Participants: David DeRose MD (Host)
Series Code: LIF
Program Code: LIF000013A
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00:28 Welcome to "Defeat Dementia Naturally."
00:31 I'm Doctor David DeRose, your host 00:34 for this presentation. 00:36 We'll be looking at things that you can do to 00:39 decrease the risk of dementia, 00:41 affecting you and those who you love. 00:44 Who really should be concerned about this topic? 00:48 It struck me, as a physician, over the years. 00:52 It seems that people who most need a message that 00:55 either I or someone else is presenting 00:59 just don't seem to be tuned in. This is an important question. 01:04 Who should be concerned? 01:06 My appreciation for the answer took on new significance. 01:11 I was reading from the 01:13 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 01:16 This edition came out in May of 2013. 01:21 That weekly publication 01:25 comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 01:27 It's looking at a variety of 01:30 illnesses and conditions affecting 01:32 the American populace. 01:34 In this particular study, 01:36 some 60,000 Americans, a representative sample of 01:40 people living throughout the United States, 01:42 came under sharp focus. Researchers looked 01:46 at just how prevalent early signs 01:49 of dementia were. What they were looking at were 01:52 individuals who have had 01:55 episodes of confusion, increased confusion, or 01:58 memory loss in the preceding twelve months. 02:02 What did the researchers find when they looked 02:05 at individuals sixty years of age and older? 02:11 Believe it or not, they found that over twelve percent 02:15 of those responding (a representative sample, 02:19 a genuine cross-section of the American population), 02:25 roughly one in eight, were saying, 02:29 "I've got evidence of a cognitive decline. 02:33 I've been more confused. I've had memory problems 02:37 of increased severity over the last twelve months." 02:40 I looked at that and said, "Okay--sixty years of age. 02:44 There's a lot of people living in their eighties and 02:49 nineties, people over one-hundred. 02:51 Maybe the reason that percentage was so high 02:54 was because of the older group?" We would say it was 02:57 skewed by older individuals with higher rates 03:02 of dementia and symptoms 03:06 indicating dementia. That wasn't the case. 03:12 When you looked at the group, 03:15 sixty to sixty-four years of age, 03:18 about twelve percent had early indicators 03:25 of cognitive challenge. 03:28 Who needs to be concerned about dementia? 03:32 Anybody who's planning to age with grace should be. 03:38 We're all going to have that 03:40 sixtieth birthday, unless we succumb to something else. 03:46 The point is, we need to be concerned 03:50 about caring for our cognition. 03:54 The evidence suggests natural things we can do 03:58 to defeat dementia. 04:01 Those things, you might not be surprised 04:04 in the context of our series, can be summarized 04:08 with the phrase "LIFESTART." 04:12 Let's take some examples. 04:16 If you're not familiar with the LifeStart mnemonic, 04:19 it summarizes nine essential lifestyle practices. 04:24 They can make a difference, 04:25 as far as decreasing your risk to a host 04:28 of conditions, improving your quality of life. 04:30 If you're not familiar with the mnemonic, log-in 04:33 to our website, 04:38 Pick up our free e book. 04:40 That will give you a little bit more insight 04:42 into this paradigm. 04:45 Again, LifeStart is nine elements. 04:49 The "S" in LifeStart stands for Sunlight. 04:56 Let's talk about that first as we're speaking about 04:59 defeating dementia. Very interesting research 05:03 recently came from the journal Neurology (2014). 05:10 They looked at the US population again, 05:14 trying to get an idea, a spectrum, 05:17 of individuals living in this great country. 05:20 By measuring vitamin D levels, 05:25 they could predict the risk of dementia. 05:27 There was a dose-response relationship. 05:31 In other words, researchers found that 05:34 individuals with very low levels of vitamin D 05:38 had a significantly higher risk of dementia. 05:41 Their risk doubled compared to those with 05:45 normal levels of vitamin D. 05:47 As you looked at more modest 05:49 decreases in vitamin D, 05:51 that increased risk was somewhere around 05:53 fifty percent. 05:54 We need to ensure that we have 05:59 optimal vitamin D levels. 06:01 If you are vitamin D deficient, 06:03 you are not on a trajectory 06:06 to defeat dementia. You're actually 06:08 increasing your risk of dementia. 06:11 That's with the data indicates. 06:12 Our first take-away point in this presentation: 06:16 we need to prioritize sunshine exposure. 