The SHOCKING ROOT CAUSE Of Alzheimer's Disease NOBODY TALKS ABOUT! | Max Lugavere

Summary

This video script delves into the link between diet, lifestyle, and Alzheimer's disease, emphasizing the role of inflammation in chronic conditions. It discusses how modern diets and lifestyles, rich in industrial additives and pro-inflammatory elements, contribute to energy surplus and chronic inflammation. The speaker advocates for a Mediterranean diet, highlighting extra virgin olive oil's anti-inflammatory properties. The importance of monitoring blood sugar, CRP levels, and other health markers to prevent Alzheimer's and other diseases is also underscored.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly common and are often linked to lifestyle and diet.
• 🌿 The focus should be on non-communicable diseases, which include Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
• 🔥 Inflammation, driven by modern diets and lifestyles, is a cornerstone of many chronic diseases.
• 🍽️ Diets rich in industrial additives, sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats can lead to overeating and energy toxicity, contributing to inflammation.
• 🥗 A Mediterranean diet, which includes whole foods and extra virgin olive oil, is recommended for its anti-inflammatory properties.
• 💊 Industrial seed oils, when heated, can become inflammatory and should be consumed with caution.
• 🚫 Consuming certain fats on an empty stomach can potentially be inflammatory due to their effect on gut bacteria.
• 📉 High blood sugar levels, often due to insulin resistance, are damaging to blood vessels and the brain.
• 🍽️ To reduce inflammation, prioritize a diet of minimally processed foods and avoid unhealthy, rancid oils.
• 📈 Regular health check-ups, including blood work for CRP, fasting glucose, insulin, and homocysteine levels, are crucial for monitoring inflammation and disease risk.

Q & A

What types of diseases are most responsive to diet and lifestyle modifications according to the speaker?

The speaker mentions that non-communicable diseases, also known as diseases of civilization, are most responsive to diet and lifestyle modifications. These include Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

What is the speaker's passion in relation to brain health?

The speaker's passion is helping people better understand how to maintain better brain health to prevent neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

How does the World Health Organization classify the leading causes of death today?

According to the World Health Organization, the leading causes of death today are non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, cancer, dementia, and type 2 diabetes, which are often linked to modern lifestyles and diets.

What is the role of inflammation in chronic diseases like Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease?

Inflammation is a cornerstone of chronic diseases like Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease. It is a natural immune response that has become chronic due to pro-inflammatory diets, lifestyles, and environmental toxins, contributing to the development of these conditions.

What is meant by 'energy toxicity' in the context of the speaker's discussion?

Energy toxicity refers to the state where an overconsumption of food leads to an energy surplus, which becomes toxic and pro-inflammatory. This over-fueling of the body's mitochondria can lead to the generation of reactive oxygen species, causing inflammation.

Why are certain types of fats potentially inflammatory when consumed on an empty stomach?

Certain fats, when consumed on an empty stomach, can potentially be inflammatory because they may help ferry a component of gram-negative bacteria in the gut through circulation, leading to an inflammatory effect.

What dietary pattern is recommended by the speaker to reduce inflammation?

The speaker recommends a Mediterranean dietary pattern, which includes both animal products and whole plants, with extra virgin olive oil as the primary oil, for its anti-inflammatory properties.

How much extra virgin olive oil should one consume to gain its anti-inflammatory benefits?

The speaker suggests that a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on a salad once a day is enough to gain its anti-inflammatory benefits, while also cautioning against overconsumption due to its calorie density.

What are some blood markers that the speaker suggests monitoring to assess inflammation and related risks?

The speaker suggests monitoring CRP (C-reactive protein), fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homocysteine levels, and hemoglobin A1c as blood markers to assess inflammation and related risks for chronic diseases.

What role do B vitamins play in managing homocysteine levels and why are they important for brain health?

