training is particularly important for women to prevent osteoporosis.
• Estrogen loss post-menopause increases the risk of bone fractures, which can be mitigated by resistance training.
• Resistance training improves bone density and overall health.

"The way that we do that apart from nutrition is via resistance training."

• Resistance training is essential for maintaining bone density, especially in post-menopausal women.

• Lifestyle choices significantly impact brain and overall health.
• Regular exercise, strong social connections, and proper nutrition are key to a healthy life.
• Educating others about these fundamentals can help improve community health.

"You have the power to change the course of your life every single day."

• Daily lifestyle choices can significantly alter one's health trajectory.

"Your brain is made from the foods you eat and the exercise you do and the quality of sleep that you have."

• Nutrition, exercise, and sleep are foundational to brain health.