There are some genes that people may carry that will increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s. These were made well known most recently when Chris Hemsworth, an actor most famous for his role in Thor, decided to take a break from acting after discovering he carries the gene APOE-e4.

Aside from certain genes, including APOE-e4, other risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease include:

• Excessive alcohol consumption
• An inflammatory diet
• Smoking
• Hypertension
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Air pollution
• Diabetes
• Some specific medical drugs
• High levels Aluminium in the body
• Low Vitamin D levels

There's also mounting evidence now showing that the presence of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV1) is a contributing risk factor.

It's not all bad news!

While Dementia and Alzheimer's are leading causes of death in Australia, the risk of Alzheimer's is still relatively low across the whole population and there are many things you can do to reduce your risk, no matter how old you are.

At the symposium that we recently attended, many of the speakers shared new treatment pathways for neurological conditions that have been backed by the latest clinical studies. This was fascinating and in some cases, also simply confirmed what we already knew! It’s great to have even more evidence of the effectiveness of a Naturopathic approach on brain health.

What you can do to support your brain health

Not surprisingly, maintaining your overall health and wellbeing is going to also reduce your risk of cognitive decline as you age!

This means the basics of exercise, sleep, and limiting sugar and alcohol intake, as well as eating a diet full of anti-inflammatory foods, especially omega-3s, and looking at how you manage stress.

Make new connections

These are things everyone can focus on to improve brain health and reduce risks of cognitive decline with age:



• Learn something new. Ditch the crossword puzzles and follow your passions. Study something you’re interested in, learn a new language, get into a new hobby, or enroll in a course.
• Dance. Exercise but especially dancing with a partner stimulates the brain to create new neurons.
• Play Music. Pick up an instrument or sing to activate different parts of your brain.

When you come in to see either Val or Sam, you'll also have the opportunity to address any specific risk factors which present for you.

This may include detoxifying heavy metals, introducing an anti-inflammatory diet, or taking anti-viral herbs or natural medicines that have been shown to boost brain health and cognition through their actions on the body systems.