Dr. Perlmutter is on the forefront of research about ways to protect and support the brain in a world where Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other brain-related diseases are on the rise.
Alzheimer’s disease affects a staggering number of Americans today—5.5 million. In fact, if you live to be age 85, your chance of getting Alzheimer’s is 50/50.
Even more shocking, the Alzheimer’s Association estimates that number could increase to 16 million by 2050.
It’s not all bad news, though, as my guest today is here to assure us.
Dr. David Perlmutter on Preventing Alzheimer’s
Dr. Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist, Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, and four-time New York Times bestselling author. You’ve probably heard of his popular book Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has been interviewed by everyone from Larry King, Oprah, Dr. Oz and many others.
While Dr. Perlmutter is all for finding a cure for Alzheimer’s (currently there isn’t one), as a functional medicine doctor he’s also all about acting on the medical research that shows this disease is largely preventable with the right lifestyle choices.
Dr. Perlmutter sums it up well (by quoting former President John Kennedy):
The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining.
I couldn’t agree more. Take a listen!
In This Episode You’ll Learn

the devastating way Dr. Perlmutter’s lost his own father to Alzheimer’s, and how it fuels his mission now
reasons why Alzheimer’s is largely preventable, and how peer-reviewed research shows this
the (limited) role genetics plays in developing Alzheimer’s
the link between Alzheimer’s and elevated blood sugar
why Dr. Perlmutter wrote his book Grain Brain and what he thinks about diets that promote ketosis
concrete steps anyone can use to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s (and one free thing that reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s by half!)
ways to increase brain stem cells and protect your brain (and why you should start now)
scientific reasons why friends are good for your brain and how to make sure you have good social interaction
why feelings of joy and acceptance actually fight stress, disease, and brain degeneration
how chronically elevated cortisol can harm the brain and the gut
surprising ways a certain level of stress can actually be good for us (also called the hormesis theory)
the clinically proven effect of gratitude on the brain
what your brain does while you sleep, and why it’s so important
the dramatic way artificial sweeteners affect the gut and which