This means that you can influence how your genes will be expressed and determine your life. If you live a healthy life your gene pre-disposition will not affect you negatively, but the reverse is also true.

So, the choice is yours especially if you test positive for ApoE4. At least you then know what your vulnerability is.

ApoE4 carriers living an unhealthy lifestyle may be prone to:

• Brain atrophy
• Inflammation
• Hyper absorb fat leading to elevated cholesterol
• Increased blood-brain permeability – higher exposure to gluten and toxins
• Resisting parasites and infections better
• Demonstrating an asymptomatic mild reduction in glucose utilization as early as age 20 – monitor symptoms of insulin resistance and consider low ketone levels from this age to help.
• Reduced synaptic plasticity also called neuroplasticity which is the ability to change brain structures
• Inhibiting neurogenesis and reduce the formulation of BDNF – brain cell growth factors needed by the brain to function well.
• Negative impact on vascular function
• Impaired mitochondrial function and increased oxidative stress
• Inhibited toxin clearance
• Inhibited amyloid clearance
• Inhibited nutrient transportation

IF you test positive, please take the follow remedial action you can consider reducing your risk for dementia.  All of this is part of the Bredesen PreCODE and ReCODE protocols.

Brain atrophy

• Enrol for and stay on PreCODE or Re CODE Protocols.

Inflammation

• Add Omega 3 daily and healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut oil/milk, and fatty fish.
• Remain active, exercise regularly and include intensive exercise sessions regularly.
• Keep hs-CRP levels below 0.9 mg/dl by eliminating causes of inflammation and fixing leaky gut.
• Take Bio-Curcumin, Omega 3 and ginger daily. If very high hs-CRP levels take SPM until appropriate level is reached.

Hyper absorb fat leading to elevated cholesterol

• Eliminate saturated fats such as in meat, full-fat milk, butter, cream, coconut and palm oil, most commercially baked products, and deep-fried foods.
• Use olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish.
• Test Cholesterol regularly and keep in control with KetoFlex, natural supplements
• Avoid statins.

Increased blood-brain permeability – higher exposure to gluten and toxins

• Eliminate Gluten rich foods: rice, corn, oats, amaranth, bulgar, buckwheat, quinoa, dairy and grains in general.

Demonstrating an asymptomatic mild reduction in glucose utilization as early as age 20 – monitor symptoms of insulin resistance and consider low ketone levels from this age to help.

• Test for insulin resistance and secure insulin sensitivity with KetoFlex14/3.
• If insulin resistant take Berberine, cinnamon, high fibre foods.
• Fast for at least 14-16 hours per day.
• Stay within 1 and 4 mmol/L nutritional ketosis.

Reduced synaptic plasticity also called neuroplasticity which is the ability to change brain structures

• Do Brain Training using BrainHQ.
• Never stop learning new things.
• Take Vitamin C and E.

Inhibiting neurogenesis and reduce the formulation of BDNF – brain cell growth factors needed by the brain to function well.

• Take Omega 3 Fatty acids
• Exercise and keep Ketones between 0.5 and 4.
• Take Whole Coffee Fruit Extract (WCFE) or ALCAR (acetyl-L carnitine).
• Take Lion’s Mane mushroom.

Negative impact on vascular function

• Improve blood flow.
• Heal insulin resistance.
• Eat Arugula, beet root extract.
• Take Q-arginine to increase nitric-oxide.
• Take gingko biloba.
• Eat plant based low carb foods and only healthy fats – olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados.

Impaired mitochondrial function and increased oxidative stress

• Take Coenzyme Q (CoQ), or R-lipoic Acid, or Ubiquinol, or NAD and Vitamin C and ALCAR daily.

Inhibited toxin clearance

• Alcohol harms the brain in many ways as it acts as a neurotoxin damaging the many structures in the brain leading to seizures at withdrawal after heavy consumption, brain atrophy, memory loss, sleep disturbances, cellular damage and interfere with ketosis. So, it is better to abstain from using alcohol.
• Eat organic foods free from pesticides.
• Detox regularly and avoid any toxins in food, air and water intake.

Inhibited amyloid clearance

• Stay intellectually engaged.
• Optimise hormones, nutrition, Vitamin D and Folate.
• Stay on ReCODE.
• Sleep 7-8 hours per night. Take Curcumin.
• Fast 14 hours.
• Use Brain HQ.
• Reduce copper intake.
• Optimise Vit D (50 to 80).
• Take Omega 3.
• Eliminate inflammation by reducing chronic infections.
• Take Resveratrol.

 Inhibited nutrient transportation

• Optimise homocysteine below 7 micromolar with Vit B12 methyl cobalamin, pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) and methyl folate.
• Take Omega 3 especially from fish, eggs, fish eggs and krill oil.
• Minimise Omega 3 if you have a tendency for bleeding or a history of strokes.
• Ensure appropriate levels of Vitamin A by eating cod liver oil, liver, kidney, eggs.

ApoE4 carriers respond successfully in preventing and reversing cognitive decline by following the Bredesen Protocols

The benefit of knowing your ApoE4 status is that you can decide to take your brain serious and care for it by following the Bredesen Recode Protocol.

If you test positive for ApoE4 you know that you must make a serious effort to live healthy and decrease all the risk factors. Even if you did not test positive for it, you should still do this.

To care for your brain should be a No-brainer.

Authors: Dr Craige Golding & Dr Willem Mostert

Visit brain-fit.net for more information on prevention and reversal of cognitive decline from Dr Willem Mostert