Discovering the Link Between Menopause and Alzheimer’s with Dr. Lisa Mosconi

15 Dec 2025 · 36 min
Episode

15 Dec 2025 · 36 min

0:00

This is a podcast interview (JJ Virgin interviewing Dr. Lisa Mosconi) about differences in women’s brains, how menopause affects brain function, and the possible connection between menopause and increased Alzheimer's risk. Key claims: women’s brains are more highly interconnected and age differently than men’s; menopause-related estrogen loss produces neurological symptoms (hot flashes, insomnia, brain fog) and can act as a trigger for Alzheimer’s in some women. Risk factors discussed include genetic risk (APOE and other gene variants), medical/metabolic risks (heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, midlife depression), lifestyle/environmental risks (smoking, stress, diet, poor sleep, lack of exercise/social stimulation, environmental toxins). Practical dietary recommendations emphasized three nutrient classes for women’s brains—antioxidants, polyunsaturated (omega‑3) fats, and phytoestrogens—with concrete examples: berries (3+ servings/week associated with younger brain age), wild salmon/fish (omega‑3s; fish 1–2x/week associated with later menopause), flax/sesame seeds, legumes (chickpeas, lentils), and caution against processed foods and trans fats (linked to higher heart disease and dementia risk). The episode also references Dr. Mosconi’s books: Brain Food and the then‑upcoming XX Brain (March 2020).

Questions this episode answers

May 6, 2020

Director of the Women's Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medical Center; associate professor (neuroscience, neurology, radiology); associate director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic.

Brain Food and XX Brain (noted as coming out March 2020).

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