Dementia is the defining disease of our time. In the UK it’s the leading cause of death, almost a million people suffer with it and 1 in every 14 of the population aged over 65. And it’s growing.
The most common type is Alzheimers and the treatment? Well there are none. After decades of research and billions of dollars spent, we have a few drugs that mildly improve symptoms but nothing close to a cure. And so when I came across lifestyle measures including diet, exercise and community based interventions that could reduce the risk of getting dementia by 70, 80 or even 90% I had to get Dr. Dean and Dr. Ayesha Sherzai on the pod to talk about their research
They are a unique husband and wife team on the cutting edge of brain science, are dedicated to educating people on the simple steps to long-term health and wellness through their work as Directors of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University Medical Center, with patients, as well as through online writing, videos, and books at teamsherzai.com
Dr. Dean Sherzai is a behavioral neurologist & neuroscientist whose entire life has been dedicated to behavioral change models at the community and population level. Dr. Ayesha Sherzai finished two residencies at Loma Linda University; preventive medicine and neurology. She also holds a master’s in advanced sciences from UCSD and completed a fellowship in vascular neurology from Columbia University. They are also authors of the book, The 30 Day Alzheimer’s Solution.
We talk about:
- How they became interested in brain health and plant based eating
- The prevalence of dementia in the US and UK
- The brain as a huge energy and oxygen consuming organ
- Their community based research in Loma Linda involving over 3000
- Creating habit loops
What you will learn:
- Why plant forward eating is critical to preventing dementia
- Specific foods that Team Sherzai call out as helpful for the brain
- The issues around nutritional science and why this information is taking so long to trickle into medical practice
- The main cells involved in brain health - neurons and glial cells
- How diet, lifestyle and other factors are becoming of top importance amongst the traditional medical community and why prevention is the cure
- Only 3% of the genes known to play a role in dementia risk are deterministic
- How better brain health supports your immune system
- Why curcumin might actually be something to supplement with
- Omega 3 fatty acids and whether you can achieve this through diet
- Why inflammation effects memory
- How creativity has a bidirectional effect on the brain - this is not just crosswords!
- Why you do not need to eat a ton of fat to support your brain
- A lifestyle that supports brain health - exercise, unwinding, stress reduction and community
- Whether we should be drinking Alcohol
- Why we’re on the fence about fish
Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes on this and all other episodes
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