06:20 That's the way we make vitamin D. 06:21 If there's some reason why 06:23 you can't do that, or you live in 06:24 a part of the country or the world 06:27 where you don't get much sunshine, 06:29 you need to take a vitamin D supplement. 06:32 As an aside, 06:34 if you haven't heard other presentations where I 06:36 speak about vitamin D and 06:37 parts of the world where there's not 06:40 much of it (especially in the winter months), 06:42 pay attention to this topic. 06:46 Boston, Massachusetts has been studied. 06:49 Four months out of the year, 06:51 you can not make adequate amounts of vitamin D. 06:54 The Sun does not come up 06:57 high enough above the horizon. 06:59 In Edmonton, Alberta 07:01 (Canada), it's five months of the year. 07:04 In Bergen, Norway, it's six months of the year. 07:07 The same would be true in the southern hemisphere 07:09 in the winter months. If you have any questions 07:13 about vitamin D status 07:14 (you're not getting out the Sun), 07:17 just have your vitamin D level checked. 07:20 What you check is called 25-hydroxyvitamin D. 07:25 Ask your doctor for that test. 07:27 I know we go through this material quickly. 07:30 We have a free study guide 07:31 that gives you more information about 07:34 the things we're talking about. 07:35 Again, that's available 07:36 for you free at 07:40 Let's move on from vitamin D 07:42 and sunlight, the "S" 07:44 in the LifeStart mnemonic. 07:46 Let's look at another element. 07:49 In the word "Start," 07:51 "T" stands for Temperance, 07:53 total avoidance of things that are harmful, 07:56 moderation of things that are good. 07:58 The "A" stands for (fresh) Air. 07:59 There is a habit in America, 08:02 embraced by literally millions of people. 08:05 It's at the interface of temperance and fresh air. 08:09 It has to do with cigarette smoking. 08:11 Does smoking have any role in cognition? 08:14 Some of you will say, "Smoking helps me. I have 08:18 mental clarity when I smoke a cigarette." 08:21 Let me tell you just a little bit about that. 08:23 In individuals smoking on a regular basis, 08:26 nicotine has a very short half-life. 08:29 That means, from the time of your last cigarette 08:33 until you start going through moderate withdrawal 08:36 (or early withdrawal) symptoms is 08:39 perhaps as little as one to two hours. 08:42 What that means is a deterioration in your 08:46 concentration. You can start feeling more anxious. 08:49 This is because you're addicted to nicotine 08:51 and haven't had any in a relatively short time. 08:54 When you smoke, 08:55 it may help you calm down, may help you 08:57 (seem to) think clearer. 08:59 It's not because smoking is a boon to cognitive health. 09:03 The research actually indicates just the opposite. 09:07 The message is: smoking is a risk factor 09:12 for dementia. 09:14 In 2007, Australian researchers did a meta-analysis. 09:20 They collected 19 perspective studies. These 09:23 studies looked at people over time. 09:26 Involved were tens of thousands of people. 09:30 In one of those studies, they followed individuals 09:33 for up to thirty years. 09:37 What did they find when they looked 09:39 at these individuals? 09:41 They pooled all studies at the time of initial assessment. 09:45 It compared someone who smoked (ever) 09:50 with someone who never smoked. 09:53 It compared those who are currently smoking 09:57 with those who have never smoked. 09:58 What kind of difference you think was found? 10:00 They found a seventy-nine 10:03 percent increased risk 10:04 of having Alzheimer s disease. 10:06 There's a seventy-eight percent increased risk 10:09 of having what we call vascular dementia. 10:12 Alzheimer's is a form of dementia that 10:15 can sometimes track in families. 10:18 Vascular dementia is actually caused by small 10:22 (or large) strokes over time. 10:25 It refers to the blood vessel supply to the brain. 10:28 There's nearly a doubling of risk 10:31 of showing up. When you're talking with 10:34 the investigator, 10:35 you have nearly twice the likelihood 10:38 of having dementia if 10:40 you are a current smoker. 10:42 That's not all. 10:44 These studies followed people for 10:47 two years, five years, and some up to 10:49 thirty years. What did they find as they 10:51 followed smokers over time? 10:53 Do you see the picture? At any time 10:55 you interview a smoker, 10:57 they're going to be more likely to have dementia. 10:59 You take that person with no dementia, 11:02 and follow them over time. 11:04 What happens? 11:05 There's an increased decline 11:10 in cognitive abilities of smokers over time. 11:13 There is a seventy percent increased risk 11:15 of developing Alzheimer's disease. 11:18 We're actually looking at two different things. 11:20 Some researchers would say the 11:23 study over time is more powerful. It 11:25 suggested it really is 11:27 a factor related to smoking. 