Episode Overview

Podcast: The Neuro Experience
Host: Louisa Nicola
Episode: Alzheimer’s Is 95% Preventable — Here’s the Science
Date: November 11, 2025
Theme: This solo episode, led by neuroscientist and performance coach Louisa Nicola, is a direct, deeply informative look into Alzheimer’s disease with a focus on why women face higher risk and what practical, science-backed interventions can drastically lower that risk — even by up to 95%. Louisa relates the current science, debunks old myths, and translates research into actionable strategies especially for women in midlife.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Nature of Alzheimer’s Disease and Its Prevalence

• Alzheimer’s as Identity Loss: Louisa draws attention to the unique tragedy of Alzheimer’s:

  "Out of all of the diseases that's going to kill us, Alzheimer's disease is the only one that robs you of who you are." (00:00)

• Staggering Statistics:
  • 55-60 million people globally have Alzheimer’s; projected to triple by 2050 (02:15)
  • 2 out of 3 cases are female (00:12, 02:24)
  • Alzheimer’s is not a sudden old-age disease, but a "20 to 30 year progression" (03:53)
  • "At least one of you will get this disease...and two out of three cases...is female." (00:13)
• Prevention is Critical:
  • Louisa forcefully asserts:

    "This is not an optional self care. This is your cognitive Olympics.” (00:30)

  • Alzheimer’s is "non-reversible. There is no cure. But you can prevent and slow the progression.” (05:01)
  • “It is 95% preventable.” (02:08)

The Female Risk: Hormones and Menopause

• Why Females Are at Higher Risk:
  • Not just because women live longer, but because of hormonal changes, especially perimenopause and menopause (05:34)
• The Crucial Role of Estrogen:
  • Estrogen and its receptor sites are widespread in the brain, crucial for neuronal function and glucose metabolism (09:41)
  • During menopause, estrogen drops sharply:

    "Estradiol...starts to deplete during this Neurological event known as perimenopause." (10:53)

  • Dr. Lisa Mosconi's research shows a "30% reduction in brain glucose metabolism at the point of perimenopause and menopause" (11:56)
  • Estrogen is "neuroprotective...like helmets on our neurons. It protects the neurons." (13:02)
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT):
  • Old fears regarding HRT and breast cancer were driven by "the Women's Health Initiative, which was a fraudulent study, in my opinion." (09:19)
  • Modern evidence reverses that fear: HRT "taken within the 10 year window of menopause onset" greatly lowers risk of cognitive decline (16:38)
  • Progesterone and testosterone also play vital, often overlooked cognitive roles in women

    “Women actually have more testosterone than estrogen.” (17:23)
    “Report in one week increases in mood, happiness, vigilance, drive, and they start to feel like who they are actually...‘I feel like me again.’” (17:41)

Practical Prevention: Lifestyle Foundations

1. Exercise and Strength Training

• “Out of every intervention I can think of, exercise is by far the number one elixir for brain health and brain span.” (00:28, 23:53)
• "You have to love strength training. It will change the way your brain functions and it will save you from cognitive decline.” (23:53)
• Muscle is “a metabolic and endocrine organ that dictates how your brain uses fuel.” (19:35)
• Sprint/HIT Insights:
  • Sprinting is underappreciated: boosts VO2max (strong longevity predictor), myokines (enhance neuroplasticity), and resilience

  "Sprint training, guys, is phenomenal...You only have to do it once a week." (24:45)

  • Practical protocol: 1–2 minutes on at 80-90% MHR, 1–2 minutes off, up to 10 rounds.
    • “You can literally just get your heart rate up for two minutes. I do it on the StairMaster. I have an intimate relationship with the StairMaster.” (27:14)

2. Sleep

• “Just one night of sleep deprivation can increase your amyloid in your brain.” (18:39)
• Deep, slow-wave sleep helps wash away amyloid (an Alzheimer’s-related protein):

  “During deep sleep, those glial cells...shrink. That means the cerebral spinal fluid can wash away...all of the toxin and the debris.” (19:51)

• Aim for at least one hour of deep sleep each night.

3. Diet

• Food as “molecular information,” not just calories (28:24)
• The ideal diet for brain (and heart) health:

  “A whole food Mediterranean style diet...delivers anti-inflammatory fats and antioxidants that stabilize synapses and vessels.” (28:25)

• Plant-based focus (Louisa’s own: 80% plants, 20% animal-based protein):

  “What’s good for the heart is good for the brain.” (29:35)

4. Social Connection

• Alzheimer’s patients often become isolated as cognition declines; counteract this proactively
• “One of the most beautiful things you can do for your brain is investing in quality relationships. And that starts today.” (29:59)
• Louisa posits strong social connection is the next big brain health “biohack.”

5. Environmental Protection

• Hormonal and neurological toxins come from many household products and processed foods
• “Our brain really has to put up with a lot. So when we think about neuroprotection, we're thinking about the protection on our brain cells.” (13:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alzheimer’s and Identity:

  “We spend our entire lives looking for ourselves...by the time we find out who we are, is probably at the time that that is going to be robbed of you if you don’t take care of your brain.” – Louisa Nicola (00:24)

• On Women’s Unique Risk:

  "We now have evidence to show that...perimenopause and menopause...is resulting...in cognitive decline, the loss of estrogen, the loss of progesterone and is in fact deteriorating the cells of your brain." (05:34)

• On Strength Training:

  “There’s no easy way out...You have to love strength training. It will change the way your brain functions, and it will save you from cognitive decline.” (23:53)

• On Hormone Replacement:

  "Hormone replacement therapy...taken within the 10 year window of menopause onset...decreased their risk of cognitive decline and decreased their risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. Go figure, right?" (16:38)

• On Social Connection:

  "One of the most beautiful things you can do for your brain is investing in quality relationships...it tells your brain that somebody is there for you. And that's not spoken about. But I predict that's going to be a biohack in the next five years." (29:59)

• Prevention is Possible:

  “95% of Alzheimer’s disease cases are preventable.” (30:51)

Timestamps by Topic

• Introduction / Grim Alzheimer’s Stats: 00:00 – 03:53
• Female-Focused Risks and Hormonal Discussion: 05:34 – 14:11
• Hormone Replacement Therapy Evidence and Recommendations: 16:38 – 17:50
• Testosterone and Cognition in Women: 17:23 – 18:34
• Sleep’s Role in Prevention: 18:34 – 19:51
• Exercise: Strength Training and Sprinting Benefits: 19:51 – 27:14
• Diet for Brain Health: 28:24 – 29:35
• Social Relationships as Brain Protection: 29:59 – 30:30
• Louisa’s BrainCode Course for Women: 30:31 – 31:39

Takeaways for Listeners

• Start NOW: Prevention must begin well before old age—Alzheimer’s is a process decades in the making.
• Women: Know Your Risks: Hormonal changes in midlife are not just reproductive—they’re neurological.
• Intervene Early: Lifestyle modifications (exercise, quality sleep, diet, hormone monitoring/treatment, targeted social ties) make a measurable difference.
• Strength Training & Sprints: These are non-negotiable cornerstones for brain longevity.
• Monitor and React to Symptoms: Brain fog is not benign; short-term memory issues warrant proactive attention.

Resources

• Louisa Nicola’s "BrainCode" Course:
  For women 40+, a structured curriculum for Alzheimer’s risk reduction (30:31).
• Follow Louisa on Instagram: @louisanicola_

Louisa’s final word:

“This is not an optional self care, this is your cognitive Olympics.” (30:40)