Welcome to "Defeat
Dementia Naturally."
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I'm Doctor David
DeRose, your host
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for this presentation.
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We'll be looking at
things that you can do to
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decrease the risk of dementia,
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affecting you and
those who you love.
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Who really should be
concerned about this topic?
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It struck me, as a
physician, over the years.
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It seems that people
who most need a message that
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either I or
someone else is presenting
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just don't seem to be tuned in.
This is an important question.
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Who should be concerned?
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My appreciation for the
answer took on new significance.
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I was reading from the
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Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report.
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This edition came
out in May of 2013.
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That weekly publication
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comes from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
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It's looking at a variety of
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illnesses and
conditions affecting
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the American populace.
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In this particular study,
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some 60,000 Americans,
a representative sample of
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people living
throughout the United States,
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came under sharp
focus. Researchers looked
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at just how
prevalent early signs
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of dementia were. What
they were looking at were
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individuals who have had
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episodes of confusion,
increased confusion, or
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memory loss in the
preceding twelve months.
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What did the researchers
find when they looked
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at individuals sixty
years of age and older?
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Believe it or not, they
found that over twelve percent
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of those responding
(a representative sample,
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a genuine cross-section
of the American population),
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roughly one in
eight, were saying,
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"I've got evidence
of a cognitive decline.
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I've been more confused.
I've had memory problems
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of increased severity
over the last twelve months."
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I looked at that and
said, "Okay--sixty years of age.
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There's a lot of people
living in their eighties and
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nineties, people
over one-hundred.
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Maybe the reason that
percentage was so high
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was because of the older
group?" We would say it was
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skewed by older
individuals with higher rates
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of dementia and symptoms
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indicating dementia.
That wasn't the case.
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When you looked at the group,
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sixty to
sixty-four years of age,
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about twelve
percent had early indicators
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of cognitive challenge.
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Who needs to be
concerned about dementia?
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Anybody who's planning
to age with grace should be.
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We're all going to have that
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sixtieth birthday, unless
we succumb to something else.
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The point is, we
need to be concerned
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about caring for our cognition.
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The evidence suggests
natural things we can do
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to defeat dementia.
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Those things, you
might not be surprised
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in the context of our
series, can be summarized
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with the phrase "LIFESTART."
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Let's take some examples.
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If you're not familiar
with the LifeStart mnemonic,
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it summarizes nine
essential lifestyle practices.
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They can make a difference,
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as far as
decreasing your risk to a host
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of conditions,
improving your quality of life.
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If you're not familiar
with the mnemonic, log-in
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to our website,
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Pick up our free e book.
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That will give you a
little bit more insight
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into this paradigm.
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Again, LifeStart
is nine elements.
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The "S" in
LifeStart stands for Sunlight.
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Let's talk about that
first as we're speaking about
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defeating dementia.
Very interesting research
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recently came from the
journal Neurology (2014).
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They looked at the
US population again,
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trying to get an
idea, a spectrum,
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of individuals living
in this great country.
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By measuring vitamin D levels,
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they could predict
the risk of dementia.
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There was a
dose-response relationship.
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In other words,
researchers found that
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individuals with very
low levels of vitamin D
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had a significantly
higher risk of dementia.
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Their risk doubled
compared to those with
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normal levels of vitamin D.
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As you looked at more modest
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decreases in vitamin D,
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that increased risk
was somewhere around
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fifty percent.
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We need to ensure that we have
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optimal vitamin D levels.
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If you are vitamin D deficient,
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you are not on a trajectory
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to defeat
dementia. You're actually
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increasing your
risk of dementia.
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That's with the data indicates.
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Our first take-away
point in this presentation:
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we need to
prioritize sunshine exposure.
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That's the way
we make vitamin D.
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If there's some reason why
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you can't do
that, or you live in
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a part of the
country or the world
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where you don't
get much sunshine,
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you need to take a
vitamin D supplement.
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As an aside,
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if you haven't heard
other presentations where I
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speak about vitamin D and
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parts of the
world where there's not
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much of it (especially
in the winter months),
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pay attention to this topic.
