Dr Oz: Alzheimer’s Prevention + Turmeric, Green Tea & BDNF

Dr Oz: Protect Your Brain From Alzheimer’s

Dr Oz sat down with Maria Shiver to talk about her dedication to Alzheimer’s research, education, and awareness. Because one in three Alzheimer’s cases might be preventable, Dr Oz wanted to reveal what steps you can take right now, at home, to protect your brain. Maria explained that her dad was diagnosed in 2003, when people hardly knew anything other than the word Alzheimer’s and plaques and tangles. She believes that just in the last five years, we’ve begun hearing so much more about diet, exercise, and stress.

Dr Oz: BDNF Brain Protein & Function

Maria believes that lifestyle changes can truly make a difference when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s and promoting proper brain health. She argued that the mind-body connection is critical. There’s a protein in the brain called BDNF, or brain derived neurotrophic factor, that has two functions. Max Lugavere explained that a lot of researchers and doctors refer to it as “miracle grow for the brain.”

BDNF ensures the survival of you’re existing neurons and promotes the growth of new brain cells in the brain. One of the most important ways to boost BDNF in the brain is with exercise. BDNF helps parts of your brain that are supposed to work together, work. Those parts control things like memory, emotion, and executive function. When you have high levels of BDNF, everything is good! When levels are low, the pathways in your brain begin to fall apart, which could contribute to cognitive decline.

Dr Oz: Turmeric & Green Tea For Brain Health

The good news is that there are easy steps you can begin taking today to boost that protein in your brain. Keep in mind that none of this is 100% proven because a lot more research is needed, but it certainly couldn’t help! Max explained that rates of Alzheimer’s are dramatically reduced in Japan and India. Two of the foods eaten commonly in both countries are curcumin, which is a compound in turmeric, and green tea. Both have been proven to boost BDNF in the brain, while also being loaded with other benefits.

Max likes to add turmeric to his coffee with a little coconut oil, explaining that the fat in coconut oil increases the absorption of turmeric. Maria also pointed out that people in those countries also don’t tend to isolate those with Alzheimer’s and don’t tend to shun the elderly, but instead value them.

Dr Richard Isaacson shared that a study just came out from Columbia and University of Miami, showed that those with the highest 10% of moderate to high intensity exercise, had brains that looked ten years younger in terms of how it worked, compared to those who didn’t exercise at all. Exercise can make a huge difference regarding brain health.

Dr Oz: Alzheimer’s Pill & Move For Minds

Perhaps the one thing Maria Shriver, Dr Isaacson and Max Lugavere are most excited about in terms of treatment, prevention, and awareness for Alzheimer’s, is the new Alzheimer’s pill. Dr Isaacson explained that in the past, we were attacking the bad protein in the brain, but the pill works on protection before the bad protein even builds up. He explained that the therapy concept is powerful, because it can potentially prevent Alzheimer’s. He believes that we are in the middle of some of the most powerful years in terms of Alzheimer’s research.

On May 21, Maria Shriver and Equinox are doing an event called Move for Minds, across the country in six Equinox clubs. She’s hoping to bring people together to meditate, do yoga, workout, while educating them about everything they need for brain health. Approximately 163 people will be in each club that you can sponsor, because from the start time to the end time of the event, 163 more people will have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.