11:29 If you look at one point in time, one could ask, 11:32 "Are more people with dementia smokers? 11:35 Is that what causes them to smoke, or 11:37 perpetuates their smoking?" 11:39 If you look over time, 11:41 what you see is greater development 11:43 of Alzheimer's disease. I think you see the bottom line. 11:48 Are you looking for more reasons to stop smoking? 11:52 Think about it. 11:56 Smoking is related to things that cut your life short, 12:01 like cancer and heart disease. 12:03 It also increases your risk of dementia. 12:06 If you want to defeat dementia, the message is clear. 12:09 Not only do you want to get 12:11 adequate sunshine and vitamin D levels, 12:16 you want to make sure you 12:20 get rid of that habit of cigarette smoking. 12:24 We want to move to the last element 12:27 in the LifeStart paradigm, Trust. 12:31 We often talk about 12:34 Trust in a higher power. Something beyond you. 12:39 Many people say, "You tacked that one on. 12:43 I'm not going to get too involved with that 12:46 Trust element. this is fascinating data, relatively 12:49 recent data coming out. It's looking at distrust. 12:53 These researchers looked at what's called cynical distrust. 12:57 It's the idea that, "No one cares about me. 13:01 No one cares what happens to me. 13:03 It's not safe to trust anyone." 13:06 When they looked at individuals who have 13:09 that approach to living, they have a higher 13:13 risk for dementia. You say, "Of course, 13:17 they're likely to have dementia. These people 13:19 are depressed, they have mental illness." 13:21 Even when they try to explain it 13:23 by depressive symptoms, 13:24 that does not explain it. 13:26 There is something about trusting 13:28 other people that actually helps the brain. 13:31 An interesting insight into this 13:34 comes from research on a compound called 13:43 It's been known for years 13:46 because it's involved in maternal- 13:47 infant relationships. We now know that oxytocin 13:51 is a trust hormone. 13:54 Oxytocin is involved in trusting relationships. 13:58 If you trust other people more, 14:01 it actually helps your brain make more 14:05 oxytocin. It's actually made by the 14:08 pituitary gland, with signaling from the brain. It's the 14:13 neuroendocrine pathway that's involved in producing 14:17 oxytocin. What I mean by "neuroendocrine" 14:21 is simply the fact that the brain 14:23 and the hormonal mechanisms 14:25 of the body are connected. 14:26 Trust is something powerful, impacting the brain. 14:30 It impacts us hormonally. Don't look 14:34 at the LifeStart paradigm and say, "That 14:38 trust element doesn't make much difference." 14:40 When it comes to defeating dementia, 14:42 the evidence suggests 14:43 it is an important component 14:45 as far as maintaining optimal cognition. 14:51 Let's move on just a little bit further, 14:53 looking at natural strategies that can help 14:57 in this quest to optimize 15:01 brain performance and avoid dementia. 15:05 Some of you may be familiar with one of my 15:07 favorite brain health compounds. 15:09 It's something called 15:13 That's a mouthful, but let's break it down. 15:17 "Brain-derived" means this compound is made by your brain. 15:21 "Neurotrophic." 15:23 "Neuro" refers to neurons, or brain cells. 15:26 "Trophic" refers to growth. 15:29 This is a brain- 15:31 derived (brain-made) compound that 15:37 helps your brains cells thrive. 15:42 BDNF is so exciting. It actually 15:45 holds promise for helping prevent dementia. 15:50 I speak about this in detail in "The Brain Health Revolution." 15:54 I want to give you some of the highlights. 15:57 In that larger presentation, I speak of the 16:00 far-reaching benefits of BDNF. 16:02 It can help you with depression and addictive states. 16:05 In this presentation, 16:07 we're focused on dementia. I want to look 16:09 with you at two leading 16:11 causes of dementia, 16:13 affecting millions of people 16:15 in the United States. 16:16 We're speaking about Alzheimer's disease, 16:19 and also the neurodegenerative disorder 16:22 Parkinson's disease. 16:23 Parkinson's can also cause dementia. 16:26 BDNF has been shown to help 16:30 decrease your risk 16:31 of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. 16:35 The question becomes, "With 16:37 BDNF, how do I increase it? What can I do?" 16:40 There are four key strategies 16:43 that can help improve levels of BDNF. 16:46 In addition to sunshine, 16:50 trusting relationships, and 16:52 not smoking, it's another window 16:55 on things that can improve your likelihood 16:58 of never having to deal with dementia. 17:01 Let's go through these four. The first one is 17:03 dietary restriction. 17:05 Think in terms of our mnemonic "LifeStart." 