‘You are the architect of your future brain’
~ Dr David Perlmutter
Cognitive decline as we age is common, but not inevitable. In our society, we have started to accept conditions – such as Alzheimer’s – as a natural part of the ageing process, however it doesn’t have to be this way.
Research tells us that cognitive decline doesn’t just happen. Instead, it builds up over a long period of time, even before symptoms start to show. The buildup can be due to a number of factors, with diet and lifestyle playing a huge part.
From a Functional Medicine Perspective, this is great news, as it means that much can be done from a preventative perspective by making appropriate adaptations to diet and lifestyle.
In an ideal world, we would be taking care of our brain health with the right foods from the time we are born, but so often this isn’t how things work out. However, in the majority of cases, if we begin to make adjustments in early mid-life, we can prevent the onset of cognitive decline. This is particularly crucial if symptoms of stress and burnout are present.
Even in situations where Alzheimer’s is quite progressed, there is still a lot that can done. It may surprise you to learn that Alzheimer’s is actually the leading cause of death in the UK and so it is particularly encouraging to draw on more natural approaches to help turn things around.
‘People can reduce their risk of dementia by getting regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding harmful use of alcohol, controlling their weight, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels’
~ World Health Organisation, 2019
From a Functional Medicine perspective, you can book a one-to-one consultation to come and explore any areas of concern you have.
We would start by looking into any genetic links with dementia or Alzheimer’s within your family to ascertain how susceptible you are. Following this, we can create a tailored programme of support that aims to prevent the development of cognitive decline.
As with all of the support I offer, real change requires you to take responsibility and make the appropriate changes. It may involve giving up some of the foods you enjoy – which can be difficult – however the benefits are certainly worth the short-term cravings.
There are also specific tests we can perform to look more deeply at what’s going on. I can recommend what is more beneficial after the first consultation.
I also run a six-week Brain Health Programme at my clinic in Macclesfield. This programme is a comprehensive look at all areas of brain health and will explore sleep, stress, gut, digestion, exercise and keeping the brain active.
I call this programme a General MOT, as it covers a broad scope of health and wellness that relates to the brain from a Functional Medicine Perspective.
Contact me for details of the next Brain Health Programme.
Blood sugar is also a huge topic and I’ve provided some detailed information here with guidance on how to balance your blood sugar levels.
When you eat starchy/sweet foods or alcohol they are broken down in the body into a sugar called glucose. This is carried around in the blood stream and taken to cells which use it for energy. At any one time, the ideal amount of glucose to have in the blood is about two teaspoons.
The level of glucose in the blood is carefully controlled by a hormone called insulin. After we eat, the amount of glucose in the blood rises. Insulin is released to bring blood glucose levels back down to 'normal' levels. This ultimately causes blood sugar levels to swing too low again, making us feel tired, grumpy and hungry again. This is sometimes referred to as the blood sugar rollercoaster.
It is the hormone insulin that makes you fat and keeps you fat. The more insulin you produce, the fatter you become. What increases insulin levels? Prolonged intake of high GI foods. These are processed, starchy and sweet foods which release their glucose into the blood stream quickly, causing excess production of insulin. This excess load triggers bodily systems to convert surplus glucose into fat. You then eat again and so continue to store fat as opposed to burning it.
The problem is that if this happens too frequently, the body starts to ignore the insulin message, a condition called insulin resistance. This can lead to permanently high blood sugar levels as cells become resistant to Insulin and deprived of energy. This further increases weight gain can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes and a greater risk of heart disease, cancer, alzheimer's disease and strokes.
Harvard Health list of foods linked to better brainpower:
Research paper published by Dr Bredesen demonstrating reversal of cognitive decline:
Harvard Health list of foods linked to better brainpower:
Research paper published by Dr Bredesen demonstrating reversal of cognitive decline:
The End of Alzheimers: The first programme to prevent and reverse the cognitive decline of dementia:
Link to interview with Dale Bredesen discussing the prevention and reversal of Alzheimers disease:
Institute for Functional Medicine information & video with Dr Robert Rountree on Reversing Cognitive Decline: Midlife strategies for brain health:
Dr David Perlmutter, Neurologist: 20 foods to naturally increase your brain power:
Huffington Post article: What sugar does to your brain:
List of GI Foods & ratings:
Mishra, S. Palanivelu, K. The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer’s disease: an overview, Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2008 Jan-Mar, 11 (1):13-19.
Socci, V. Tempesta, D. Desideri, G. Enhancing human cognition with cocoa flavoniods, Front Nutr, 2017 May 16;4:19.
Subash, S. Mohamed, M. Akbar, M. Neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases, Neural Regen Res 2014 Aug 15;9 (16): 1557-1566.
Eysoczanski, T. Solo;a-Wysoczanska, E. Pekala, J. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and their role in central nervous system – a review, Curr Med Chem 2016; 23 (8): 816-831.