The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

Afleveringen

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  Why Removing Amyloid From the Brain Isn't Enough to Stop Alzheimer's with Dr. Jonathan Fellows | E220 23.07.2026 53min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱 Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free). 3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations. ====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com. ====What if the gene you've been told to fear isn't actually a verdict on your future, and the disease you're racing to treat has already been silently progressing for two to three decades before anyone notices? In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Fellows joins me to challenge how we think about Alzheimer's risk, diagnosis, and treatment, making the case that early detection and lifestyle intervention matter more than the medications most people pin their hope on.Dr. Jonathan Fellows is a neurologist with more than 25 years of clinical experience and serves as the Director of the Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorder Center at the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders, part of Corewell Health in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the largest private practice neurology group in the state. 00:00 - Introduction00:39 - Brain Defenders: A New Way to Think About Brain Health02:59 - Welcoming Dr. Jonathan Fellows03:51 - Why Neurology School Doesn't Teach Prevention05:27 - Inside the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders07:44 - Starting the Conversation When a Family Gets the Alzheimer's Diagnosis08:00 - Apraxia and the Real Warning Signs of Cognitive Decline09:00 - Why Amyloid Alone Doesn't Equal an Alzheimer's Diagnosis09:55 - The Centiloid Score: Measuring Amyloid in the Brain11:21 - Blood-Based Biomarkers and the Rise of P-tau 21713:19 - Elevated P-tau 217 at 40: A Wake-Up Call You Can't Ignore13:32 - Habits in Your 30s and 40s vs. Disease in Your 60s and 70s16:53 - 40 Hz Light Therapy and Cognitive Decline18:53 - Why Not Every Amyloid-Positive Patient Should Get Anti-Amyloid Drugs21:00 - Alzheimer's Drug Therapy Today vs. Where MS Treatment Stood in the 90s23:59 - Why Early and Presymptomatic Detection Matters25:21 - Will Anti-Amyloid Drugs Be Pushed to Presymptomatic Patients?25:39 - What We Know for a Fact About Lifestyle and Disease Progression26:27 - A Real Patient Case: When to Say No to Anti-Amyloid Drugs28:30 - APOE Explained: The Gene That Changes Your Alzheimer's Risk31:49 - 3X4 Genetics: Your DNA Isn't a Verdict33:47 - How Exercise Can Offset APOE4 Risk34:10 - APOE4 Is Not Deterministic — and Saying Otherwise Is Malpractice34:51 - Down Syndrome, Presenilin, and the Truly Deterministic Cases35:42 - ARIA Risk and Why Europe Restricts Anti-Amyloid Drugs for APOE4 Carriers38:00 - Where Anti-Amyloid Drugs Still Fit in Treatment39:14 - Current Clinical Trials at the Michigan Institute39:49 - Programmable Microglia: The Brain's Immune System Explained41:01 - Good Twin, Bad Twin: How Microglia Switch From Protector to Threat42:09 - Beta-Amyloid as an Antimicrobial Defender? Rethinking the Enemy Narrative42:49 - Insulin Resistance and the Brain-Metabolism Connection43:41 - The Diabetes Epidemic Hiding in Plain Sight43:58 - The Rainbow Lunchbox: A Preschooler Who Got It Wrong and Right44:49 - Why a Third of Americans Are Pre-Diabetic and Don't Know It46:30 - Closing Thoughts ___________________________Instagram: / davidperlmutter Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/ Subscribe to our channel: / @davidperlmuttermd
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  87% of Parkinson's Cases Have No Genetic Cause: It's in Our Environment with Dr. Ray Dorsey | E219 08.07.2026 1u 6min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY -  https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====What if Parkinson's isn't the genetic lottery we've been told it is, but a largely man-made disease driven by what we breathe, eat, and walk through every day? In this episode, Dr. Ray Dorsey returns to the podcast for his third conversation, this time to make the case that Parkinson's, ALS, Alzheimer's, and the rising tide of brain diseases sweeping the modern world are not inevitable inheritances but environmental consequences we have the power to change. Dr. Ray Dorsey is the Director of the Center for the Brain and the Environment at the Atria Health and Research Institute, where the mission is to identify the root causes of brain diseases from autism to Alzheimer's so they can be prevented. He is the co-author of Ending Parkinson's Disease and author of the new New York Times bestseller The Parkinson's Plan, which lays out a new path to preventing and treating one of the world's fastest growing diseases. 00:00 - Introduction: The Smoking Gun of Modern Brain Disease00:42 - A New Way to Think About Brain Health: Brain Defenders03:03 - Why Parkinson's Is Pretty Much Preventable03:21 - Welcoming Dr. Ray Dorsey04:36 - The Big Thesis: Parkinson's Is a Man-Made Disease05:24 - What Defines a Man-Made Disease05:59 - From 6 Cases in 1817 to 11.8 Million Today06:53 - The Lung Cancer Parallel07:22 - The PD GENEration Study: 87% Have No Genetic Cause08:35 - Why Rising Cases Prove It's Environmental09:55 - TCE and Perc: The Dry Cleaning Chemicals Linked to Parkinson's11:08 - Glyphosate, Paraquat, and Mitochondrial Damage15:13 - Practical Steps to Lower Your Exposure16:58 - Sponsor: 40 Hz Light Therapy with EVY Light18:58 - The South Dakota Cluster: Living Next to Cornfields20:25 - Paraquat: Banned in 70 Countries, Still Used in the US22:54 - Chlorpyrifos and the IQ Drop in Children25:38 - The Audacity: Why 1 in 31 Kids Have Autism26:10 - Pesticides in Breast Milk and Across the Placenta30:00 - Misfolded Proteins and Loss of Smell as Early Warning32:25 - Air Pollution: The Hidden Driver of Neurodegeneration33:46 - The $50 Billion Economic Burden of Brain Disease35:00 - Dr. Langston's MPTP Discovery: The First Environmental Cause37:00 - Microglia, Mitochondria, and the Inflammation Cascade40:30 - The Diabetes-Parkinson's Connection42:00 - The Parkinson's 25: Practical Steps in the Book47:30 - Carl's Story: Parkinson's at Age 17 from a Golf Course50:00 - Why Golf Courses Could Spray Less51:30 - Secondhand Exposure: You Don't Have to Apply It53:00 - Soccer Players, ALS, and Heading the Ball55:50 - Michael J. Fox, CTE, and the Multiple-Hit Hypothesis57:30 - Resources: Environmental Working Group and Non-Toxic Neighborhoods1:00:30 - The Mission of Neurology: Asking Why1:01:30 - The Rising Tide of Brain Disease1:03:30 - The Lancet Report on Modifiable Risk Factors1:04:43 - Closing Thoughts ___________________________Instagram:   / davidperlmutter  Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:   / @davidperlmuttermd  
