Why Dementia is rising so fast… and why it’s showing up younger than ever

Over the last few years I’ve had the same conversation with so many people.

“Why is everyone losing their memory?”
“Why are people in their forties and fifties getting dementia?”
“What on earth has happened to our brains?”

These aren’t silly questions. They’re the right questions.
The answer isn’t simple or convenient, but it is understandable once you follow the timeline.

This didn’t happen overnight.
The groundwork was quietly laid more than thirty years ago.

So let’s go back to where it really started.

The late 80s and early 90s: The storm begins

This was the decade when everything changed.
Not in a dramatic Hollywood way, but in a slow, steady, drip that reshaped our health without anyone noticing.

Cholesterol became the villain

This was the era when the medical world decided that cholesterol was the enemy. Doctors were encouraged to test everyone. Statins were introduced and quickly became the default prescription for “prevention”.

The problem is that cholesterol isn’t the villain at all. It’s the building block of hormones, memory, nerves, the brain and the immune system. Without enough cholesterol, your brain cannot repair itself properly.

Even though the research today says statins don’t single-handedly cause dementia, we do know they can affect some people’s memory, mood and clarity.
For many, especially those already stressed and depleted, lowering cholesterol too far removes a key part of the brain’s self-repair kit.

Statins weren’t the only cause, in theory!
They were one more stress stacked onto an already fragile system.

Fat was suddenly “dangerous”

We were told to avoid fat and especially animal fat.
Butter swapped for margarine, lard thrown out, red meat demonised. Low-fat everything filled the supermarket.

The trouble is that the brain is made of fat.
Take the fat away and you take the stability away.

At the same time, vegetable oils exploded onto the shelves. Oils that become unstable when heated, oxidise in the blood and create chronic inflammation. Imagine pouring varnish into a delicate electrical circuit. That is what happened inside people’s arteries and brains.

This one shift alone was like pulling the nutritional rug out from under an entire generation.

Processed foods took over

Breakfast bars, low-fat yoghurts, “healthy” cereals, convenience meals and snacks seemed like a modern miracle. They were anything but. High in sugar, additives, preservatives and seed oils, they put the brain and the gut into a constant state of stress.

Stress, busyness and sleep loss became the new normal

By the early 2000s most people had no real recovery time.
Work, kids, money worries, constant stimulation and screens replaced rest.

High cortisol levels shrink the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain involved in memory and learning.

When stress is chronic, the nervous system never gets to exhale and the brain never gets to clean itself properly. This is why the glymphatic system (the brain’s detox system) is such a big deal.

Metabolic health collapsed

Since the early 90s:
• obesity has more than doubled
• diabetes has tripled
• fatty liver is now the norm
• insulin resistance affects most adults whether they know it or not

Alzheimer’s is often nicknamed “Type 3 Diabetes” for a reason.
A metabolically stressed brain cannot function properly, no matter how many crossword puzzles you do.

Combine all of this with low fat diets, poor sleep, seed oils and chronic stress and you have a brain that is ageing faster than ever before.

So, why are people getting dementia younger?

Because the damage is starting earlier.

When the nervous system is stressed
The liver is overloaded
The gut is inflamed
The blood sugars swing
Plus, the diet lacks the nutrients to repair the brain
You end up with cognitive decline ten, twenty or even thirty years before it should appear.

People always say “But dementia is just because we’re living longer.”

Not any more.
People in their forties, fifties and early sixties are now being diagnosed.
There is something much bigger happening.

The last few years added a final layer

We cannot talk honestly about brain health without acknowledging what happened recently.

Since 2021, more people have reported:
• brain fog
• memory issues
• neurological changes
• night sweats
• inflammation
• chronic fatigue
• emotional volatility

For many, this appeared after the COVID years.
Whether from the virus itself, the vaccine, the stress, the isolation or the sheer burnout of that period, the neurological load increased dramatically.

If your brain was already juggling low fat diets, seed oils, statins, chronic stress and poor metabolic health, this extra layer pushed it closer to the edge.

Again, not the cause on its own, but part of the picture.

What this really means for you and your family

The dementia explosion is not random.
It’s not bad luck.
And it’s not just ageing.

It’s the result of decades of:
• poor dietary advice
• food replacements that harmed instead of helped
• chronic stress on the nervous system
• rising metabolic dysfunction
• environmental toxins
• sleep loss
• immune overwhelm
• and a medical model that treats symptoms instead of foundations

It sounds bleak, but actually it’s hopeful.
Because when you understand the true causes, you can change your path.

The brain can heal.
The body can repair.
Metabolic health can be restored.
Inflammation can come down.
Clarity, memory and emotional balance can return.

I see it every day in my community.

When you support the liver
When you reduce inflammation
When you return to nutrient-dense foods
When the nervous system finds safety
When the body isn’t fighting fires all day

The mind becomes clearer
Your energy comes back
Your whole system starts to feel like itself again.

A better future starts with better foundations

We cannot control what happened in the 90s or the last five years.
But we can choose what we do now.

Eat real food
Support the gut
Balance the minerals
Lower inflammation
Move the body
Rest the nervous system
Stop fearing fat
Honour sleep
Remove chemicals where possible
Strengthen resilience

Most importantly, trust that your body still knows how to heal, when we stop getting in its way.

Your health is your power, it is never too late to turn the tide.

❤️If you’re not sure where to start… begin with ease

One of the simplest ways to support your nervous system, calm inflammation and steady your metabolism is the Drop Weight Drops. They help bring the body back into balance, ease cravings, reduce stress signals and create the stability your brain and gut need to heal. Many people tell me they notice clearer thinking, a calmer mind and better energy within days.

If you feel your system has been overloaded for years, this is a gentle and powerful place to begin.