If you’re a high performer who feels mentally “slower” than you used to… an older adult thinking proactively about prevention… or someone with a family history of dementia who wants a plan grounded in evidence—brain health can become a priority overnight.
And here’s the encouraging truth: the brain doesn’t operate in isolation.
Your brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in the body. It’s influenced by sleep quality, metabolic health, inflammation and immune signaling, sensory input (hearing and vision), stress physiology, and more. When those systems get out of balance, it often shows up as symptoms people recognize immediately—brain fog, reduced focus, mood changes, low motivation, slowed processing speed, or memory lapses.
Functional Medicine is designed for this kind of complexity. Not because it offers a miracle cure—but because it uses a systems-based, root-cause lens to understand what may be influencing brain function today and brain resilience over time.
Important note: This article is educational and not medical advice. We are not claiming that Functional Medicine can cure Alzheimer’s disease. Instead, we’re focusing on what the science supports: risk reduction, earlier clarity, and whole-body factors that can meaningfully influence brain health.
For many years, cognitive decline was discussed as mostly genetic or inevitable. Today, the scientific conversation is more nuanced—and more hopeful.
A major 2024 report from the Lancet Standing Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care estimates that around 45% of dementia cases could potentially be prevented or delayed at the population level by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors across the lifespan. The Lancet+2The Lancet+2
That does not mean any one person has a guaranteed outcome if they “do everything right.” Dementia is complex. But it strongly supports a powerful idea:
There are real, measurable factors that shape brain outcomes—and many sit outside the brain itself. The Lancet+1
Because cognitive risk factors often cluster, researchers have increasingly studied multi-domain approaches rather than searching for a single “magic lever.”
One of the best-known examples is the FINGER trial, a large randomized controlled study that tested a 2-year multidomain intervention (including nutrition guidance, exercise, cognitive training, and monitoring of risk factors) in older adults at increased risk. The study found the multidomain intervention could improve or maintain cognitive functioning compared with controls. The Lancet+1
This doesn’t mean every program works for every person—or that cognitive decline can always be prevented. What it does mean is that the research direction is clear:
A systems approach to brain health is scientifically plausible and increasingly evidence-supported. The Lancet+1
Functional Medicine is sometimes misunderstood as being mainly about supplements or trendy diets. At True Longevity, we view it differently:
It’s a clinical framework for connecting symptoms to systems—then using personalized evaluation, measurement, and follow-up to guide care.
Below are key whole-body domains that can influence cognition and long-term brain resilience.
Sleep is not just rest—it’s a biological state that supports memory consolidation, emotional regulation, metabolic stability, and brain “cleanup.”
Updated research continues to link sleep problems with increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis summarized the evolving evidence on sleep disturbances and risk of cognitive decline/dementia (with findings that vary by sleep issue and study design). Springer+1
Sleep-disordered breathing is also important. A recent meta-analysis reported associations between obstructive sleep apnea and increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive outcomes, highlighting sleep as a meaningful clinical domain in brain health. PubMed
One mechanism researchers continue to explore is the glymphatic system—a brain-wide clearance pathway that appears to be most active during sleep and may play a role in waste removal. PMC
Functional Medicine relevance: When brain symptoms are present—or prevention is a priority—sleep isn’t treated as “optional.” It’s evaluated as a foundational system that can influence multiple downstream pathways (energy, inflammation, mood, cognition). Springer+1
Hearing and vision do more than help us navigate the world—they affect cognitive load, communication, and social engagement. That’s one reason hearing loss and vision loss appear among modifiable risk factors in the 2024 Lancet framework. The Lancet+1
The ACHIEVE trial investigated whether a hearing intervention could reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss. Results have been reported with important nuance: overall outcomes differed by subgroup risk profile, suggesting hearing intervention may be more impactful for certain higher-risk groups than for lower-risk populations. PubMed+1
Functional Medicine relevance: A whole-body brain plan doesn’t ignore hearing and vision. When appropriate, coordinating evaluation and referrals can be a meaningful part of supporting cognitive function and long-term resilience. The Lancet+1
The brain is energy-intensive. When metabolic health is strained, many people experience it as mental fatigue, reduced focus, irritability, or “brain fog.”
