“If you’re experiencing cognitive decline and it’s not that bad yet, but it’s enough that you notice it, don’t put it off. Don’t deny it. Don’t postpone it. Don’t hesitate. Find out what you need to do and do it.”

– Frank McNear, 13 years post-diagnosis

 

Listen to my interview with Frank on the Rebuilding My Health Radio podcast.

When Frank McNear was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease at 62, in some ways it came as a relief.

“It confirmed what I had suspected for a really long time,” he says. “And I think it was a little bit reassuring to my wife to know that there was a reason for all the things going wrong in my life.”

Frank had led a full and fulfilling life in the Caribbean, running a successful painting business, sailing, and staying socially active. Then, worsening cognitive slips led his business into debt and discouraged him from going out due to the fear that he wouldn’t recognize people he knew.

By chance, he happened to overhear a conversation about a study where nine out of 10 participants had reversed their dementia. Intrigued, he looked into it and embraced the same steps they took—and ultimately eliminated his symptoms within a year.

An Alarming Rise in Early-Onset Dementia

Frank is one of the 3.9 million people affected globally with early onset dementia, which refers to those diagnosed before the age of 65. According to the 2017 BCBS Health Index, the number of commercially insured U.S. adults diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 64 increased by 200% from 2013 to 2017.

While research is still unlocking the causes, it’s believed that genetics play a part, with lifestyle as a major influencer as well.

For those facing dementia, there’s been little reason to hope. In the past decade, more than 200 investigational programs for Alzheimer’s disease treatment have failed or been abandoned. And while some newer drugs seem to delay cognitive decline, none have been shown to reverse the disease.

A Lifestyle Protocol for Cognitive Decline

Frank initially tried Alzheimer’s medication, which helped him regain some cognitive clarity, but after a few months, his symptoms progressed again.

When he heard about the promising study, led by the California neurologist, Dale Bredesen, M.D., he immediately reviewed the case studies and began trying many of the common lifestyle changes and supplements across their stories.

Dr. Bredesen, author of The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline, identified 36 potential causes that may contribute to cognitive decline and devised and tested an approach based on those. Called precision medicine, the approach combines a range of lifestyle interventions along with testing to find a person’s specific triggers and enable more targeted lifestyle and supplement support.

A second study led by Dr. Bredesen in 2022 involved 25 patients—with 84% of the subjects showing clinically significant improvement in cognitive symptoms.

The lead author of the study, Kat Toups, M.D., a functional medicine psychiatrist and dementia expert, has been the principal investigator on more than 20 long-term clinical trials for patients with dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). She notes that in the previous trials she conducted, the benchmark for success was merely a slowing in cognitive decline.

“This trial is the first to show actual improvement in multiple domains of functioning, as well as improvements in MRI brain scans in patients with MCI and early Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Toups says.

Another recent clinical trial led by Dean Ornish, M.D., also showed promising results. The randomized controlled clinical trial used lifestyle interventions to show cognitive improvement in people with MCI or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Out of two dozen people in that study, 10 saw their cognition improve.

Five lifestyle steps that reversed early-onset dementia

Following the Bredesen protocol, Frank adopted several key lifestyle and supplement changes identified as influential by the studies.

Dietary changes

The protocol recommends an anti-inflammatory diet that eliminates gluten, refined carbs, processed food, and sugar, emphasizing lean protein, healthy fat, organic vegetables, and low-glycemic fruits like berries. Per the protocol, Frank also fasted for a minimum of 12 hours between dinner and breakfast and avoided eating at least three hours before bed.

After briefly slipping back to his old way of eating, Frank quickly noticed his brain wasn’t as sharp—motivating him to stick with the regimen.

“Do I want to have a doughnut or do I want to have my brain? Usually, it’s a pretty easy decision to make,” he says.

Increasing exercise

Study participants exercised for 30-60 minutes per day, most days of the week with a combination of aerobic, strength, and balance exercises. Frank also bumped up his exercise significantly, often walking 10,000 steps or more per day.

Managing stress

Chronic, unresolved, or severe stress is considered a significant factor that can contribute to cognitive decline. Frank had always meditated but had underestimated the role of stress in his health. He focused on avoiding stress and began calming activities like Tai Chi.

Optimizing sleep

Study participants were encouraged to get at least eight hours of sleep per night. For help, Frank took melatonin before bed.

New insights on melatonin indicate it may have a therapeutic effect on Alzheimer’s.

Brain-boosting supplementation

Frank began taking some of the common supplements used in the Bredesen-led studies, including fish oil, methyl cobalamin, vitamin D3, and CoQ10.

For the bio-individual part of the protocol, lab testing indicated that Frank needed to address specific deficiencies, including methylated B12.

Symptom-free within a year

With dedication to diet and lifestyle changes, Frank’s symptoms improved steadily. Remarkably, he was symptom-free within a year—and has remained so for more than a decade. That compares to a median survival rate of six years for those with dementia.

Now, Frank is relishing many of the activities he had to give up due to cognitive decline, such as reading, enjoying time with his new grandchild, and writing. Since his recovery, he has written several fiction books and documented his dementia story in the book, Defeating Dementia: My Story of Recovery from Alzheimer’s.

Frank remains grateful that he happened to learn about a promising approach to reversing dementia and hopes that sharing his story helps others.

“If you’re experiencing cognitive decline and it’s not that bad yet, but it’s enough that you notice it, don’t put it off,” Frank urges. “Don’t deny it. Don’t postpone it. Don’t hesitate. Find out what you need to do and do it.”

The Steps That Helped

  • Dietary changes— Frank followed an anti-inflammatory diet that eliminated gluten, refined carbs, processed food, and sugar while focusing on lean protein, healthy fats, organic vegetables, and low-glycemic fruits. He fasted for 12 hours between dinner and breakfast and avoided eating three hours before bed. After briefly slipping back to old habits, he noticed reduced mental sharpness, motivating him to stick to the regimen.
  • Increasing exercise— Frank exercised daily, combining aerobic, strength, and balance activities, and often walked 10,000 steps or more.
  • Managing stress— Recognizing the impact of stress on his health, Frank prioritized calming activities like Tai Chi and avoided unnecessary stress.
  • Optimizing sleep— Frank aimed for eight hours of sleep per night and took melatonin as needed.
  • Brain-boosting supplementation— Frank supplemented with fish oil, methyl cobalamin, vitamin D3, and CoQ10. Lab testing also revealed a need for methylated B12.