Brain Nutrition Expert | The Foods That Protect Memory, Focus, and Longevity

Welcome to the Kwik Brain Podcast. I'm your host and your brain coach, Jim Kwik. I'm excited to share a powerful keynote from Limitless Live. This is our recent annual live event where some of the world's top thinkers take the stage to help your brain to upgrade, to elevate your health, and unlock your full limitless potential. Today's speaker is my friend Max Lugavere. Now, you might know Max. He's a health and science journalist. He's the bestselling author of Genius Foods and Genius Life. He's a leading voice in the conversation around early dementia prevention and cognitive performance. If you want to protect your memory, you want to sharpen your focus and extend your brain's healthspan, this conversation is essential. So, here we go. Enjoy. Thank you.

Thank you, brother. Enjoy, my man.

Thank you. What's up, everybody? How you doing? This is awesome. What's going on, guys? Thank you for being here, so special. My name is Max Lugavere, and as was referenced, yes, I have a very adorable cat who I love very much named Delilah. Shout out to Delilah. Cat owners, cat people in the audience? All right, what up, my people, my people. Okay, so let's see if we can get this thing working. There you go. So my name is Max Lugavere. How do I go back? I'm a health and science journalist. I am not a formally trained academic, I'm not a medical doctor, I'm an autodidact, and I'm going to get into my why, why it is that I know what I know, I'm about to present to you what I'm about to present to you. But here's a little bit of a taste in terms of my body of work. So I've published 3 books on the topic of nutrition as it intersects with long-term brain health and neuroprotection, the Genius Trilogy, as I've called it. I host a podcast called The Genius Life, and I also— actually, most notably, one of the projects that I'm most proud of is I got to co-author a chapter in a clinician's textbook, peer-reviewed, published by Springer in 2019, on the clinical practice of dementia prevention. I get to lecture internationally about nutrition, I get to appear on some of the biggest platforms in the world, making nutrition science translatable and actionable and achievable for audiences, and I most recently got to speak at the Senate last year, which was super dope. I also produced and co-directed a documentary which came out last year called Little Empty Boxes. It's the world's first-ever dementia prevention documentary. It's on Apple TV and Amazon Prime, and it's about my why. It documents my why. My why is my mom, who at a very young age was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia called Lewy body dementia, which is akin to having both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease at the same time. My mom was the most important person in my life, and what she experienced drove me. It fomented an obsession in me to understand all that I could about the ways in which we're living and how that might predispose many of us to developing these kinds of incurable neurodegenerative conditions: Alzheimer's disease, other forms of dementia, Parkinson's disease. And When I first began this journey, mentioning dementia and prevention in the same sentence was considered fringe. You'd get fresh produce thrown at you, you'd be called a quack or a charlatan. But now we know, according to the best available evidence, finally, that this is being acknowledged among mainstream medicine, that we have what are called modifiable risk factors, keyword being modifiable, meaning that we can modify them, we have agency. And so the latest evidence And estimate published in The Lancet in 2014 is that we have about 14 of these so-called modifiable risk factors that are attributed— that can be used to explain about 45% of Alzheimer's cases. So put another way, about 45% of Alzheimer's cases are preventable if we can only modify these, again, these modifiable risk factors, right? And I actually think that's That's a very conservative estimate, because what that estimate doesn't include is the chronic use of certain kinds of over-the-counter drugs, like anticholinergic drugs, like allergy medications and the like. But we'll take what we can get, and so what I'm going to talk to you today about is the role of diet specifically to modify the diet-responsive modifiable risk factors. Does that make sense?

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, great. So in early life, we have less education. That's the primary modifiable risk factor when it comes to early life. Here's where things start to get really exciting, though. In midlife, we have 10 modifiable risk factors. So we have hearing loss, high LDL cholesterol, depression, traumatic brain injury, physical inactivity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, obesity, and excessive alcohol. Now, notably, as I've alluded to, many of these are diet responsive. And eating a neuroprotective dietary pattern, a dietary pattern that I've sort of coined called the Genius Dietary Pattern attacks multiple of these risk factors at once. In late life, we have social isolation, air pollution, and visual loss, and I'm going to talk about the role of diet in preserving vision as well. So when it comes to diet, you look around the aisles of your modern supermarket, and what do you notice? The vast majority of products in your average supermarket today are what food scientists are referring to as ultra-processed foods. Has anybody heard the term ultra-processed foods?

