Brain Expert: These Common Habits SHRINK Your Brain – Alzheimer’s, Fatigue & Lost Joy | Daniel Amen

Rangan Chatterjee

14 may 2025

Episode description

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What if the health of your brain determined the health of every other part of your life – your body, your relationships, even your sense of purpose? Today’s guest firmly believes that it does.

Dr Daniel Amen is a child and adult psychiatrist, who is on a mission to end mental illness by creating a revolution in brain health. He is also the founder of Amen Clinics, home to the world’s largest database of brain scans for psychiatry and the author of multiple best-selling books including his very latest, Change Your Brain Every Day: Simple Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Mind, Memory, Mood, Focus, Energy, Habits, and Relationships.

In this conversation, Daniel shares insights from over 250,000 brain scans and decades of clinical practice and we talk about:

• Why mental health is really brain health – and why stigma and shame often stand in the way of proper care
• The surprising link between brain function and behaviour – from impulsivity and focus to joy and connection
• How brain imaging is transforming psychiatry – and why Daniel believes we should “image, not guess” when treating emotional or cognitive issues
• The “BRIGHT MINDS” framework – that covers the key risk factors you can address to protect your brain immediately
• The simple daily habits that can literally shape the structure and function of your brain

Daniel’s approach is both science-backed and deeply compassionate. He reminds us that we are not stuck with the brain we have – we can make it better, at any age, through lifestyle, mindset and targeted care.

Whether you're struggling with your mood, memory, focus or simply want to feel sharper and more vibrant, this conversation will leave you feeling hopeful and empowered to take control of your brain - and your life.

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Connect with Daniel:
https://danielamenmd.com/
https://www.facebook.com/drdanielamen
https://www.instagram.com/doc_amen/
https://twitter.com/DocAmen
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHz-vi0JIugmscU_CkUxUQ

Podcast https://www.amenclinics.com/podcast/
Brain Mastery Courses https://danielamenmd.com/programs-books/

Daniel’s latest book:
Change Your Brain Every Day: Simple Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Mind, Memory, Moods, Focus, Energy, Habits, and Relationships US https://amzn.to/43i5aNv UK https://amzn.to/4dlKl8G

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Website: https://drchatterjee.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk
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Newsletter: https://drchatterjee.com/subscription

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Avoid sugar bursts to maintain testosterone levels

Consuming a burst of sugar can cause an immediate 25% drop in testosterone levels.

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Play racket sports to enhance longevity and brain function

Studies show people who play racket sports live longer than others, likely because the coordination activates the cerebellum, which in turn boosts frontal lobe function and decision-making.

#cognition

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Recognize erectile dysfunction as a sign of brain dysfunction

Because blood flow problems are systemic, erectile dysfunction is a direct indicator of brain dysfunction, as poor circulation affects the entire body.

#blood-flow

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Reduce Alzheimer's risk by shifting from high-carb to fat-based diet

A Mayo Clinic study found that people on a standard high-carb diet had a 400% increased risk of getting Alzheimer's disease compared to those on a fat-based diet.

#Alzheimer's

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Nurture hippocampal stem cells with a healthy diet

Your hippocampus creates 700 new stem cells daily, and you can either nourish these 'baby seahorses' with good food or cause them to shrivel with a poor diet.

#hippocampus

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Shift focus from negativity to enhance frontal lobe function

People with a conscious negativity bias, who consistently focus on what's wrong, show significantly less function in their frontal lobes on brain scans.

#brain

#cognition

Improve brain health to enhance mental illness outcomes

Most psychiatric illnesses are not abstract mental health problems but are brain health problems that improve when you make the physical organ of the brain healthier.

#brain

#mental-health

Avoid alcohol to protect your gut microbiome

Drinking alcohol is like consuming a disinfectant that harms your gut microbiome, the 100 trillion bugs responsible for making neurotransmitters and supporting your immune system.

#alcohol

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Avoid marijuana to protect brain health from premature aging

In a massive study of 64,000 brain scans, marijuana use was found to be even worse than alcohol in terms of prematurely aging the brain.

#aging

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Scan cosmetics for hormone-disrupting toxins with Think Dirty app

You can use an app called 'Think Dirty' to scan your personal care products for hormone-disrupting toxins like parabens and phthalates that are harmful to your brain.