590: The Hidden Driver of Alzheimer’s Disease and How to Protect Your Brain | David Perlmutter, MD

Max Lugavere (0:00)

What's going on, everybody? It's episode 590 of The Genius Life.

The Genius Life.

What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of The Genius Life. I'm your host, Max Lugavere. I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful summer, that you are staying safe and healthy and surrounded by people that you enjoy and doing all the things that make you happy. That's, yeah, that's my wish for you. I'm in LA. I'm having a good time. I am working on some exciting new projects and just loving, loving life. Yeah. And wishing the same for you. Today's episode is with neurologist and bestselling author, Dr. David Perlmutter. He's had a new book out called Brain Defenders. And I got to be real with you guys. He's one of the people who first opened my eyes to the very idea that nutrition and lifestyle can profoundly shape brain health. So as you can imagine, David has had a massive impact on my life and I am very pleased to welcome him back for the third or fourth time to the podcast. In this episode, David explains what may be a unifying mechanism behind Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurodegenerative diseases and more importantly, what you can do about it. We get into the biggest leavers for protecting your brain, metabolism, exercise, sleep, air quality, and diet. Why cognitive decline may begin decades before symptoms appear, and the simple biomarkers and habits that David thinks matter most. We also cover creatine, ultra-processed food, environmental toxins, and a few areas where he's changed his mind as the science has evolved. If you care about keeping your brain as sharp as possible for as long as possible, this one is packed with practical takeaways. If you're enjoying The Genius Life, please guys take a second to follow or subscribe to the show wherever you're listening. And if you know somebody who'd benefit from this conversation, send it their way and also make sure that you're subscribed to my newsletter. Every week, I share the most useful ideas in nutrition, brain health, fitness, and longevity that cross my desk. You can sign up at maxlugavere.com/newsletter.

And now with all that out of the way, let's dive in. It's episode 590 Wow, we're almost at 600 Can you believe it?

David Perlmutter (2:28)

Here we go.

Max Lugavere (2:28)

Dr. David Perlmutter, welcome back to the show, my friend.

David Perlmutter (2:31)

Gosh, it's been a while. I think last time you were on my show, maybe, I'm not sure. I know I visited your house here.

Max Lugavere (2:38)

At some point in the past? Yeah, it's quite possible. You are one of my OG inspirations in this space. You were probably among my very first exposures to the concept, the wild and crazy concept that nutrition and lifestyle play a role when it comes to our brain health and our risk, our predilections for conditions like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease.

For that, I am forever indebted to you for that.

David Perlmutter (3:11)

Thank you, Max.

A lot of words you just used, I think, are good launch points. Predilections is one, especially people don't talk about it. The idea, and you mentioned nutrition and Alzheimer's. I mean, as I came up, that was never a consideration. Now, there's a Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's, an actual journal. Can you imagine a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the notion of keeping the brain healthy and reducing risk of what you and I have both gone through with a parent?

Max Lugavere (3:41)

It's crazy, and the tide has turned in such a profound way. I mean, I remember when I was first getting started in this space, the notion of dementia prevention was considered very fringe, like a very fringe idea. Now, we have every four years, the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention. We've got this journal as you referenced.

It must be, from your vantage point especially, quite breathtaking to behold.

David Perlmutter (4:10)

Yeah.

It's a bit validating for sure because, like you say, years ago, we were definitely even worse than being the odd man out. It was the castigation and derogation behind your back kind of stuff that, this stuff is BS. Why are you talking about it? We need to wait for somebody to have an issue and then try to create something to help with that issue, and that's perverse. I'm sorry. I didn't know I was going to come out swinging like this. But I think we're in the same camp.

The Yellow Emperor in the 4th century BC said that, prevention is the ultimate principle of wisdom. To cure a disease after it has manifest is like digging a well when one feels thirsty or forging weapons when the war has already begun. That's been the mantra of Western medicine. Live your life however you choose and then when things start going south why we're modern medicine with all wonderful developments, we'll fix it for you. It has just fallen so short as it relates to Alzheimer's. Really across the spectrum of neurodegenerative conditions, we've got nothing to treat the underlying issue, the fire, and yet we concentrate on the smoke. Like in Parkinson's, yeah, we can treat the tremor and rigidity, but there's nothing until quite recently that actually attacks the underlying metabolic issue that affects the immune system that leads to any manner of neurodegenerative condition, no matter what you want to call it.