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  The AI That Caught What Every Doctor Missed — Genome-Powered Medicine Is Here with Dr. Don Brown | E218 23.06.2026 55min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY -  https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====What if the future of medicine isn't a smarter doctor, but a thinking partner that can hold your entire biology in mind at once? In this episode, Dr. Don Brown joins me to make the case that AI in medicine isn't a replacement for the clinician. It's an ally capable of seeing patterns no human brain could hold together on its own.Dr. Don Brown is a physician, computer scientist, and serial entrepreneur whose last software company sold for $1.4 billion in 2016. He returned to graduate school in his mid-50s to study biotechnology at Johns Hopkins, founded Lifeomic in 2017, and now leads Bioscope, a platform that uses AI to integrate a patient's entire biological picture into one dynamic view of health.We dig into why fragmented medicine fails at prevention, how Bioscope ingests the whole genome, microbiome, epigenome, and medical records into a single synoptic view, the real case where AI flagged arsenic toxicity in a patient misdiagnosed with restless leg syndrome, and what it looks like when AI personas begin guiding patients through their own protocols in real time.00:00 - Introduction 00:53 - A New Way to Think About Brain Health: Brain Defenders 03:18 - Welcoming Dr. Don Brown 06:46 - From Physics to MD to Software Entrepreneur 09:01 - Back to Grad School at Johns Hopkins 10:35 - The Lifeomic Years: Cancer Care in the Cloud 12:34 - The Spark Behind Bioscope 15:27 - Building the Ultra-Secure Health Data Repository 16:26 - 40 Hz Light Therapy and Cognitive Decline 18:26 - The Epigenome: Why Your Genes Aren't Your Destiny 19:32 - Decoding the Microbiome and Mitochondrial Genetics 22:25 - What AI Actually Does With Your Health Data 23:39 - The Synoptic View: Borrowing From Aviation26:36 - The 15 Dimensions of Health 29:23 - Why the Patient History Still Matters 30:23 - Inside the Bioscope Interface 31:38 - A Real Case: AI Catches Arsenic Toxicity 33:13 - Personalized Brain Health: 3X4 Genetics 35:10 - The Driverless Car Moment for Medicine 37:07 - Marketing to Concierge Physicians 40:33 - How Patient Data Gets Into the System 42:30 - Image Analysis and Specialized AI Partners 45:33 - The Biggest Misconception Patients Have About AI 47:14 - Meet Lumina: The Physician's AI Persona 48:00 - Cairo and the Future of AI Health Coaching 50:13 - Different AI Personas for Patients and Physicians 51:39 - Why Concierge Doctors Are Mobbing the Booth 55:00 - Closing Thoughts ___________________________Instagram:   / davidperlmutter  Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:   / @davidperlmuttermd  
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  Why Your Brain Feels Broken: The Metabolic Truth Behind Burnout and Depression with Dr. Robin Berzin | E217 09.06.2026 1u

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - Go to https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free). 3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====What if your anxiety, brain fog, and burnout aren't mental health problems, but metabolic ones?In this episode, Dr. Robin Berzin joins Dr. David Perlmutter to make the case that the brain and body are not separate systems, and that treating them as if they are is costing millions of people their health.====00:00 - Introduction00:46 - Brain Defenders: A New Framework for Brain Health03:00 - Welcoming Dr. Robin Berzin05:23 - Why Smart, Motivated People Still Feel Terrible08:37 - From Columbia Med to Founding Parsley Health12:15 - The Problem With 15-Minute Appointments and Stacks of Prescriptions14:37 - What Is Functional Medicine, Actually?17:07 - Precision Medicine: Treating the N of One19:45 - How AI Is Changing the Doctor's Ability to Connect the Dots22:41 - State Change: Shifting Your Mind Through Your Body25:35 - Why Anxiety and Depression Start in the Body27:09 - 40 Hz Light Therapy and Cognitive Decline29:43 - Exercise, Sugar, and Nutrient Deficiencies as Mental Health Levers32:30 - SSRIs as a Tow Truck, Not a Destination34:16 - Psychedelics and Trauma: Tools in the Toolkit36:01 - Metabolic Flexibility and Why Losing It Wrecks Your Hormones38:04 - Sleep, Wearables, and the One Night That Breaks Your Metabolism40:37 - Continuous Glucose Monitors as a Mirror for Your Choices42:19 - 3X4 Genetics: Your DNA Is a Roadmap, Not a Verdict44:37 - Alzheimer's as Type 3 Diabetes: The Metabolic Brain Connection46:21 - The Lab Work Your Doctor Isn't Ordering49:22 - Fasting Insulin, Heavy Metals, and the Tests That Actually Matter51:14 - What's Next: AI, Wearables, and the Future of Functional Medicine53:56 - If You Feel Stuck: Own Your Biological Data55:34 - Closing Thoughts====Dr. Robin Berzin, MD is a functional medicine physician and health tech entrepreneur leading the push to bring root-cause, precision medicine into mainstream healthcare. She earned her MD at Columbia, completed internal medicine residency at Mount Sinai, and trained in functional medicine under the field's top practitioners. Before medicine, she produced the Oprah and Friends Dr. Oz Radio Show, and she later worked in health tech during med school, sharpening her understanding of how digital platforms could expand access to personalized care.Today, she is founder and CEO of Parsley Health, the only national functional and longevity medicine clinic in the U.S., delivering virtual care across all 50 states plus physical clinics in NYC and LA. Under her leadership, Parsley has grown to nearly 30 clinicians and 40 health coaches and nurses, treated over 50,000 patients, and built a team-based, insurance-accessible model that puts functional medicine within reach beyond the wealthy. She also sits on the medical advisory board of Whoop.She is the author of State Change, which challenges the divide between mental and metabolic health and offers a practical framework for transforming mood, energy, and cognition through the body. Her work is widely featured across major health and wellness media, and she is recognized as a defining voice in the future of preventive, personalized medicine.====Instagram: / davidperlmutterWebsite: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:/ @davidperlmuttermd
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  The Laws of Thought: What AI Reveals About the Human Brain with Tom Griffiths, PhD | E216 02.06.2026 57min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱====Thank you to our sponsors:EVY -  Go to https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter  to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free). 3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====What if AI isn't on a path to become a better human — but a fundamentally different kind of mind altogether? In this episode, Tom Griffiths joins me to challenge how we think about intelligence itself — and to make a compelling case that AI systems are best understood not as smarter or dumber than humans, but as "alien organisms" solving problems in ways our brains never could.Tom Griffiths is a cognitive scientist, the Henry R. Luce Professor of Psychology and Computer Science at Princeton University, and head of Princeton's AI Lab. He is the co-author of the international bestseller Algorithms to Live By and author of the new book The Laws of Thought — an ambitious survey of three centuries of attempts to capture human thinking in mathematics.We dig into the three mathematical frameworks scientists use to model thought, why a human toddler can learn language from a fraction of the data a large language model requires, what "resource rationality" reveals about mental health and decision-making, and what we stand to lose — and gain — as we increasingly outsource our thinking to machines.====00:00 - Introduction00:46 - A New Way to Think About Brain Health: Brain Defenders05:27 - Welcoming Cognitive Scientist Tom Griffiths06:04 - The Great Mystery: Can Math Explain How We Think?08:23 - Three Threads of Cognitive Science: Rules, Networks, Probability10:17 - Why AI Needs 10,000x More Data Than a Child12:27 - Intuition Decoded: How Neural Networks Mirror Implicit Learning15:03 - The Creativity Gap: Why AI Can't Think Outside the Box18:06 - 40 Hz Light Therapy and Cognitive Decline20:07 - Inductive Bias: The Evolutionary Head Start of the Human Brain22:41 - Mental Health Through Three Levels of Analysis25:25 - Resource Rationality: Why Humans Aren't Actually Irrational29:33 - Free Will Through the Lens of the Laws of Thought31:35 - Rethinking Education With Cognitive Science34:33 - Evolutionary Mismatch: The Mind Meets Modern Technology37:23 - AI as Alien Intelligence: A New Mental Model38:04 - Personalized Brain Health: 3X4 Genetics39:55 - Uncertainty: The Hidden Engine of Human Cognition43:34 - Bayesian Inference: The Math of "Best Guessing"44:37 - The Biggest Misconceptions About Intelligence47:14 - Algorithms to Live By: Optimizing Daily Decisions49:22 - Five Years From Now: The AI Forecast51:33 - The Calculator Effect: What Happens When We Outsource Thinking53:56 - Metacognition: Becoming the Manager of AI55:34 - Closing Thoughts====Instagram:   / davidperlmutter  Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:   / @davidperlmuttermd 