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Boston,
Massachusetts has been studied.
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Four months out of the year,
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you can not make
adequate amounts of vitamin D.
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The Sun does not come up
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high enough above the horizon.
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In Edmonton, Alberta
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(Canada), it's
five months of the year.
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In Bergen, Norway,
it's six months of the year.
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The same would be true
in the southern hemisphere
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in the winter months.
If you have any questions
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about vitamin D status
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(you're not
getting out the Sun),
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just have your
vitamin D level checked.
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What you check is
called 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
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Ask your doctor for that test.
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I know we go through
this material quickly.
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We have a free study guide
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that gives you
more information about
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the things we're talking about.
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Again, that's available
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for you free at
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Let's move on from vitamin D
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and sunlight, the "S"
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in the LifeStart mnemonic.
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Let's look at another element.
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In the word "Start,"
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"T" stands for Temperance,
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total avoidance of
things that are harmful,
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moderation of
things that are good.
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The "A" stands for (fresh) Air.
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There is a habit in America,
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embraced by
literally millions of people.
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It's at the interface of
temperance and fresh air.
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It has to do with
cigarette smoking.
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Does smoking have
any role in cognition?
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Some of you will say,
"Smoking helps me. I have
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mental clarity when
I smoke a cigarette."
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Let me tell you just
a little bit about that.
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In individuals
smoking on a regular basis,
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nicotine has a
very short half-life.
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That means, from the
time of your last cigarette
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until you start going
through moderate withdrawal
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(or early
withdrawal) symptoms is
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perhaps as little
as one to two hours.
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What that means is a
deterioration in your
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concentration. You can
start feeling more anxious.
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This is because
you're addicted to nicotine
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and haven't had any in
a relatively short time.
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When you smoke,
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it may help you
calm down, may help you
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(seem to) think clearer.
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It's not because smoking
is a boon to cognitive health.
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The research actually
indicates just the opposite.
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The message is:
smoking is a risk factor
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for dementia.
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In 2007, Australian
researchers did a meta-analysis.
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They collected 19
perspective studies. These
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studies looked
at people over time.
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Involved were tens
of thousands of people.
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In one of those studies,
they followed individuals
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for up to thirty years.
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What did they
find when they looked
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at these individuals?
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They pooled all studies at
the time of initial assessment.
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It compared
someone who smoked (ever)
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with someone who never smoked.
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It compared those
who are currently smoking
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with those who
have never smoked.
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What kind of
difference you think was found?
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They found a seventy-nine
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percent increased risk
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of having Alzheimer s disease.
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There's a seventy-eight
percent increased risk
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of having what we
call vascular dementia.
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Alzheimer's is a
form of dementia that
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can sometimes track in families.
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Vascular dementia is
actually caused by small
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(or large) strokes over time.
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It refers to the blood
vessel supply to the brain.
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There's nearly
a doubling of risk
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of showing up.
When you're talking with
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the investigator,
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you have nearly
twice the likelihood
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of having dementia if
00:10:38.90\00:10:40.64
you are a current smoker.
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That's not all.
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These studies
followed people for
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two years, five
years, and some up to
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thirty years. What
did they find as they
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followed smokers over time?
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Do you see the
picture? At any time
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you interview a smoker,
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they're going to be
more likely to have dementia.
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You take that
person with no dementia,
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and follow them over time.
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What happens?
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There's an increased decline
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in cognitive
abilities of smokers over time.
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There is a seventy
percent increased risk
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of developing
Alzheimer's disease.
00:11:15.77\00:11:18.54
We're actually looking
at two different things.
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Some researchers would say the
00:11:20.68\00:11:23.41
study over time
is more powerful. It
00:11:23.45\00:11:25.95
suggested it really is
00:11:25.98\00:11:27.85
a factor related to smoking.
00:11:27.88\00:11:29.78
If you look at one
point in time, one could ask,
00:11:29.82\00:11:32.32
"Are more people
with dementia smokers?