B vitamins, particularly methylcobalamin and methylfolate, can help lower homocysteine levels, which are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. High homocysteine levels can be managed with B vitamins, which are also shown to slow brain atrophy, especially for those at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Understanding Alzheimer's and Lifestyle

The speaker begins by defining the types of diseases they will discuss, focusing on non-communicable diseases like Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. They express a passion for helping people understand how diet and lifestyle modifications can prevent neurodegenerative conditions. The World Health Organization's statistics are cited, highlighting the prevalence of these diseases. The speaker then delves into the role of inflammation, which is common in modern times due to pro-inflammatory diets and lifestyles, as well as exposure to industrial toxins. They explain how chronic inflammation is a cornerstone of many chronic diseases and discuss how energy surplus from overeating leads to energy toxicity and inflammation. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on how certain fats, when consumed, can be inflammatory, especially when oils are used at high temperatures or when saturated fats are consumed in isolation.

05:01

🍽️ The Impact of Diet on Inflammation

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses how certain foods can drive inflammation, differentiating between acute and chronic inflammation. They emphasize the importance of a Mediterranean diet, which includes both animal products and whole plants, and the use of extra virgin olive oil as a primary oil due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The speaker also addresses the issue of insulin resistance caused by overconsumption of food and its link to chronically elevated blood sugar, which is particularly damaging to the brain. They suggest checking blood sugar levels and prioritizing minimally processed foods to maintain anti-inflammatory diets. The paragraph ends with a discussion on the importance of avoiding unhealthy, rancid oils and the benefits of grilled foods over fried.

10:01

🩺 Monitoring Health for Chronic Disease Prevention

The speaker advises on the importance of monitoring health indicators such as CRP (C-reactive protein), fasting glucose, fasting insulin, homocysteine levels, and A1C to prevent chronic diseases like Alzheimer's. They mention the role of B vitamins in lowering homocysteine levels and protecting the brain, especially for those at risk of Alzheimer's or with MTHFR mutations. The paragraph also covers the importance of checking lipid levels, thyroid function, and micronutrient levels for overall health. The speaker recommends their book 'Genius Foods' for a deeper dive into chronic disease prevention and mentions the availability of the audiobook for those interested.

Keywords

💡Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition characterized by memory loss and cognitive decline. In the video, it is discussed as a non-communicable disease that is increasingly prevalent and is linked to diet and lifestyle factors. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding how lifestyle modifications can help prevent or mitigate the effects of Alzheimer's.

💡Non-Communicable Diseases

Non-communicable diseases are conditions that are not transmitted between individuals. The video mentions Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, and cancer as examples of such diseases, which are often associated with modern lifestyles and are responsive to diet and lifestyle changes.

💡Diet and Lifestyle Modifications

Diet and lifestyle modifications refer to changes in eating habits and daily routines that can improve health outcomes. The video suggests that these modifications are crucial for preventing neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by reducing inflammation and managing blood sugar levels.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is a natural immune response to injury or infection, but chronic inflammation is associated with various diseases. The video discusses how modern diets and lifestyles have become pro-inflammatory, contributing to chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

💡Energy Surplus

Energy surplus refers to a state where calorie intake exceeds energy expenditure, leading to weight gain and potential health issues. The video explains that overconsumption of food, particularly processed foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, leads to an energy surplus, which is pro-inflammatory and contributes to chronic diseases.

💡Industrial Additives

Industrial additives are substances added to food during processing to enhance flavor, texture, or shelf life. The video mentions that diets rich in industrial additives can lead to overeating and inflammation, which are detrimental to health.

💡Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a type of fat that is highlighted in the video as anti-inflammatory and beneficial for health. It is suggested as a primary oil to use in cooking, due to its potential health benefits over other types of fats.

💡Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is a dietary pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats, particularly from olive oil. The video recommends this diet as a model for preventing chronic diseases, including Alzheimer's, due to its anti-inflammatory properties.

💡Homocysteine

Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that, when present in high levels, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. The video suggests that maintaining healthy homocysteine levels through diet and supplementation can be protective for brain health.

💡B Vitamins

B vitamins, particularly methylcobalamin and methylfolate, are discussed in the video as essential for maintaining healthy homocysteine levels. They are recommended for those at risk of Alzheimer's, especially if they carry an MTHFR mutation, to support brain health.

💡CRP (C-Reactive Protein)

CRP is a blood marker of inflammation. The video emphasizes the importance of monitoring CRP levels to assess and manage inflammation, which is a key factor in the development of chronic diseases like Alzheimer's.

Highlights

Alzheimer's and other diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer are non-communicable and responsive to diet and lifestyle modifications.