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  Is Psychiatry Looking in the Wrong Place? A Radical Rethink of Brain Health with Dr. Daniel Amen | E215 12.05.2026 51min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====Why is psychiatry the only medical specialty that doesn't look at the organ it treats? In this episode, Dr. Daniel Amen joins me to challenge how mental health is diagnosed and treated — and to make a compelling case that "depression" is as vague a diagnosis as "chest pain."Dr. Amen is a double-board-certified psychiatrist, 18-time New York Times bestselling author, and founder of Amen Clinics, where his team has performed nearly 300,000 SPECT brain scans — the largest functional brain imaging database in the world.We dig into what these scans actually reveal: hidden traumatic brain injuries patients never reported, the inflammatory aftermath of COVID, why SSRIs work for some and fail for others, and why the brain you have today is not the brain you're stuck with.====00:00 - Introduction01:42 - Psychiatry's Missing Link: The Organ of Treatment03:22 - The Divergence of Neurology and Psychiatry05:18 - Beyond Symptoms: Patterns of Brain Health08:34 - Machine Learning and Autism Insights10:45 - The Role of the Cerebellum in Thought Coordination12:46 - The Impact of Undiagnosed Traumatic Brain Injury14:58 - Reversing Damage: NFL Brain Study Results16:26 - What SPECT Imaging Reveals About Metabolic Activity17:38 - COVID-19 and Infectious Causes of Psychiatric Issues22:11 - Neuroplasticity: Growing a Healthier Brain at Any Age25:54 - New Technologies: 40 Hz Light and Sound Stimulation28:27 - Metabolic Health: How Weight Affects Brain Volume30:25 - Chronic Stress and the Overactive Limbic Brain31:38 - Predicting Suicide Risk Through Imaging33:41 - Volunteering and the Default Mode Network35:01 - Concerns Over Psilocybin and Marijuana Scans40:12 - Chronic Pain: Breaking the "Doom Loop"43:12 - Lightning Round: Daily Habits for a Better Brain====Daniel G. Amen, MD is a double board-certified psychiatrist, clinical neuroscientist, and brain imaging specialist whose pioneering clinical use of SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography) has built the world's largest functional brain imaging database, with nearly 300,000 scans on patients from 155 countries. A graduate of Southern California College (now Vanguard University), Dr. Amen earned his medical degree from Oral Roberts University School of Medicine. His training includes a general psychiatric residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. Currently, Dr. Amen serves as founder and CEO of Amen Clinics, with eleven locations across the United States, and is the founder of BrainMD and Amen University. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a multiple-time New York Times bestselling author whose books have been translated into 50 languages, and the lead researcher on the world's largest brain imaging and rehabilitation study on professional football players. His work has been published in Molecular Psychiatry, Translational Psychiatry, PLOS One, and the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences.___________________________Instagram: / davidperlmutter Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel: / @davidperlmuttermd
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  Rewiring Connection: How Friendship Shapes the Brain and Heals the Mind with Barnet Bain | E214 28.04.2026 1u 6min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====Loneliness is no longer a private struggle, it’s a public-health issue that we’ve discussed quite a bit in my recent books. Research increasingly links social isolation to cognitive decline, depression, cardiovascular disease, and shortened lifespan. Yet despite these findings, we rarely explore how to build and sustain meaningful connection in a modern world designed for distraction.That’s why I invited Barnet Bain to join me on The Empowering Neurologist podcast.Barnet is a filmmaker, author, and educator whose work bridges psychology, spirituality, and lived human experience. You may recognize his work from films such as What Dreams May Come or Milton’s Secret, but his newest contribution may be his most relevant yet.His book, How to Be a Friend (In an Unfriendly World), is not about social performance or personality traits. It’s about safety, presence, listening, and emotional responsibility, qualities that directly influence nervous-system regulation and mental health.What makes this work especially important is that it reframes friendship as a skill set rather than a personality trait. Bain shows how fear, shame, unresolved trauma, and cultural conditioning quietly erode our relationships, and how conscious awareness can restore them.From a neurological perspective, this matters deeply. The brain is a social organ. Connection shapes stress responses, inflammation, cognition, and emotional regulation. Friendship isn’t a luxury, it’s foundational.This conversation isn’t about having more friends. It’s about being a better one. To others. And to yourself. In a world that feels increasingly fast, cold, and fragmented, this is a conversation worth having.====00:00 Intro02:58 Why Friendship Matters for Health and Resilience06:24 From Columbia to the Practice of Presence10:41 Friendship as Non-Transactional Love14:20 The Childhood Stories That Shape the Self21:39 Ad: Optoceutics23:39 Projection, Parenting, and Conditional Love30:08 Friendship as a Crucible for Self-Awareness35:42 Why Connection Feels Harder in Modern Life39:03 Safety, Self-Knowledge, and the Ground of Friendship41:34 Ad: 3X4 Genetics44:34 Boundaries, Values, and the Meaning of Honor49:16 Friendship, Self-Forgiveness, and Inner Change56:25 Presence as the Greatest Gift58:34 Why Feeling Is Harder Than Doing====Barnet Bain is a Canadian filmmaker, author, and educator. His film credits include “Milton’s Secret” (director, writer), Oscar winner “What Dreams May Come” (producer), Emmy Award nominee for Outstanding TV Movie “Homeless to Harvard” (executive producer), “The Celestine Prophecy” (writer, producer), and “Jesus,” translated into more than 2,245 languages and often cited as the most widely seen film in history by The New York Times.