00:11:32.35\00:11:35.19
Is that what
causes them to smoke, or
00:11:35.22\00:11:37.29
perpetuates their smoking?"
00:11:37.33\00:11:39.09
If you look over time,
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what you see is
greater development
00:11:41.10\00:11:43.53
of Alzheimer's disease. I
think you see the bottom line.
00:11:43.57\00:11:48.00
Are you looking for
more reasons to stop smoking?
00:11:48.04\00:11:52.14
Think about it.
00:11:52.17\00:11:56.78
Smoking is related to
things that cut your life short,
00:11:56.81\00:12:01.05
like cancer and heart disease.
00:12:01.08\00:12:03.82
It also increases
your risk of dementia.
00:12:03.85\00:12:06.52
If you want to defeat
dementia, the message is clear.
00:12:06.55\00:12:09.32
Not only do you want to get
00:12:09.36\00:12:11.53
adequate sunshine
and vitamin D levels,
00:12:11.56\00:12:16.20
you want to make sure you
00:12:16.23\00:12:20.04
get rid of that
habit of cigarette smoking.
00:12:20.07\00:12:24.51
We want to move
to the last element
00:12:24.54\00:12:27.41
in the
LifeStart paradigm, Trust.
00:12:27.44\00:12:31.01
We often talk about
00:12:31.05\00:12:34.05
Trust in a higher
power. Something beyond you.
00:12:34.08\00:12:39.79
Many people say,
"You tacked that one on.
00:12:39.82\00:12:43.83
I'm not going to get
too involved with that
00:12:43.86\00:12:46.59
Trust element. this is
fascinating data, relatively
00:12:46.63\00:12:49.76
recent data coming out.
It's looking at distrust.
00:12:49.80\00:12:53.50
These researchers looked at
what's called cynical distrust.
00:12:53.54\00:12:57.17
It's the idea that,
"No one cares about me.
00:12:57.21\00:13:01.71
No one cares what happens to me.
00:13:01.74\00:13:03.58
It's not safe to trust anyone."
00:13:03.61\00:13:06.85
When they looked at
individuals who have
00:13:06.88\00:13:09.58
that approach to
living, they have a higher
00:13:09.62\00:13:13.86
risk for dementia.
You say, "Of course,
00:13:13.89\00:13:17.66
they're likely to
have dementia. These people
00:13:17.69\00:13:19.69
are depressed, they
have mental illness."
00:13:19.73\00:13:21.53
Even when they try to explain it
00:13:21.56\00:13:23.60
by depressive symptoms,
00:13:23.63\00:13:24.93
that does not explain it.
00:13:24.97\00:13:26.77
There is
something about trusting
00:13:26.80\00:13:28.64
other people that
actually helps the brain.
00:13:28.67\00:13:31.44
An interesting insight into this
00:13:31.47\00:13:34.11
comes from research
on a compound called
00:13:34.14\00:13:43.52
It's been known for years
00:13:43.55\00:13:46.02
because it's
involved in maternal-
00:13:46.05\00:13:47.76
infant relationships.
We now know that oxytocin
00:13:47.79\00:13:51.73
is a trust hormone.
00:13:51.76\00:13:54.93
Oxytocin is involved
in trusting relationships.
00:13:54.93\00:13:58.47
If you trust other people more,
00:13:58.50\00:14:01.70
it actually helps
your brain make more
00:14:01.74\00:14:05.54
oxytocin. It's
actually made by the
00:14:05.57\00:14:08.68
pituitary gland, with signaling
from the brain. It's the
00:14:08.71\00:14:13.08
neuroendocrine pathway
that's involved in producing
00:14:13.11\00:14:17.05
oxytocin. What I
mean by "neuroendocrine"
00:14:17.09\00:14:21.06
is simply the
fact that the brain
00:14:21.09\00:14:23.46
and the hormonal mechanisms
00:14:23.49\00:14:25.33
of the body are connected.
00:14:25.36\00:14:26.93
Trust is something
powerful, impacting the brain.