Inflammation is a major driver of chronic conditions and is influenced by modern diets and lifestyles.

Industrial additives in diets and exposure to toxins contribute to chronic inflammation.

Energy surplus from overeating leads to inflammation and is linked to chronic diseases.

Certain fats, when consumed at high temperatures or in isolation, can be inflammatory.

Saturated fats can drive the translocation of endotoxin, causing inflammation.

Insulin resistance from overconsumption of food leads to chronically elevated blood sugar, damaging blood vessels and increasing Alzheimer's risk.

Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by two to four times.

A Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil is recommended for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Extra virgin olive oil is as anti-inflammatory as low-dose ibuprofen.

A daily drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on a salad can provide anti-inflammatory benefits.

Heavy cream in coffee is an example of a calorie-dense food that is less inflammatory than extra virgin olive oil.

Avoiding unhealthy rancid oils, especially in restaurant settings, is important for reducing inflammation.

Checking CRP levels can help monitor inflammation levels.

B vitamins can help lower homocysteine levels, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's.

B vitamins can slow brain atrophy, especially for those at risk of Alzheimer's.

Monitoring A1C levels is important for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes-related complications.

Lipid levels, including triglycerides, are important for overall health and should be monitored.

The book 'Genius Foods' provides a deep dive into chronic disease prevention and dietary recommendations.

A paper published in Nature in 2006 with fraudulent data derailed Alzheimer's disease research.