17:09 "L" for Liquids, "I" for Interpersonal Relationships, 17:15 and "F" for Foods. 17:16 Dietary restriction takes in Foods, but it also 17:21 the "T" in LifeStart, Temperance. 17:26 Dietary restriction is a concept of 17:29 eating what is good for you in moderation. 17:33 Let's talk a bit about it. 17:35 It's so interesting to me, 17:38 dietary restrictions. If you look at animal 17:41 studies of longevity, 17:43 you'll find that animals consistently live longer 17:48 with modest caloric restriction. 17:50 Evidence suggests that one of those 17:53 health-giving attributes of dietary restriction 17:56 is increased compounds of this BDNF. 18:01 If you're focused on defeating 18:06 dementia, you are going to want to do what? 18:10 You want to make sure 18:12 you do not overeat. Maybe you even 18:15 practice fasting occasionally, 18:18 maybe skip the evening meal. 18:21 (You don't want to skip breakfast, an important 18:24 meal for optimal brain performance.) 18:27 Skipping the evening meal can aid in weight reduction. 18:31 It can also help increase BDNF levels. 18:35 There's a reason I say that. 18:37 In the research, cutting back on calories (as little as 18:40 thirty percent) significantly boosts levels of this 18:44 dementia-fighting compound. 18:49 If caloric restriction can help with 18:54 boosting BDNF levels and also 18:57 helping to avoid Alzheimer's, do we know 19:00 why there are these connections? 19:02 Is BDNF the only reason why you need to 19:06 be careful as far as dementia? Maybe you could do 19:09 three of these other four things 19:11 I'm giving in this presentation? 19:15 Then you can eat as much as you want. 19:16 Let me share some interesting research done 19:20 in the halls of those working with dementia prevention. 19:23 One of the leading research 19:25 groups is based at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 19:28 now referred to as the Icon School of Medicine. 19:32 What they've been studying is dementia. 19:35 What factors predispose us to dementia? 19:39 They found, in their research, 19:41 that dietary factors loom large when it 19:44 comes to risk of dementia. 19:45 One of the things highlighted as having a role 19:50 in promoting Alzheimer's disease changes in the brain 19:54 is consumption of saturated fat. 19:57 Saturated fat is typically found in 20:00 animal products. What we're seeing, when it 20:03 comes to that "F" in LifeStart, 20:06 is a very important aspect. 20:09 We want to avoid overeating. 20:11 We want to think about periodic fasting. 20:13 If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or 20:15 questions about the safety of fasting, 20:18 you want to check with your 20:19 physician before embarking on such a practice. 20:22 You definitely can cut back on saturated fat. 20:25 You do that by eating less in the way of animal products, 20:29 eating more plant products that tend to be low 20:34 in saturated fat. 20:36 Let's hasten on and look at the 20:38 three other areas they can help us deal 20:42 with dementia by boosting levels of BDNF. 20:45 One way is cut back on our caloric intake. 20:50 What is the second area? 20:51 The second brings up another LifeStart element. 20:55 The "E" in "Life" stands for 20:59 Exercise, regular physical exercise. 21:03 It actually boosts levels of this brain- 21:06 protective compound. 21:07 It has been shown in research in animal models. 21:10 It's been shown in human studies. 21:12 Exercise can increase BDNF levels 21:15 in the range of thirty percent after a single 21:18 exercise session. 21:21 If you're concerned about brain health, 21:24 you need to be concerned about physical activity. 21:27 You need to be making a regular priority 21:31 of getting physical exercise. 21:34 How much exercise you need? 21:36 The more moderate exercise you get, 21:40 the better you do with BDNF. 21:44 Having said that, 21:47 even a little exercise is better than none. 21:51 There's something else very interesting in this 21:53 relationship between dementia, 21:55 cognitive health, and exercise. 21:58 They've noticed, in animal models, 22:02 that if you get under more stress, 22:05 it depresses BDNF levels. 22:09 Exercise helps offset stress. That's 22:12 part of why this connection is coming in here. 22:15 Listen very carefully. If stress is persistent, 22:19 BDNF levels drop. 22:22 Scientists have been able to measure 22:25 atrophy, or a wasting away, of a critical brain 22:29 region known as the hippocampus. 22:32 The hippocampus is involved in memory. 22:35 Think about it. 22:36 One the hallmarks of dementia is memory problems. 22:40 Part of the strategy we want to focus on 22:44 is stress management. 22:46 One of the ways you manage stress 22:48 is by physical activity. Whether it's running, 22:52 walking, biking, or swimming, 22:56 be more physically active. 