Women & Alzheimer's: Risk Factors & Prevention - Ask a Nutritionist

Transcript:

Britni: Welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition's midweek segment called “Ask a Nutritionist”. My name is Britni Vincent and I am a Registered and Licensed Dietitian at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. And on today's show, I am going to be touching on a topic that I know hits close to home for so many of us, and that topic is Alzheimer's disease.

I frequently get asked about Alzheimer's disease and what people can do to prevent it from happening to themselves, and with rates continuing to rise, I know many of us have watched a loved one slowly lose parts of themselves, and I know firsthand that this is incredibly heartbreaking to witness.

Often I hear from my clients, I'll do whatever it takes with my diet if it helps me to prevent Alzheimer's. And honestly, I do believe that nutrition and lifestyle can make a huge difference. So let's talk about what the science is showing and what actions that you can start to take today. Before I dive into some actionable items, I want to provide some facts for you all.

Alzheimer’s facts

As of 2024, nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's, and by 2060, that number is expected to double to 14 million. Currently, one in three seniors die with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia. So this is becoming a huge concern for our country, and it's no wonder that so many people want to know more about what they can do for prevention.

Women account for nearly two thirds of all Alzheimer's cases, and you might be wondering why that is. Yes, it is true. Women do live longer, but it's really not just about age. Estrogen, especially a specific form of estrogen called the estradiol, protects the brain, particularly the hippocampus, which is our memory center.

And during perimenopause and menopause estrogen levels plummet, specifically this estradiol, and that might be contributing to accelerated brain aging. Women are also more likely to experience depression, which is a known risk factor. Often they take on caregiving roles, which may increase chronic stress, and women are more likely to carry the APOE4 gene, which is connected to Alzheimer's disease.

So clearly hormones and lifestyle can intersect in a big way here, and the reality is, is Alzheimer's is multifactorial, and that's why there hasn't been a single drug that has been the answer.

Possible contributing factors to getting Alzheimer’s

So here are some of the possible contributing factors. Vitamin B12 deficiency, poor methylation, elevated homocysteine, which is a marker of inflammation and may also indicate poor detoxification. Insulin resistance is another risk factor, chronic stress, lack of sleep, toxin exposure, especially to heavy metals, gut health imbalances.

Having a history of traumatic brain injuries, which does include concussions and of course genetics, specifically that APOE4 gene I already had mentioned, but remember, even if we have specific genes present, our lifestyle and our environment can impact if that gene gets switched on or off.

Diet does make a difference!

So we do have a lot of control. Here's the empowering part, that diet does make a difference. Like I said, we do have a lot of control and a brain supportive diet should be anti-inflammatory, rich and colorful vegetables and sufficient amounts of omega-3 fats. And just big picture thinking about real food, like we always talk about at Nutritional Weight & Wellness.

Lowering sugar or eliminating it and lowering processed carbohydrates, that's going to be what an anti-inflammatory diet is, is getting a variety of real food that includes protein, lots of vegetables, some fruits and healthy fats, so think leafy greens, berries, fatty fish, nuts, olive oil and those high quality protein sources. All of those foods are going to support our brain.

The blood sugar connection to Alzheimer’s

There is a huge connection to our blood sugar and the risk of Alzheimer's. Research has found that type two diabetes increases your risk of Alzheimer's by 65%. That is a dramatic number. You may have heard this before, but Alzheimer's is often referred to as type three diabetes. And the reason why is because insulin resistance affects your brain too. So the neurons in your brain need insulin to utilize glucose for energy, and without it, those neurons can literally starve.

Chronic high blood sugars create a lot of inflammation in the body, including the brain and plaque buildup in the brain is a sign of inflammation. You might be wondering, what can you do to lower your glucose numbers? Well, I highly encourage you to check out our website, weightandwellness.com because you're going to find a plethora of other podcasts and articles to provide even more depth information about lowering glucose.

But you know, I do want to provide a lot of hope in that I have seen clients reverse prediabetes, and I have seen clients reverse type two diabetes. So it is entirely possible and some high level things to think about: prioritizing those non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, greens, cabbage; all of those items are going to be significantly lower in carbohydrates, provide a lot of nutrients, and provide fiber as well.

Consider eliminating or at least significantly reducing refined sugars and processed carbohydrates. Moving your body every day, even walking significantly improves insulin sensitivity and then prioritizing sleep. Trying to get at least seven and a half hours a night because there is a big connection to sleep deprivation and higher glucose levels.