Transcripts

this is the root cause of Alzheimer's

and disease that nobody's talking about

but first we have to Define the types of

diseases that we're going to discuss and

the kinds of diseases like Alzheimer's

disease that I think are most responsive

to diet and lifestyle modifications like

what we're going to talk about are the

non-communicable so-called diseases of

civilization and these include

Alzheimer's disease cardiovascular

disease cancer my passion is helping

people better understand what they can

do to procure better brain health so as

to avert neurogenerative conditions

specifically like Alzheimer's disease

and Parkinson's disease and the like

um but there's no doubt today that

people are

um and mass succumbing to these kinds of

conditions that were relatively rare in

human history right now according to the

World Health Organization these

conditions kill 60 of people are

succumbing to conditions like heart

disease cancer

dementia type 2 diabetes and

complications Etc

so I think one of the things that we

have to talk about is inflammation

inflammation is super common these days

uh in in The Chronic sense inflammation

is a natural function of our immune

systems meant to spot clean cuts wounds

scrapes bruises and things like that

um a life-saving actually function of

our immune systems that's become

hijacked today by the fact that our

diets have become pro-inflammatory in

our lifestyles have become

pro-inflammatory not to mention the fact

that we're Exposed on a daily basis to

any number of industrial toxicants

whether we're talking about BPA

phthalates

um

acrolein and other uh carcinogens

that were exposed to Via you know

car exhaust and the burning of garbage

and various fuels you know in our modern

environments so uh so our immune systems

are have become chronically activated

on a chronic basis at a low level but

nonetheless it's a major driver of many

of these kinds of chronic conditions

inflammation is a Cornerstone of

cardiovascular disease Alzheimer's

disease

and

um and I think a lot of that has to do

with as I mentioned our diets our

lifestyles but specifically

um when looking at diet

our diets have become

saturated with industrial additives

um it's the combination of sugar salt

fat that drives hyperphagia or

overeating

so we tend to over consume today our

food so we're in an energy Surplus and

that energy becomes essentially toxic

it's been referred to as energy toxicity

and that's pro-inflammatory

um so energy Surplus is that the same

thing as I mean because energy and

calories so like is it a calorie Surplus

as well yeah same thing okay yeah same

thing okay calories are energy a calorie

is basically a way in which we measure

the uh energetic contribution of a food

right

um so calories is the unit of

measurement that we that we refer to but

when we're in an energy Surplus I mean

that's essentially a pro-inflammatory

state because we're over we're basically

over fueling our mitochondria

leads to the generation of reactive

oxygen species

um so that that can create inflammation

we also consume individual food items

that are that are potentially

inflammatory

um

it's hard to find uh literature showing

that grain and Seed oils are

inflammatory in the acute setting but

um when we ingest these types of fats

from say the fryer at a restaurant where

they've been held at high temperature

for an extended period of time it's very

likely that these oils have an

inflammatory effect they also come

bundled so to speak with uh aldehydes

like acrolein which we also find in

cigarette smoke

um so they can potentially pose a big

problem

um

certain uh fats when ingested

um on an empty stomach can potentially

be inflammatory because they help Ferry

a component of gram-negative bacteria in

our guts in through circulation so for

example yeah what's an example yeah so

certain

um

saturated fats actually when consumed uh

in isolation which is typically not

where you how you ingest a saturated fat

saturated fats are usually found in

Whole Foods right right where they have

antioxidants and other and other

compounds to protect them but they've

done studies where they've fed people

um I believe uh heavy cream although the

heavy cream that was used in these

studies also had emulsifiers in it which

is a sort of a confounding variable

um but nonetheless they've shown that

certain saturated fats can actually

drive this translocation of uh endotoxin

which is a normal component found in the

membrane of these gram negative bacteria

in our microbiomes

um across the gut epithelium and allow

those bacterial fragments to enter

circulation where they pose a very

powerful inflammatory effect so yeah

certain foods actually can drive

inflammation now that's not the same as

uh chronic inflammation like you might

get an acute

you know inflammatory Spike which might

not have any long-term Health outcomes

but the problem is our diets have become

so aberrant we're consuming processed

foods by and large as the majority of

our caloric intake continuously almost

continuously yeah throughout the day

um so that's a big problem the over

consumption of food in general is also

what drives insulin resistance which

causes our blood sugar to stay

chronically elevated that's an

inflammatory process right because blood

sugar

when it's chronically elevated literally

damages your blood vessels

um so that's a big driver of dysfunction

especially with regard to the brain the

brain relies on vascular health and so

this is one of the reasons why

chronically elevated blood sugar is so

damaging to the brain if you have type 2

diabetes for example your risk for

developing Alzheimer's disease increases

between two and four-fold so four times

up to four times the risk of developing

Alzheimer's disease if you have type 2

diabetes because of the chronically

elevated levels of blood sugar which are

slowly wreaking havoc on those Myriad

blood vessels that are that are there to

supply your brain fuel antioxidants

oxygen

Etc so you want to make sure that you

are keeping your blood sugar in a nice

and healthy range super important and

that you're prioritizing foods that are

minimally processed those are the foods

that are going to be the most

anti-inflammatory so to speak okay

um a Mediterranean dietary pattern

that's generally the kind of diet

dietary pattern that you want to

um adhere to and you know we can sort of

unpack that a little bit and I can offer

my Twist on how to uh even optimize your

diet further but in general a

Mediterranean diet is a diet that

contains both animal products and whole

plants and utilizes extra virgin olive

oil as the primary oil

and that's significant because extra

virgin olive oil has been found to be as

anti-inflammatory as low-dose ibuprofen

so there's sort of that like extra

