William Faloon

Until recently, an Alzheimer’s diagnosis was viewed as a terminal illness with no current cure.

The families are told to expect continued deterioration of brain function until the patient drifts into a vegetative state.

Readers of Life Extension Magazine^® have been educated about different approaches that can help reverse early-stage Alzheimer’s cognitive deficits. Much of this is now being implemented in varying ways by mainstream medicine.

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, a revolution is happening in the way some doctors diagnose and treat early-stage disease. This is enabling Alzheimer’s victims to live relatively normal lives several years longer compared to when they were told to go home and prepare for the worst.¹

Progressive neurologists are improving Alzheimer’s victims’ lives by emphasizing the cognitive benefits of healthy lifestyles and avoiding behaviors that hasten mental decline. Patients are encouraged to eat better, exercise, stop smoking, moderate alcohol intake, correct hearing loss, sleep issues, and depression…and keep their brains active.

Patients are also warned about the neurotoxicity of chronic use of certain medications (like proton-pump inhibitors), environmental pollutants, and heavy metals.

Expensive new drugs can slow cognitive decline but require close monitoring due to side effects like brain edema and bleeding.²

The Wall Street Journal described Alzheimer’s patients who slow their disease course and boost overall well-being by managing their disease in an upbeat, positive manner while avoiding negative connotations about aging.¹

Just two months later, a new clinical trial was published that involved participants with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer’s dementia. It suggested potential reductions in cognitive decline in response to comprehensive lifestyle interventions that included diet, exercise, and supplemental nutrients.³

I felt a sense of vindication when reading about these clinical benefits but regret that they have been overlooked by mainstream neurology for so long.

This article describes published findings about diet and lifestyle patterns associated with delay and reversal of age-related cognitive decline.

Encouraging findings from large human trials reveal methods to protect cognitive function even into our advanced years. One study found that modest dietary changes can slash Alzheimer’s risk by 35% when a healthy diet is consistently followed.⁴

Aging is associated with mild cognitive impairment that can progress to full-blown Alzheimer’s.^5,6,7

An analysis from the 2020 U.S. census found that a startling 34.6% of adults 85 years and older were living with clinical Alzheimer’s disease.⁸

The good news is that decades of research have led to practical approaches that aging individuals can adopt to reduce their senility risk.

Impact of Diet on Brain Health

Diet is a powerful factor that affects whether we develop dementia.

A randomized controlled trial published in 2015 corroborates the brain-boosting benefits that occur in response to healthier dietary choices.⁹ I suspect most of you reading this have been following at least some of these beneficial eating patterns.

A 2016 publication titled "Dietary Patterns and Risk of Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies" revealed:¹⁰

• 12% decreased risk with higher antioxidant intake,
• 16% decreased risk with higher unsaturated fat intake,
• 28% decreased risk with higher vitamin B intake,
• 31% decreased risk with greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet,

  and conversely:

• 43% increased risk in cigarette smokers,
• 52% increased risk in people with low vitamin D levels,
• 224% increased risk in people with higher aluminum levels,

  and need to further investigate:

• Fish consumption: 21% decreased risk, and
• Fruit and vegetable intake: 54% decreased risk

The authors concluded this meta-analysis with the following:

…the Mediterranean diet and higher consumption of unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and B vitamins decrease the risk of dementia, while smoking and higher consumption of aluminum increase the risk of dementia. Low levels of vitamin D were associated with cognitive decline. The effect of [consuming] fish, vegetables, fruits, and alcohol needs further investigation. The findings will be of great significance to guide people to prevent dementia.¹⁰

What impressed me about these human studies is that they show reversals of cognitive dysfunction even in the elderly.

In one study conducted at Rush University, the average age of the subjects was 81 years, showing that it may never be too late to alter one’s dietary patterns to protect brain function.⁴

Role of Magnesium

Intriguing discoveries over prior decades associate greater magnesium intake with lower dementia risk.^12-14

Findings from a 2022 published study suggest that higher magnesium intake alone may improve cognition in older Americans…if they have sufficient blood levels of vitamin D. (Magnesium is needed to activate vitamin D in the body.)¹³

A 2023 published study showed higher magnesium intake is related to larger brain volumes and reduced pathologies that predispose people to dementia.¹⁴

Yet most Americans do not obtain enough dietary magnesium.

Combining lifestyle and dietary factors shown to protect against cognitive decline with adequate nutrient intake may yield remarkable neuro-protective results.

New Clinical Trial

As I was finishing this editorial, results from a new randomized controlled clinical trial by Dean Ornish’s research group were published.³

Patients with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage dementia were randomized to either a comprehensive lifestyle intervention program or a control group.

After only 20 weeks, the comprehensive lifestyle intervention group (e.g. diet, exercise, stress management, dietary supplements) showed evidence of statistically significant, beneficial changes in cognitive function in several validated tests of cognition.

These findings were further supported by observed changes in the microbiome and improvements that correlate with the degree of lifestyle changes. Those who better adhered to the multiple interventions showed greater improvement in all four measures of cognition and function.

And the degree of Alzheimer’s blood biomarker improvements (such as the Aβ42/40 ratio) correlated with the degree of compliance with the interventions.

Olive Oil Lowers Dementia Death Risk

A study published by the American Medical Association (May 6, 2024) showed a correlation between modest olive oil intake and reduced risk of dementia death.