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong (And It’s Affecting Your Brain) with Dr. Trischa Pasricha | E213 14.04.2026 1u 6min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====On this episode of The Empowering Neurologist, I spend time with Dr. Trisha Pasricha, gastroenterologist and author of the provocative and important new book, You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong. Yes, the title makes you smile, but the science inside should make all of us pay attention.Dr. Pasricha is part of a new generation of neurogastroenterologists exploring one of the most fascinating frontiers in medicine: the deep, bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut. Raised as the daughter of renowned gastroenterologist Dr. Pankaj “Jay” Pasricha and trained at Johns Hopkins, she brings both personal insight and rigorous science to a topic that too often lives in the shadows.What makes this book so important is that it dismantles myths we’ve carried since childhood. For example, at one point in the book she describes how students taking an oral exam nearly doubled their intestinal permeability, simply from psychological stress. That single experiment powerfully illustrates how the brain can alter gut biology in real time.And in another unforgettable section, she shares her early research showing that when subjects lied, their stomach’s electrical rhythm shifted into chaos, an arrhythmic pattern detectable on electrogastrogram. The stomach as a lie detector! That’s not just fascinating, it underscores how emotionally and neurologically integrated our digestive system truly is.====00:00 Intro03:05 Why We Need to Talk About Pooping07:17 The Stigma Around Bowel Symptoms09:31 Why Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Is Rising12:11 Should Screening Start Earlier?14:59 Colonoscopy vs. Stool and Blood Tests18:34 Ad: Optoceutics20:35 Why Colonoscopy Still Matters Most31:00 What “Leaky Gut” Really Means34:42 What Worsens Intestinal Permeability36:10 Ad: 3X4 Genetics38:09 Gut Permeability, Inflammation, and Brain Disease48:45 Could Fecal Transplants Help Parkinson’s?56:52 The Different Causes of Constipation1:02:23 The Myth of One Bowel Movement a Day1:05:42 Final Takeaways on Gut and Brain Health=====Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH is an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the “Ask A Doctor” columnist for The Washington Post where she translates complex medical topics into must-read insights—with a touch of humor—for millions each week. A graduate of Harvard College, Dr. Pasricha earned her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her training includes an internal medicine residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and gastroenterology and motility fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital. Currently, Dr. Pasricha serves as director of the Institute for Gut-Brain Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, leading an NIH-funded research laboratory at the forefront of gut-brain science. Her work has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA Network Open, and Nature Reviews.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Psychedelic Therapy and Trauma A New Frontier in Mental Health with Dr. Will Van Derveer | E212 31.03.2026 1u 6min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).3x4 Genetics - https://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====00:00 Intro01:06 The Promise of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy05:16 Why Psychedelics Faced Decades of Pushback09:40 Psychedelic Therapy Requires Guidance11:27 The Failure of the “Pill Fixes Everything” Model15:31 Risks of Unregulated Psychedelic Retreats24:20 Psychedelics Within Integrative Medicine25:30 Ad: Optoceutics27:31 What “Integration” Really Means30:08 Why Psychiatry Still Resists Psychedelics38:52 Why Lifestyle Still Matters After Therapy41:45 Psychedelics and Addiction Treatment50:50 Microdosing vs Full Therapeutic Doses53:52 Ad: 3X4 Genetics57:28 The Rise of Ketamine Clinics1:00:54 Ibogaine: Risks, Duration, and Safety1:04:50 Final Thoughts on Psychedelic Responsibility====Will Van Derveer, MD is a psychiatrist and author of Psychedelic Therapy: Restore Your Mental Health and Reclaim Your Life which will be published by ShambhalaPublications in the Spring of 2026. He is co-founder of Integrative Psychiatry Institute, which has provided comprehensive training for 2500 mental health professionals in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy several thousand professionals in other continuing education programs. He is medical director of Integrative Psychiatry Center of Boulder, CO, providingintegrative psychiatry for a broad range of conditions and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. In addition to his clinical practice and teaching, he has staffed clinical trials sponsoredby MAPS, investigating MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. Dr. Van Derveer is co-host of the Higher Practice Podcast, where he explores what it takes to achieve optimal mental health.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Carbs For Exercise? Let’s Challenge This Idea with Dr. Andrew Koutnik | E211 17.03.2026 1u 24min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).Fresh Pressed Olive Oil - https://www.getfresh389.com For a complimentary bottle of one of the greatest olive oils I've ever discovered.3x4 Genetics - http://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====00:00 Intro04:49 Andrew Koutnik’s Story Obesity Type 1 Diabetes and Metabolism09:44 Ketogenic Diets and Type 1 Diabetes20:15 Sponsor Break - Optoceutics21:28 Why This Goes Far Beyond Type 1 Diabetes26:59 Why Low Carb Diabetes Care Was Abandoned31:49 Ketosis vs Diabetic Ketoacidosis35:10 Sponsor Break - Fresh Pressed Olive Oil37:04 How to Measure Ketone Levels39:13 Are Breath Ketone Tests Reliable40:15 What Beta Hydroxybutyrate Actually Does42:39 Exogenous Ketones and High Altitude Performance45:49 Sponsor Break - 3X4 Genetics48:33 MCT Oil and Ketone Production52:52 The Carb Loading Myth in Sports Performance1:00:06 Metabolic Flexibility and Keto Adaptation1:03:17 Rethinking Hypoglycemia in Keto Adapted Athletes1:07:19 How Carbohydrates Shut Down Fat Burning1:09:58 Body Fat vs Glycogen as Fuel1:14:34 What This Means for Endurance Athletes1:16:17 Fat Metabolism as a Survival Mechanism1:18:09 The New USDA Dietary Guidelines1:20:46 Ultra Processed Food and Alzheimer’s Risk1:22:40 Final Thoughts on Metabolic Flexibility====Dr. Andrew Koutnik is a research scientist focused on how nutrition, metabolism, and lifestyle can optimize human health, performance, and resilience. Living with type 1 diabetes for over 17 years, his work bridges personal experience with cutting-edge science across chronic disease and extreme environments.He earned his PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of South Florida and has led research funded by organizations including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the NIH, contributing to over 100 scientific publications and presentations. His work spans exercise physiology, cardiometabolic health, and therapeutic nutrition.At Florida State University, Dr. Koutnik studies dietary strategies for diabetes, obesity, and performance under metabolic stress, collaborating with leading institutions worldwide. His mission is to advance evidence-based approaches that empower individuals to improve metabolic health and performance.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Why Exercise May Be More Powerful Than Any Alzheimer’s Drug with Dr. Majid Fotuhi | E210 03.03.2026 58min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).Fresh Pressed Olive Oil - https://www.getfresh389.com For a complimentary bottle of one of the greatest olive oils I've ever discovered.3x4 Genetics - http://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====If you’ve followed my work for any length of time, you know that one of the central themes we return to on The Empowering Neurologist is this: your brain is far more adaptable, resilient, and improvable than conventional wisdom ever allowed us to believe.This week, I’m thrilled to share a conversation with someone who has spent more than three decades proving exactly that. Dr. Majid Fotuhi, neurologist, neuroscientist, Harvard- and Johns Hopkins-trained physician, and now author of the new book The Invincible Brain, has dedicated his career to helping people reclaim their cognitive potential. His message aligns powerfully with the philosophy behind my upcoming book, Brain Defenders: that the trajectory of your brain is not predetermined, and that meaningful change is possible at any age.In our interview, we explore the groundbreaking ideas that shaped The Invincible Brain. Dr. Fotuhi lays out why intelligence is not fixed, how memory can be strengthened through surprisingly simple practices, and why Alzheimer’s disease is not the single, linear condition we once imagined, but rather a complex “soup” of abnormalities with multiple entry points for intervention.