Tag Archive for: dementia

Manteniendo Tu Melón

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Tuesday, we talked about Maintaining Your Melon — or manteniendo tu melón in Spanish. The U.S. POINTER study demonstrated that cognitive decline could be reduced using two different approaches in over 2,000 subjects with an average age of 68. Based on the U.S. POINTER design, the Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline (LatAm-FINGERS), was adapted for use in 11 Latin American countries. The results were similar to the U.S. POINTER study; both groups improved their global cognitive scores. The approach was slightly different.

While they also used a similar demographic for age, health issues, and diminished global cognitive status, and a structured approach and self-guided approach, they tailored it for every country, which I think was brilliant. It’s similar to the approach used in studies that teach the Mediterranean diet but adapted for specific countries and culture.

Why try to teach people to focus on eating wholegrain pasta when the primary source of carbs in that country is wholegrain rice? That applies to the types of vegetables, fruits, protein sources, and spices used in cooking. But that’s not all. They also used forms of movement most likely to get greater participation for the exercise program. Salsa, tango, and large-group outdoor exercise programs were incorporated into the exercise program if it was part of the culture. I think that approach should be universal for all lifestyle programs.

The question could be raised as to why the structured program was more beneficial in any of the countries where this type of study was used. Although the programs didn’t answer that, in my opinion, it’s the personal attention that the subjects received with diet and exercise. Those participants benefit the most because they can get personalized direction exactly at the time they need it. Keep that in mind when you think you’re ready to change your lifestyle. What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Complementar Su Dieta

P.S. If Spanish is your first language, this downloadable MP3 may be just what you need to make sure your supplements are the right ones for your lifestyle. Check out Complementar Su Dieta at drchet.com for only $8.95 (Member and Insider discounts apply).

Reference: Lancet, 2026; 408 (10553): 417 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)01278-X

Maintaining Your Melon

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Changing one’s lifestyle is difficult to do, and I think it’s especially challenging if the benefits could be years in the future — specifically doing those things that need to be done now to reduce the decline in cognition that happens as we get older. Two recently published studies have demonstrated how that’s possible. The characteristics of both were a structured program of changes in diet, exercise, learning and remembering, and social interaction with intermittent personal guidance from nutrition and exercise specialists. That regimen was compared with a control group who was provided with the same information but without the personalized assistance.

U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER) was adapted for the U.S. based on a Finnish study. The primary outcome was a combination of surveys typically used to measure global cognitive status as well as other health metrics tested before and at six-month intervals for two years. Over 2,000 subjects between 60 to 79 were recruited from five sites throughout the U.S.; subjects were randomly assigned to the structured program or the self-guided program.

After two years, both groups experienced an improvement in the global cognitive status; those in the structured program experienced a greater improvement than the self-guided group. In fact, every sub-group experienced a mean improvement in cognition. That can result in reducing or delaying dementia and Alzheimer’s disease if sustained over the remainder of their lifespan. While these results were great, could there be an even better way to protect your melon? I’ll let you know on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Bottom Line on Alzheimer's Disease

P.S. Is Alzheimer’s disease a concern for you or your family? Learn more about it with The Bottom Line on Alzheimer’s Disease at drchet.com; get the MP3 or PDF for only $2.99 (free for Insiders).

Reference: AMA. 2025;334(8):681-691. doi:10.1001/jama.2025.12923

Shield Your Brain!

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For everyone who has purchased Protecting Your Brain, the first update will be on the way soon. As I stated in the webinar, when there is something important related to your brain I’ll send up an update, and a recent study is worth a follow up: researchers demonstrated that the microbiome in your mouth is beneficial to reducing the risk of mild cognitive impairment.

For the rest of you, don’t miss an opportunity to literally protect your brain and to help retain your memories and skills as well as the ability to learn new skills regardless of age. Isn’t that what’s it all about? Protecting Your Brain is my webinar that provides you with state-of-the-research ways to be able to do that. This webinar will teach you how brains get damaged, what’s normal and what’s not, and which activities, foods, and supplements will help protect it.

This webinar is available for download in my store right now for only $14.95 (Member and Insider discounts apply; be sure to log in first). You’ll learn how to protect your brain whether you’re 25 or 75.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

How Can You Safeguard Your Brainpower?

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If there’s one thing we all would like, it would be to retain as many of our memories as we can as well as all of the things we’ve learned over our lifetime. We’d also like the ability to learn new things, like how to make a doll house for our granddaughter or how to bake our favorite dessert. In order to do that, we have to do whatever we can to keep our brain functioning properly.

Protecting Your Brain is my webinar that provides you with state-of-the-research ways to be able to do that. This webinar will teach you:

  • The factors that can impact and damage your brain
  • What is normal brain function and what is not
  • What can you do to protect your brain in spite of prior damage?
    • Continual Learning
    • Fitness – functional and body health
    • The best diet to protect your brain
    • Supplementation that supports the brain

This webinar is available for download in my store right now, and includes the questions about brain health I asked for weeks ago with answers based on the most current research.

The cost of the webinar is just $14.95 (Member and Insider discounts apply), but it contains priceless things you can do to protect your brain whether you’re 25 or 75. This webinar is for you. Don’t wait to get your copy. Do it now—you might forget it later!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

How Can Vaccinations Reduce Alzheimer’s Disease?

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In reading possible explanations for the potential benefits of flu vaccinations for reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), it always comes back to reducing inflammation. Further, it isn’t just the flu vaccine that seems to have that effect. Pneumonia, DTAP booster, shingles, and others have also been studied with similar results: vaccinations seem to reduce the risk of AD. The question is still why? I’ll give you two possibilities.

