Simple, delicious ingredients to support your brain By Austin Perlmutter, MD   Having a brain that works well feels amazing. That’s why I wake up each day and structure my day around decisions that will help support my brain wellness today and for the rest of my life. Among the most important ways we can vote for brain health each day is choosing the right foods (and avoiding the wrong ones!). In this article, I’m sharing 3 favorite meals I consistently eat to support my brain wellness. 1.  Our favorite breakfast Breakfast is always a top meal of the day for me. Yet most bre ..read more

4 ways to harness the incredible power of neuroplasticity By Austin Perlmutter, MD   Each day, with each passing moment, our brains are changing. This reality reflects an incredible opportunity as well as potential risk. So how do we harness brain change for our benefit, rather than watching as our brains change for the worse? In this article, we’re exploring the science of rewiring the brain and practical steps to take to ensure it goes in your favor. The idea that the human brain changes across the lifespan is one of the most potent ideas in all of neuroscience, countering hundreds o ..read more

Simple ways to upgrade your kitchen for better brain health By Austin Perlmutter, MD   Decades of research show us that what we eat influences our brain health. A Mediterranean diet, for example, may help prevent dementia and depression, while an ultraprocessed diet (like the standard American diet) may have the exact opposite effect. All of this is to say that the quality and quantity of our food choices has a direct effect on the structure and function of our brains. One of the most important ways to improve the quality of our food choices is to improve the quality of what happens in ..read more

Hidden drivers of brain inflammation and how to limit their impact By Austin Perlmutter, MD   You’ve probably heard a lot about inflammation and why it’s so important that we take steps to reduce the effects of chronic inflammation on our bodies. But now, we’re learning that inflammation in the brain may be one of the most important determinants of our risk for cognitive issues, mental health issues and problems like brain fog and low energy. We certainly want to take steps to decrease unhealthy brain inflammation. Here are 4 hidden contributors to brain inflammation we should all know a ..read more

Here's the truth about this amazing molecule By Austin Perlmutter, MD   There’s no shortage of blogs, podcasts, and self-help books on the importance of dopamine for the brain. In fact, many portray dopamine as the secret to better motivation, sharper thinking, and lasting happiness. So how much of this is based in science? What is the real role of dopamine in the brain, and is dopamine really the key to better brain function? What is dopamine anyway?   Dopamine is best known as a neurotransmitter—a tiny chemical molecule that carries signals throughout the brain. Outside the brain ..read more

Everyone should know this latest research By Austin Perlmutter, MD   Depending on who you ask, you might be told to drink a few glasses of red wine a day, or to avoid alcohol altogether. The reasons for these recommendations are many, but by and large, they tend to stem from a study someone read about or saw reported on the news. So why is it so hard to know if alcohol is good or bad for us, and especially for our brains? In this article, we’ll explore the current science and some practical ideas on how to approach the topic. What is alcohol anyway?   When people talk about drinking ..read more

And what to do about it today! By Austin Perlmutter, MD   In the last decades, scientific research has shown us that what happens in the gut impacts the brain. We’re now learning that mental health issues to and cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s as well as brain autoimmune issues relate to the makeup of our gut microbiome, our gut immune system, and our gut immune cells. One of the most important pathways linking gut problems with brain issues relates to inflammation. What is inflammation and why does it matter?   Inflammation is an incredibly helpful state of immune activation in c ..read more

A review of the evidence demonstrates a need for nuance By Austin Perlmutter, MD   Every few years, there’s a new diet making headlines. From the South Beach to the “cabbage soup” diet (popular in the 1950’s), diets rise and fall in popularity. In the last decades we’ve seen diet claims become more specific to macronutrient intake. In the 1960’s, we were told to avoid dietary fat to lose weight and protect our hearts (side note—this didn’t work). Now, many popular diets advocate for low carbohydrate intake (e.g., “keto”) for weight loss and overall health benefits, including boostin ..read more

Breakthrough science suggests powerful implications for brain health By Austin Perlmutter, MD   In the last years, we’ve heard a lot about the brain health risks of viruses, and how they can contribute to cognitive issues and mood problems. This amplifies the existing theme of viruses being described as germs or “pathogens,” (meaning they’re dangerous to our health). But the truth of the matter is that the story of viruses is incredibly nuanced. And now we’re learning that viruses may play a far larger role in our brain health than we ever imagined. Here’s the breakthrough science and wh ..read more

Why all of us need to rethink resistance training By Austin Perlmutter, MD   In the conversation about how to protect and improve brain health, exercise is always at the top of the list. This is because consistent research shows that people who move their bodies are at lower risk for brain issues like depression and Alzheimer’s disease. By and large, the focus of this conversation is on walking, jogging, and potentially lower-impact movements like tai chi and yoga. In fact, aerobic exercises like these are more widely prescribed by clinicians. But research shows us we need to consider we ..read more