====00:00 Intro01:44 Choices influencing brain trajectory and resilience04:25 Redefining intelligence beyond IQ08:20 Synergy of memory and habit change13:09 Challenging genetic determinism with epigenetics18:00 Ad Break: Optoceutics20:23 Alzheimer's as a metabolic and inflammatory soup29:45 Ad Break: Fresh Pressed Olive Oil38:04 Exercise and metabolism in brain health43:45 Ad Break: 3x4 Genetics49:38 Brain training and five pillars of brain health54:55 Mindset as key to becoming a superager====Dr. Majid Fotuhi earned his PhD in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University in 1992 and his Medical Degree from Harvard Medical School in 1997. Currently, he serves as an adjunct professor at the Mind/Brain Institute at Johns Hopkins University, while also teaching at George Washington University and Harvard Medical School. With 37 years of experience in teaching, clinical practice, and neuroscience research, Dr. Fotuhi has pioneered a multidisciplinary approach to enhancing brain vitality and cognitive performance at any age. His groundbreaking “Brain Fitness Program” combines a comprehensive baseline “Brain Portfolio” assessment with 12 bi-weekly brain training sessions. This program targets lifestyle optimization and cognitive stimulation to improve memory, focus, and overall brain health. Dr. Fotuhi’s program has delivered measurable success for patients dealing with memory loss due to aging, concussions, and ADHD, as documented in several peer-reviewed journals. ___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Toxins Rewrite Your Genes (And Trigger Brain Disease) with Dr. Sarah Marzi | E209 17.02.2026 1u 12min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).Fresh Pressed Olive Oil - https://www.getfresh389.com For a complimentary bottle of one of the greatest olive oils I've ever discovered.3x4 Genetics - http://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====On this episode of The Empowering Neurologist, I’m joined by Dr. Sarah Marzi, a neuroscientist at King’s College London and a principal investigator at the UK Dementia Research Institute, whose work is transforming how we understand neurodegenerative disease risk.Dr. Marzi’s research focuses on gene regulation in the human brain, particularly within microglia, the immune cells that orchestrate inflammation, synaptic pruning, and repair. Her studies show that genetic risk for diseases like Alzheimer’s is concentrated not in protein-coding genes, but in regulatory regions of the genome, epigenetic switches that control immune behavior in the brain.This conversation with Dr. Marzi is not just about disease. It’s about agency. Understanding epigenetics helps explain how lifestyle, environment, and immune balance can influence brain destiny. It’s science that empowers prevention, resilience, and hope.====00:00 Intro03:12 Epigenetics and Neurodegenerative Disease04:49 Why Alzheimer’s Is Not a Single Gene Disorder09:18 Protein Aggregation and Brain Cleanup Failure10:55 Microglia vs Neurons in Alzheimer’s19:04 Blood Brain Barrier and Inflammatory Signaling20:39 ApoE Genetics Explained23:37 Human Microglia Transplanted Into Mouse Brain30:02 Vitamin D Receptor and Protective Gene Programs38:18 Environmental Toxins and Parkinson’s44:59 C1q Activation and Synapse Loss49:33 Why Substantia Nigra Is Uniquely Vulnerable51:39 Paraquat, Mitochondria and Converging Toxic Pathways53:00 Epigenetic Memory of Toxic Exposure54:09 Histones and Gene Regulation in Alzheimer’s57:41 Oligodendrocytes as a Hidden Player59:32 Why Single Target Drugs May Fail01:02:10 Detecting Disease Through Blood and Machine Learning01:04:41 Can Lifestyle Modify Epigenetics====Dr Sarah Marzi is a Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience at King’s College London and a Group Leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute. Her work focuses on how our genes and environment change cellular processes in the brain and can predispose us to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease.An expert in epigenetics – the chemical switches that turn genes on and off – Dr Marzi uses cuttingedge genomic techniques on human brain tissue as well as cell and animal models. Her team combines these experiments with advanced statistics, bioinformatics and AI to map the earliest molecular changes that make brain cells vulnerable to disease, particularly in immune cells of the brain called microglia. This work aims to reveal how both genetic variants and environmental exposures, including pesticides, contribute to disease risk and to uncover new avenues for therapy.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Optimizing Fertility: What Actually Moves the Needle with Rachel Swanson | E208 03.02.2026 1u 2min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).Fresh Pressed Olive Oil - https://www.getfresh389.com For a complimentary bottle of one of the greatest olive oils I've ever discovered.3x4 Genetics - http://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====On this episode of The Empowering Neurologist, I sit down with one of the most influential voices in modern nutrition and women’s health, Rachel Swanson, MS, RD, LDN. Her new book, Trying! A Science-Based Plan to Optimize Your Fertility, is poised to reshape how we think about fertility, moving it out of the narrow confines of hormone-focused conversations and into the broader landscape of systems biology, metabolism, environmental exposure, and cellular health.Swanson’s work begins with a powerful premise: fertility is not a mystery, and it’s certainly not something women should feel powerless about. Instead, she argues, fertility is a measurable, improvable expression of whole-body health. And her book provides the first integrated blueprint to understand and support that health.The conversation starts with the microbiome, which Swanson calls the “mission control headquarters” of fertility. Who knew that our gut bacteria were playing an important role in determining fertility? Drawing from her book, she describes how the gut, vaginal, and even oral microbiomes create the biochemical environment that influences hormone balance, inflammation, implantation, egg quality, and partner sperm health.What makes this book, and this podcast episode, so compelling and empowering is Rachel’s rare combination of scientific precision and heartfelt dedication to women’s autonomy. She refuses to oversimplify fertility into quick fixes or fad-driven advice. Instead, she offers deeply practical strategies rooted in peer-reviewed research and years of high-level clinical practice.