Vaccines Stimulate the Immune System

Whenever you get a vaccination, the immune system is stimulated. It may be that the activated system addresses weaknesses in the immune system that should be protecting the nervous system. Some researchers speculate it may reduce the formation of amyloid bodies (sticky proteins that harm the brain) and prevent the progression of dementia.

One thing to remember is the population being studied. It might be that, in spite of lifestyle habits, inflammation increases as we age, specifically in the brain. Some people may have genetics that can help. However, it may not just be the nervous system in the brain that’s at risk from increased inflammation. There is an increase in cardiac arrythmias of all types, decreases in muscle function, and many other effects that we attribute to simple aging. It may not be as simple as working hard on a healthy lifestyle, and it may exceed our attempts at living healthier.

Viral Infections Cause Inflammation

“I never get sick!” I’ve heard that a time or two. My question is “How do you know?” Maybe you’re sick, but your immune system has fought off all the symptoms you expect. The assumption is that every virus you get exposed to will leave you with some form of physical manifestation: a cough or runny nose during a cold, vomiting or diarrhea with a food-borne pathogen, or a fever from the flu.

But how do you know that you’re not in a state of inflammation, wreaking havoc on your nervous system, your heart, or another organ? You think your immune system isn’t working even though you don’t “feel” it? It can be. If we’re not flat on our backs, we don’t think we are undergoing immune system challenges. That’s simply not reality, and the problem is that the challenges get worse as we get older.

The Bottom Line

I think this research causes a dilemma for some people: vaccinate or not? As we get older, our immune system doesn’t work as well. Let’s be honest: lots of things don’t work as well, but we’re still kicking, darn it! What we could ignore in our youth now demands our attention. Yes, we need a healthy lifestyle that includes a better diet, a little exercise, and some immune-boosting supplements such as vitamin D and C.

The challenge is the anti-science climate we now live in, and nothing is more controversial than talking about vaccinations. Opinions may be based on flawed science—or in some cases, no science, just opinion—and access to social media where people can say anything they want to say. For me, the science is pointing to benefits from vaccinations if you’re older than 65. Just spread them out over a few weeks or months to give your immune system a chance to adapt.

Whatever you decide to do, it’s your body. It’s your choice.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. J Alz Dis. 88 (2022). 1061–1074. DOI 10.3233/JAD-220361
2. Vaccine. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.08.046

Should You Increase Your Essential Amino Acids?

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The question from Tuesday was this: how did the essential amino acids affect the transgenic tau mice on the low-protein and normal-protein diets? The addition of EAA to the transgenic mice on either diet appeared to neutralize the impact of the genetic mutation. The brain scans appeared to mimic the scans of the control mice fed either type of diet. There were positive changes in the genes impacted by the EAA supplementation as well as on neurotransmitters and other biochemicals.

Before we get too excited, a couple of facts.


Mice Are Not Humans

The results of this study are exciting when we consider brain health, but this was a study on rodents—the applicability to us as humans may be limited. What is encouraging is that when the same research group did a study on humans with EAAs, they found improvement in attention and cognitive flexibility. They’re now doing a study specific to the aging brain in human subjects similar to this one on rodents. It will be interesting to see what happens when it’s published.


EAAs Are Not All Equal

The EAA blend in this study was slightly different than what is typically offered. The company providing the EAAs for the study included high amounts of phenylalanine, almost the same amount as leucine which seems to always be found in the highest amount. Does that make a significant difference? Phenylalanine is important in the manufacture of signaling proteins. Might that be important for neurological benefits? We just don’t know yet. On top of that, there’s a small percentage of people with a genetic inability to process phenylalanine very well, so they would probably have to avoid higher amounts.


The Bottom Line

While this research update is interesting, there’s still a lot to learn about the use of EAAs for neurological benefit. I’ll keep an eye on it.

However, the research on EAAs and increasing muscle is solid; there’s little question about the benefit of keeping protein intake higher to retain muscle mass as we age. The critical factor is to be consistent, because digestive issues and satiety issues can sometimes derail good intentions. If it helps our brains as well, that’s a bonus at this point.

Tomorrow is the last day of the 25% off sale on Supplementing Your Diet as either a download for yourself or CDs to share with others, and that’s in addition to Member and Insider discounts.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Science Advances. Oct 2021. (7) 43. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd5046

New Research Links EAAs and Brain Function

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I’ve talked about essential amino acids in the past as it relates to increasing muscle mass in those of us 50 and older. A recently published study may give us another reason for taking essential amino acids: it may reduce, delay, and perhaps reverse neurological signs of dementia.

To understand the research, you have to know about tau: it’s a structural protein found in nerve cells that help stabilize them, and deterioration of tau is associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers in Japan examined the response to normal and reduced protein intake both with and without supplemental essential amino acids in mice susceptible to developing high levels of tau (rTg4510 mice) along with control mice. They used a variety of tests to determine outcomes including brain scans, biochemical analysis, and genetic expression.

Because the data from the brain scans are so visual, they’re the easiest to assess. In the controls, there was very little impact of the 5% versus 20% protein diet in the cortical area. However, in the tau mice, there was evidence of decline in brain matter with normal protein intake, but the decline was much greater in those with reduced protein intake.

We’ll examine the impact of supplementation with essential amino acids in Saturday’s memo. One thing is certain: it’s important to increase protein intake to at least 20% of calories as we get older. Regardless of your age, it might be a good idea to monitor your protein intake by all sources this week.

Reminder: you have the rest of this week to take advantage of the 25% off sale on Supplementing Your Diet as either a download for yourself or CDs to share with others, and that’s in addition to Member and Insider discounts.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: SCIENCE ADVANCES. Oct 2021. (7) 43. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd5046