Yeah.

Yeah, so it's a fairly common term, but to be totally honest, when I wrote my first book, which came out in 2018, the manuscript of which I penned in 2016, that term hadn't even yet gained widespread acceptance. But now we have a clear picture elucidating how these kinds of food-like products are affecting our health in many ways, not just our brain health, but we're now starting to understand that these types of food-like products are really at the foundation of the epidemic of modern noncommunicable chronic disease. And lo and behold, the proportion that these kinds of foods make up in the modern supermarket are reflected in the dietary patterns of adults today. No surprise, right? So this is actually a fantastic photo project taken by a photojournalist called Around the World in 80 Diets, and this is a British family, and this is their weekly shopping haul. You have to take a magnifying glass, right, to find the perishable fresh food. You see a couple of fruits, bananas, apples, and whatnot. In the UK, about 50% of the calories that adults consume come from ultra-processed foods, shelf-stable, packaged, processed, essentially vending machine foods. In the United States, we're doing even worse. So in the, in the US, 60% of the products, of the calories that we ingest come from ultra-processed foods and what are sometimes referred to as mixed dishes, like pizzas, burritos, chicken nuggets and things like that. Now we have an overwhelming amount of data showing that these kinds of foods really are the problem. So, you know, back when I first got started in this space, the argument was primarily low-carb versus low-fat, carnivore versus vegan, right? Now we're starting to see that really none of those questions fully account for the prevalence, the increasing prevalence of these kinds of conditions. It really comes down to the degree of processing in our food, ultra-processed foods, which are not all bad, by the way. At this level, we have a very low-resolution understanding, but nonetheless, we see, according to the best available data, this is an updated review and meta-analysis showing us that in almost every conceivable negative health outcome you can think of, ultra-processed foods increase your risk. Here in this study, linked to over 30 damaging health outcomes. There was not one single positive health outcome that was associated with the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Within that meta-analysis, we saw increased risk for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, all the obvious contenders, right? But also surprisingly, Alzheimer's disease, depression, anxiety, conditions related to the brain. Lo and behold, this study found for every 10% increase in ultra-processed foods consumed in one's diet, every 10% increase in ultra-processed foods consumed, We see an additional 25% increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. You can see right there the hazard ratio, hazard ratio for every 10% increase in ultra-processed foods, 1.25. So it's 125% increased risk. This study didn't exist when I wrote my first book, even though my first book clearly describes and elucidates the mechanisms we had yet to even have this associative data. So what is the antidote? Well, the antidote is, in my view, prioritizing dietary protein. Now this hits— this checks many boxes at once. It hits many targets at the same time. Ultra-processed foods tend to be low in protein, although we're seeing now an increase in protein enrichment of ultra-processed foods, which I actually think is a positive thing. The prioritization of protein in one's diet is important because protein is the most satiating macronutrient. It's the most satiating. We all eat to experience a degree of fullness, right? We don't like to leave the dinner table hungry. That's not a pleasurable sensation, right? Protein is the most satiating macronutrient. It fills you up better than carbohydrates, it fills you up— Better than fats. better than fats. And we get a bit of a caloric free ride when we consume protein. About 30% of the calories that we ingest via protein are burned off in the digestion and assimilation of protein alone. That's almost 6 times of a higher thermic effect than you get from carbohydrates and fat. So you get a bit of a caloric free ride. And then finally, and perhaps most notably, protein is the dietary macronutrient that most directly protects your skeletal muscle, which helps you to fight off frailty and maintain mobility and strength and vigor as you get older. And your muscles are important for many reasons, but they also serve as the primary glucose disposal sink in the body. So when you do eat dietary carbohydrates, which are not bad in any sense, But those carbs need a place to go. Your muscles are essentially like having extra closet space, right? So you don't want to be like a New York City apartment, right, with no closet space. You want to have a big walk-in closet, and by protecting the musculature on your body by prioritizing dietary protein, that goes a really long way. So here we see a review that was published fairly recently showing that both in the short term and in