====00:00 Intro - Rachel Swanson04:38 Fertility as Whole-Body Health11:37 Metabolic Health Comes Too Late18:48 Ad - EVY21:17 The Microbiome as a Foundation of Health27:28 PCOS Is a Metabolic Disease, Not Just Hormonal35:15 Ad - Fresh Pressed Olive Oil37:07 Menstrual Products and the Vaginal Microbiome40:41 Inflammation and Metabolism Drive Fertility49:06 Ad - 3x4 Genetics50:26 Personalized Fertility Over One-Size-Fits-All56:16 Closing Thoughts====Rachel Swanson, MS, RD, LDN, is a registered dietitian and one of America’s most sought-after nutritionists, known for optimizing human performance through science-backed, personalized care. Her clients include celebrities, professional athletes, and Fortune 500 executives who trust her expertise in concierge medicine and private practice. Rachel is a highly principled, intellectually rigorous, and passionately empowering expert, whose communication and sentiment are consistently driven by a profound conviction in her book's unique, holistic framework as the transformative solution to outdated and fragmented fertility advice, reflecting a deep commitment to women's health and autonomy. ___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Unlocking Immortality? Exploring The Bold New World of Gene Therapy with Elizabeth Parrish | E207 20.01.2026 1u 5min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com/perlmutter and the code perlmutter26 will be auto-applied to your order to get $200 off & free shipping (90 days risk-free).Fresh Pressed Olive Oil - https://www.getfresh389.com For a complimentary bottle of one of the greatest olive oils I've ever discovered.3x4 Genetics - http://3x4genetics.com/DrPerlmutterfor a special offer when you sign up to decode your genetics and get personalized, science-backed health recommendations.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====Gene therapy is no longer a distant promise, it is rapidly becoming one of the most disruptive technologies in medicine. And few figures embody the urgency, controversy, and pioneering spirit of this field more than Elizabeth Parrish, CEO of BioViva and widely recognized as the world's first self- engineered "GMO human." In this episode of The Empowering Neurologist, we dive deep into her bold vision to treat aging not as an inevitable decline, but as a disease that can be targeted, modified, and potentially reversed. Again, treating aging as a disease. Her journey into genetics began with a simple but profound realization: the diseases that kill most of us, including Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and overall frailty, are rooted in the biology of aging itself. Instead of waiting for late-stage decline, she argues that medicine should intervene upstream, correcting the genomic and cellular faults that accumulate over time. This perspective led her to take an extraordinary step: undergoing experimental gene therapy on herself in 2015, outside traditional regulatory frameworks.====0:00 Intro3:16 Treating Aging as a Disease12:16 Launching a Radical Biotech Company15:49 Why Telomere Length Mattered Most18:51 Fear at the Edge of Experimentation24:19 Ad: Optoceutics26:08 Alpha-Klotho, The Longevity Gene30:02 Why Alzheimer’s Still Has No Cure32:21 Mitochondria at the Center of Brain Health36:04 Ad: Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club39:04 Keeping PGC-1 Alpha Switched On42:43 Tracking Telomere Length Year After Year47:11 Ad: 3x4 Genetics48:37 Myokines and Whole-Body Health51:48 Glutathione Deficiency and Neurodegeneration1:00:20 Closing Thoughts====Elizabeth (Liz) Parrish, MBA, is the Founder and CEO of BioViva Sciences USA Inc., a pioneering biotechnology company committed to extending healthy human lifespan through advanced gene therapies. Under her leadership, BioViva is developing next-generation combinatorial gene treatments powered by its proprietary CMV delivery platform, positioning the company at the forefront of therapeutic innovation.An accomplished entrepreneur, author, and visionary thinker, Liz is one of the leading global voices behind the Best Choice Medicine (BCM) initiative—a regulatory framework aimed at accelerating access to genetic therapies worldwide. She is deeply involved in international scientific education and has delivered keynote talks at major conferences and institutions, including WIRED, TEDx, and numerous other high-profile venues.https://www.instagram.com/lizlparrish/?hl=enhttps://bioviva-science.com/___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  The Power of GLP-1 Agonists: Personalized Medicine for Weight Management - with Ashley Koff, RD | E206 06.01.2026 57min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Thank you to our sponsors:EVY - https://www.optoceutics.com Use code perlmutter26 to save $200 & get free shipping on EVY (90 days risk-free). Fresh Pressed Olive Oil - https://www.getfresh389.com For a complimentary bottle of one of the greatest olive oils I've ever discovered.====Dr. Perlmutter’s groundbreaking new book, Brain Defenders, is now available for pre-order. Discover how to protect your brain and future health - reserve your copy today at https://www.braindefenders.com.====In this week’s episode of The Empowering Neurologist, I sit down with registered dietitian, personalized-nutrition pioneer, and longtime friend, Ashley Koff, RD, to explore what may be one of the most misunderstood areas in all of health: weight, metabolism, and the pursuit of sustainable well-being. As the founder of The Better Nutrition Program, Nutrition Course Director at UC Irvine’s Integrative Health Institute, and faculty member at IFNA, Ashley brings a depth of clinical and practical insight that few can match.Her new book, Your Best Shot,  tackles one of the most talked-about questions of our time: Is the GLP-1 shot your best shot—or not? But this is far from a book about medications. Instead, Ashley reframes the entire conversation around personalization, body-ecosystem thinking, and the liberating shift from perfectionism to her signature philosophy: better, not perfect.In our conversation, Ashley explains why most people aren’t struggling with a lack of knowledge, but rather an overwhelming flood of it, something she calls “INFObesity.” She discusses the Switch Framework she developed to help individuals identify the key metabolic levers that matter most for them, and she shares compelling patient stories that demonstrate how real transformation happens when we align nutrition and lifestyle choices with our unique biology.What emerges is a far more hopeful, empowering narrative about weight-health, one that acknowledges the complexity of modern life while giving us practical tools to navigate it.If you’ve ever felt frustrated or confused by the conflicting messages around diet, GLP-1 medications, metabolism, or weight-loss strategies, this episode is an essential listen. It offers clarity, compassion, and a science-based path toward truly optimal health.====0:00 Intro3:39 Misinformation in the world of weight loss8:28 Calories in vs calories out12:52 The importance of satiety related hormones18:10 The experiment of GLP-124:49 Ad: Optoceutics26:37 GLP-1 agonist drugs and the brain37:16 Ad: Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club40:27 GLP-1 and mental health50:02 Disconnect between food policy and obesity solutions55:09 Conclusion====Ashley Koff, RD is the founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP), the Nutrition Course Director for UC Irvine’s Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute's Integrative and Functional Medicine Fellowship, and a faculty member at the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA), where she teaches “An Integrative and Functional Nutrition Approach to Obesity and Weight Management.” She is also the author of the upcoming book, Your Best Shot (Harper One, January 6, 2026). A practitioner for over 25 years, Koff is leading a transformative movement in personalized nutrition, turning “better, not perfect” choices into practical, sustainable strategies that deliver real health outcomes. Through patient stories and personal experience, she shows that optimal health is not just possible—it’s essential to living your fullest life. Koff has been recognized as one of CNN’s Top 100 Health Makers, featured in InStyle as “Hollywood’s Leading Dietitian,” and has been selected as Westin’s Global Nutrition Ambassador.