00:14:26.96\00:14:30.83
It impacts us
hormonally. Don't look
00:14:30.87\00:14:33.97
at the LifeStart
paradigm and say, "That
00:14:34.00\00:14:38.14
trust element doesn't
make much difference."
00:14:38.17\00:14:40.14
When it comes to
defeating dementia,
00:14:40.18\00:14:42.01
the evidence suggests
00:14:42.04\00:14:43.14
it is an important component
00:14:43.18\00:14:44.98
as far as
maintaining optimal cognition.
00:14:45.01\00:14:51.22
Let's move on just
a little bit further,
00:14:51.25\00:14:53.49
looking at natural
strategies that can help
00:14:53.52\00:14:57.89
in this quest to optimize
00:14:57.93\00:15:01.63
brain performance
and avoid dementia.
00:15:01.66\00:15:05.30
Some of you may be
familiar with one of my
00:15:05.33\00:15:07.60
favorite brain health compounds.
00:15:07.64\00:15:09.60
It's something called
00:15:09.64\00:15:13.94
That's a mouthful,
but let's break it down.
00:15:13.98\00:15:17.51
"Brain-derived" means this
compound is made by your brain.
00:15:17.55\00:15:21.62
"Neurotrophic."
00:15:21.65\00:15:23.69
"Neuro" refers to
neurons, or brain cells.
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.92
"Trophic" refers to growth.
00:15:26.96\00:15:29.16
This is a brain-
00:15:29.19\00:15:31.36
derived
(brain-made) compound that
00:15:31.39\00:15:37.87
helps your brains cells thrive.
00:15:37.90\00:15:42.20
BDNF is so exciting. It actually
00:15:42.24\00:15:45.74
holds promise for
helping prevent dementia.
00:15:45.77\00:15:50.05
I speak about this in detail in
"The Brain Health Revolution."
00:15:50.08\00:15:54.95
I want to give you
some of the highlights.
00:15:54.98\00:15:57.05
In that larger
presentation, I speak of the
00:15:57.09\00:16:00.19
far-reaching benefits of BDNF.
00:16:00.22\00:16:02.46
It can help you with
depression and addictive states.
00:16:02.49\00:16:05.86
In this presentation,
00:16:05.89\00:16:07.23
we're focused on
dementia. I want to look
00:16:07.30\00:16:09.76
with you at two leading
00:16:09.80\00:16:11.73
causes of dementia,
00:16:11.77\00:16:13.10
affecting millions of people
00:16:13.13\00:16:15.17
in the United States.
00:16:15.20\00:16:16.84
We're speaking
about Alzheimer's disease,
00:16:16.87\00:16:19.51
and also the
neurodegenerative disorder
00:16:19.54\00:16:22.21
Parkinson's disease.
00:16:22.24\00:16:23.68
Parkinson's can
also cause dementia.
00:16:23.71\00:16:26.88
BDNF has been shown to help
00:16:26.92\00:16:30.05
decrease your risk
00:16:30.09\00:16:31.75
of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
00:16:31.79\00:16:35.46
The question becomes, "With
00:16:35.49\00:16:37.16
BDNF, how do I
increase it? What can I do?"
00:16:37.19\00:16:40.13
There are four key strategies
00:16:40.16\00:16:43.16
that can help
improve levels of BDNF.
00:16:43.20\00:16:46.53
In addition to sunshine,
00:16:46.57\00:16:50.07
trusting relationships, and
00:16:50.11\00:16:52.57
not smoking, it's another window
00:16:52.61\00:16:55.01
on things that can
improve your likelihood
00:16:55.04\00:16:58.61
of never having to
deal with dementia.
00:16:58.65\00:17:01.12
Let's go through
these four. The first one is
00:17:01.15\00:17:03.49
dietary restriction.
00:17:03.52\00:17:05.82
Think in terms of
our mnemonic "LifeStart."
00:17:05.85\00:17:09.66
"L" for Liquids, "I" for
Interpersonal Relationships,
00:17:09.69\00:17:15.06
and "F" for Foods.
