I'm turning 40 in December and over the past few years I have, sadly, been watching Alzheimers take my father away more and more. That was tough to type. Doesn't know my name, his wife's name, or that he has grandchildren.

So they say by the time you detect it, its to late, and the key to prevention are early mitigation.

I'm active already, lift daily, cardio regular, eat 70/30 on healthy vs processed, but I'm trippin over the cognitive decline.

Diet, exercise, stress management, vitamins, supplements, social interaction, sauna... Has anyone been on this for a while with some advice or specific additions in their routine they feel confident to share.

I've been on creatine for nearly 2 years now daily. The only current daily supplements/ vitamins I'm on are creatine, fish oil, and whey-pro.

A Narrative Review Evaluating Diet and Exercise as Complementary Medicine for the Management of Alzheimer's Disease

Cognitive Defense Checklist

Nutrition

• B Vitamins (B6, B9, B12): Crucial for lowering homocysteine, which is strongly linked to Alzheimer's risk. Supplement if deficient.
• Thiamine & Selenium: Shown to improve cognition in some studies.
• Vitamin D: May offer neuroprotection, especially if deficient but research in AD patients is mixed.
• Omega-3s (DHA/EPA): Important for brain structure and inflammation. Best from whole foods like fatty fish.
• Creatine (5g/day): Growing evidence suggests it may support brain energy metabolism and cognitive function. It's inexpensive, safe, and easy to incorporate.
• Ketogenic Diet or MCT Oil: Shifts the brain toward ketone metabolism, which may enhance cognitive function, especially in early-stage AD.
• Time-Restricted Eating / Intermittent Fasting: Can improve insulin sensitivity, lower inflammation, and support mitochondrial health.
• Reduce Processed Foods / Refined Carbs / Saturated Fats: These can spike LDL cholesterol and insulin resistance both linked to greater AD pathology.

Exercise

• Aerobic Exercise (3x/week, ~30 min): Linked to improved memory, executive function, and reduced AD progression especially in those with lower baseline cognition.
• Resistance Training: Improves physical independence and may aid executive function.
• Mind-Body Practices (Yoga, Tai Chi): Emerging evidence suggests these help with sleep, mood, and possibly BDNF and serotonin levels.
• Consistency is key: Even light exercise beats inactivity. Benefits stack over time.

Metabolic & Vascular Health

• Control Blood Pressure, LDL, and Blood Sugar: All major modifiable risk factors for AD.
• Maintain Healthy Body Weight: Especially in midlife.
• Support Mitochondrial Function: Through movement, nutrition, and reducing metabolic dysfunction.

Lifestyle Factors

• Prioritize Sleep: Poor sleep increases amyloid and tau buildup. Protect your circadian rhythm.
• Manage Stress: Chronic stress promotes neuroinflammation and worsens cognitive outcomes.
• Limit Alcohol: Excess alcohol shrinks brain volume and impairs neurotransmission.
• Stay Social & Engaged: Cognitive resilience is stronger in those with regular social interaction and mental stimulation.

As stated before - researchers are now referring to it as diabetes type3 so make sure your metabolic health and diet are priority.

Sounds like you're doing a lot of things right.

And ultimately SLEEP is going to be a huge protector for you as well. Read Max Walkers book "Why We Sleep" If you haven't already.

Another big protector is keeping your brain sharp, and interestingly enough a vibrant social life is actually better for our brain than crossword puzzles and sudoku.

See here:

Thanks so much!!! I'll start putting this stuff in practice. Gotta be more social it looks like...

Me, too.

The sleep solution depends on what is causing your terrible sleep. That said, get a sleep tracker(Oura ring) and start taking magnesium l-threonate & apigenin after dinner if it's trouble falling/staying asleep.

Last year I was going to sleep at 10 but would wake up at 3-3:30 every morning and unable to go back to sleep. Then I started to go to bed at 7:30 or so, asleep by 8. I still wake up at 3-3:30 but I'm getting a lot better sleep now. It sucks sometimes but I have just embraced my weird sleep needs.

good thread my grandma had Alzheimer's, and sleep is hard to come by as well.