Julie Andersen: Could better gut health help prevent Alzheimer's?

02/15/21 • 49 min

Cognitive decline is an all-too-familiar hallmark of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. While there is much research that focuses exclusively on functional changes in the brain, the so-called gut-brain axis - a connection between the digestive system and the central nervous system - also appears to play a pivotal role. It raises the question: Could nutritional interventions, to nurture the health of the gut microbiome, also help prevent or reverse age-related dementia? In 2018, Dr. Julie Andersen, a scientist at the Buck Institute for Research On Aging, in California, received a $3.8 million grant to explore the hypothesis. In this LLAMA podcast episode, Dr. Andersen discusses the work of her laboratory, and the idea that a gut metabolite, urolithin A, could play an important role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Recorded: February 9, 2021 | Read a transcript and show notes at the LLAMA podcast website.

Topics covered in this interview include:

Working at the Buck Institute for Research On Aging - the only freestanding institute studying aging and age-related disease.
A multi-disciplinary approach to aging research, embracing a range of diseases and mechanisms that drive-age related conditions.
Evolving definitions of aging.
Exploring autophagy, mitochondrial function, urolithin A and muscle health, in relation to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
The science and logic behind restoring an older person's gut microbiome to that of a younger person.
Building on "exciting" clinical trials, by Amazentis, looking at the efficacy, in older humans, of Urolithin A, to enhance muscle function.
Exploring the relatively new area of study known as the gut-brain axis.
Explaining the scientific process, grants and clinical trials.
How preliminary preclinical trial data suggests urolithin fed to mice may prevent cognitive loss associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Turning 60 and aspirations for a long healthspan.

This episode is brought to you in association with Amazentis, a Swiss life science company, that is pioneering cutting edge, clinically validated cellular nutrition, under its Timeline brand.
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The Live Long and Master Aging (LLAMA) podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice. If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Recorded: February 9, 2021 | Read a transcript and show notes at the LLAMA podcast website.

Topics covered in this interview include:

Working at the Buck Institute for Research On Aging - the only freestanding institute studying aging and age-related disease.
A multi-disciplinary approach to aging research, embracing a range of diseases and mechanisms that drive-age related conditions.
Evolving definitions of aging.
Exploring autophagy, mitochondrial function, urolithin A and muscle health, in relation to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
The science and logic behind restoring an older person's gut microbiome to that of a younger person.
Building on "exciting" clinical trials, by Amazentis, looking at the efficacy, in older humans, of Urolithin A, to enhance muscle function.
Exploring the relatively new area of study known as the gut-brain axis.
Explaining the scientific process, grants and clinical trials.
How preliminary preclinical trial data suggests urolithin fed to mice may prevent cognitive loss associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Turning 60 and aspirations for a long healthspan.

David Katz: Robust health beyond the pandemic
Stuart Phillips: Boosting physical strength as we age
Stephanie Blum: Embracing and marketing the science of wellbeing
Johan Auwerx: Enjoying youthful vitality as we age
Navindra Seeram: The rejuvenating power of plants
Patrick Aebischer: A novel molecule to promote longevity
Anurag Singh:

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

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Previous Episode

Alison Weinlaeder: Melding mind and muscle

When the pandemic struck, instead of hunkering down, with her life on hold, Alison Weinlaeder moved into top gear with her brain-child, a new online business melding physical and mental workouts. The speech-language pathologist, from Saint Paul, Minnesota, wanted to help people improve their cognitive abilities, at the same time as nurturing their cardiovascular fitness. Cardiomelon is a fitness program that puts the essential components of daily health at its core. In this LLAMA podcast interview with Peter Bowes, Alison explains the science behind her novel approach to fitness. She also shares the challenges and rewards she enjoys through a startup focussed on helping people live longer and better.

Recorded: January 22, 2021 | Read a transcript and show notes at the LLAMA podcast website.

This episode is brought to you by AgeUp, a new financial product that provides guaranteed supplemental income for people who worry about the financial impact of longevity. To find out more, visit Age-Up.com

Topics covered in this interview include:

Why we should work on keeping the brain healthy and strong as well as the body
Working, as a speech language pathologist, with people who've experienced tragic and traumatic events
Pushing the brain outside its comfort zone
The challenged posed by virtual therapy for patients with severe brain injuries
Launching Cardiomelon in the midst of a pandemic
Isn't it just normal to forget things as we get older?
Empowering people through brain-focussed exercise
How gardening and walking can help boost brain performance.
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Why you've got to use it to improve it
Why just doing mental workouts, without always succeeding in a challenge, will improve brain health
Never too late or early to start.
Partnering with Hilarity for Charity with a mission to educate people in their 20s about poor health habits that could lead to Alzheimer's
The evidence to support combining cognitive and physical exercise
Learning how to think smarter, through visualization and habits
Being empowered to control brain health
The lifestyle habits that will determine how our lives will be like, decades in the future.
Future science-based research into the outcomes from Cardiomelon

The Live Long and Master Aging podcast shares ideas but does not offer medical advice. If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

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Next Episode

Erin Sharoni: Optimizing diet and healthspan

Nutritional supplementation is one of the most frequently raised topics in relation to longevity and healthy living. But do we really need additional components in our diet, such as pterostilbene , sulforaphane and resveratrol? Scientifically validated studies suggest some dietary supplements are beneficial to our health, but how do we decide which ones to take? There are myriad considerations. To explore the subject, the LLAMA podcast is teaming up with JUVICELL, a nutraceutical product developed by US and German scientists. In this conversation with Peter Bowes, co-founder, Erin Sharoni, discusses the scientific, ethical and societal issues involved in developing a product that aims to extend healthspan.

Recorded: February 15, 2021 | Read a transcript and show notes at the LLAMA podcast website.

The study of epigenetics and what it means. Our internal and external environments and how they interact.
Erin's "obsession" with the human body and how it changes over time.
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The most basic lifestyle traits that help us thrive.
Why there is no magic bullet to optimum health.
The insurance policy approach to dietary supplementation.
The power of fasting and the work of Dr. Valter Longo at the university of Southern California (USC).
The idea and mission behind JUVICELL
Why the mission is to help people optimize healthspan rather than lifespan.
Explaining the ingredients that go together to form an all-in-one dietary supplement.
Safety, supplementation and ethical responsibility to follow the science.
Lessons from the Covid pandemic and the big changes needed at a societal level to enable healthier populations.
Sleep, whole foods, meditation and other lifestyle components to promote every day health and longevity.

This episode is brought to you in association with JUVICELL, the all-in-one longevity supplement that contains 10 key ingredients shown to have a positive impact on healthspan, as validated by scientific studies. To find out more, visit juvicell.com

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Support the show