ApoE4.Info

Hello Jan18 and Welcome to the Forum.

It sounds like you've received lots of great information from the posts above. If you haven't already found it, Stavia's post in the Getting Started forum "An introduction to ApoE4, biochemistry, and possible prevention strategies" contains lots of great information that covers not only diet but lifestyle as well. Scroll down to Basic Strategies.

I went on an elimination diet 5 years ago to try to reduce inflammation that was causing pain and was astounded by the foods that I thought were not a problem. I learned what my reactions were by paying attention to how I felt after adding a food back in. I've learned how to heal my gut along the way too. I'd be happy to talk more with you about how to complete an elimination diet if you decide to try it and support you along your journey. Finding what we react to is individual and can take time and patience.

I lost both my maternal grandmother and my mother to Alzheimer's Disease.

Hugs to you!
Carrie

Thank you, CarrieS. Just saw your post. I'm feeling so overwhelmed by the diet information. I have an appt. with a functional medicine doctor, as Bredesen suggests, but not until end of November.

Until then, I've been trying to institute a ketogenic diet, but keep reading conflicting information -- it's healthy vs it's not healthy, it's safe vs it's dangerous, it's extremely hard to follow. My head is swimming.

I'll go back and reread the section you referenced.

And at least when I start with my functional medicine doctor, who has used Bredesen's protocol for a number of years with AD patients, I can hope to get good guidance.

Hi Jan18
yes, it's understandable to be overwhelm at first and I can reassure you that overtime, you'll feel more confortable with your nutrition plan. If I may ? Try to look at how you feel after eating some foods. Like Dr. Deanna Minich is saying: being in tune with your body, increase your level of awareness.
Reading again the primer is a good idea. And your discussion with your FM doctor will help you have a nice discussion.

Hi Jan18,
You crossed my mind today so I thought that I'd check in to see how your week has been. This forum is a great resource for both information and to ask questions. The quote below was posted in "musings on APOe4". I really like what it says. Carrie

"Ski wrote:
I'm going to steal and modify a quote relevant to our situation, but that really hit home with me………be diligent, prudent and a fighter but remember that life is so short regardless and don’t give up enjoying the present, for fear of the future, with the result that we do not live in the present or the future and then we die having never really lived."

Jan18 wrote:I've been trying to institute a ketogenic diet, but keep reading conflicting information -- it's healthy vs it's not healthy, it's safe vs it's dangerous, it's extremely hard to follow. My head is swimming.

First let me reiterate what Stavia said,

Stavia wrote:you cant go wrong by following Gundry's list if you want exact guidelines.

Second, with regard to if a Ketogenic diet is healthy or not healthy, safe or dangerous.:

A ketogenic diet is generally healthy, safe, and especially beneficial for ApoE4s. A typical criticism I hear of ketogenic diets is the long term effects are unknown. I read this to mean there are no clinical trials, but I say we do know long term effects, it’s called human history. For most of the history of man, we went through periods of little/no food. Only in recent years have humans had virtually unlimited food quantities available and only since the nutritional guidelines for Americans changed in 1980 have carbohydrates come into prominent consumption. The body’s ability to switch to using ketones for energy was an adaptive coping mechanism to maintain physical ability and mental clarity during times of food paucity, it enabled man to survive.

There are many reasons to pursue a ketogenic diet – to lose weight, to fight cancer, to address diabetes, to improve athletic performance etc. Dr Dom D’Agostino has been working with the military and NASA to use the neuroprotective qualities of ketone therapy in severe environments (space, undersea diving.). But each of those strategies have unique nuances, a ketogenic diet for a cancer patient, where the objective is a fairly deep level of ketosis is different than a ketogenic diet for an ApoE4 trying to maintain cognitive health.

Dr Bredesen recommends mild ketosis for cognitive function. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is the ketone body that increases Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), an important neuron and synapse supporting molecule. He recommends this through a low-carb diet (insert Dr Gundry's diet here), exercise, fasting at least 12 hours, and consuming certain fats.

One of the other criticisms of a ketogenic diet is ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is a metabolic state associated with high concentrations of ketone bodies accompanied by high levels of glucose. This is dangerous because typically there’s a balance between these two, i.e. if high glucose, there should low to no ketones, or if high ketones there should be low glucose. If both are high, blood becomes very acidic, this is an unnatural state for the body and is dangerous. The three main causes of ketoacidosis are alcoholism, starvation, and Type 1 diabetes. Exclusive of those conditions, it is not a potential side effect of following a mildly ketogenic diet, so this is a largely invalid criticism.

