Brain on Fire: How Dietary Induced Neuroinflammation Causes Mental Illness, Aggression, Violence and Dementia

Mark Hyman

May 22, 2024

Episode description

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We live in a time with more money, medical interventions, and knowledge than ever before—so why are we getting sicker? While this might seem depressing, there are actually many exciting discoveries changing the future of wellness, like our increased understanding of the microbiome and how it interacts with the brain. This dynamic has profound implications for mental health, reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, and even supporting positive behavior in our children. I’m excited to talk to board-certified internal medicine physician, bestselling author, and published researcher Dr. Austin Perlmutter about all this and more on this episode of the podcast.

We explore:

Why don’t we try to prevent brain dysfunction the same way we do cardiovascular disease and other illnesses?
Neuroinflammation and how to modulate it to improve mood, behavior, and neurodegenerative diseases
Having an “adult in the room” versus our lizard brain
The inundation of Big Food and Big Pharma marketing we’re up against
Psychobiotics: The future of probiotics for brain health

I know you’ll love this conversation as much as I did. I hope you’ll tune in wherever you listen to podcasts!

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Mindsip insights from this episode:

Address neuroinflammation to reduce societal division

Neuroinflammation disrupts communication between the rational prefrontal cortex and the primitive amygdala, leading to increased societal polarization, aggression, and violence.

#emotion

#neurology

Address chronic sickness behavior triggered by modern life

The depressed, socially withdrawn state known as 'sickness behavior' may be chronically activated by inflammatory aspects of modern life, not just acute illness.

#chronic-disease

#inflammation

Reduce maternal inflammation to lower ADHD risk in children

A mother's inflammation during pregnancy, known as maternal immune activation, can increase her child's risk of developing ADHD by 40% ten years later.

#ADHD

#inflammation

Understand microglia's role in brain health and neuroinflammation

The brain contains billions of its own immune cells called microglia, which are the master orchestrators of neuroinflammation and brain health.

#immune-system

#neurology

Leverage vagus nerve to enhance mental state through gut health

The vagus nerve acts as a superhighway for communication, with most signals traveling from the gut to the brain, influencing your mental state from the bottom up.

#gut

#vagus-nerve

Reduce junk food to lower bullying risk

A study of over 13,000 adolescents found that increased junk food consumption was associated with a 55% higher odds of bullying others.

#nutrition

#relationships

Utilize Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Sprout Powder for immune support

Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Sprout Powder is a food product specifically developed to be a potent source of polyphenols that modulate inflammation and the immune system.

#immune-system

#nutrition

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