The understanding of cognitive decline and dementia has advanced considerably over the past decade, despite the drug industry’s numerous failed attempts to develop a drug to treat the condition. But a successful effort at preventing, even reversing, cognitive decline and dementia requires a multi-faceted approach that involves diet, correction of nutritional deficiencies, exercise, learning new skills, and a number of other efforts.
This is the first in a series of videos exploring all these issues, all designed to arm you with the best information available. The remainder of the series will be posted on the Undoctored Inner Circle membership website.
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Transcript:
We’re going to be introducing a series of videos and conversations on how to not have cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s dementia. We’re going to take some of the lessons learned from Dr. Dale Bredesen’s ReCODE program (a lot of new lessons there), also some things that we can do better, and some things that I don’t agree with. We’ll talk about all those things, but we’ll take the best of the ReCODE program and see if we can teach us any new lessons for our Undoctored experience.
Those conversations will unfold; it’s a rather complicated conversation that will come out over several videos. Dr. Bredesen’s ReCODE program has many many many moving parts in it, so we can’t cover in a single video or a single written conversation. We’ll do this in a series.
I wanted to start by reassuring you that if you’re just doing the Undoctored Wild-Naked-Unwashed program — the basic components of the Wild-Naked-Unwashed program — you have already gotten off to a terrific start that is very powerful for prevention, or even reversal of cognitive decline, perhaps also dementia. The Undoctored program, by the way, overlaps almost perfectly with Dr. Bredesen’s core program, so I think that tells us we’re on the right track. I have seen early dementia, not advanced dementia, but early dementia reverse, or at least partially reverse.
All the things you do in the Undoctored Wild-Naked-Unwashed program, that is:
- Grain and sugar elimination: that’s huge, because it’s anti-inflammatory. A big driver of cognitive decline and dementia is inflammation. By going grain-free sugar-free we drop inflammation dramatically. If you were to track inflammatory measures like C-reactive protein or interleukin-6 or tumor necrosis factor (TNFα) or other measures, you would see them drop precipitously, as inflammation recedes, and risk for Alzheimer’s with it.
- Vitamin D: vitamin D is at the top of our program; is among the most important. It is also in the ReCODE program. It’s not entirely clear why it’s so protective. Part of it is its effects on neuronal (nervous system brain cell) growth. Also it’s anti-inflammatory, and a lot of other effects. So vitamin D’s at the top and list of supplements that protect you from dementia.
- Fish oil; for its EPA and DHA, but especially its DHA, because your brain largely consists of DHA. We take fish oil, not flaxseed oil (flaxseed oil’s fine, nothing wrong with it, but it’s not a source of the DHA your brain needs) and krill oil — the quantity of EPA and DHA is too trivial to have the kinds of effects we want. We want an Omega-3 RBC Index of certainly greater than 8%, ideally above 10%, the level that provides maximum, optimal, cardiovascular protection, and protection from dementia.
- Cultivation of bowel flora: there is a mind-gut-axis, but even more so than that, having dysbiosis in some form is highly inflammatory. If you have dysbiosis: disrupted bowel flora composition, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, where the organisms have ascended all the way up the gastrointestinal tract, this is highly inflammatory. That’s why it’s associated with conditions like fibromyalgia, psoriasis, autoimmune conditions, IBS. All the steps we take to correct bowel flora composition, reduce inflammation, as well as provide other benefits, like reductions in triglycerides, blood pressure, and better emotional health.
If you’re just engaging in the basic Undoctored Wild-Naked-Unwashed program, you are off to a terrific start. We will talk more about the role of exercise, which is important in dementia protection, as well as other facets of health, getting adequate sleep (another factor), brain exercise, learning new skills, new information. We’ll talk about that in future videos, but I wanted to reassure you that just by engaging in the Undoctored Wild-Naked-Unwashed program you have already, in effect, taken on many of the core basic strategies in the ReCODE program for dementia prevention and reversal.
There is a genetic neurological disease that runs in my husband’s family and dementia is a prominent feature. He has a 50% risk of having the gene. It usually starts in mid-life and he may be showing early signs. Clearly giving up the gluten was a good idea for him, but I have never been able to get him completely off of gluten-free grains and sugar. I do what I can to mitigate the damage and he is in excellent physical health.
There are experts who think glutamate in all its forms plays a role in the development of dementia, and that it should be reduced in the diet as much as possible. I don’t know what to think about that. I never feel completely comfortable feeding him nuts and seeds, but they replace other unhealthy foods in his diet and he would feel deprived without them.
What’s the word on glutamate within the context of the program?
Kali wrote: «There is a genetic neurological disease that runs in my husband’s family and dementia is a prominent feature.»
If that’s Apo E4, bear in mind that it’s just a risk factor, and not a certainty factor. A major theme of Bredesen’s book (my review here), is that much can be done to reduce, perhaps eliminate that risk, and possibly reverse some cognitive decline already in evidence.
re: «It usually starts in mid-life and he may be showing early signs.»