the long term, that prioritizing dietary protein is one of the best ways to not only lose body fat, but to prevent the regain of body fat. It's also crucially important now for so many people who are on these GLP-1 drugs, which are, I think, an amazing boon to public health, right? But you don't want to lose indiscriminate weight, you want to lose primarily fat. And by prioritizing protein in your diet, it's really important, crucially important as a means to accomplish that. New data is coming out showing us that animal-sourced protein, which is the highest quality protein available, with the exception of maybe soy, is actually really healthful and is not associated with the kinds of cardiovascular disease outcomes that are often assumed to be associated with the consumption of red meat. Here we see that the consumption of animal protein might actually be mildly protective when it comes to cancer mortality. This is a study that found that the consumption of animal protein when compared with plant protein led to a reduced atrophy rate in the hippocampus. So the hippocampus is your brain's memory processing structure. It's a highly vulnerable structure in the brain. It's one of the structures most— it's one of the structures that is most— that is earliest affected by— in the cascade that ultimately leads to Alzheimer's disease. Again, it's where we process our memories. And what this study found was that a higher intake of animal protein relative to plant protein protein was linked to a lower atrophy rate in the hippocampus, with seafood being a— playing a particularly protective role in this associational study. Here's another study that found that when substituting 5% of energy from protein, replacing 5% of energy from carbohydrates with protein, we saw a significantly, statistically significant reduction in the risk of cognitive decline in US men and women. So where does the rubber meet the road when it comes to Alzheimer's risk, right? This was a huge study, about 500,000 people in the UK Biobank, which found that every 50-gram-per-day increment in unprocessed red meat intake was associated with reduced risk of all-cause dementia by about 20%, which you can see there with the hazard ratio. So I've rattled off a bunch of observational studies. Correlation doesn't equal causation. This is crucially important when interpreting scientific literature. So it's important to ask yourself, what are the potential mechanisms here that might play a role in a causal effect that meat has and animal-sourced protein has on protecting the brain? Well, red meat is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. We're learning a lot now about the role of creatine in brain health. There was even very recently a pilot study published where they used high-dose creatine in a population with Alzheimer's disease, And they found that across every cognitive domain measured, there was an improvement, and it was totally safe, there were no adverse effects. It wasn't a— it was a pilot study, there was no placebo group, and the population was very small, but nonetheless, this is a very cheap and widely available supplement, and red meat and fish are some of the most concentrated sources of dietary creatine, which is naturally found in the food supply, which is super important. It's also one of the top sources of vitamin B12, zinc, calcium, selenium, other nutrients that are crucially important to brain health. And importantly, what this study found was that when eating red meat in the context of a diet that was of overall very high quality, that the consumption of red meat didn't even necessarily cause subjects to overconsume saturated fat. which is often the argument made against the consumption of red meat. So the American Heart Association's recommendation for Americans is that we consume no more than 10% of our calories from saturated fat. What this study found was that the inclusion of red meat was not at odds with that recommendation when overall diet quality was high, which makes sense when you consider that the vast majority of saturated fat consumed by Americans today come from confectionery products, pizzas, burritos, and things like that. So I'm a huge fan of red meat. for many reasons, their nutrient density being a major one. So creatine, I mentioned creatine. Has anybody heard of creatine at this point? Okay, great. Usually, you know, when I'm talking to an audience of bros, every hand goes up, but, you know, I'm very impressed that among the wider population of non-gym rats, creatine, you know, word about creatine is spreading. So what this study found was that the consumption of creatine from diet specifically was associated with better cognition in older adults. Where does creatine come from? It comes exclusively— there is no creatine in plant foods. It comes exclusively from animal source foods. So this observational study found that higher levels of creatine in the diet is associated with better cognition. As I mentioned, creatine was also recently utilized in a pilot study, which is again super exciting as somebody who, you know, with a loved one in the family that had dementia, very exciting stuff.

