The Dr. Hyman Show

Dementia Is Skyrocketing—Here’s How to Protect Your Brain NOW

Mar 3, 2025

Dr. Heather Sandison, a leading expert in neurocognitive medicine and author of *Reversing Alzheimer’s*, joins Alzheimer's advocate Maria Shriver in a deep dive into the rising rates of dementia. They challenge the traditional pharmaceutical approach and advocate for a holistic, personalized strategy to brain health. Topics include the impact of diet and environmental toxins on cognitive decline, and how lifestyle changes can potentially reverse dementia. They also stress the importance of biomarkers in understanding individual health and empowering proactive management.

01:23:23

Episode guests

Maria Shriver

Heather Sandison

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Understanding the multifactorial nature of cognitive decline emphasizes the need for personalized approaches in treating and preventing brain health issues.

A healthy gut microbiome is crucial for cognitive function, as poor dietary choices can initiate cycles detrimental to both gut and brain health.

Increasing access to health information and biomarker testing can empower marginalized communities to take control of their cognitive and overall health.

Deep dives

The Vicious Cycle of Poor Dietary Choices

Eating unhealthy foods initiates a vicious cycle that negatively impacts the gut microbiome and brain function. This cycle makes it increasingly difficult for individuals to make better food choices in the future, leading to further deterioration of gut health and brain processes. Over time, poor dietary habits can reshape neural pathways, causing individuals to become more impulsive and reactive, moving away from healthier decision-making. To break this cycle, it is essential to understand the long-term effects that food choices have on mental and physical health.

Intro

2min

Reevaluating Brain Health and Alzheimer's

16min

Reversing Dementia: The Role of Lifestyle and Toxicity Management

5min

Nourishing the Mind: The Role of Phosphatidylcholine in Cognitive Health

20min

Diet, Genetics, and Alzheimer's: A Closer Look

20min

Empowering Health Through Biomarkers

7min

Empowering Health through Biomarkers

8min

Empowering Choices for Brain Health and Lifestyle Management

3min

With rates of Alzheimer’s and dementia rising steeply, especially among women, the conventional pharmaceutical model has largely failed in treating the brain. Functional Medicine takes a different systems-based, personalized approach—focusing on inflammation, metabolic health, and environmental exposures—which offers real hope for prevention and even reversal of cognitive decline.

In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Heather Sandison, Dr. David Perlmutter, and Maria Shriver, why it is possible to reverse cognitive decline and the cutting-edge science of brain health and Alzheimer’s prevention.

Dr. Heather Sandison is the The New York Times bestselling author of Reversing Alzheimer’s The New Toolkit to Improve Cognition and Protect Brain Health. As a renowned naturopathic doctor specializing in neurocognitive medicine, she’s the founder of Solcere Health Clinic, San Diego’s premier brain optimization clinic, and Marama, a residential program turning memory care into memory recovery. Dr. Sandison has dedicated her career to supporting those suffering with dementia and published her most recent clinical findings in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. She’s excited to shatter common misconceptions about Alzheimer’s and share what she’s learned about keeping your brain sharp at any age.

Dr. David Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist and five-time New York Times bestselling author. He serves on the Board of Directors and is a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He is the author of Grain Brain and Drop Acid, among others. Dr. Perlmutter received his M.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine where he was awarded the Leonard G. Rowntree Research Award. He serves as a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals including Archives of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and The Journal of Applied Nutrition.

Shriver is a bestselling author, award-winning journalist, former First Lady of California, founder of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, and Strategic Advisor on Women’s Health and Alzheimer’s at Cleveland Clinic. Shriver works to use her voice and platforms to advance some of our nation’s most pressing issues affecting women and women’s health. In November 2023, Shriver joined the President and the First Lady to announce the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, an effort led by Dr. Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council, to galvanize the Federal government and the private and philanthropic sectors to spur innovation, unleash transformative investment to close research gaps, and improve women’s health. Shriver’s advocacy led to the establishment of this historic initiative, and she continues to advise and collaborate with Dr. Biden. She is also the co-founder of the brain health and wellness brand MOSH and founder of Shriver Media.

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Full-length episodes can be found here:

How to Reverse Dementia with Dr. Heather Sandison

https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep929?_pos=24&_sid=7873ecf2c&_ss=r

How to Prevent Alzheimer’s with Your Fork

https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep47?_pos=8&_sid=7873ecf2c&_ss=r

Maria Shriver's Journey: Redefining Women's Health and Alzheimer's Prevention

https://drhyman.com/blogs/content/podcast-ep908?_pos=12&_sid=7873ecf2c&_ss=r