It's 3 AM and your brain won't shut off. About 1 in 10 adults meets the clinical definition of chronic insomnia, and most never get treated. Instead, they scroll through an endless aisle of magnesium gummies, melatonin, and $300 trackers that don't address the real problem.

We brought in a neurologist and a psychologist who never spoke to each other and landed on almost the exact same conclusions.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How the brain's glymphatic cleaning system works during sleep and why chronic insomnia is a brain health problem
• Why melatonin is a darkness signal, not a sleeping pill, and how nocturnal animals prove the point
• A sleep neurologist's honest 1-to-10 ratings of every sleep aid you've heard of: magnesium (2/10), CBT-I (10/10), alcohol (-10/10), and 12 more
• What orthosomnia is and why your sleep tracker might be making your insomnia worse
• Why perimenopause and menopause create what one expert calls "a perfect storm" for sleep disruption, and why doctors keep missing sleep apnea in women
• How CBT-I works: sleep restriction, stimulus control, and why your therapist will tell you to spend less time in bed, not more
• The data showing CBT-I may outperform hormone therapy for menopausal insomnia
• ACT therapy for insomnia: a different approach for people who get more anxious from CBT-I
• Blue light, naps, the 8-hour rule, catching up on weekends: what holds up and what doesn't
• Five steps to start tonight, and why you should pick just two

Dr. Sujay Kansagra is a pediatric neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Duke University, director of Duke's Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program, and author of "My Child Won't Sleep." Follow Dr. Kansagra: @thatsleepdoc

Dr. Shelby Harris is a clinical psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist. She treats insomnia in women during perimenopause and menopause and is the author of "The Women's Guide to Overcoming Insomnia." Website: drshelbyharris.com Follow Dr. Harris: @SleepDocShelby

Hosted by Drs. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai Subscribe to The Synapse (free weekly newsletter): thebraindocs.com/newsletter Follow @TheBrainDocs on Instagram

Headlines warned us about microplastics in our brains. A chemist says the study may have been measuring brain fat instead.

In 2025, a study claiming microplastics accumulate in human brain tissue dominated our feeds. We covered it. Then Dr. Michelle Wong, a chemical scientist and science communicator, flagged a problem with the methodology.

So we went to the primary literature, read the critique, and brought in one of the first scientists to publicly challenge the findings: Dr. Oliver Jones, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne.

In this episode, we unpack what went wrong with the measurement method, what it means for the broader microplastics conversation, and why being willing to say "I was wrong" is so vital for good science.

In this episode:

• How pyrolysis GC-MS works and why it can confuse plastic breakdown products with brain fat
• Why potassium hydroxide digestion creates soap, which also mimics plastic signatures
• The contamination problem: body bags, centrifuge tubes, plastic storage containers, and lab air
• Why 7 grams of microplastic per brain is more than what researchers find in raw sewage
• The Marfella study in The New England Journal of Medicine: microplastics in arterial plaques and why it also lacked blank controls
• How microplastics could enter the body: skin absorption, ingestion, and inhalation
• Why PM2.5 monitoring already captures the most relevant airborne microplastic exposure
• What the WHO, FDA, and European Food Safety Authority have concluded about microplastic harm
• What better microplastics research would actually look like
• Why the real lesson is about how we evaluate headlines, not just microplastics

Dr. Oliver Jones is Professor of Analytical Chemistry and Associate Dean of Biosciences and Food Technology at RMIT University in Melbourne. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI), he holds degrees from Imperial College London and Cambridge. He is one of only 118 scientists worldwide named to the IUPAC Periodic Table of Outstanding Younger Chemists. His research focuses on developing methods to measure environmental contaminants, including microplastics, and he was among the first scientists to publicly challenge the methodology of the viral "microplastics in the brain" study.

Follow Dr. Jones: @dr_oli_jones RMIT faculty page: rmit.edu.au/oliver-jones

Dr. Michelle Wong (Lab Muffin Beauty Science) first flagged the methodological concerns to us.

Hosted by Drs. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai Subscribe to The Synapse (free weekly newsletter): https://thebraindocs.com/newsletter Follow @TheBrainDocs on Instagram

Menopause hormone therapy and your brain: what the evidence says vs. what the algorithm is selling you.

Two-thirds of Alzheimer's patients are women. That statistic has fueled a social media narrative that hormone therapy can prevent dementia, but the current evidence doesn't support that claim. In this episode, Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai sit down with OBGYN Dr. Jen Gunter and neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay to separate the science from the soundbites.