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  PTSD - The Powerfully Therapeutic Role of Hyperbaric Oxygen - with Dr. Mohammed Elamir | E205 21.07.2025 35min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱Today on The Empowering Neurologist podcast we are going to explore PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder, a pervasive issue that can be profoundly debilitating. PTSD is experienced by about 6% of the US population at some point in their lifetime and at any given time approximately 5% of American adults are living with this disorder. Certainly, we see high risk and veterans with PTSD affecting about 11 to 20% of veterans who served in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Vietnam veterans experience a lifetime prevalence somewhere in the neighborhood of 30%. PTSD symptoms usually begin within three months of a traumatic event, but can actually surface many years later making the diagnosis and the relationship to a traumatic event challenging. In about 1/3 of cases, PTSD becomes chronic and can last for years or even decades.We know that there are significant comorbidities associated with PTSD, including other mental health conditions like depression or anxiety disorder, substance use disorders, and even cognitive decline.While cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT, and pharmaceutical intervention are the “go to” treatments for this problem, hyperbaric oxygen therapy presents us with a new and emerging therapy now receiving global recognition. We will review research on this podcast demonstrating the profound effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen in treating PTSD, research that makes it clear that this is one of the most powerful interventions ever developed for treating this challenging disorder.We will visit the Aviv Clinic in Central Florida, and spend time with Dr. Mohammad Elamir. ====0:00 Intro4:55 Why Hyperbaric Works for PTSD Patients8:44 Evaluating patients with PTSD12:30 How the Protocol Was Chosen & Implemented 16:40 Potential Side Effects 18:00 Youngest People Treated with This19:32 Combining Therapy Modalities for PTSD20:14 Other Conditions that Can Be Helped By This22:04 Amazing Results From These Studies24:06 Using this with Our Military 26:00 Getting to the Root Problems 26:48 Treating Traumatic Brain Injuries 28:54 Why This Isn’t More Widely Being Offered 29:49 The Right Formula for This32:55 Get Involved Today====Dr. Mohammed Elamir, or “Dr. Mo”to his patients, has been part of the Aviv Clinics team in The Villages since the clinic opened in 2020. As lead physician, he oversees the medical treatment for all clients in the Aviv Medical Program, collaborating with other members of Aviv’s clinical team to provide truly comprehensive care. As a presenter, his seminars often sell out, thanks in part to his ability to translate complex scientific concepts and data into easily-relatable language. Prior to joining Aviv Clinics, Dr. Elamir practiced internal medicine at the MM Jersey Breathing Center while also owning a medical spa in New Jersey. He completed his internal medicine internship and residency at RWJ-Barnabas: Jersey City Medical Center where he was chief resident and a member of the ethics committee. Dr. Mo has a passion for helping others who are pursuing a career in medicine and continues to mentor pre-med and medical school students. Dr. Elamir became involved with Aviv Clinics after his late father suffered a stroke, which sparked Dr. Mo’s interest in novel approaches to healing the brain. He is the father of two children, including a son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dr. Elamir considers it his life’s mission to help progress his son’s development and better understand the causes and treatment of ASD.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  "Parkinson’s is a Man Made Disease, But Reversal is Possible" - with Dr. Ray Dorsey | EP 204 07.07.2025 56min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱In this compelling episode of The Empowering Neurologist, I sit down with Dr. Ray Dorsey, a leading voice in the world of neurology and author of the important new book, The Parkinson’s Plan. Dr. Dorsey is a passionate advocate for changing how we view and address Parkinson’s disease. His message is bold—and urgently needed: Parkinson’s is not simply a disease of aging or bad luck. It is, in his words, “a man-made disease,” driven by preventable environmental exposures.Dr. Dorsey’s work shines a much-needed spotlight on the role of toxins in triggering Parkinson’s. In his new book, he lays out a comprehensive framework for understanding and reversing the rising tide of Parkinson’s cases, which have more than doubled in recent decades. He argues that this surge is no coincidence—it correlates with increased exposure to industrial chemicals, pesticides, and air pollutants that interfere with the brain’s delicate dopamine system.One of the most striking recent contributions from Dr. Dorsey’s research is a JAMA-published study linking Parkinson’s risk to proximity to golf courses—locations that are frequently treated with high volumes of chemical herbicides and pesticides. The study found a significantly increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in individuals living near these manicured greens. This adds to a growing body of evidence that toxic environmental exposures play a key role in the development of this neurodegenerative condition.In our conversation, Dr. Dorsey discusses how Parkinson’s (once a rare disease) has become the world’s fastest-growing brain disorder, and why its rise can’t be explained by aging populations alone. He shares practical strategies for individuals and families looking to reduce their toxic burden and offers hope for a new paradigm. One in which we actively prevent, treat, and ultimately aim to eliminate Parkinson’s.Try Lichen Air, an air filter carefully constructed to remove the maximum amount of PM 2.5 and smaller air pollutants possible:https://lichenair.com/====0:00 Intro2:40 Living Near to a Golf course Raises Parkinson’s Risk4:58 How Pollutants Lead to Parkinson’s7:12 Danger of Dry cleaning Chemicals11:45 Parkinson’s is not just about Genetics14:15 Why aren't these chemicals illegal?17:07 Toxicity of Weed Killer21:00 Chemicals that Damage Mitochondria 26:39 Why Diabetes Increases Parkinson’s Risk29:38Air Pollution & WildFires34:04 The Air Purifier We Recommend 34:49 Dealing with Indoor Air Pollution37:02 Wash All Produce (Even Organic)38:12 Best Diet for Parkinson’s Prevention41:26 Safe Practices for Farming & Dry Cleaning45:23 Benefits of Exercise48:01 Public Figures Who Faced Parkinson's Disease49:58 Why Men are More Likely to Get It51:21 An Empowering Message for Us54:27 Conclusion ====Dr. Ray Dorsey is the director of the Center for the Brain & the Environment at the Atria Health and Research Institute. The center’s mission is to identify the root causes of brain diseases from autism to Alzheimer’s so that we can prevent them. With his colleagues, he wrote Ending Parkinson’s Disease and the forthcoming The Parkinson’s Plan, which details a new path to preventing and treating this terrible disease.Ray previously directed the Center for Health + Technology at the University of Rochester, chaired the international Huntington Study Group, led the movement disorders division at Johns Hopkins, and consulted for McKinsey & Company.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  How a Flickering Light Holds Promise in Alzheimer’s Treatment and Prevention - with Dr. Mai Nguyen | EP 203 23.06.2025 28min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱I’m thrilled to announce this exciting podcast episode featuring an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Mai Nguyen, CEO and Co-founder of OptoCeutics. Dr. Nguyen is a pioneering force in the field of neurotechnology, and in this episode, we unpack her revolutionary work using non-invasive light stimulation to enhance brain function and potentially prevent neurodegenerative disease.At the center of our conversation is the EVY, a 40 Hertz light stimulation device developed by OptoCeutics under Dr. Nguyen’s leadership. This device is designed to target and enhance gamma oscillations in the brain—a specific frequency range of neural activity (around 40 Hz) that is critically involved in memory, attention, and perception. In recent years, scientific studies have linked disruptions in gamma oscillations with the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. By restoring these rhythms, the EVY device aims to provide a non-pharmacological, non-invasive way to support brain health.During our podcast, Dr. Nguyen explains how EVY works: the device emits flickering light at a precise 40 Hz frequency, which is thought to entrain brain activity to resonate at that same frequency. This gentle stimulation may help reduce amyloid-beta accumulation, improve neural connectivity, and promote immune system engagement in the brain—mechanisms that could slow or even reverse aspects of cognitive decline.What sets Dr. Nguyen apart is not just her scientific brilliance, but her deep commitment to translating research into real-world solutions. She leads OptoCeutics with a clear mission: to bring accessible, evidence-based neurotechnology into homes and clinics, empowering people to take charge of their cognitive well-being. Her approach is both deeply human and rigorously scientific, blending innovation with empathy.As you’ll hear in the interview, Dr. Nguyen's work exemplifies the exciting convergence of biology, technology, and therapeutic application. This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of brain health, the science of neuroplasticity, and the promise of light-based therapies. Whether you're a clinician, researcher, caregiver, or simply curious about how to support your brain as you age, Dr. Nguyen’s insights will leave you informed, inspired, and hopeful.