Dr. Majid Fotuhi

For example, it was difficult for them to evaluate the effects of sleep.

the rule of insomnia, which we know is a strong factor for cognitive decline with aging.

Now, I have been seeing patients with memory problems for about 30 years, and most patients who came to see me improved with this 12-week program that I put together

And the program is based on identifying factors that have the potential to shrink your brain and promoting factors which have the potential to grow your brain.

So let me give you an example.

Many studies have shown that obesity is a risk factor for cognitive decline through shrinking your brain.

And on average, it's very important to keep in mind, on average, people who have a larger belly have a smaller brain.

Now, just to be clear, doesn't mean that every person who's obese has a smaller brain because

They don't have other risk factors.

So for example, if somebody has chronic stress, that is a major risk factor for shrinking the brain and especially the part of the brain for memory, which is called the hippocampus.

Now, the things that can shrink the hippocampus include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, poor diet, and sleep apnea.

These are just some of the factors that can literally shrink the brain in a dose-dependent manner.

And hundreds of studies have shown this.

It's not just one or two study here and there.

There's consensus in the literature about those factors shrinking the brain.

On a positive side, there are at least five factors that literally grow the brain, especially the part of the brain called hippocampus.

This part of the brain is roughly the size of your thumb.

You have one on the right, one on the left.

And so exercise, physical exercise, grows the hippocampus.

The more fit you are, the larger will be your hippocampus, and the less likely it is for you to develop Alzheimer's disease.