Is he aware of it, and at all interested in slowing, arresting and reversing it?
re: «Clearly giving up the gluten was a good idea for him, but I have never been able to get him completely off of gluten-free grains and sugar.»
Until Bredesen’s book came out, a common attitude was: “well, nothing can be done about, so I might as well enjoy myself, especially since it’s genetic.” Well, not any more, but most people haven’t gotten the memo yet.
re: «There are experts who think glutamate in all its forms plays a role in the development of dementia, and that it should be reduced in the diet as much as possible.»
Glutamate is not in the Index of Bredesen’s book.
re: «What’s the word on glutamate within the context of the program?»
It’s been discussed on the forum, going back to the TYP days, but is not part of program strategies or even things to avoid. My personal view is that it’s probably a concern in treating any cancers that don’t show up on PET scan (it’s the main reason for the R {Restricted calorie} on R-KD approaches to cancer).
Tailoring the Undoctored/Wheat Belly program to prevent, slow, arrest and reverse cognitive decline is getting some focus at the moment, and some advice may emerge in the near future.
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I don’t want to name it but it is a neurological disease that he will eventually get if he has the gene, and dementia is only one part of it. It involves misfiring of neurons, and progressive malfunction and eventual death of brain cells. Inflammation is a known aggravating factor, and it also has an auto-immune component, among other problems, but addressing those issues would not cure or halt progression of the disease. There is no treatment, but we have always hoped we could push it back and/or slow it down with supplements and lifestyle changes until there is a cure. They are getting close with research into antisense therapy, but I don’t know if it will be in time for him.
He is mostly cooperative with my efforts in this regard, but he will never be as strict about it as I would like. I don’t guess I really blame him. Everything we do is an educated shot in the dark, and how much quality of life is it worth giving up for uncertain results? I struggle with a similar dilemma in regard to the breast cancer. It’s hard to be perfect all the time without diminishing my enjoyment of life. If I followed every dietary recommendation out there for cancer, I would be dead from lack of food and water. The science always conflicts and you have to take a gamble that you are choosing to believe in the right studies.
I believe there is more than one right way to do almost anything, and doing the best we can will have to be enough, but I will never give up looking for the best way! I would like to hear much more on the subject of cognitive decline. I have cognitive issues from my cancer med myself.
Kali wrote: «…neurological disease that he will eventually get if he has the gene…»
I see that there are several those, such as C9ORF72 ALS/FTD. You’re certainly way ahead of me in researching leading-edge treatments.
If progression of the ailment varies from case to case, that suggests that some diet and lifestyle factors influence rate. For brain ailments, I’d be looking for hints not just in the ReCODE protocol, but also in that list in my review of topics I expected to see addressed, and did not.
re: «Inflammation is a known aggravating factor,…»
Minimizing the burden on the brain lymph system strikes me as low hanging fruit in preventing and managing brain ailments. Steps include:
• optimizing the BBB (no zonulins from grains),
• low-glycemic metabolism (have the brain use more ketones),
• low inflammation (get the Omega 6:3 ratio down under 2:1, and get the Omega 3 Index to 10 or higher),
• exercise — if that lymph system has inadequate/no peristalsis, it may depend on exercise to work, and
• sleep hygiene.
If a pricey patented antisense or CRISPR-Cas9 gene edit treatment comes to market, your neurologist will be the first to know, because the pharma rep will explain it all over dinner at Chateau Swank.
If the most effective treatment in the meantime is basically cost-free, and in particular nutritional, your neurologist will be the last to know, unless they are a rogue gem.
re: «If I followed every dietary recommendation out there for cancer, I would be dead from lack of food and water.»
For sure. Some of the advice causes it. Cancer, tho, is a different problem, as it’s not inevitable, is not common in surviving H-G cultures, and is thought to have been less prevalent in the past in agricultural societies. This suggests that enlightened ancestral strategies are likely most promising.
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I think Vitamin D is the most important supplement. Certainly the most economical. Comes out to 15 cents a day. What would be the case in applying WB or Bredesen’s strategies to advanced dementia or alzheimers? Would it merely prevent further progression of the diseases or would it decrease severity of them?
DM wrote: «I think Vitamin D is the most important supplement.»
The list of things we can do to optimize health and healthspan is pretty long, and can’t be rigidly prioritized, and a lot of the lower-ranked stuff is pick-your-battles matter. But D is in the top six (the Wild-Naked-Unwashed core of the Undoctored program). If you aren’t doing the other 5 as well, benefits from D alone plummet.
re: «What would be the case in applying WB or Bredesen’s strategies to advanced dementia or alzheimers?;»
The problem there is the “advanced” part. When things get to that stage, no matter what the treatment, compliance can easily be problem #1.
re: «Would it merely prevent further progression of the diseases or would it decrease severity of them?»
Well, Bredesen is claiming reversal, which would be both.
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