The Root Cause Medicine Podcast · Rupa Health

Expert Insights to Protect Your Brain Starting Now with Louisa Nicola: Episode Rerun

May 15, 2025·43 min·2 clips

Exercise is described as the biggest preventative tool against Alzheimer's disease.

1. The Root Cause Medicine Podcast episode with Louisa Nicola focuses on brain health, dementia risk, and Alzheimer's disease prevention. 2. Dr. Keri Jones hosts Louisa Nicola, a neurophysiologist, top biologist, and human performance coach who works with athletes, Olympians, and CEOs. 3. The episode asks what people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s should do now to protect memory, decision-making, and brain performance later. 4. Louisa says Alzheimer's disease affects 8 million people in the U.S. and 55 million people worldwide. 5. She says two out of three Alzheimer's cases are women, and she links that to a need for sex-specific brain health strategies. 6. Louisa explains that neurodegeneration starts long before age 65 and says the process can begin in the 30s. 7. She defines dementia as an umbrella term for cognitive decline, including memory loss, slower information processing, and reduced concentration. 8. She names Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia as different forms under that umbrella. 9. Louisa says Alzheimer's disease is marked by amyloid beta accumulation and tau breakdown in neurons. 10. She explains that amyloid beta is normally present but can clump and impair clearing, while tau accumulates inside axons. 11. She says around 30 genes are involved in dementia, but only three are the most determinative: presenilin 1, presenilin 2, and amyloid precursor protein. 12. Louisa says the remaining genes are largely lifestyle or risk genes, and she estimates 95% to 97% of Alzheimer's cases are lifestyle-driven. 13. She discusses ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4, and says ApoE4 increases risk because it affects lipid transport in the brain. 14. Louisa says ApoE testing is standard in her client work and mentions genetic counseling for people who feel anxious about results. 15. Exercise is her first major prevention lever, and she says the CDC recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous activity. 16. She says long-distance aerobic work and zone 2 training raise blood flow, increase BDNF, and can grow the hippocampus. 17. Louisa also recommends resistance training because muscle contractions release myokines that cross the blood-brain barrier and affect mood and gray matter. 18. Sleep is her second pillar, and she says slow-wave sleep activates the glymphatic system so amyloid beta and other debris can be cleared. 19. She says women, especially those with hot flashes, night sweats, or perimenopause symptoms, may need to pay close attention because estrogen changes and sleep disruption matter. 20. Louisa closes with simple nutrition guidance, including berries, omega-3s, creatine at 5 grams a day, and keeping saturated fats and lipids low.

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