The truth behind memory loss - and how to stop it with exercise | Dr. Wendy Suzuki

ZOE Science & Nutrition

ZOE

Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Education, Science

4.6 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2025

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We spend so much time focusing on how exercise changes our bodies - burning calories, building muscle, shedding fat. What if the most important transformation is happening where you can’t see it? Hidden inside your skull, your brain is changing with every step, squat, and sprint. Neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki has spent years uncovering how movement rewires the brain. As a professor at NYU and an expert in neuroplasticity, Wendy’s research reveals how aerobic exercise boosts memory, sharpens focus, and even builds a protective barrier against dementia. In this episode, Wendy explains what happens inside your brain when you move, why it’s never too late to strengthen your mind, and the powerful ways exercise can slow brain aging. You’ll discover simple, science-backed habits - including her own brain-boosting routine - to help you stay mentally sharp for years to come. 🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at zoe.com - 10% off with code PODCAST 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30+ Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Introduction 02:35 Can you grow your brain? 05:05 Why we forget things 07:20 Emotions and memory 10:00 Does memory decline with age? 13:15 Early signs of Alzheimer’s 15:45 Can walking prevent dementia? 18:20 Does the brain shrink? 20:45 How stress harms your brain 23:50 A real, preserved human brain... 26:30 Why exercise boosts memory 29:15 Can adults grow new brain cells? 31:45 How daily movement improves memory 35:10 How much exercise do you need? 38:25 Best workouts for brain health 41:30 Nutrition, gut health, and memory 45:00 Do Blue Zone habits help? 48:10 A simple brain experiment 50:45 Wendy’s brain-boosting routine 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Mentioned in today's episode London taxi drivers and bus drivers: a structural MRI and neuropsychological analysis, 2006, published in Hippocampus Bigger is better! Hippocampal volume and declarative memory performance in healthy young men, 2012, published in Brain Structure and Function The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: a meta-analysis, 2012, published in Brain Research The effect of acute aerobic exercise on positive activated affect: A meta-analysis, 2006, published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Zoe Science and Nutrition, where world-leading scientists explain how their research can improve your health.
0:11.0	Many exercise routines focus on how we can change the way we look, from increasing the size of our muscles to decreasing the size
0:22.1	of our waistline. After numerous sweaty sessions, we can look in the mirror and smile at the progress
0:28.2	we've made. But are we neglecting the most important part of our body, the one we can't see in the
0:34.7	mirror, that organ hidden in our skull? Just like your muscles, you can change the shape of your brain.
0:42.3	But unlike your muscles, you can't flex and feel if your brain is in good shape.
0:47.3	Unfortunately, many people only find out their brain isn't as healthy as they thought after it's too late.
0:55.0	After a dementia diagnosis, options become limited.
1:03.0	Dr. Wendy Suzuki conducts groundbreaking research on how to supercharge the brain.
1:08.0	Wendy is a professor of neuroscience at New York University and the author of
1:12.5	the book Healthy Brain Happy Life. Her work outlines how we can not only stave off dementia,
1:18.7	but also boost intelligence and improve our mental health. By applying the lessons from this
1:24.1	episode, you'll strengthen your brain and stay mentally sharp for years to come.
1:32.4	Wendy, thank you for joining me today. Thank you for having me. Oh, it's a great pleasure. I'm very
1:36.6	excited about this topic. Now, we have a tradition here at Zoe, where we always start with a quick
1:42.0	fire round of questions from our listeners. It's designed to be
1:45.2	really hard for professors, and that's because we have these very strict rules. You can say yes or no,
1:51.6	or if you have to, you can give us a one sentence answer, but it's a bit of a fail. Are you willing to
1:56.5	give it a go? Absolutely. Hit me. All right. As we get older, do our brains shrink? No. Is it possible to grow my brain as an adult? Yes. Are there types of exercise that can make you smarter? Yes. Is my risk of dementia fixed once I'm an adult? No. Can I reduce my risk of dementia just by walking more?
2:20.4	Yes.
2:21.5	I got one more, but you get a whole sentence for this one.
2:23.5	Okay.
	...

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