Brain Fog, Memory Loss, and Alzheimer's Prevention | Dr. Majid Fotuhi

Dave Asprey

Jun 11, 2026

Episode description

How to Reverse Cognitive Decline, Grow Your Hippocampus, and Protect Your Brain from Alzheimer's Disease with Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, and Stress Reduction

Your brain is physically shrinking right now, and most people have no idea it's happening. In this episode, you will discover the exact mechanisms behind cognitive decline, why brain fog is always treatable, and the proven strategies to grow your brain back, protect your memory, and slash your Alzheimer's risk regardless of your genetics.

-Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR

Host Dave Asprey sits down with Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a neuroscientist and neurologist who earned his PhD from Johns Hopkins University and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He currently serves as an adjunct professor at the Mind/Brain Institute at Johns Hopkins while also teaching at George Washington University and Harvard Medical School. With 37 years of experience in clinical practice, teaching, and neuroscience research, Dr. Fotuhi pioneered the Brain Fitness Program, a multidisciplinary approach to cognitive performance and brain vitality at any age that has produced measurable results documented in peer-reviewed journals. He is the author of three books including the bestselling The Invincible Brain and one of the world's leading experts on neuroplasticity, hippocampus growth, and successful aging. If anyone has earned the right to tell you your brain can get better, it is him.

Dr. Fotuhi and Dave break down why Alzheimer's is not a single disease but a soup of modifiable problems, why your lab results can show "normal" while your brain is starving, and how the five pillars of brain health connect directly to longevity, mitochondria function, and human performance. They also get into the brain effects of GLP-1s, the therapeutic promise of psychedelics like psilocybin and ketamine, the role of nootropics and supplements like B12, lithium orotate, and CoQ10, and why your VO2 max may be the single most important number for brain aging. .

You'll Learn:

Why 97% of Alzheimer's cases involve multiple modifiable causes and what to do about each one
How to physically grow your hippocampus through exercise, meditation, and nutrition
Why "normal" lab ranges are actively harming millions of people and what optimal actually looks like
The 7 everyday things that are shrinking your brain right now
How stress, loneliness, and isolation cause measurable brain atrophy
Which supplements including B12, lithium orotate, CoQ10, and nootropics support long-term brain health
Why VO2 max predicts brain aging better than almost any other marker
What psychedelics like psilocybin and ketamine actually do to your bra

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Supplement with lithium orotate to protect brain health

Lithium, such as in the supplement form lithium orotate, is a protective nutrient for the brain, and deficiencies are associated with Alzheimer's disease.

#Alzheimer's

#supplement

Treat brain fog through comprehensive evaluation for improvement

Brain fog is considered totally treatable, and with a head-to-toe evaluation to find the root causes, 98% of patients can find improvement.

#cognition

#recovery

Combat loneliness to protect brain health

Loneliness is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's, and people with an isolated lifestyle are known to have a smaller hippocampus, meaning the brain literally shrinks.

#Alzheimer's

#loneliness

Negate APOE4 gene effects with regular exercise

Even if you have the APOE4 gene which increases Alzheimer's risk, regular exercise can negate its effects, giving you the same low levels of Alzheimer's markers as someone without the gene.

#APOE4

#exercise

Aim for optimal B12 levels for brain health

For optimal brain health, Vitamin B12 levels should be around 500, not just barely above the 'normal' low-end cutoff of 200 where symptoms can still exist.

#cognition

#vitamin-B

Address multiple factors to enhance brain function in Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is not caused by a single thing but is a 'soup of problems' like inflammation and reduced blood flow, meaning there are many ways to improve your brain function.

#Alzheimer's

#cognition

Prioritize VO2 max for optimal longevity and organ function

VO2 max is considered the best single marker not only for longevity but for the function of your brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.

#longevity

#VO2-max

Grow your brain through exercise, meditation, and learning

Your brain is more like a garden than a computer; its size is not fixed and can literally grow larger through activities like exercise, meditation, and learning new things.

#brain

#neuroplasticity

Increase red meat intake to eliminate APOE4 Alzheimer's risk

A recent study showed that for people with the APOE4 gene, eating substantially more red meat (not processed meat) completely eliminated the associated Alzheimer's risk.