EVERYONE should focus on preventing and treating neurodegeneration—also known as cognitive decline. You don’t need a diagnosis of a severe condition like Parkinson’s Disease to take this seriously. Through naturopathic medicine, we can effectively prevent cognitive decline and help you maintain a higher quality of life as you age.

Why is this so important?

• Cognitive decline affects the whole family, not just the individual.
• It’s more than dementia—it impacts mood, concentration, motivation, performance, and relationships.
• Time matters. The earlier you address and prevent symptoms, the more you can change the trajectory of your brain health and life.
• Cognitive decline can begin before testing or imaging shows anything abnormal.

Some early signs your brain may be in trouble:

• Changes in mood and affect
• Trouble focusing or concentrating
• Forgetting events, dates, names, or appointments
• Difficulty solving problems, managing finances, or following recipes
• Misjudging distance or having trouble reading
• Struggling to find words while speaking
• Frequently misplacing items like keys or your phone
• Impaired judgment, such as falling for scams
• Withdrawing from social activities

• Changes in mood or personality, including new likes, dislikes, or behaviors

Neurodegenerative disorders are a group of conditions marked by the progressive degeneration of the nervous system, particularly the neurons (nerve cells). These disorders lead to a gradual decline in cognitive, motor, and/or sensory functions.

Common neurodegenerative disorders include:

• Alzheimer’s Disease: A progressive brain disorder affecting memory, thinking, and behavior.
• Parkinson’s Disease: Primarily affects movement, causing tremors, stiffness, and coordination difficulties.
• Huntington’s Disease: A genetic disorder that leads to the progressive breakdown of nerve cells, impacting movement, cognition, and behavior.
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness and loss of control.
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS): An autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system, causing vision problems, balance issues, and muscle control difficulties.
• Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD): Disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of the frontal and/or temporal lobes, leading to changes in personality, behavior, and language.

Neurodegenerative disorders often have complex, multifactorial causes. While genetics can “load the gun,” epigenetic factors—like lifestyle, environmental toxins, and stress—can “pull the trigger.” In essence, chronic inflammation and reduced blood flow to the brain lead to:

• Loss of neuroplasticity: The brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections is impaired, reducing its capacity to compensate for injury or disease.
• Reduced neurogenesis: The growth of new neurons is decreased, limiting brain repair and resilience.

Factors that can contribute to neurodegeneration include:

• Dietary: A standard American diet can cause inflammation, oxidative stress, and nutrient deficiencies.
• Lifestyle: Alcohol use, smoking, sedentary behavior, and lack of exercise.
• Genetic: Mutations and SNPs that affect nervous system function or detoxification.
• Toxin burden: Exposure to heavy metals, pesticides, air pollution, solvents, chemicals, antimicrobials, cosmetics, and household products.
• Gastrointestinal distress: Constipation, diarrhea, or IBS can disrupt the gut microbiome, impair nutrient absorption, and weaken detox pathways.
• Pharmaceutical side effects: Long-term use of certain medications (e.g., acid blockers) can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
• Infection burden: Chronic infections from bacteria, viruses, parasites, Lyme disease, or mold.
• Social factors: Isolation or lack of engagement.
• Metabolic stress: Conditions like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, stroke, or heart disease.
• Vascular health: Circulation issues or high blood pressure affecting brain blood flow.

• Aging: As we age, cells naturally degenerate and produce less energy (ATP).