00:17:15.10\00:17:16.87
Dietary restriction
takes in Foods, but it also
00:17:16.90\00:17:21.24
the "T" in
LifeStart, Temperance.
00:17:21.27\00:17:26.41
Dietary
restriction is a concept of
00:17:26.44\00:17:29.21
eating what is good
for you in moderation.
00:17:29.24\00:17:33.65
Let's talk a bit about it.
00:17:33.68\00:17:35.52
It's so interesting to me,
00:17:35.55\00:17:38.29
dietary restrictions.
If you look at animal
00:17:38.32\00:17:41.69
studies of longevity,
00:17:41.72\00:17:43.69
you'll find that
animals consistently live longer
00:17:43.73\00:17:48.06
with modest caloric restriction.
00:17:48.10\00:17:50.87
Evidence
suggests that one of those
00:17:50.90\00:17:53.17
health-giving attributes
of dietary restriction
00:17:53.20\00:17:56.67
is increased
compounds of this BDNF.
00:17:56.71\00:18:01.28
If you're focused on defeating
00:18:01.31\00:18:06.38
dementia, you are
going to want to do what?
00:18:06.41\00:18:10.52
You want to make sure
00:18:10.55\00:18:12.15
you do not
overeat. Maybe you even
00:18:12.19\00:18:15.16
practice fasting occasionally,
00:18:15.19\00:18:18.56
maybe skip the evening meal.
00:18:18.59\00:18:21.06
(You don't want to
skip breakfast, an important
00:18:21.10\00:18:23.97
meal for optimal
brain performance.)
00:18:24.00\00:18:27.30
Skipping the evening meal
can aid in weight reduction.
00:18:27.34\00:18:31.27
It can also help
increase BDNF levels.
00:18:31.31\00:18:35.88
There's a reason I say that.
00:18:35.91\00:18:37.25
In the research, cutting
back on calories (as little as
00:18:37.28\00:18:40.52
thirty percent) significantly
boosts levels of this
00:18:40.55\00:18:44.95
dementia-fighting compound.
00:18:44.99\00:18:49.39
If caloric
restriction can help with
00:18:49.42\00:18:54.00
boosting BDNF levels and also
00:18:54.00\00:18:57.17
helping to avoid
Alzheimer's, do we know
00:18:57.20\00:19:00.50
why there are these connections?
00:19:00.54\00:19:02.87
Is BDNF the only
reason why you need to
00:19:02.90\00:19:06.94
be careful as far as
dementia? Maybe you could do
00:19:06.98\00:19:09.58
three of these other four things
00:19:09.61\00:19:11.71
I'm giving in this presentation?
00:19:11.75\00:19:15.08
Then you can eat
as much as you want.
00:19:15.12\00:19:16.95
Let me share some
interesting research done
00:19:16.99\00:19:20.16
in the halls of those working
with dementia prevention.
00:19:20.19\00:19:23.39
One of the leading research
00:19:23.43\00:19:25.43
groups is based at Mount
Sinai School of Medicine,
00:19:25.46\00:19:28.43
now referred to as the
Icon School of Medicine.
00:19:28.46\00:19:32.53
What they've been
studying is dementia.
00:19:32.57\00:19:35.50
What factors
predispose us to dementia?
00:19:35.54\00:19:39.11
They found, in their research,
00:19:39.14\00:19:41.08
that dietary
factors loom large when it
00:19:41.11\00:19:44.01
comes to risk of dementia.
00:19:44.05\00:19:45.95
One of the things
highlighted as having a role
00:19:45.98\00:19:49.98
in promoting Alzheimer's
disease changes in the brain
00:19:50.02\00:19:54.29
is consumption of saturated fat.
00:19:54.32\00:19:57.59
Saturated fat is
typically found in
00:19:57.63\00:20:00.03
animal products.
What we're seeing, when it
00:20:00.06\00:20:03.33
comes to that "F" in LifeStart,
00:20:03.37\00:20:06.77
is a very important aspect.
00:20:06.80\00:20:09.17
We want to avoid overeating.
00:20:09.20\00:20:11.47
We want to think
about periodic fasting.
