Two things happen to us as we age: The gradual loss of physical strength and cognitive decline. You can delay or slow down strength loss through exercise, but can you do the same for the brain? How do you reduce the effects of age-related cognitive decline? What does the current literature say? To help us with these questions is Dr. Nate Bergman, Chief Science Officer at Kemper Center for Cognitive Health & Wellness.

 

Dr. Bergman specializes in the aging brain, treating cognitive decline and the early-onset of dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Dr. Bergman holds an MBA in Healthcare Leadership and is board-certified in Internal Medicine as well as an Institute for Functional Medicine certified practitioner. He completed his fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic with an emphasis on optimizing the aging brain and body. During his fellowship, he co-developed the Center for Functional Medicine’s program for cognitive impairment and brain health as well as worked as a Research Fellow at the NIH.

 

Dr. Bergman joins us today to discuss the effects of aging on brain function and activity and some of the ways to slow it down. He describes his transition from conventional medicine to functional medicine and why he decided to make the transition. He shares his thoughts on popular diets and what he recommends for older adults. Dr. Bergman also explains some of the recent findings on functional medicine and cognitive decline and the benefits of exercise to your body and brain.

 

“Through things like movement or movement with therapy, you can unburden the body and mind from some neurodegenerative problems.” - Dr. Nate Bergman

 

 

This week on The Lab Report Podcast:

• Bergman’s journey from traditional medicine to functional medicine.
• The importance of stress for the aging brain.
• What senescence is, when it happens, and how it affects our hormones.
• The diet Dr. Bergman favors the most out of the ones available.
• Insulin sensitivity and how it affects brain function.
• What current research says about reversing cognitive decline.
• How dancing has become part of his life and why he dropped it.
• How physical activity affects dementia.

 

Connect with Dr. Nate Bergman

• Kemper Center for Cognitive Health & Wellness
• Evolving Past Alzheimer’s Podcast

 

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