The Lancet Commission’s modifiable risk factors include metabolic and cardiovascular-adjacent drivers like diabetes, obesity, and high LDL cholesterol. The Lancet+1
Functional Medicine relevance: We often ask: are there measurable patterns affecting brain energy and stability? The goal isn’t to chase trendy hacks—it’s to clarify what your physiology is doing and whether it may be contributing to how you feel and function.
Inflammation is a normal part of healing and defense. The problem is persistent, dysregulated immune activation, which can influence the brain through immune signaling, oxidative stress, and interactions with sleep and metabolism.
The Lancet framework includes risk factors such as depression and air pollution—both of which intersect with immune and inflammatory pathways—reinforcing that brain health is influenced by both internal biology and external environment. The Lancet+2The Lancet+2
Functional Medicine relevance: Rather than assuming symptoms are “just aging” or “just stress,” a systems approach evaluates whether immune activation is being driven by identifiable contributors that can be addressed clinically and monitored over time.
The gut and brain communicate through neural pathways, immune signaling, and microbial metabolites. Interest in the microbiome has grown because researchers increasingly suspect it may influence neuroinflammation, metabolism, and brain function.
Recent scientific reviews describe expanding evidence linking gut microbiome patterns to neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s-related pathways—while also emphasizing that this field is still developing and not a settled clinical playbook. Frontiers+1
Functional Medicine relevance: The gut–brain axis can be a valuable lens—especially when symptoms involve inflammation, mood, or brain fog—but it should be approached with scientific humility and individualized decision-making. Frontiers+1
Brain performance isn’t only biochemical—it’s also shaped by how regulated and supported we feel.
That’s one reason the Lancet Commission includes depression and social isolation/infrequent social contact among modifiable factors associated with dementia risk. The Lancet+1
Functional Medicine relevance: A whole-person approach evaluates mood and stress physiology as biologically meaningful inputs into sleep quality, inflammation, and cognition—not as a way of dismissing symptoms, but as a way of understanding them more accurately.
One of the most exciting shifts in brain health is improved access to earlier diagnostic clarity—especially when symptoms are present.
In May 2025, the U.S. FDA cleared the first blood test intended to help clinicians detect amyloid pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease in symptomatic adults (with important cautions: it is not a standalone diagnostic test and is not intended for general screening). U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
And the field is moving quickly: in October 2025, the FDA cleared another blood-based test (Elecsys pTau181) intended to aid in assessment of Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of cognitive decline in adults 55+ with symptoms/complaints—expanding how clinicians can approach earlier evaluation. FDA Access Data+2Alzheimer’s Association+2
Why this matters (without hype): Better tools don’t equal a cure. But they can support smarter decisions—helping patients and clinicians choose appropriate next steps, referrals, and care planning with more confidence. U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
Every patient’s story is different. But the overall process is consistent with a systems approach:
A comprehensive history: symptoms, timeline, sleep, stress load, mood, medications/supplements, family history, concussion/head injury history, and lifestyle context
Focused evaluation: identifying which systems are most relevant (sleep/circadian biology, metabolic patterns, inflammation/immune drivers, gut–brain considerations, nutrient status, hormonal terrain, sensory inputs)
Personalization: building a plan that fits your biology and your life—rather than a generic checklist
Monitoring over time: tracking progress using clinically meaningful markers and symptom-based outcomes
A whole-body approach to brain health can be relevant for:
Adults (40–60) experiencing brain fog or reduced mental stamina who want answers beyond “stress” or “aging”
Older adults focused on longevity and prevention who want to protect independence and cognitive healthspan
Anyone with a family history of dementia who wants a proactive, measured plan grounded in credible science
Brain health is whole-body health. The most exciting shift in the science is that many influences on cognition and long-term brain resilience are measurable—and, in some cases, modifiable.
At True Longevity, our Functional Medicine approach to brain health is built around clarity, personalization, and credibility—helping you understand what may be driving symptoms today while supporting long-term resilience, without unrealistic promises.
Ready to take a whole-body approach to brain health?
If you’re experiencing brain fog, you’re focused on prevention, or you have a family history that keeps you up at night, we’re here to help you build a measured, evidence-informed plan.