00:20:11.51\00:20:13.54
If you have high
blood pressure, diabetes, or
00:20:13.58\00:20:15.94
questions about
the safety of fasting,
00:20:15.98\00:20:18.01
you want to check with your
00:20:18.05\00:20:19.18
physician before
embarking on such a practice.
00:20:19.21\00:20:22.72
You definitely can
cut back on saturated fat.
00:20:22.75\00:20:25.79
You do that by eating less
in the way of animal products,
00:20:25.82\00:20:29.89
eating more plant
products that tend to be low
00:20:29.92\00:20:34.73
in saturated fat.
00:20:34.76\00:20:36.50
Let's hasten on and look at the
00:20:36.53\00:20:38.90
three other areas
they can help us deal
00:20:38.93\00:20:42.77
with dementia by
boosting levels of BDNF.
00:20:42.80\00:20:45.91
One way is cut back
on our caloric intake.
00:20:45.94\00:20:50.08
What is the second area?
00:20:50.11\00:20:51.75
The second brings up
another LifeStart element.
00:20:51.78\00:20:55.05
The "E" in "Life" stands for
00:20:55.08\00:20:59.05
Exercise, regular
physical exercise.
00:20:59.09\00:21:03.16
It actually boosts
levels of this brain-
00:21:03.19\00:21:06.26
protective compound.
00:21:06.29\00:21:07.83
It has been shown in
research in animal models.
00:21:07.86\00:21:10.47
It's been shown
in human studies.
00:21:10.50\00:21:12.60
Exercise can
increase BDNF levels
00:21:12.63\00:21:15.74
in the range of
thirty percent after a single
00:21:15.77\00:21:18.74
exercise session.
00:21:18.77\00:21:21.94
If you're
concerned about brain health,
00:21:21.98\00:21:24.58
you need to be concerned
about physical activity.
00:21:24.61\00:21:27.68
You need to be
making a regular priority
00:21:27.72\00:21:31.25
of getting physical exercise.
00:21:31.29\00:21:34.66
How much exercise you need?
00:21:34.69\00:21:36.86
The more
moderate exercise you get,
00:21:36.89\00:21:40.76
the better you do with BDNF.
00:21:40.80\00:21:44.17
Having said that,
00:21:44.20\00:21:47.04
even a little
exercise is better than none.
00:21:47.07\00:21:51.04
There's something else
very interesting in this
00:21:51.07\00:21:53.48
relationship between dementia,
00:21:53.51\00:21:55.58
cognitive health, and exercise.
00:21:55.61\00:21:58.58
They've noticed,
in animal models,
00:21:58.61\00:22:02.42
that if you get
under more stress,
00:22:02.45\00:22:05.52
it depresses BDNF levels.
00:22:05.55\00:22:09.62
Exercise helps
offset stress. That's
00:22:09.66\00:22:12.56
part of why this
connection is coming in here.
00:22:12.59\00:22:15.03
Listen very carefully.
If stress is persistent,
00:22:15.06\00:22:19.37
BDNF levels drop.
00:22:19.40\00:22:22.70
Scientists have
been able to measure
00:22:22.74\00:22:25.77
atrophy, or a wasting
away, of a critical brain
00:22:25.81\00:22:29.74
region known as the hippocampus.
00:22:29.78\00:22:32.15
The hippocampus is
involved in memory.
00:22:32.18\00:22:35.05
Think about it.
00:22:35.08\00:22:36.25
One the hallmarks of
dementia is memory problems.
00:22:36.28\00:22:40.26
Part of the
strategy we want to focus on
00:22:40.29\00:22:44.26
is stress management.
00:22:44.29\00:22:46.33
One of the ways
you manage stress
00:22:46.36\00:22:48.73
is by physical
activity. Whether it's running,
00:22:48.76\00:22:52.60
walking, biking, or swimming,
00:22:52.63\00:22:56.20
be more physically active.
00:22:56.24\00:22:58.37
It can make a difference,
00:22:58.41\00:23:00.08
not only in raising BDNF levels,
00:23:00.11\00:23:02.41
but in defusing stress.
