Bredesen Protocol®
A personalised approach to Alzheimer's
With around 900,000 people with dementia in the UK, a figure which is predicted to rise to 1.5 million by 2040, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most significant health threats we face globally.
Until now, it was considered to be both progressive and untreatable, but the Bredesen Protocol has proved otherwise.
Based on 40 years of research and pioneered by Dr Dale Bredesen, an internationally recognised expert in the mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, the Protocol has already reversed or inhibited the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms in 90% of people treated.
In this interview, Dr Bredesen explains more about this approach.
How does the Bredesen Protocol work?
The Bredesen Protocol is a comprehensive, personalised nutrition and lifestyle programme, which removes the exposure triggers that lead to Alzheimer’s disease to:
- improve cognition and,
- reverse cognitive decline.
Focusing on identifying and addressing the root cause of Alzheimer’s, the Bredesen Protocol addresses 36 contributing factors including:
- Nutrition: reducing sugar toxicity (Alzheimer’s is being called Type 3 diabetes) and increasing ketogenesis so the brain can use fat as a fuel and improve gut health which is essential for the absorption of key nutrients for the brain
- Exercise: essential for body and brain in many physiological ways
- Lifestyle: reducing stress, optimising sleep, and brain training including both stimulation and mindfulness
- Trophic support: optimising hormonal levels and endocrine support (e.g. looking at thyroid, estradiol, vitamin D, B12, omega 3, homocysteine levels, amongst other tests)
- Remediation of toxic loads in the body: for example, reducing metal, glyphosate mould exposure or other toxins that can directly affect the brain.
Not every patient is affected by every factor, so your Health Coach will assess each area to see if and how it should be altered to enhance your cognitive capacity. Your personalised plan will focus on the specific causes of your cognitive decline and will be adjusted as your health improves.
The number one cause for lack of recovery is lack of compliance with the protocol, so your Health Coach will manage the optimisation of the treatment.
If you are currently being treated for Alzheimer’s, please don’t stop any current medication unless under medical supervision.
Types of Bredesen Protocol
There are two main types of Bredesen Protocol – PreCODE and ReCoDE.
PreCODE Programme
PreCode is about preventing Alzheimer’s and is for anyone who would like to optimise their brain health and prevent cognitive decline. In particular, it would benefit anyone:
- with a family history of dementia
- who faces other risk factors such as diabetes or prediabetes, genetic predispositions
- is over the age of 45.
ReCODE Programme
ReCode focuses on reversing cognitive decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s. It is suitable for anyone who is currently experiencing symptoms of cognitive decline and would like to halt and reverse the changes. While it’s most effective when used in the early stages, it can also help those in mid to late stages.
When should I seek help?
Alzheimer’s can take up to 20 years to progress with symptoms typically only becoming obvious at later stages when people begin to experience mild cognitive decline.
Dr Dale Bredesen says this diagnosis is like being told your cancer has spread and is not the time to be told by your doctor “it’s just old age“, it is the time to act.
In fact, damage to the brain at this stage has been happening for many years. The more damage that occurs the harder it is to reverse
The sooner you act, the better the outcome. We recommend the PreCODE protocol to anyone over 45 who has a family history of dementia to check out their risk factors, it is like having a cognoscope of the brain.
Dr Dale Bredesen
“…dementia is a huge problem all over the world and based on epidemiology, it is the third leading cause of death in the United States, the second leading cause in the U.K, and the number one cause of death in U.K. women.
…the research that we did over the years really suggests we’re dealing with a disease where there is a network insufficiency.You have hormones, and you have toxins, you have inflammation, you have pathogens. You have all these different things kind of playing on this neuroplasticity network. And ultimately, you’re failing in that what you supply is being exceeded chronically by the demand”
….but the good news is, when we address that, improve the supply, and reduce the demand, we see repeatedly people getting better and staying better.”