Why dementia could start in your blood vessels with Dr. William Li

ZOE Science & Nutrition

ZOE

Nutrition, Science, Health & Fitness, Education

4.6 • 5.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 May 2024

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

55 million people suffer dementia worldwide with numbers expected to double every 20 years. Understanding the link between our heart health and brain function is critical, illuminating the profound impact that heart health has on preventing dementia. Dr. William Li, an expert in cardiovascular and metabolic health. He reveals how caring for our heart is not just about longevity but maintaining sharp, effective brain function as we age. His groundbreaking work has impacted more than seventy diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Dr. Li is also a New York Times best-selling author. In today’s episode, Dr. Li explains how simple lifestyle choices in diet, exercise and sleep can drastically shape our brain's health and stave off dementia. 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily 30 *Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, 👉 zoe.com/podcast, for 10% off your membership. Follow ZOE on Instagram Timecodes 00:00 Introduction 01:23 Quickfire questions 03:30 Understanding dementia and Alzheimer's disease 04:50 Dementia versus ageing 06:35 The role of blood vessels in brain health 07:55 How circulation affects brain function 09:23 What causes blood clots and strokes? 11:06 The importance of maintaining healthy blood vessels 12:15 The impact of lifestyle choices on brain health 15:01 What happens in our brains when we sleep? 19:35 What is the glymphatic system? 22:40 Vascular dementia may be the most common form of dementia 24:35 The role of glucose in brain function 27:10 What causes dementia and why does it happen when we get older? 29:00 Preventing dementia with lifestyle changes 31:10 What are healthy blood vessels like? 37:50 The surprising role of EPCs in brain repair 41:30 Can you slow down or reverse dementia? 52:08 The connection between gut health and brain health 51:40 The importance of exercise for brain health 56:30 How to avoid dementia 01:01:16 The link between mental health and cardiovascular disease 📚 Dr. William Li’s books: Eat to Beat Disease Eat to Beat Your Diet 📚 Books from our ZOE Scientists: Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Relevant studies: A human brain vascular atlas reveals diverse mediators of Alzheimer’s risk, published in Nature Heart-brain connections: Phenotypic and genetic insights from magnetic resonance images, published in Science Cocoa flavanol consumption improves cognitive function, blood pressure control, and metabolic profile in elderly subjects: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study—a randomized controlled trial, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 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. Today we uncover why heart health plays a powerful role in brain health as you age.
0:20.0	One of the biggest threats to brain health is dementia. You don't have to be a scientist to know that,
0:26.0	and about one-third of people over 85 have some form of dementia.
0:31.0	In its earliest stages, the condition can lead us to be forgetful,
0:35.0	whether that's losing our keys or forgetting a loved one's birthday.
0:39.0	Later stage, it can confine us to our homes and ultimately kill us.
0:45.0	But the good news is that this terrible condition is not inevitable.
0:50.0	What if I told you you have more control over it than you think?
0:54.0	And that the secret to maintaining a healthy mind could be beating in your chest.
0:59.0	Today's guest, Dr William Lee, is a world-renowned physician, Heart Health Specialist, and New York Times best-selling author.
1:09.0	Will helps us to unravel the mysteries of the so-called heart-brain axis.
1:14.6	And in this episode, we learn how you can protect your mind by caring for your heart.
1:25.0	Will, thank you for joining me today. Thanks, Jonathan.
1:26.0	Always glad to be here.
1:27.0	So you may remember we have a tradition here at Zoe,
1:30.0	where we always start with a quick-fire round of questions from our listeners with these very
1:35.0	strict rules you can say yes or no or if you absolutely have to a one sentence answer designed
1:41.3	to be really hard for sort of professors and scientists. Are you willing to give it a go?
1:46.0	Absolutely. Okay. Is dementia connected to blood vessel damage?
1:51.0	Yes. Can I reverse blood vessel damage? Yes. Can I reverse blood vessel damage? Yes. If I have
1:56.2	dementia is it possible to slow down the progression of symptoms? Absolutely.
2:01.3	Yes. Does my mental health impact my risk of cardiovascular disease? Yes.
	...

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