I'm always looking for ways to keep my brain and my body performing their best, and the older I get— I'm in my 50s— the more I care about my cells, because your cells are where your energy, your strength, and your focus actually comes from. If your cells are slowing down, everything slows down with them. So recently I started taking Timeline's MitoPure Longevity Gummies. They're yummy, and I've noticed a big difference. These are the first gummies designed to support your cellular energy, so you feel stronger, clearer, and more vibrant throughout the day. For me, the biggest shift was energy. I could actually feel not the quick No spike and crash, just steady, sustained energy that helped me focus longer and even recover better after my workouts. And because they're gummies, they're very easy. I look forward to taking them every morning. MitoPure is backed by gold standard clinical research, and it targets a key area of healthy aging, mitochondrial decline. Think of it like charging your internal batteries every day so you can stay active and mentally sharp no matter your age. If you've been feeling a little sluggish, tired, or you're not recovering the way you once used to, I really encourage you to try these. And right now, Timeline is giving our listeners 35% off your 1-month subscription of MitoPure gummies. So it's a real no-brainer. Just go to timeline.com/kwik35.

That's timeline.com/kwik35.

While this offer lasts. Your cells will thank you. Now back to the episode.

Other animal-sourced foods that I think are really worth incorporating are eggs. Eggs are one of the top sources of a nutrient called phosphatidylcholine. This study found that even among people who were genetically at risk for the diagnosis of dementia, carriers of the APOE4 allele, which make up about 1 in 4 of us in this room, so literally I could take one section of this room, and you all carry the Alzheimer's risk gene, found that regardless, that risk was modified with the consumption of phosphatidylcholine regularly, which comes from eggs. Eggs are one of nature's multivitamins, it's like a cognitive neurovitamin specifically, and I'm a huge fan. In fact, this study found that— went viral on social media about a year ago when it came out— found that regular consumption of eggs All it took was about 1 to 2 eggs a week was associated with about a 50% risk reduction for Alzheimer's disease, which is, you know, that's an incredible finding, observational or not. I mean, there's no drug at CVS right now that's going to— that has the capacity of slashing your risk by 50% for Alzheimer's disease. Very exciting stuff. Animal-sourced foods like wild salmon, also one of the best ways of getting preformed omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA fat, DHA is one of the most important structural building blocks for the brain. This study found, again an observational study, but it actually went so far as to look at the amount of DHA carried by participants' red blood cells, and it found that those in the highest tier of DHA concentration in red blood cell, RBC DHA, was associated with a 50% risk reduction for Alzheimer's disease. So fatty fish like salmon, sardines, herring, wild mackerel, all fantastic sources. So I'm blowing through a lot here because I only have 25 minutes, but I want to give you guys, like, a really impactful lay of the land in terms of my— the dietary recommendations that you can take home and start implementing today. I'm also a huge fan of dark leafy greens. Dark leafy greens are, I think, one of the most nutrient-dense foods available in the supermarket. Whatever your dark leafy green of choice is, it doesn't have to be kale, it can be arugula, it can be romaine. Dark leafy greens are incredible for many reasons, one being, well, first of all, their calorie contribution to the diet is extremely low, but they're also very nutrient-dense. And one of the top nutrients that are found most abundantly in dark leafy greens are carotenoids, like lutein and zeaxanthin. Now, I mentioned earlier that in late life, vision loss is a newly identified risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Dark leafy greens directly support eye health because they are the most abundant source of lutein and zeaxanthin. If you go to any pharmacy and you pick up an over-the-counter eye health supplement, chances are it has some quantity of lutein and zeaxanthin in them. And that's because we've known for decades that lutein and zeaxanthin help to protect, help to fight off age-related macular degeneration. Now we know, on top of that, that lutein and zeaxanthin also accumulate in the brain, where they help to produce better cognitive function. So dark leafy greens directly protect your vision, but they also directly protect your brain. This is a study, or 3 studies, One of which is a large population observational study that found that across multiple cognitive domains, the levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in the blood was associated with better cognitive function. That's an observation. On the lower portion of the screen, you see an actual randomized human control trial, so the type of trial that's required to prove cause and effect, that found that even among young and healthy college students, actually, supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin led to an improvement in visual processing speed, which is your ability to take in a visual stimulus and then respond to it, right? So really important for driving, for playing video games, what have you. We also saw a similar effect on the study up there, another randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. This is a study that was published out of Rush University by the late, great Martha Clare Morris, who passed away a couple of years ago, unfortunately, But she is the originator of the MIND diet, which some of you may have heard of. It's a dietary pattern that is specifically calibrated to basically help to reduce risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia. She was an epidemiologist. I think— I don't think that it's a perfect dietary pattern. I've actually attempted to improve on it with my work. But nonetheless, what she found in this study was that people who eat a bowl of dark leafy greens every day have brains that perform up to 11 years younger. So you can age regress your brain potentially by 11 years, at least in terms of its performance, by just eating a big salad every day. A bowl and a third, a serving and a third of dark leafy greens, kale, arugula, romaine, again, all fantastic sources, fantastic choices. Another mechanism by which I think dark leafy greens are fantastic and directly support brain health is by helping to reduce risk of hypertension, which, as I mentioned, is one of those midlife modifiable risk factors. Now, hypertension directly damages the blood— the vessels that supply blood nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Dark leafy greens are one of the top sources of compounds called nitrates. So I'm sure many of you have heard of the impact of beetroot juice on the nitric oxide pathway, right? Well, when you chew dark leafy greens in your mouth, you have bacteria in your mouth that convert the inorganic nitrate in those vegetables to nitrite, which directly increases blood flow and has a vasodilation effect all throughout your body. And what that does is it helps to normalize blood pressure. It helps to support healthy blood pressure. It has a cardioprotective effect, these dark leafy greens. Now, one of the problems, one of the caveats that I'll make is that a non-trivial proportion of the US population regularly swishes with antiseptic mouthwash. That is no bueno, because as I mentioned, you've got bacteria in your mouth that are instrumental in that conversion process. So by frequently, every day, twice a day, which was how frequent was described in this study, found that regularly swishing with antiseptic mouthwash actually increased risk for hypertension in this observational study. It wasn't a perfect study, it was, you know, the cohort was pretty unhealthy from the get-go, but nonetheless, the mechanism is there. We know that oral bacteria play an important role in this sort of conversion process. When it comes to healthy fats, the brain is made of fat, so the kinds of fats that you're eating are directly relevant to brain health. You want to consume lots of fat-soluble antioxidants. Extra virgin olive oil should be the primary fat source used in the kitchen. You can cook with it, it's a myth that you can't cook with it. This study found that consuming at least 7 grams a day of extra virgin olive oil was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related death. 7 grams of extra virgin olive oil, that's a teaspoon. of extra virgin olive oil. Now, part of the reason, I think, part of the— some of the mechanisms that might explain that correlational finding, we now have robust evidence. This is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, so again, the kinds of trials, right, to prove cause and effect, showing that extra virgin olive oil is powerfully anti-inflammatory, so it reduces inflammation, and it also improves endothelial function. What does that mean? Having healthy blood pressure directly relies on the health of the endothelium, which is the inner lining of your blood vessels. It's a one-cell-layer-thick lining of your blood vessels that needs to be responsive to the environment, the demands of your life, right, of your environment. Extra virgin olive oil directly supports that. Avocados are another food that I'm a huge fan of. This study found that avocado consumers had better cognition across all cognitive tests, and included in the food frequency questionnaire was guacamole. So when they ask you at Chipotle if you want guacamole, it costs extra, what do we say?

Yes.

