How to Boost Your Mental Acuity & Cognition With Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN | LT Talks | Life Time

 

Just like our bodies, our brains undergo changes as we age, and if we don’t care for them, it can lead to various issues that can affect our day-to-day function as well as our long-term health. In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, shares the key factors that influence our cognitive health and offers strategies for protecting our brains and optimizing our mental acuity.

This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.

Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, is a clinical pharmacist, the cochair of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, the chair of the International Peptide Society, and the Chief Science Officer for Life Time

In this episode, LaValle dives into the intricacies of brain health, focusing specifically on mental acuity and cognition. He also explains important factors that can affect our brain health and strategies for support and optimization. Insights include the following:

  • No matter our age, we have the ability to build neural pathways, so it’s important to focus on brain health in every stage of life.
  • Mental acuity or mental sharpness involves IQ, task performance, memory, and focus, all of which vary among individuals.
  • When your mental acuity isn’t as sharp as it could be, it may feel like you’re not thinking clearly or you’re experiencing brain fog.
  • There are many physiological factors that affect brain health, including:
    • Glucose regulation: Regulating blood sugar is crucial for brain health and mental health. Glucose regulation issues can be linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s.
    • Immune function and neuroinflammation: When microglial cells (the big immune cells of the brain) are triggered and activated, it can create more inflammation. Inflammation in the body can lead to neuron destruction in the brain.
    • Stress and cortisol: Chronic stress can increase neuroinflammation and too much cortisol can block stem cells from growing into mature neurons, which can affect brain function.
    • Environmental burden: Lead exposure has been shown to lower IQ, especially in children.
    • Infections: A number of people with long COVID have reported experiencing cognitive fog; this is due to inflammatory cytokines triggering neuroinflammation in the brain.
    • Mitochondrial capacity: Loss of mitochondrial capacity can lead to cognitive fog.
  • The glymphatic system has the crucial job of eliminating brain waste, a process that is optimized by quality sleep and a balanced circadian rhythm. When your brain can rest and repair during sleep, it can more optimally replenish neurotransmitters for better cognitive health.
  • Any type of head trauma, including traumatic brain injuries or even just hitting your head in a certain way, places stress on the brain and can lead to neuroinflammation and cognitive issues. Gut permeability can also increase after head trauma, which can lead to other health issues.
  • The gut and brain have a bidirectional communication system. When the gut is off balance, it can lead to brain inflammation.
  • There are many strategies and steps we can take to improve brain health, some of which include:
    • Balance blood sugar: Both high and low blood sugar can damage brain cells and blood vessels.
    • Balance hormones: Sex hormones play a role in brain health, especially estradiol in women. Hormones can also affect mood and sleep, which are linked to brain health.
    • Manage stress: Your brain is the commander in chief, so to speak, when your body perceives that it’s under threat, as it does from high stress. Managing stress can help prevent too much cortisol from coursing through the brain.
    • Support with appropriate supplements: Supplements like L-theanine and Relora may help with managing stress. Magnesium can also help improve circulation and regulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which can reduce inflammatory signals.
    • Exercise: Movement can improve brain oxygenation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. Balance and stability exercises can also enhance brain-muscle communication.
    • Participate in brain activities: Things like puzzles and games help keep the brain active.
    • Be conscious of your environmental burden: Exposure to pollution and toxins can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress on the brain.
    • Prioritize social connections: Feeling connected with a community is crucial to brain health as we age.
    • Consider testing and monitoring biomarkers: Advanced testing for dementia and Alzheimer’s markers are in development. It’s also important to keep track of your baseline lab markers as many of them can be directly linked to brain health, including blood pressure, glucose and insulin, cholesterol, iron, thyroid hormones, and sex hormones.