Cognitive Decline Expert: The Disease That Starts in Your 30s but Kills You in Your 70s

I'll save you two hours of your lives. - exercise regularly - sleep well - sort out your stress - eat a good diet.

Love the show, Steven. One thing that would take it to the next level: linking mentioned studies in the description. It’s easy for guests to say 'a study shows X,' but having the link makes the claim undeniable. It would protect the show's integrity and keep it ahead of the curve as listeners get more skeptical of unsourced claims. Would love to see this happen!

The most terrifying part of this interview isn't the statistics about Alzheimer's. It is the realization that we are treating our brains like rental cars instead of the only vehicle we will ever own. We think we can negotiate with biology later, but the debt is compounding daily. The tragedy is that we are sleepwalking into a preventable nightmare because it feels inconvenient to wake up.

Who else immediately stood up and did 10 air squats? 🙋‍♂😂

Do you like these types of convos? If so please hit the like button on the vid - that’s the best way to vote for more like this ❤ also, would be doing me a big favour if you could subscribe - its free 🙏🏾appreciate you! - SB

I’m a scientist (MSc Psychology), but I’m feeling a bit skeptical about the helpfulness of science when it becomes this specialized, precise and insistent. We have these 500 things we are supposed to do every day in order to not get 500 diseases. But I highly doubt the centenaries are doing weight training. They’re not on keto diets. They’re not taking 80 supplements a day. It feels like we’re really missing something on a holistic level when we find these ‘do this precise unsustainable routine or else’ mentalities. Also when we suggest that one supplement is the best all and end all (don’t forget that 10 years from now we could find evidence that a supplement was actually killing us). I guess my message is: eat things that are good for you. Exercise. Use your mind. Learn. And don’t necessarily obsess over those must-dos and cure-alls because they’re going to cause you anxiety and pressure, and we all know stress is a big cause of disease. Anybody feel what I’m saying ?

The video you provided, "Cognitive Decline Expert: The Disease That Starts in Your 30s but Kills You in Your 70s," features neuroscientist Louisa Nicola and explores the lifestyle factors and interventions that can prevent Alzheimer's disease and improve brain health. ​Key Insights and Statistics ​The Disease of Midlife: Alzheimer's disease typically starts developing in your 30s, even though symptoms often don't appear until your late 60s or 70s [05:47]. ​Preventability: Approximately 95% of Alzheimer's cases are driven by lifestyle factors rather than genetics [04:21]. ​Gender Risk: Women are disproportionately affected; 70% of Alzheimer's patients are women. This is largely due to the "metabolic crisis" the brain faces during perimenopause and menopause when estrogen levels drop [00:44], [04:09]. ​Core Prevention Strategies ​1. Resistance Training ​Heavy Lifting: Strength training is the most potent stimulus for brain health. Nicola recommends lifting at about 80% of your one-rep max to trigger "myokines"—signaling molecules that cross the blood-brain barrier to help grow new neurons in the hippocampus [13:58], [17:39]. ​The Deadlift: If you can only do one exercise, she suggests the deadlift because it engages the most muscle groups and requires the most "neural real estate" [22:58]. ​2. Aerobic Exercise & VO2 Max ​Norwegian 4x4: To improve cardiovascular health (which is directly linked to brain health), she recommends the "Norwegian 4x4" protocol: 4 minutes of high-intensity effort (90-95% max heart rate) followed by 4 minutes of rest, repeated four times [33:06]. ​Heart Reversal: Structured aerobic exercise (about 4 hours per week) has been shown to remodel a 50-year-old heart to the state of a 30-year-old heart if started before age 65 [31:57]. ​3. Sleep & The "Glymphatic System" ​The Brain's Washing Machine: During deep sleep, the glymphatic system washes out amyloid-beta plaques. Just one night of sleep deprivation can increase amyloid-beta levels by 4-5% [55:40], [01:02:13]. ​Training for Sleep: Nicola treats sleep like a marathon, suggesting "warming down" starting at 8:00 PM by dimming lights and avoiding hard conversations [01:05:31], [01:08:16]. ​Recommended Supplements ​Creatine: Described as "the most widely studied supplement on the market," Nicola recommends higher doses for brain health (up to 20g/day) to help the brain produce energy more effectively [01:15:12], [01:17:14]. ​Omega-3 (DHA/EPA): Essential for cell membrane fluidity and reducing neuro-inflammation. She advises keeping fish oil in the fridge to prevent oxidation [01:10:03], [01:11:55]. ​Vitamin D: Low levels are linked to a 40% increased risk of all-cause dementia [01:14:37]. ​GABA & Glycine: Helpful for sleep; GABA calms a racing mind, while glycine helps lower core body temperature [01:04:48], [01:06:27]. ​Immediate Bio-Hacks ​10 Air Squats per Hour: For those with a sedentary lifestyle (sitting 10+ hours a day), performing 10 air squats every hour can help compensate for the negative effects on metabolic health [24:28]. ​Cognitive Drills: Simple activities like throwing a tennis ball against a wall while standing on one leg can improve hand-eye coordination, processing speed, and cognitive reserve [01:31:54]. ​Do Hard Things: Challenging yourself (cold plunges, difficult workouts) grows the "Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex" (AMCC), which is linked to willpower and longevity [01:37:03], [01:39:49]

health is forgotten until its the only thing that matters

Just have to put this out there, though it will fall on deaf ears, let’s stop with the “saving you time” and putting out a summary. Listening to these interviews in full, is how you learn. More than just wash rinse repeat… These interviews are very informative. Keep at it!

I was DXed with full-blown menopause at 39YO. Now 45YO, I have been suffering with a permanent brain fog that behaves like ADHD, and I haaaate it more than words can say -- I don't feel like myself. I started taking creatine a month ago, after listening to Benjamin Bikman episode of DOAC, and it's changed my life. I can focus on tasks, I feel less fatigued and more motivated, I experience less racing thoughts, I can recall things with ease, and just have more of a kumbayah response to life in general. I'm so grateful to have DOAC as a resource, and that this guest builds up the knowledge base that Bikman started. It's like your choosing your guests directly for me... many thanks!