Boom. Okay, so I've only got 24 seconds left, but I do want to talk a little bit about Parkinson's disease. There's a growing body of evidence now linking Parkinson's disease to exposure to environmental pollutants, environmental toxicants. My mother, as I mentioned, actually had a condition called Lewy body dementia, which has more in common, in fact, with Parkinson's disease than it does Alzheimer's disease. And we have a lot of evidence now that we didn't have back when my mom was first diagnosed. But the connection between Parkinson's disease and the environment is too strong to ignore at this point. So you want to make sure that you're drinking clean water. Clean water is very important. It's hard to get clean water today, I understand, but I have a— one of my brothers lives, you know, next to a golf course, and for just a couple hundred dollars, he installed a reverse osmosis purifier in his house, and I think that was a great investment. Reverse osmosis purification, or even a charcoal filter, it's better than nothing. You want to make sure that you are not drinking well water, which can be the recipient of environmental pollutants. that are sprayed on, you know, grasslands in close proximity. So you just wanna make sure that you're drinking primarily clean water. You wanna eat clean food. Organic is not a panacea today, unfortunately. It's not, you know, it is not the end-all be-all, and you've got plenty of foods in the supermarket that are labeled as organic, but aren't necessarily healthy. But my recommendation is, if it's something that you're eating on a regular basis, You know, for example, berries where you're eating the skin, the peel, or the leaf, it's something generally that you want to prioritize organic. When I'm traveling, do I make a big deal about looking for organic? Absolutely not. Our bodies do have some capacity of detoxification, but if it's something that you're eating regularly, I think it's worth it to take the extra step. We have the— we have clear evidence that occupational exposure to herbicides, certain herbicides and pesticides, are strongly linked to conditions like Parkinson's disease. We don't yet know about the impact of long-term low-level exposure through our diets, how that affects long-term brain health, but the gut-brain axis now is something that there's a connection that we can't ignore, and so, you know, for, again, for foods that we're eating on a very regular basis, especially like wheat and oats and things like that, where in this country glyphosate is used as a desiccant to dry out crops pre-harvest, I think it's worth, you know, reaching for organic in those, you know, circumstances. And then finally, clean air. I grew up in New York City, you know, the city was very polluted for the majority of my upbringing. The nose is the front door to the brain. What we inhale through our noses, through the paranasal sinus, has direct entry access to the brain. Compounds inhaled through the nose bypass the blood-brain barrier. And as I mentioned, in midlife, exposure to air pollution is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. We're now starting to see that what it is that we breathe might also predispose us to Parkinson's disease as well. So we want to make sure that we avoid excessively polluted areas. I think having an air purifier is a very smart choice. There was even a randomized control trial published recently that found just having an air purifier in the house, in the bedroom, led to a small but significant reduction in in blood pressure, which is incredible. You know, very easy set-it-and-forget-it way to improve health. And so we just wanna be mindful of the air quality that we're breathing, which is now being connected to brain health in a way that wasn't back when I first got started in this. So that's generally an overarching synthesis of— Thank you. Thank you, guys. Of my research, of my recommendations. I hope it was helpful. I have a podcast again, check it out, and I'm gonna be signing books after this out there, so I would love to meet you guys. Thank you. Max Lugavere, everybody.

Well done, man.

There you have it. The choices you make daily are either compounding in your favor or against you. Share in the comments, what was your biggest takeaway from Max's talk? I want you to save this episode and share it with one person you care about, because brain health is something we should all be talking about much more. Don't forget to subscribe, uh, for more brain performance and health strategies. If this talk somewhat sparked something in you, if you'd like to hear directly from speakers like Max and learn from some of the world's top voices in cognitive health and performance, be sure to join us in our next upcoming Limitless Live event in 2026. You can get all the details at limitlesslive.com. This is an immersive experience. This is like, that's not a conference. This is an experience where, where we provide with you the tools to unlock your full power of your mind. So while the event is limitless, seating is limited. So you wanna make sure you secure your ticket and your spot today. I'd love to see you there. Until next time, as always, this is your brain coach, Jim Kwik. Be limitless.

Be limitless.