Episode Description

What does the gut have to do with brain health? Everything! David Perlmutter, MD, best selling author and expert on brain health, discusses how to keep the brain and cognitive abilities healthy. He will discuss the connection between gut health and brain health. A healthy intestinal microbiome is essential for a healthy brain as well as for over all health. Learn about life style choices leading to brain health such as diet, exercise, stress reduction. Learn about factors that lead to inflammation, brain changes and cognitive decline. Surprisingly these negative factors high fructose corn syrup, gluten, glyphosate (used for genetically modified foods), and certain medications including antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors and statins.

 

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BACKGROUND

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

• At age 85, the chances of having Alzheimer’s disease is fifty percent

• Forgetting names and forgetting why one goes into a room could be harbingers of future cognitive decline.

• As there is no magic pill to treat Alzheimer’s Disease, prevention is important

• Life style choices and diet can lead to or prevent obesity, diabetes , or dementia.

• A Harvard study (New England J of Medicine, 2013) showed that elevated blood sugars correlated with the development of dementia.

INFLAMMATION LEADS TO DISEASE

• At the route of most diseases including autism and depression,

• Results in a smaller brain and narrowing of the arteries.

• Inflammation begins where the single cell lining of the intestines is compromised and becomes permeable.

• Changes in gut bacteria leads to intestinal permeability which leads to more inflammation which leads to all degenerative diseases, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Diseases.

• Ninety nine percent of DNA is in our bacteria

EFFECTS OF LIFESTYLE CHOICES

DIET

CARBOHYDRATES AND SWEETS

• A high carb diet increases the risk of diabetes

• Diabetes increased the risk of dementia four times

• A high carbohydrate diet increases the risk of dementia 88 %.

• Artificial sweeteners change gut bacteria immune inflammation

• A higher blood sugar shrinks the hippocampus (the brain’s memory center)

• Obesity correlates with blood sugar levels.

• A large “belly” correlates with a smaller brain memory center

FATS

• Persons with healthy amount of fats had a 40 % decreased risk of dementia

Good Fats: fuel for the Brain

• Butter

• Coconut oil

• Extra virgin oil (very hard to get healthy virgin oil)

  • One liter/ week decreases dementia and breast cancer by 40 %

  • Very hard to find health olive oil

• Fats in nuts, seeds, chicken, wild fish, grass fed beef.

• Saturated fat can be good for the body and the brain

Bad Fats for the Brain

• Sunflower, safflower corn oil are highly modified to increase shelf life. These can be lethal for the heart, brain and immune system as they cannot be incorporated into building blocks for the body.

• Trans fats

• Canola oil (rapeseed oil): originally designed as an industrial lubricant

• Partially hydrogenated oils build unhealthy brain cells

• Fats in which food is repetitively fried

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS ARE UNHEALTHY

• Sprayed with glyphosate

  • WHO has determined that glyphosate is a probably carcinogen

  • Glyphosate has been connected with cancer

• It modifies gut bacteria leading to inflammation

GLUTEN IS UNHEALTHY

• Increase gut permeability all people

• Headaches, brain fog, immune disorders, ataxia

• Wheat derived products comprise 40 % of what he eat

MEDICATIONS-SOME DISRUPT THE MICROBIOME

Antibiotics disrupt the microbiome

• Damages gut bacteria

• Studies show correlation with number of antibiotics and diabetes II

• Antibiotics are in our meat because animals are fed antibiotics to make them fat

Proton Pump Inhibitors disrupt the microbiome

• Lowering stomach and intestinal acid is powerfully armful to gut bacteria f

• Drug inserts advise that antacids should be used for a short period of time

• Long term use results in an16 % increased risk heart attacks (Stanford Study

• risk of death from that heart attack is doubled

• 40 % increased risk of developing dementia AMA Neurology

• Can use DGL increase protective stomach and esophagus

Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Medications such as ibuprofen and Naprosyn disrupt the microbiome

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

• 50 % reduced risk develop dementia if engage exercise aerobic 20 minutes six or seven times per week

• This activates genes that codes for a chemical that nurtures the brain and fosters the growth of new brain cells.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Keep blood sugars within a stable range

• Exercise can reduce risk of dementia by 50 %

• Fermented food, kimchi, nurtures gut bacteria kombucha, cultured yogurt

• Prebiotics Jicama, asparagus, onion, leek, dandelion greens, ,garlic, chicory root

• fiber

• Healthy fats (olive oil)

• Grass fed beef, free range chicken, wild fish, egss

• Egg yolks contain healthy nutrients

Avoid

• Avoid sugar, processed foods

• Chlorinated water