00:23:02.44\00:23:04.81
This is one of the keys
that can help defeat dementia.
00:23:04.85\00:23:09.75
We need to move on to the
00:23:09.78\00:23:12.75
third element that can help
00:23:12.79\00:23:14.89
raise those levels
of BDNF, that natural
00:23:14.92\00:23:18.16
Brain-Derived
Neurotrophic Factor.
00:23:18.19\00:23:21.36
This can help you
as far as fighting off
00:23:21.40\00:23:24.37
two common sources of dementia,
00:23:24.40\00:23:27.84
namely Alzheimer's
disease and Parkinson's.
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.81
That third element
we want to talk about
00:23:30.84\00:23:33.71
is environmental enrichment,
00:23:33.74\00:23:36.04
or environmental stimulation.
00:23:36.08\00:23:38.18
This is easy to conceptualize
if working with rats.
00:23:38.21\00:23:41.38
Think of rats in their usual
00:23:41.42\00:23:43.39
housing environment. You
00:23:43.42\00:23:45.35
maybe even had
rodents as pets. I had
00:23:45.39\00:23:48.26
them growing up.
00:23:48.29\00:23:49.39
They've got that water
bottle hanging on their
00:23:49.42\00:23:52.73
cage. They've got
a little food dish.
00:23:52.76\00:23:54.83
They've got a wheel because
00:23:54.83\00:23:56.90
the rat, the mouse, or
the hamster has to be active.
00:23:56.93\00:23:59.93
It's a boring environment
when you think about it.
00:24:00.04\00:24:03.34
An
environmentally-enriched setting
00:24:03.37\00:24:06.78
would be moving
that rat or that hamster
00:24:06.81\00:24:10.18
into a more natural setting.
00:24:10.21\00:24:12.11
Let it go in the yard
00:24:12.15\00:24:13.95
(good luck getting it
back). Put it in a box
00:24:13.98\00:24:17.79
with natural obstacles. It can
00:24:17.82\00:24:21.02
dig, and not just in the
00:24:21.06\00:24:23.89
cedar shavings at
the bottom of a cage.
00:24:23.93\00:24:27.76
They are engaging
with the environment
00:24:27.76\00:24:31.07
at a much higher level.
00:24:31.10\00:24:32.47
This environmental enrichment,
00:24:32.50\00:24:34.47
whether we look at animal
00:24:34.50\00:24:36.24
or human models of dementia,
00:24:36.27\00:24:39.47
is very powerful.
00:24:39.51\00:24:41.81
You ask, "What does that
00:24:41.84\00:24:42.94
mean, Doctor DeRose? You want to
00:24:42.98\00:24:44.61
stick me out of my
house to live in nature?"
00:24:44.65\00:24:49.22
A camping trip
may accomplish that.
00:24:49.25\00:24:52.59
Any change in setting
00:24:52.62\00:24:55.49
is environmentally enriching.
00:24:55.52\00:24:57.53
You get out of your routine.
00:24:57.56\00:24:59.36
I know sometimes
it's frustrating.
00:24:59.39\00:25:01.33
It may be
difficult. Maybe you're
00:25:01.36\00:25:03.80
going to help on
00:25:03.83\00:25:06.60
a project in a
third world country.
00:25:06.63\00:25:08.74
Maybe you're
building something there.
00:25:08.77\00:25:10.64
Maybe you don't
have modern conveniences.
00:25:10.67\00:25:13.34
Maybe you're in
a five-star hotel
00:25:13.38\00:25:16.01
in a different place
in the world or country.
00:25:16.04\00:25:19.21
Any of these situations
00:25:19.25\00:25:21.28
is
environmentally enriching. It's
00:25:21.32\00:25:23.49
challenging your brain
00:25:23.52\00:25:24.85
to deal with
different situations.
00:25:24.89\00:25:27.62
Along these lines, education
00:25:27.66\00:25:30.33
helps lower your risk
of Alzheimer's disease.
