Study Guide
Defeat Dementia Naturally
David DeRose, MD, MPH
Overview
Brain health is one of today’s hottest medical topics.
And why shouldn’t it be? Across the age spectrum,
from grade school student to mid-career profession-
al to retiree, all of us realize that being cognitively
sharp is an invaluable asset. However, as we—and
those around us—age, we tend to be confronted
with a sobering reality: cognitive function typically
declines in our later years.
Illustrating this sobering reality was a recent U.S.
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) study that looked
at a representative sample of the U.S. population.1
More than 12% of those over 60 years of age re-
ported increased episodes of confusion or memory
loss in the preceding year. Although confusion
and memory difficulties are not synonymous with
dementia, they are often indicators of that gradual
deterioration in mental function that warrants the
designation.
Whether or not you feel your cognitive processes
are slipping, medical evidence indicates a variety of
strategies can help you decrease your risk of losing
mental function. Yes, on a population level, the
research indicates we can largely defeat dementia.
By this I mean we can turn the tide on this epidemic,
keeping more and more people away from the grasp
of dementia at any given age.
The LifeStart mnemonic helps highlight nine natural
lifestyle strategies that can help us “defeat dementia.”
Let’s look at some examples.
The Amazing BDNF
One of the most fascinating brain health-enhancing
compounds is something known as brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF). If you have some basic
medical terminology under your belt, the name is
really self-explanatory. If not, let me break things
down. Brain-derived indicates this compound is
actually made by your brain. Neuro refers to nerve
or brain cells while trophic refers to growth. Con-
sequently, we’re talking about a compound made
within your own body that helps your brain and
nerve cells thrive.
Of special importance to our discussion, BDNF helps
prevent at least three cognition-robbing conditions:
Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and throm-
botic stroke (stroke caused by a blood clot, in con-
trast to a hemorrhagic or bleeding stroke). BDNF also
prevents another condition that has been shown to
undermine memory and mental processing; namely,
depression.
There is no way to take BDNF in pill form. However,
medical research reveals we can boost levels of
BDNF with four natural strategies—all of which are
contained in the LifeStart acronym.
Four Keys to Boosting BDNF
1.  Food and Temperance: Dietary restriction. In
the dietary realm, temperance involves eating
what is good in moderation—and avoiding
those things that are harmful all together. Later
in this synopsis we’ll talk about specific dietary
choices. However, when it comes to BDNF, the
key message is this: don’t overeat. Cutting back
on calories as little as 30% significantly boosts
levels of BDNF.
If you know anything about longevity research,
this is not surprising. In animal studies, lifespan is
increased by moderate caloric restriction.2 Add to
that human research linking obesity to Alzheim-
er’s disease, and our motivation to avoid that
second helping should be that much stronger.3
2.  Exercise. Regular exercise boosts levels of BDNF
in the range of 30% after a single exercise session.
Make it a priority to get daily physical exercise
and you’ll be doing your brain a favor.
Among the brain health bonuses bundled with
exercise is this: physical activity helps offset
stress. This is good news on the cognitive health
front when you realize that persistent stress
causes shrinkage of the brain’s hippocampus (a
key area for optimal memory performance).
3.  Interpersonal Relationships. Another important
strategy for boosting BDNF levels is something
called environmental enrichment. An environmen-
tally enriched setting challenges your brain with
new and typically unpredictable cues. Although
you can enrich your environment by camping,
taking up a new hobby, or doing word puzzles,
building new interpersonal relationships is one
of the most readily available resources. For this
reason LifeStart Seminars encourages you to
increase the benefits of our programs by sharing
it with someone else—or by using our online
directory to connect with others traveling on this
same educational journey.
4.  Liquids and Temperance: Alcohol avoidance.
Although the internet abounds with “experts”
touting the benefits of moderate drinking for
cognitive function, the entirety of the mental
health research suggests a better option. Opt for
items like table grapes and grape juice over wine.