Your Brain On... Menopause Hormone Therapy [Season 7, Episode 1]

Get our FREE NEURO Plan Brain Health Playbook: https://thebraindocs.com/playbook

In this episode:

• Why menopause hormone therapy is the gold standard for hot flashes and night sweats but not a proven tool for dementia prevention
• The Women's Health Initiative: what it actually found, how the press conference distorted the findings, and what we've learned since
• Why "bioidentical hormones" is a marketing term, not a medical one, and what that means for the products being sold to you
• How the hypothalamus drives vasomotor symptoms and why sleep disruption may explain much of the cognitive fog women experience at midlife
• The high placebo response rate with hormone therapy and why dose escalation can mask a missed diagnosis
• Why the simplistic narrative of "women get more Alzheimer's, so it must be menopause, so give hormones" falls apart under scrutiny
• How over-testing, unregulated lab panels, and wearable hormone data can create more anxiety than answers
• The case for perimenopause as a life stage, not a disease, and why medicalizing normal midlife stress upholds harmful structures
• What the aging brain actually gains: vocabulary, emotional processing, wisdom, complex problem-solving, and the capacity to hold nuance
• 7 evidence-based actions you can take this week for your brain health, no prescription required
• Why the FDA's removal of the black box warning on hormone therapy was released without context and what happened next on social media
• The new neurokinin receptor antagonists and why they could change how we study the relationship between hot flashes and brain health

00:00 Intro

01:09 Why the menopause hormone therapy conversation matters

07:10 Dr. Jen Gunter: the dangerous dichotomy around MHT

10:20 The Women's Health Initiative, revisited

16:25 Who is menopause hormone therapy actually for?

18:20 The placebo response nobody talks about

22:33 When does perimenopause actually start?

26:00 Does MHT actually prevent dementia?

29:11 "Bioidentical" is not a medical term

36:27 The problem with unregulated hormone testing

41:08 How to advocate for yourself at the doctor

44:36 New drugs that could change menopause research

47:17 The pTau217 study and what it means for women on MHT

52:20 Dr. Sarah McKay: what happens in your brain during menopause

59:34 The oversimplified estrogen-Alzheimer's story

1:04:13 When social media primes your symptoms

1:11:18 What the aging brain actually gains

1:21:35 Grandmothers rule the world!

1:25:43 What MHT is actually good for

1:26:28 7 things to do for your brain

Dr. Jen Gunter is an OBGYN, pain medicine physician, New York Times columnist, and bestselling author of The Menopause Manifesto, The Vagina Bible, and Blood. She writes The Vajenda on Substack and is one of the most prominent voices challenging misinformation in women's health.

Dr. Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist, science communicator, and author of The Women's Brain Book. She is the founder of The Neuroscience Academy and Think Brain training programs.

References: North American Menopause Society 2022 Hormone Therapy Guidelines: menopause.org Australasian Menopause Society: menopause.org.au The Vajenda (Substack): jenssubstack.com

Get our FREE NEURO Plan Brain Health Playbook: https://thebraindocs.com/playbook

Hosted by Drs. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai. Subscribe to The Synapse (free weekly newsletter): thebraindocs.com/newsletter Follow @TheBrainDocs on Instagram

Most people think dementia starts with memory loss. But for millions, it actually begins decades earlier: in the blood vessels.

Long before someone forgets a name or misses an appointment, the brain is being quietly damaged by high blood pressure, cholesterol imbalance, poor sleep, inflammation, and chronic stress, day after day, year after year.

This kind of damage doesn't look dramatic. There's no big stroke, no clear warning sign. It happens slowly and silently, which is why it's so often missed until it's too late.

But here's the good news: vascular dementia is one of the most preventable and manageable forms of cognitive decline. When caught early, lifestyle changes and medical interventions can help slow the onset and manage the effects.

In this episode, we explore:

• What vascular dementia and vascular cognitive impairment are, and how they differ from Alzheimer's disease
• Why most dementia cases involve both vascular damage and neurodegenerative pathology (mixed dementia)
• How blood vessel damage begins in childhood and accumulates silently for decades
• The role of high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, sleep disorders, and chronic stress in damaging brain vasculature
• Why slowed thinking, movement, and processing speed are hallmark signs of vascular cognitive decline
• The critical importance of the endothelium: the thin lining of blood vessels that controls brain health
• How lifestyle factors like nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management protect and repair vascular health
• Why managing blood pressure early is one of the most powerful interventions for long-term brain health (and why everyone should have a blood pressure monitor at home!)
• How vascular damage can be slowed, even in midlife
• Practical steps for prevention across the lifespan, from childhood through older adulthood

Our guest for this episode is DR. COLUMBUS BATISTE, a board-certified interventional cardiologist, an incredible science communicator, and author of 'Selfish: A Cardiologist's Guide to Healing a Broken Heart'. Dr. Batiste brings deep expertise on how cardiovascular health shapes brain health, and why protecting the endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels) is foundational to longevity. His work emphasizes that all roads to longevity are paved by the heart, and what's good for the heart is good for the brain!