00:25:30.36\00:25:34.30
LifeStart seminars
are so powerful, by
00:25:34.36\00:25:38.30
engaging on this level,
learning this material, or
00:25:38.33\00:25:42.40
tapping into
the website. Get the
00:25:42.44\00:25:44.44
free resources.
There's a free e book or
00:25:44.47\00:25:47.18
the study guides
that go along with this,
00:25:47.21\00:25:49.41
tapping into our
other educational programs.
00:25:49.44\00:25:52.45
All these things
can challenge the mind,
00:25:52.48\00:25:55.32
can be environmentally
00:25:55.35\00:25:56.69
enriching in that way.
00:25:56.72\00:25:58.25
These can decrease
your risk of dementia.
00:25:58.29\00:26:01.19
Let's talk about the last area
00:26:01.22\00:26:04.79
of BDNF- increasing practices.
00:26:04.83\00:26:09.73
It's avoiding
alcohol. Alcohol exposure
00:26:09.76\00:26:14.17
imbalances the various
00:26:14.20\00:26:16.67
nerve growth
factors in the brain. It
00:26:16.71\00:26:18.67
can raise them in some areas,
00:26:18.71\00:26:20.61
lower them in other areas,
00:26:20.64\00:26:22.24
like the hippocampus,
00:26:22.28\00:26:23.65
that critical area for memory.
00:26:23.68\00:26:25.78
I recommend, if
you want to function
00:26:25.81\00:26:28.18
optimally, take
alcohol out the program.
00:26:28.22\00:26:33.99
Alcohol is a depressant.
00:26:34.02\00:26:35.72
Even in small amounts,
it blunts the frontal lobe.
00:26:35.76\00:26:39.53
You lose some if your
discriminating faculties,
00:26:39.56\00:26:42.66
even with a small
amount of alcohol.
00:26:42.70\00:26:47.60
Remember that
connection with the hippocampus.
00:26:47.64\00:26:50.34
With alcohol, the
research indicates you will
00:26:50.37\00:26:53.51
drop levels of
BDNF in that important
00:26:53.54\00:26:56.68
brain memory region. Hopefully,
00:26:56.71\00:27:00.48
you've seen in this
presentation how LifeStart
00:27:00.52\00:27:03.95
is really telling us about nine
00:27:03.99\00:27:07.56
natural elements that
can help defeat dementia.
00:27:07.59\00:27:10.86
We haven't looked
at every one of them.
00:27:10.89\00:27:12.49
We saw how temperance
00:27:12.53\00:27:14.96
(avoiding smoking and alcohol,
00:27:15.00\00:27:17.60
eating in moderation)
00:27:17.63\00:27:19.23
can help with dementia.
00:27:19.27\00:27:21.14
We saw how sunlight
00:27:21.17\00:27:22.67
can boost levels of
vitamin D, helping you
00:27:22.70\00:27:26.37
avoid things like
Alzheimer's disease.
00:27:26.41\00:27:29.24
We showed you how trust,
00:27:29.28\00:27:31.48
trust in divine power and
00:27:31.51\00:27:33.21
trust in
relationships with others,
00:27:33.25\00:27:35.18
can help as far as brain health.
00:27:35.22\00:27:37.59
Let me close on that note.
00:27:37.62\00:27:40.46
LifeStart is not just
about educational materials.
00:27:40.49\00:27:43.76
It's also about support.
00:27:43.79\00:27:45.36
There are free coaching options
00:27:45.39\00:27:47.86
where you can
connect with others.
00:27:47.93\00:27:49.63
Go to our website,
00:27:49.66\00:27:55.44
Whether it's
educational material,
00:27:55.47\00:27:57.94
connecting with other people,
00:27:57.97\00:28:00.04
or just making a
point to exercise and be
00:28:00.08\00:28:03.31
temperate in your eating
(avoiding harmful substances),
00:28:03.35\00:28:06.41
you can defeat dementia.
00:28:06.45\00:28:09.48
I'm Doctor David
DeRose, for Lifestart Seminars.
00:28:09.52\00:28:24.50