Dementia is one of the fastest-growing health crises in the developed world, with cases expected to double in the coming decades. But despite common misconceptions, cognitive decline isn’t inevitable. The latest research shows that lifestyle choices play a far greater role in brain health than genetics alone.
In this episode, neurologists Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai share practical, science-backed strategies to help you protect your brain and reduce your risk of dementia.
As co-directors of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University, they’ve spent their careers studying how habits like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management influence long-term cognitive health.
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Timecodes
00:00 Meet the brain doctors fighting dementia
01:04 Parents have dementia – are you doomed?
02:00 Can dementia be reversed?
02:25 Five lifestyle changes to prevent Alzheimer’s
06:07 What is dementia vs. Alzheimer’s?
08:50 Are your genes to blame?
12:49 Dementia starts 20+ years before diagnosis
14:10 Four biggest causes of Alzheimer’s
19:04 How to build brain reserve & stay sharp
22:50 Are dementia rates rising or falling?
25:30 How the brain declines over decades
29:00 This diet cuts Alzheimer’s risk by 53%
32:40 Three nutrients your brain can’t live without
38:15 The surprising link between LDL cholesterol & dementia
44:10 Leg workouts slash dementia risk by 35%
46:20 Why strength training is critical for brain health
50:36 How stress shrinks your brain
54:00 Sleep: The brain’s natural detox
📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
Association of Lifestyle and Genetic Risk With Incidence of Dementia, 2019, published in JAMA
Dementia statistics, published by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI)
World Alzheimer Report 2015 - The Global Impact of Dementia, published by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI)
Midlife serum cholesterol and increased risk of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia three decades later, 2009, published in Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders
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Episode transcripts are available here.