This study observed over 92,000 adults over 28 years and found that consuming just over half a tablespoon a day of olive oil was linked to a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death.¹¹

The authors of this study, mostly from Harvard, concluded "Opting for olive oil…instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise, is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia."

Even those with a strong genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s (APOE e4 gene carriers) reduced their dementia death risk by consuming olive oil instead of unhealthy fats.

The greatest risk reduction (28%) compared those who rarely or never ingested olive oil to those who consumed a modest half tablespoon or more a day.

This may be the first major study to investigate whether this staple of the Mediterranean diet (olive oil) reduces dementia death risk.

In addition to diet, exercise, and stress management, the following daily doses of dietary supplements were used in the intervention group:

• Coenzyme Q10: 200 mg
• Curcumin: 800 mg
• Omega-3 fatty acids: (1680 mg of EPA/DHA)
• Multivitamin and Minerals (without iron)
• Vitamin C: 1000 mg
• Vitamin B12: 500 mcg
• Magnesium L-Threonate: 144 mg
• Lion’s Mane: 2000 mg
• Probiotic blend: 471 mg

These are preliminary findings in a small, controlled clinical trial. They nevertheless are promising, and support other, previously published evidence that in some patients with mild cognitive impairment and/or early-stage dementia, their condition may be partially reversible. Longer, larger multi-center clinical studies should be conducted to ascertain sustainable success with confidence.

Although prevention is not necessarily the same as actual treatment (of pre-existing dementia), these results are also consistent with prior studies suggesting healthy lifestyles to be associated with reduced dementia or cognitive impairment.^15-19

Take Charge of your Brain Health!

While some enlightened clinicians seek to correct Alzheimer’s risk factors, most lack the time to fully engage with an individual patient’s needs.

This is where the concept of being a "proactive patient" becomes apparent.

Those concerned about cognitive decline today can take an active role in managing their health, treatment decisions, and overall well-being.

We encourage supporters to educate themselves when confronted with neurological deficits, ask questions, seek out second opinions, and participate in discussions with their healthcare providers.

Rather than being passive victims, proactive patients are empowered to make informed decisions that are more likely to achieve better outcomes.

And coincidentally, the process of patient empowerment keeps one’s brain active, which is another factor that helps combat neurological decline.

The article, A Healthy Diet Supports Brain Health, in this month’s issue describes dietary patterns shown in multiple studies to be associated with improved cognitive functions.

For longer life,

William Faloon, Co-Founder, Life Extension®

References

1. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/alzheimers-disease-diagnosis-early-detection-c03e4760. Accessed August 23, 2024.
2. Lacorte E, Ancidoni A, Zaccaria V, et al. Safety and Efficacy of Monoclonal Antibodies for Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Published and Unpublished Clinical Trials. J Alzheimers Dis. 2022;87(1):101-29.
3. Ornish D, Madison C, Kivipelto M, et al. Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024;16(1):122.
4. Morris MC, Tangney CC, Wang Y, et al. MIND diet associated with reduced incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2015;11(9):1007-14.
5. Petersen RC, Lopez O, Armstrong MJ, et al. Practice guideline update summary: Mild cognitive impairment: Report of the Guideline Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology. 2018;90(3):126-35.
6. Available at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-loss-and-forgetfulness/what-mild-cognitive-impairment. Accessed August 24, 2024.
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9. Ngandu T, Lehtisalo J, Solomon A, et al. A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2015;385(9984):2255-63.
10. Cao L, Tan L, Wang HF, et al. Dietary Patterns and Risk of Dementia: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies. Mol Neurobiol. 2016;53(9):6144-54.
11. Tessier AJ, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al. Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(5):e2410021.
12. Ozawa M, Ninomiya T, Ohara T, et al. Self-reported dietary intake of potassium, calcium, and magnesium and risk of dementia in the Japanese: the Hisayama Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012;60(8):1515-20.
13. Tao MH, Liu J, Cervantes D. Association between magnesium intake and cognition in US older adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011 to 2014. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2022;8(1):e12250.
14. Alateeq K, Walsh EI, Cherbuin N. Dietary magnesium intake is related to larger brain volumes and lower white matter lesions with notable sex differences. Eur J Nutr. 2023;62(5):2039-51.
15. Omura JD, McGuire LC, Patel R, et al. Modifiable Risk Factors for Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias Among Adults Aged >/=45 Years - United States, 2019. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022;71(20):680-5.
16. Dhana K, Evans DA, Rajan KB, et al. Healthy lifestyle and the risk of Alzheimer dementia: Findings from 2 longitudinal studies. Neurology. 2020;95(4):e374-e83.
17. Yang JJ, Keohane LM, Pan XF, et al. Association of Healthy Lifestyles With Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias in Low-Income Black and White Americans. Neurology. 2022;99(9):e944-e53.
18. Lourida I, Hannon E, Littlejohns TJ, et al. Association of Lifestyle and Genetic Risk With Incidence of Dementia. JAMA. 2019;322(5):430-7.
19. Petermann-Rocha F, Lyall DM, Gray SR, et al. Dose-response association between device-measured physical activity and incident dementia: a prospective study from UK Biobank. BMC Med. 2021;19(1):305.