What can you do to try and reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease?

This blog is an abbreviated excerpt of the Alzheimer’s section in Dr. Sutton’s book Genetic Testing: Defining Your Path to a Personalized Health Plan.

What can you do to try and reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease?

• Exercise—Physical exercise reduces your risk of Alzheimer’s by 50 percent⁶. The best exercise program for Alzheimer’s prevention includes aerobic exercise (30 minutes a day at least five times a week) combined with moderate weight resistance training (two to three strength sessions of moderate resistance training a week). Try adding yoga or tai chi to improve balance and coordination and prevent falling.
• Don’t drink or smoke—It’s bad for your brain and will increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
• Keep your blood sugar stable—Having blood sugar that fluctuates from one extreme to the other is very hard on the brain. Eating four to six small, healthy meals daily helps promote a stable blood sugar, which helps with overall brain function. Don’t skip meals regularly, especially if it contributes to brain fog. Make sure your meals are filled with plenty of protein, healthy fats and fiber. Don’t eat large amounts of sugar.
• Keep your brain active—If you don’t use it, you lose it. Continue learning; practice memorization; and enjoy regular puzzles, riddles, and strategy games. Maintain an active social life, regardless of your age. Try a new route to your destination, for example. It will make your brain work harder.
• Get quality sleep and regular relaxation time—Chronic stress and sleep deprivation increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Sleep is when your body clears out many of the toxins that build up in your body while you’re awake. One of these is beta amyloid, which is damaging to the brain and forms the plaques that appear in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients⁷.
• Control high blood pressure
• Ensure adequate levels of omega-3 fatty acids¹—Omega-3-fatty acids are important for brain health and are highest in fish. Eating fish or supplementing with fish oil can protect the brain and promote brain health.
• Follow a Mediterranean diet—This diet, rich in fish, nuts, olive oil and fresh produce, has been shown to promote brain health.
• Avoid head injuries—Head injuries, especially concussions, increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Avoid sports that increase risk of head injuries, wear helmets, buckle up, hold on to railings when going up or down stairs, and avoid ladders whenever possible.
• Maintain adequate vitamin D levels—Vitamin D-3 has shown to have neuroprotective effects that may preserve cognitive function.
• Consider increasing curcumin intake—Curcumin from turmeric may help prevent Alzheimer’s-related plaques from forming in the brain^2,3,4.
• Maintain high antioxidant levels—Antioxidants protect the brain. Foods high in antioxidants include fruits, vegetables and green tea. These foods have been shown to also prevent damage to the neurons in the brain and thus prevent Alzheimer’s¹. Some antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid.
• Consider supplementing with a high-quality B-complex—Essential for brain health.
• Consider supplementing with Huperzine—Huperzine had been shown to potentially increase cognitive function⁵, and reduce plaquing in brain¹⁶.
• Consider supplementing with Vinpocetine—Vinpocetine has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, and improve both memory and concentration^8,9.
• Consider supplementing with Acetyl L-carnitine—This has been shown to help with memory and helps with the production of acetylcholine.
• Consider supplementing with Ginkgo Biloba—This increases blood flow to the brain, protects overall neuronal function, scavenges free radicals, supports mitochondrial function, and inhibits chemical pathways that lead to brain decline by reducing the overstimulation of neurons that cause brain fatigue^{10, 11, 12, 13, 14}. Ginkgo has been shown to support memory in animals and humans¹⁵.
• Intermittent fasting—Intermittent fasting helps to break down plaquing associated with Alzheimer’s. This consists of reduced calorie intake or full fasting for 16–24 hours, followed by regular eating. Fasting is not safe for everyone and should be performed under the care of an experienced health care provider.

How can I find out if I inherited the Alzheimer’s gene?

If you want to know if you have inherited genes that can increase your risk for developing Alzheimer’s, then you can do genetic testing through “23andMe”. “23andMe” can tell you if you inherited the ApoE 4 gene. You can also find out if you inherited the ApoE 4 gene, and many other genes that are associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, by creating a GeneticDetoxification report using your “23andMe” genetic data. You can get your personalized genetic report from http://GeneticDetoxification.com.

References:
1.) Lara HH, Alanís-Garza EJ, et al. Nutritional approaches to modulate oxidative stress that induce Alzheimer’s disease. Nutritional approaches to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. 2015 Mar-Apr;151(2):245-51.
2.) Yang F., Lim G. P., et al. (2005) Curcumin inhibits formation of amyloid β oligomers and fibrils, binds plaques, and reduces amyloid in vivo. J. Biol. Chem. 280, 5892–5901.
3.) Begum A. N., Jones M. R., et al. (2008) Curcumin structure-function, bioavailability, and efficacy in models of neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 326, 196–208.
4.) Garcia-Alloza M., et al.(2007) Curcumin labels amyloid pathology in vivo, disrupts existing plaques, and partially restores distorted neurites in an Alzheimer mouse model. J. Neurochem. 102, 1095–1104.
5.) Li J, Wu HM, Zhou RL, et al. Huperzine A for Alzheimer’s disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;2
6.) HelpGuide.org. Alzheimer’s and Dementia Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia/alzheimers-and-dementia-prevention.htm
7.) Hamilton, John. Snooze Alert: A Sleep Disorder May Be Harming Your Body and Brain. (2015. Aug 24th). Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/08/24/432764792/snooze-alert-a-sleep-disorder-may-be-harming-your-body-and-brain.
8.) Ogunrin, AO. (2014) Effect of Vinpocetine on Cognitive Performance of a Nigerian Population. .Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2014 Jul-Aug; 4(4): 654–661.
9.) Valikovics A. Investigation of the effect of vinpocetine on cerebral blood flow and cognitive functions [in Hungarian]. Ideggyogy Sz. 2007 Jul;60(7-8):301- 10.
10.) Ahlemeyer B, Krieglstein J. Neuroprotective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2003 Sep;60(9):1779- 92.
11.) Ahlemeyer B, Krieglstein J. Pharmacological studies supporting the therapeutic use of Ginkgo biloba extract for Alzheimer’s disease. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2003 Jun;36 Suppl 1:S8-14. Review.
12.) Ponto LL, Schultz SK. Ginkgo biloba extract: review of CNS effects. Ann Clin Psychiatry. 2003 Jun;15(2):109-19.
14.) Sierpina VS, Wollschlaeger B, Blumenthal M. Ginkgo biloba. Am Fam Physician. 2003 Sep 1;68(5):923-6.
15.) Polich J, Gloria R. Cognitive effects of a Ginkgo biloba/ vinpocetine compound in normal adults: systematic assessment of perception, attention and memory. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2001 Jul;16(5):409-4
16.) Huang XT, Qian ZM, He X, et al. Reducing iron in the brain: a novel pharmacologic mechanism of huperzine A in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2014;35(5):1045–54.

These Statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This is intended for information purposes only.