22:58 It can make a difference, 23:00 not only in raising BDNF levels, 23:02 but in defusing stress. 23:04 This is one of the keys that can help defeat dementia. 23:09 We need to move on to the 23:12 third element that can help 23:14 raise those levels of BDNF, that natural 23:18 Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. 23:21 This can help you as far as fighting off 23:24 two common sources of dementia, 23:27 namely Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's. 23:30 That third element we want to talk about 23:33 is environmental enrichment, 23:36 or environmental stimulation. 23:38 This is easy to conceptualize if working with rats. 23:41 Think of rats in their usual 23:43 housing environment. You 23:45 maybe even had rodents as pets. I had 23:48 them growing up. 23:49 They've got that water bottle hanging on their 23:52 cage. They've got a little food dish. 23:54 They've got a wheel because 23:56 the rat, the mouse, or the hamster has to be active. 24:00 It's a boring environment when you think about it. 24:03 An environmentally-enriched setting 24:06 would be moving that rat or that hamster 24:10 into a more natural setting. 24:12 Let it go in the yard 24:13 (good luck getting it back). Put it in a box 24:17 with natural obstacles. It can 24:21 dig, and not just in the 24:23 cedar shavings at the bottom of a cage. 24:27 They are engaging with the environment 24:31 at a much higher level. 24:32 This environmental enrichment, 24:34 whether we look at animal 24:36 or human models of dementia, 24:39 is very powerful. 24:41 You ask, "What does that 24:42 mean, Doctor DeRose? You want to 24:44 stick me out of my house to live in nature?" 24:49 A camping trip may accomplish that. 24:52 Any change in setting 24:55 is environmentally enriching. 24:57 You get out of your routine. 24:59 I know sometimes it's frustrating. 25:01 It may be difficult. Maybe you're 25:03 going to help on 25:06 a project in a third world country. 25:08 Maybe you're building something there. 25:10 Maybe you don't have modern conveniences. 25:13 Maybe you're in a five-star hotel 25:16 in a different place in the world or country. 25:19 Any of these situations 25:21 is environmentally enriching. It's 25:23 challenging your brain 25:24 to deal with different situations. 25:27 Along these lines, education 25:30 helps lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease. 25:34 LifeStart seminars are so powerful, by 25:38 engaging on this level, learning this material, or 25:42 tapping into the website. Get the 25:44 free resources. There's a free e book or 25:47 the study guides that go along with this, 25:49 tapping into our other educational programs. 25:52 All these things can challenge the mind, 25:55 can be environmentally 25:56 enriching in that way. 25:58 These can decrease your risk of dementia. 26:01 Let's talk about the last area 26:04 of BDNF- increasing practices. 26:09 It's avoiding alcohol. Alcohol exposure 26:14 imbalances the various 26:16 nerve growth factors in the brain. It 26:18 can raise them in some areas, 26:20 lower them in other areas, 26:22 like the hippocampus, 26:23 that critical area for memory. 26:25 I recommend, if you want to function 26:28 optimally, take alcohol out the program. 26:34 Alcohol is a depressant. 26:35 Even in small amounts, it blunts the frontal lobe. 26:39 You lose some if your discriminating faculties, 26:42 even with a small amount of alcohol. 26:47 Remember that connection with the hippocampus. 26:50 With alcohol, the research indicates you will 26:53 drop levels of BDNF in that important 26:56 brain memory region. Hopefully, 27:00 you've seen in this presentation how LifeStart 27:03 is really telling us about nine 27:07 natural elements that can help defeat dementia. 27:10 We haven't looked at every one of them. 27:12 We saw how temperance 27:15 (avoiding smoking and alcohol, 27:17 eating in moderation) 27:19 can help with dementia. 27:21 We saw how sunlight 27:22 can boost levels of vitamin D, helping you 27:26 avoid things like Alzheimer's disease. 27:29 We showed you how trust, 27:31 trust in divine power and 27:33 trust in relationships with others, 27:35 can help as far as brain health. 27:37 Let me close on that note. 27:40 LifeStart is not just about educational materials. 27:43 It's also about support. 27:45 There are free coaching options 27:47 where you can connect with others. 27:49 Go to our website, 27:55 Whether it's educational material, 27:57 connecting with other people, 28:00 or just making a point to exercise and be 28:03 temperate in your eating (avoiding harmful substances), 28:06 you can defeat dementia. 28:09 I'm Doctor David DeRose, for Lifestart Seminars. |
Revised 2017-01-06