anti-inflammatory component of the

Mediterranean diet

condoned by the the uh utilization of

extra virgin olive oil how much extra

virgin olive oil do you need to consume

to make sure you are

having those benefits of the extra

virgin olive oil so like I mean I

drizzle it on a salad yeah once a day

yeah that's enough that's a great

question I would say that's enough I

think as long as you're getting a little

bit on a on a regular basis okay you

still have to be mindful of the fact

that oil is a very calorie dense food

easily over consumed and that calories

do matter so you want to make you don't

want to overdo it with the oil but um

were you to add any kind of sort of

added fat to your diet it would be I

mean extra virgin olive oil is is

probably the primary one primary fat

that you want to be adding I

occasionally will will put um or

actually most days I put heavy cream in

my coffee

um

I put about a tablespoon of heavy cream

uh in my coffee every day which has half

of the calories of a tablespoon less

than half the calories of a tablespoon

of extra virgin olive oil really yeah a

table interesting a tablespoon of extra

virgin olive oil has about it's either

120 or 140 calories per tablespoon a

tablespoon of heavy cream has about 50

calories

okay so yeah interesting yeah yeah I

mean

very easily have Googled that but like

when I think heavy cream I'm like that's

calorie dense super calorie dense no

it's not you think it olive oil I'm like

that's nothing yeah interesting okay

um so yeah you generally want to make

sure from a dietary standpoint you're

checking your boxes by eating a

minimally processed diet

um prioritizing extra virgin olive oil

is the primary oil you're not eating out

too much and and and they're by exposing

yourself to unhealthy rancid oils right

people like to argue about whether or

not these oils are really rancid but

chances are when you're eating at a

restaurant you don't know how those oils

were kept you don't know what they've

been used for how long they've been

sitting in the fryer right so it's

absolutely reasonable to assume that the

oils that you're exposed to which are

primarily grain and Seed oils in the

restaurant setting are going to be

rancid

um so I'm definitely a fan of when when

eating out opting more for grilled foods

and things like that

um but yeah with regard to

um with these kinds of chronic diseases

Alzheimer's disease in particular you

want to really be mindful of your levels

of inflammation you can get that checked

at a doctor's office they can look at

your levels of CRP you want that to be

as low as possible

um blood sugar is also super important

um you want to make sure that you're

that you're fasting blood sugar and your

fasting insulin are in a nice and

healthy range

so I think this is great because you go

to the doctor's office and you get blood

work done or you work with you know

someone that comes at home

um to do blood work and things like that

what if you want to look at your

inflammation what were the things that

you should look at on your on your blood

work again your Labs your CRP your high

sensitivity C-reactive protein okay

um fasting glucose your fasting glucose

your fasting insulin okay you want to

also look at your um homocysteine levels

which is a risk factor for

cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's

disease and the lower that is the better

it's not going to be zero it's usually I

mean mine is about I believe six or

seven

um and that can be lowered uh with B

vitamins

um so B complex of methylcobalamin and

methylfolate particularly what's in the

live on

one yeah to make sure he really yell

yeah okay yeah

um because homocysteine is basically

it's part of uh the methylation cycle

and so

um

you when you ingest uh more methyl

donors which you do when you ingest more

folate okay

um you're able to bring your

homocysteine levels down and there are

other things that affect homocysteine as

well but

um

but that's thought to help protect the

brain especially if you have hyper

homocysteinemia or LL levels of

homocysteine level solution and B

vitamins were actually shown

in research by one of the principal

investigators his name was David Smith I

believe

B vitamins can slow brain atrophy

particularly for people that are at risk

for developing Alzheimer's disease so B

vitamins are great especially if you

carry like an MTHFR mutation

um but definitely a solid supplement to

include I wouldn't say necessarily that

it's important for everybody but it can

be useful especially if you have high

levels of homocysteine right so once you

get your Labs checked to look at yeah

what your inflammation yeah panel yeah

looks like that would be something to

figure out if you need to integrate it

yeah you also want to look at your A1C

your hemoglobin A1c which is a measure

of how much your blood cells your red

blood cells have become glycated your

red blood cells have a

a lifespan of about three months on

average

um more if they live longer with lower

levels of blood sugar and they have

shorter lifespans with higher levels of

blood sugar so

um so generally you want to make sure

that your A1C is in a nice and healthy

range as well

um which a physician can help guide you

through uh micronutrient I think

um

uh levels also important to look at

hormone stuff also important to look at

you want to make sure that your thyroid

is

is uh is doing well functioning well

yeah yeah

um but yeah all super all super

important stuff oh lipids lipids are

really important you want to make sure

that you're

triglycerides are just listing the whole

panel now

but no it's right blood work's super

important but I feel like those first

ones you mentioned were great in terms

of

inflammation key factors yeah yeah cool

so all super helpful to to get you

started at least on your journey of

chronic disease prevention and if you

want further information I mean you

could always check out my book genius

foods which uh is a deep dive into

chronic disease prevention this isn't uh

a pitch to sell the book but if it's a

it does a really deep dive and you've

got all the labs sort of laid out for

you I actually really yeah that um the

audiobook of that is really good this is

not also a picture but I listen to the

audiobook Max narrates it himself guys

so it's it's like listening to a podcast

yeah that's detailed if you like this

book and you if this voice and you want

nine hours of it if not more uh check

out the audiobook of Genius Foods hey if

you like that video you need to check

out this one here and I'll see you there

with regard to Alzheimer's disease it

was revealed that 16 that 16 years ago

in 2006 a paper in nature was published

that presented fraudulent data that

essentially derailed Alzheimer's disease

research in many ways