In medical school, we aren’t taught that there are ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, when, in fact, we have a lot of power over the direction our brain function will take. However, we’re now learning that the disease starts in the brain 20 to 30 years before the first signs of memory loss! This is why we should all be thinking about prevention. Here’s the bad news/good news. Eating sugar and refined carbs can cause pre-dementia and dementia. But cutting out the sugar and refined carbs and adding lots of fat can prevent, and even reverse, pre-dementia and early dementia. Sugar causes pre-diabetes and diabetes, which often leads to significant memory loss. Chronic stress takes a toll on your body and brain. Stress shrinks the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. So, find your pause button daily and make time for stress relief. Relaxation isn’t a luxury if you want to prevent or reverse dementia. Whether that involves deep breathing, meditation, or yoga, find something that helps you calm down. Lack of sleep can cause impaired brain function, leading to CRAFT syndrome, which stands for “can’t remember a _____ thing.” Studies show poor sleep becomes a risk factor for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Aim for at least 8 hours of quality sleep every night. We now know that physical activity can prevent and even slow down the progression of cognitive decline and brain diseases like dementia. Even a 30-minute walk can help. You might want to incorporate high-intensity interval training or weight lifting if you're already more active.
No, in and of itself and only itself, “eating sugar and refined carbs” does not “cause pre-dementia and dementia”. It’s really irresponsible wording. First of all sugar from where? Whole fruit? And if we are talking about free sugar (essentially meaning sugar no longer in it’s original plant), it already is one of the categories of refined carbohydrate so not sure why the word “and“? Nutrition deserves precision. There’s already enough of a cacophony of confusion out there. Excess calories overall, particularly when driven by refined carbohydrate (whether refined/free sugar or refined starch) saturated fat, over added salt and certainly alcohol, possibly even excess protein, all contribute together in addition to smoking, lack of sleep and physical activity, depression and lack of social connectedness. Notably, the best data we have on delaying or even reversing early dementia w/o aggravating CVD risk is with a plant-based Ornish approach, just reported. So no, we have no impressive evidence that “adding lots of fat can prevent, and even reverse, pre-dementia and early dementia”. if there is anything at the level of Dr. Ornish’s study, post your references, Mark. Dean Ornish, M.D. Jeffrey Hirschfield MD, CPI, DipABP, DipABLM
We teach this (lifestyle neurology) at Stony Brook School of Health Professions
Very good responses I see here, Main positive is actually in the talking and sharing. Some will say " show me the evidence", I can located lots of medical decisions from years ago, claims documented by "then experts", Unfortunately, we haven't put so much previous work into our western system. Doesn't stop anyone of us from seeking this info thou. Just takes a mind to seek, it starts from this. And Mark, in education your right, there isn't a focus on food as medicine in general. Thou, western medicine practices, have a weakness in prevention. There's a focus of "living with Dementia" not preventing dementia, as an example. Discussions, start the seeking, expose, involvement, changes.
One thing that upset me about my education during medical school was that Alzheimer's Disease was taught to be an inescapable process that WILL occur to most of us at a later stage of life... this never sat well with me because that meant that people who suffer from Alzheimer's will eventually be placed on medications without any real fix to their issue.. Now with medicine and science taking huge leaps of knowledge and wisdom especially in 2024, there are so many incredible doctors, scientists, and researchers (such as yourself Dr. Hyman) who are teaching us that Alzheimer's Disease's new name is considered to be Type 3 Diabetes Mellitus. And with all the research and studies there are showing us how to prevent and reverse a disease process like Type 2 Diabetes, it is amazing to see there are so many overlaps with the prevention and reversal of Type 3 Diabetes (Alzheimer's) which follows a similar step-wise fashion to treating Type 2 DM. Awesome post, will definitely be sharing this knowledge 💯
When you start questioning what’s considered normal, it’s astonishing to see how many diseases are preventable.
in regards to stress. i don’t think it’s stress per se, and i don’t think trying to avoid stress is a viable solution. Rather it’s how one handles stress. So learning coping mechanisms should be what we do to reduce all the harmful consequences of streSS
Let’s revamp medical school🤬 Excuse me for being extremely pissed off, but how much longer is society supposed to put up with this BS and why does it fall on patients to challenge the status quo rather than doctors? Medical education is proving to be an unmitigated disaster harming doctors and patients alike - we’re all suffering while big pharma and huge hospital systems profit. We do not have to live like this!
Exactly, I learned this more than 20 years ago. I also learned the exercises to not have or overcome many of the diagnosis’, which are all just made up words, or struggles mentally, physically or emotionally which more and more children have and are receiving. All it takes is my simple exercise program and a low carb/low sugar diet and the mental, physical, emotional, visual and all other sensory skills struggles or inabilities so many are having and receiving diagnosis, medicines or therapy for would be very few. If something doesn’t change in our schools soon to begin what I am referring to instead of only the helping ways done currently, learning and living skills and abilities will keep going down hill for everyone just like our economy and educational testing is. Also, Covid isn’t to blame like heard in the news. It is instead needing 2 parents working full time jobs and using electronics to live, learn, work and play on daily is. I have the prevention and overcoming of mental, physical and emotional skills exercises children, adults too, definitely need to be doing. How can or do we get these exercises and a change of low carb and low sugar food and drinks in our schools instead of what they currently have?
Can we prevent Alzheimer’s? Not sure, and common sense dictates that no one else is. However, it does make sense to take certain measures(dietary, behavioral etc.) to potentially help delay the onset or perhaps prevent its onset. “Potentially” is the key word here.
Semi Retired and now giving back to our community
1moIt's a pity that all of these 'recommendations' actually cause a level of stress! Wading through what's good for you/bad for you and who to trust Dr/dietician/nutritionist/surgeon/dentist/psychologist/psychiatrist..... Shall I go on. The ordinary punter is suffering from 'health confusion fatigue'! The medical profession in general needs to work together and a trustworthy and reliable single source of information needs to be followed.... I know in Utopia!!!