====0:00 Intro2:46 How Dr. Mai Started Studying it5:16 How Light Enhances Gamma Oscillation 7:22 Promise of These Studies8:51 How the EVY Device Works11:20 Early Clinical Results + Potential Side Effects13:53 Application of this technology 16:36 Why Mainstream is Late to Adopt This22:04 Impact of Auditory Stimulation23:38 The Future of This Research25:25 Get Involved Today====Dr. Nguyen is a trailblazer in neurotechnology, pioneering advancements in non-invasive brain stimulation technology for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s and dementia. As CEO and Co-founder of OptoCeutics, Dr. Nguyen leads the charge in bridging the gap between neuroscience and therapeutic innovation, offering new hope to millions affected by cognitive decline. Under Dr. Nguyen’s leadership, Optoceutics has become a frontrunner in brain stimulation technology and a recognized authority in non-invasive neuromodulation. Her unique approach combines rigorous scientific methodology with groundbreaking therapeutic solutions.This vision is shaped by her academic excellence, including a PhD in Integrative Biology at the University of California, Berkeley with a specialization in Neuroendocrinology, and her extensive training in management, technology innovation, and entrepreneurship.___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Unseen Toxins: What’s Harming Us in Air, Water, and Everyday Products - with Dr. Aly Cohen | EP202 09.06.2025 1u 6min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱In our modern world, we are surrounded by a staggering number of invisible threats. These chemicals and pollutants can silently undermine our immune systems, increase our risk for chronic illness, and sabotage our health at the cellular level. That’s why I’m especially excited to welcome Dr. Aly Cohen to this episode of The Empowering Neurologist. This conversation is not only eye-opening, it’s empowering and filled with practical, actionable steps that each of us can take starting today.In our conversation Dr. Cohen takes us through the science and the soul of her mission. We explore what inspired her to write Detoxify, a journey that began at the intersection of clinical frustration and personal awakening. Over the years, she began noticing that many of her patients with autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and neurological complaints shared a common thread: consistent exposure to environmental toxins. This wasn't just about vague “bad stuff.”Dr. Cohen has zeroed in on a specific category of chemicals she terms “Immune-disrupting chemicals (IDCs).” These are substances that directly interfere with the immune system's ability to regulate and repair.Dr. Cohen doesn’t stop at theory… she gets specific - with personal care products to avoid, water purification tips every household should know, and simple DIY recipes for safer cleaning and skincare. Her “Detoxify Food Pyramid” reimagines what a clean, immune-supportive diet looks like in a world of processed foods and contaminated agriculture.We also touch on how environmental toxins can act as potent triggers for autoimmune conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis - diseases Dr. Cohen treats in her clinical practice almost every day. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scale of modern toxicity, this episode offers a clear and hopeful path forward. Dr. Cohen emphasizes that detoxifying your life doesn’t mean doing everything at once. It’s about starting small. Things like switching to a glass water bottle, choosing fragrance-free detergents, and reading ingredient labels can lead to profound health benefits.====TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction02:15 Welcoming Dr. Amy Cohen & Her Inspiration for Her Book05:45 Water & How Contamination Dysregulates Our Immune System10:44 Recommendations for Filtration and Purification13:13 Quality of Bottled Water Is Sub Par & Likely Tap Water18:03 Endocrine Disrupting Chemical Contaminants Found In Our Water21:47 Sparking Change with The Four A's: Assess, Avoid Or Swap, Add, Allow27:39 How Did These Chemicals Enter Our Food & Water Supply?34:10 How Do Genetics Determine Your Ability To Detoxify?37:50 Air Quality, Pollution, and The Impact On Our Bodies43:49 Navigating How To Improve The Air You Breath47:41 Detoxifying The Body From Air Pollution51:18 Hidden Threats In Your Personal Care Products & How To Avoid Them1:04:19 Conclusion====Dr. Aly Cohen is a board-certified physician practicing in rheumatology and integrative medicine, as well as an environmental health expert in Princeton, New Jersey. Her new book, DETOXIFY: The Everyday Toxins Harming Your Immune System and How to Defend Against Them, available now for preorder, connects the dots between everyday chemicals and the epidemic rise in immune disorders and autoimmune disease...and what we CAN all do about it! You can follow her health and wellness tips and recommendations on Facebook at The Smart Human, Twitter, and Instagram: @thesmarthuman, and TikTok. ___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1
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  Science of Ketosis: Regain Your Metabolic Health & Age Backwards - with Dr. Dominic D’Agostino | EP 201 19.05.2025 54min

  🧠 Stay ahead with the latest in science, nutrition, and wellness by subscribing to Dr. Perlmutter’s newsletter at: www.drperlmutter.com. ✉️🌱The ketogenic diet has become a household term, often associated with rapid weight loss and an effective means of shedding stubborn fat. However, as my guest on this episode of The Empowering Neurologist, Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, will explain, there is so much more to the ketogenic lifestyle than simply dropping a few pounds. We’re diving deep into the science of metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and how our lifestyle choices impact long-term health, particularly brain health.While many people adopt a ketogenic diet for its well-documented benefits in weight management, its effects on metabolism reach far beyond simple fat burning. Nutritional ketosis helps the body transition from relying primarily on carbohydrates for energy to efficiently burning fat and producing ketones, an alternative fuel source for the brain and muscles.As Dr. D’Agostino will discuss, one of the most crucial aspects of metabolic health is insulin sensitivity. When insulin function is compromised, the body struggles to regulate blood sugar levels, leading to increased risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and even cognitive decline. By keeping insulin sensitivity in check through dietary choices, fasting, and exercise, we can enhance our metabolic health and lower the risk of chronic disease.The brain is an energy-intensive organ, and its function is directly influenced by our metabolic state. Research has shown that ketones provide a more efficient and neuroprotective fuel source for the brain compared to glucose. This is particularly relevant for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and even traumatic brain injury.By making intentional choices about what we eat, how we move, and how we recover, we can take control of our metabolic health and improve our longevity.====00:00  Introduction 02:21 How Dr. D’Agostino Went From Seizure Research To Nutrition Science03:31 From Drug Failures To The Medical Power Of Ketosis05:15 What Ketones Really Are And Why They’re A Metabolic Game-Changer09:37 Why Ketogenic Therapy Is Now In 400+ Clinical Trials Worldwide12:21 GLP-1 Drugs, Weight Loss, And Keto: What They Do To Your Metabolism15:10 Inside A Ketogenic Body: Fat Burning, Fuel Switching, And More17:25 How Lowering Insulin Turns On Fat Burning And Ketone Production20:03 Why Ketones Keep The Brain Stable And Cravings Under Control23:54 The Right Amount Of Protein For Muscle, Aging, And Staying In Ketosis27:03 Do You Actually Need Fiber? The Carnivore Diet And Gut Health30:00 How Ketosis Reduces Inflammation And Repairs The Gut Barrier34:31 Genomics of Ketonics: Beta-Hydroxybutyrate’s Epigenetic Power45:38 Allulose: The Sweetener That Lowers Blood Sugar And Boosts GLP-152:03 Why MCT Oil Might Be The Most Underrated Keto Hack Available54:30 Conclusion====Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of South Florida (USF) Morsani College of Medicine in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology. He teaches medical neuroscience, medical physiology, nutrition and neuropharmacology. He is also a Senior Visiting Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) to assist with their efforts towards optimizing the safety, health and resilience of the warfighter and astronaut. His primary research focuses on developing and testing nutritional and metabolic-based therapies for a variety of disease states and advancing the use of metabolic-based therapies into human clinical applications.  ___________________________Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidperlmutter/Website: https://www.drperlmutter.com/Subscribe to our channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDRl_UAXxbHyOOjklnA0dxQ/?sub_confirmation=1