The gut/brain connection to inflammation

There's also a gut/brain connection that is very real. Inflammation in your gut drives inflammation in your brain, so how can you help your gut? High fiber foods, those vegetables I was just talking about, nuts, seeds, avocados, all of those are going to provide us some good fiber.

Consider increasing or starting to include fermented foods to provide naturally occurring probiotics or good bacteria. Some of those fermented foods are kimchi, sauerkraut, plain yogurt, plain kefir, if tolerated, pickles without vinegar in the ingredient list. Those would all be wonderful fermented food choices. If you aren't a huge fan of fermented foods or maybe you have a lot of inflammation in your gut, then I would consider a quality probiotic supplement as well.

And it's exciting because there is something called the Alzheimer's Gut Microbiome Project that is actively continuing to research the link of Alzheimer's and gut health.

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The importance of healthy fats to support the brain

Let's talk a little bit more about fats. I've mentioned those healthy fats a couple times, but did you know that your brain is actually 60% fat? So the type of fat you eat matters significantly. Damaged, refined oils are often called seed oils like soybean oil, canola, vegetable, they are everywhere and they create a lot of inflammation in your body. They also create oxidative stress, which is a key driver of Alzheimer's.

So instead, choose healthy fats that are going to nourish and feed your brain: avocados, extra virgin olive oil, raw or dry roasted nuts and seeds, grass fed butter, or ghee, virgin coconut oil, olives, those would all be great, healthy fat sources. And then start to look at your ingredient lists because those refined oils sneak into tons of food products out there.

Coconut oil: fuel for the brain

And what about coconut oil? Coconut oil is pretty special because it contains MCTs, which are medium chain triglycerides, and those convert to ketones, which is an alternative fuel for your brain, especially when glucose isn't being used efficiently.

Dr. Mary Newport, whom we have had on our Dishing Up Nutrition podcast as a guest, famously gave her husband coconut oil during his Alzheimer's journey and saw marketed improvements in his mood, cognition, and even his memory, and there is even more research going on about the, the connection between Alzheimer's and the use of coconut oil or medium chain triglycerides.

So you could consider incorporating a tablespoon or two of coconut oil or that MCT oil into your daily routine paired with that anti-inflammatory diet that I've been talking about can offer a lot of brain benefits. And incorporating MCT oil is something that I often recommend to my clients who express concern about their memory, and it's generally fairly easy to work into your daily routine.

MCT oil does not have a flavor to it. Some people add it to their coffee or their tea. Or maybe drizzle some on their salad. And I've had clients see a noticeable difference in their cognition and their memory by adding that into the mix. If you have not used MCT oil and you're considering trying it, I would start small.

Start with maybe a teaspoon. Work your way up to that tablespoon as tolerated. If you jumped into that therapeutic amount right away, you might experience some diarrhea. So start slow and your body can adjust from there.

Omega-3s support brain structure & function

Speaking of healthy fats, we do not want to forget about omega-threes. Omega-threes, especially DHA, are vital for your brain structure and function, and omega-threes are an essential fatty acid, meaning that we have to get it from a food source or supplementation.

Our body does not make it on its own. It's estimated 90 some percentage of individuals are deficient in omega-threes, and they can help to reduce brain shrinkage, lower inflammation, support memory. Food sources, it's always best to get food sources when able, and that would be those fatty fish, wild caught salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel. Those would all be great options if you don't have access to, to those fatty fish very often or maybe you just don't care for them.

Then consider a high quality omega-3 or fish oil supplement. Aim for about 3,000 milligrams per day of omega-threes if you're not eating that fatty fish regularly. You may have heard that walnuts or flax seeds are a good source of omega threes, and yes they are, but they are a different form of omega-threes, and they are not easily converted to the therapeutic forms of omega-threes called EPA and DHA that are so prevalent in that fatty fish.

Recap

So I want to provide you some final takeaways. You can take action today to start to protect your brain. And here's a quick recap. Balance your blood sugar, ditch or significantly reduce the sugar, the processed carbohydrates. Combining that protein, carbohydrate, and fat at your meals will also provide more stable, balanced blood sugar throughout the day.

Eat whole colorful foods, focusing on lots of vegetables. Include brain friendly fats like olive oil, coconut oil, butter, nuts, seeds, avocados. Support your gut with fiber and fermented foods, or a probiotic supplement. Aim for quality sleep.

And yes, it's true that you can't change your genes, but you can change how they express, and that starts with your plate.

I want to thank you so much for listening to Dishing Up Nutrition's “Ask a Nutritionist”. If you found this episode particularly helpful, be sure to leave us a rating or review on your favorite podcast app so we can have even more people discover the connection between what they eat and how they feel.

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