The Atkins Diet has been cited as a ketogenic diet, which has also shed a negative light on ketogenic diets, but there are many caveats to consider here. First, the intention of this diet was weight loss, not metabolic or cognitive health. Secondly, followers of the diet tended to consume too much animal protein and not include vegetables. There was also no guidance with regard to food quality, followers consumed large quantities of grainfed beef, hormone laden chicken, A1 casein dairy, and refined vegetable oils. On top of that, Atkins products that were sold were processed foods with artificial sweeteners. (These are all areas Dr Gundry addresses in his book.) So the Atkins diet was often highly inflammatory.

With mild ketosis, a person is not necessarily burning ketones all the time, but has developed “metabolic flexibility” to use glucose or ketone bodies for energy. This is especially critical for the brain. The brain is an energy hog, it uses about 20% to 30% of the body’s total energy needs. There is a significant link between Alzheimer’s and impaired brain fuel metabolism. When people follow a carb-dominant diet the brain uses glucose for fuel and is only able to use glucose, it has no alternate source of energy, resulting in cognitive issues. But after becoming “fat adapted” through ketosis, a process that can take weeks maybe even months, the ketone “fuel tank” becomes accessible making the energy hungry brain happy.

Followed properly, a ketogenic diet offers a many health advantages beyond cognitive benefits, entire books have been written on this. So safe and healthy? I say yes.

Thanks you ,TheresaB. Very well-written and addresses so many important questions around ketosis. I appreciate especially your explanation of difference between the Atkins diet and the sorts of ketogenic diets many on this website are following.

jolicoeur wrote:Hi Jan18
yes, it's understandable to be overwhelm at first and I can reassure you that overtime, you'll feel more confortable with your nutrition plan. If I may ? Try to look at how you feel after eating some foods. Like Dr. Deanna Minich is saying: being in tune with your body, increase your level of awareness.
Reading again the primer is a good idea. And your discussion with your FM doctor will help you have a nice discussion.

Thank you for the support, Jolicouer (Is that "happy heart"?) I found out one thing: Grains bloat me. I've cut them out. I've read in multiple sources that sourdough bread made from starter doesn't affect the body like commercialized breads.

Jan18

CarrieS wrote:Hi Jan18,
You crossed my mind today so I thought that I'd check in to see how your week has been. This forum is a great resource for both information and to ask questions. The quote below was posted in "musings on APOe4". I really like what it says. Carrie

"Ski wrote:
I'm going to steal and modify a quote relevant to our situation, but that really hit home with me………be diligent, prudent and a fighter but remember that life is so short regardless and don’t give up enjoying the present, for fear of the future, with the result that we do not live in the present or the future and then we die having never really lived."

Hi CarrieS,
Wow, it is so thoughtful of you to check in with me and makes me feel cared about! Thank you so much. I haven't been on the forum a lot lately -- busy reading Bredesen's book and trying not to mix it up with Gundry's book, The Blue Zones and The Grain Brain. It's a lot to keep straight, even though much of all of the books are similar.

Jan18

TheresaB wrote:

Jan18 wrote:I've been trying to institute a ketogenic diet, but keep reading conflicting information -- it's healthy vs it's not healthy, it's safe vs it's dangerous, it's extremely hard to follow. My head is swimming.

Thank you so much for that amazing explanation of ketogenic diets, the criticisms, and reminder that Bredesen's protocol is for "mild ketosis." I have actually copied and pasted it to friends in trying to explain the diet part of the protocol and why it isn't Atkins.

Your response and everyone else's who have been so kind to respond to me makes me feel a part of a very special network of people, all trying to do the most that is known for our condition or possible condition (given our genetics and family history.) This is an incredible place.

Jan18
P.S. How do I actually delete a post? The one I made above this I tried to delete, but cannot figure it out.

Jan18 wrote:

jolicoeur wrote:Hi Jan18
yes, it's understandable to be overwhelm at first and I can reassure you that overtime, you'll feel more confortable with your nutrition plan. If I may ? Try to look at how you feel after eating some foods. Like Dr. Deanna Minich is saying: being in tune with your body, increase your level of awareness.
Reading again the primer is a good idea. And your discussion with your FM doctor will help you have a nice discussion.

Thank you for the support, Jolicouer (Is that "happy heart"?) I found out one thing: Grains bloat me. I've cut them out. I've read in multiple sources that sourdough bread made from starter doesn't affect the body like commercialized breads.

Jan18

To answer your question: yes it means 'beautiful heart ' or 'nice heart'!!!! And it's my last name! [emoji16]


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