Such a strategy will give you the health-giving
phytochemicals from the grapes without the
alcohol—a known perturber of BDNF and other
neurotrophins. For example, beverage alcohol
has been documented to lower levels of BDNF in
that critical brain memory region, the hippocam-
pus.4
Other LifeStart Elements to
Defeat Dementia
A dementia-defeating program involves more than
a focus on BDNF. Consider some of the benefits of
other selected elements of the LifeStart program.
Food: Specific Dietary Choices. A number of
research groups have come to the same conclusion:
certain are foods are good for your brain while
others increase dementia risk. Among the healthy
choices are the following: berries, green leafy
vegetables, nuts (in moderation), beans, and whole
grains (think whole wheat rather than white bread).
The harmful category includes items that tend to
be high in fat (especially of the saturated variety):
red meat, butter, cheese, pastries, sweets, and fried
foods. At least one part of the connection has been
elucidated by researchers at New York City’s Icahn
School of Medicine (formerly Mount Sinai School
of Medicine). They have reported a compelling link
between saturated fat consumption and Alzheimer’s
disease.
Sunlight. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to
an increased risk of dementia. One study published
in a 2014 issue of the journal Neurology found
that the risk more than doubled when those with
vitamin D levels less than 10 ng/ml (very low) were
compared to those with levels greater than 20 ng/
ml. The solution is relatively simple: spend more time
in the sun. However, if you have a skin condition that
is worsened by sun exposure—or live far from the
equator during the winter months—you’ll want to
rely on a vitamin D supplement. Wondering how you
are doing on this front? Have your doctor check your
blood level of 25-OH vitamin D.
Temperance and Fresh Air: Say “no” to smoking. The message is inescapable: brain health is not only
Another habit to add to the total avoidance category dependent on individual choices like diet and exer-
of temperance is cigarette smoking. If the connec- cise but also on how we relate to others.
tions between cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis,
stomach ulcers, and skin wrinkling haven’t been Summary
enough to motivate you to quit smoking, perhaps
The natural, lifestyle-based strategies summarized
the brain health evidence will. A compilation of 19
in the LifeStart acronym hold the keys to decreasing
studies involving more than 20,000 subjects found
your risk of dementia. To learn more about these
smoking nearly doubled the risk of both Alzheimer’s
nine strategies, visit the LifeStart Seminars website
and vascular dementia (another common cause of
and download the FREE LifeStart eBook. For best re-
precipitous cognitive decline).
sults, consult with your healthcare providers and tap
Trust. Higher levels of cynical distrust, expressed in into a local support center where you can surround
such attitudes as “no one cares about me” or “it is not yourself with a community of supportive peers. Our
safe to trust anyone” have recently been linked to online directory will help you locate such individuals
more than triple the risk of dementia. The research- in your community. Our website also features a vari-
ers in Finland who published these findings in a June ety of resources (e.g., books, DVDs, and other health
2014 issue of Neurology were merely providing a products) endorsed by medical professionals to help
new installment in the long-established saga linking you maximize your mental performance naturally.
trust and brain health. As an example of earlier work,
researchers have known for years of the brain health
enhancing effects of oxytocin, a hormone released in
response to trusting relations such as that between a
mother and her child.

www.lifestartseminars.com

Endnotes
1.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Self-Reported Increased Confusion or Memory Loss and As-
sociated Functional Difficulties Among Adults Aged ≥60 Years—21 States, 2011.” Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report, 62(18) (May 10, 2013): 347–350.
2.  Ugochukwu, N.H., Figgers, C.L. “Dietary caloric restriction modifies inflammatory responses in livers of
streptozocin-induced diabetic rats.” Nutrition Research, 26 (2006): 221–226.
3.  Pasinetti, G. M., et. al. “Caloric Intake and Alzheimer’s Disease. Experimental Approaches and Therapeutic
Implications.” Interdisciplinary Topics in Gerontology and Geriatrics, 35 (2007): 159–75.
4.  Miller MW, Mooney SM. “Chronic Exposure to Ethanol Alters Neurotrophin Content in the Basal Forebrain-
cortex System in the Mature Rat: Effects on Autocrine-paracrine Mechanisms.” Journal of Neurobiology,
60(4) (September 15, 2004): 490–498.