'Your Brain On…' is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

SUPPORTED BY: NEURO World, a science-based brain health community designed to help you protect your brain long before problems begin. Learn more at https://neuro.world/

'Your Brain On… Vascular Dementia' • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 8

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LINKS

Dr. Columbus Batiste: https://drbatiste.com/

Instagram: @HeartHealthyDoc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drbatiste

——— FOLLOW US

Join NEURO World: https://neuro.world/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebraindocs

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thebraindocs

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REFERENCES

Core Definitions & Diagnostic Framework

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) - American Psychiatric Publishing

• Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia - https://doi.org/10.1161/STR.0b013e3182299496

• Classifying neurocognitive disorders: The DSM-5 approach - https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2014.181

Epidemiology & Public Health Burden

• Neuropathological diagnosis of vascular cognitive impairment and vascular dementia with implications for Alzheimer's disease - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-016-1571-z

• Vascular dementia - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00463-8

• Risk reduction of cognitive decline and dementia: WHO guidelines - WHO Press

Small Vessel Disease & Subcortical Vascular Dementia

• Small vessel disease: Mechanisms and clinical implications - https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30079-1

• Cerebral small vessel disease: From pathogenesis and clinical characteristics to therapeutic challenges - https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(10)70104-6

• The clinical importance of white matter hyperintensities on brain magnetic resonance imaging - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c3666

Mixed Dementia & Alzheimer–Vascular Overlap

• Mixed brain pathologies account for most dementia cases in community-dwelling older persons - https://doi.org/10.1212/01.wnl.0000271090.28148.24

• Early role of vascular dysregulation on late-onset Alzheimer's disease - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.04.009

• The pathobiology of vascular dementia - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2013.10.008

Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)

• Cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Alzheimer disease—one peptide, two pathways - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-019-0281-2

• Emerging concepts in sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy - https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awx047

Genetics, Inflammation, and Repair

• Apolipoprotein E controls cerebrovascular integrity via cyclophilin A - https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11087

• TREM2—A key player in microglial biology and Alzheimer disease - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-018-0072-1

Prevention & Vascular Risk Factors

• Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6

• Lifestyle interventions to prevent cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer disease - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-018-0070-3

Further Reading

• The role of vascular risk factors in Alzheimer's disease - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-021-00530-4

Cold plunges are everywhere, and the way people talk about them, you'd think they're a miracle cure for your brain, body, and soul.

But in an age of algorithm-fueled evangelism, when a ritual becomes this ubiquitous and loud, we have to ask: how much of the buzz is backed by science… and how much is just marketing?

In this episode, we explore the neuroscience of cold exposure: what's real, what's overstated, and why this "discomfort" has become a billion-dollar industry.

We discuss:

• Why cold plunges went viral, and how wellness movements often devolve into identity-driven cultures
• The difference between cold exposure itself and the monetized "cold plunge movement"
• What constitutes a "cult" (and how pseudoscience forms around partial truths)
• The real physiological cold shock response
• Why the mental "high" after a plunge doesn't automatically equal long-term brain benefit
• The cardiovascular risks that rarely get discussed, especially for people with underlying heart disease
• What the research suggests about soreness, pain reduction, and muscle growth (including why cold immersion can blunt hypertrophy)
• The real story behind brown fat
• Who should avoid cold plunges altogether (asthma, arrhythmias, coronary disease, vascular conditions)

Joining us for this conversation is investigative journalist and bestselling author Scott Carney (What Doesn't Kill Us, The Wedge), who has spent years inside the cold exposure world, first as a skeptic, then as a believer, and eventually as a critic of the culture that formed around it. His work reveals what happens when discomfort becomes identity, and when unfounded "social media science" outruns real science.

Your Brain On... is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: neuroworldretreat.com

Your Brain On... Cold Plunges • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 7

REFERENCES

Cold Water Immersion, Muscle Adaptation, and Recovery

Roberts, L. A., Raastad, T., Markworth, J. F., Figueiredo, V. C., Egner, I. M., Shield, A., Cameron-Smith, D., Coombes, J. S., & Peake, J. M. (2015). Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training. Journal of Physiology, 593(18), 4285–4301. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP270570

Bleakley, C. M., McDonough, S. M., & MacAuley, D. C. (2004). The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 32(1), 251–261. https://doi.org/10.1177/0363546503260757

Leeder, J., Gissane, C., van Someren, K., Gregson, W., & Howatson, G. (2012). Cold water immersion and recovery from strenuous exercise: A meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 46(4), 233–240. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2011-090061

White, G. E., & Wells, G. D. (2013). Cold-water immersion and other forms of cryotherapy: Physiological changes potentially affecting recovery from high-intensity exercise. Sports Medicine, 43(8), 695–706. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-013-0055-8

Kellmann, M., Bertollo, M., Bosquet, L., Brink, M., Coutts, A. J., Duffield, R., Erlacher, D., Halson, S. L., Hecksteden, A., Heidari, J., Kölling, S., Meyer, T., Mujika, I., Robazza, C., Skorski, S., Venter, R., & Beckmann, J. (2018). Recovery and performance in sport: Consensus statement. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 13(2), 240–245. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2017-0759

Inflammation, Pain, and Perceived Recovery

Hohenauer, E., Taeymans, J., Baeyens, J. P., Clarys, P., & Clijsen, R. (2015). The effect of post-exercise cryotherapy on recovery characteristics: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 10(9), e0139028. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139028

Costello, J. T., Culligan, K., Selfe, J., & Donnelly, A. E. (2012). Muscle, skin and core temperature after –110°C cold air and 8°C water treatment. PLoS ONE, 7(11), e48190. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048190

Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) – Human Imaging & Metabolism

van Marken Lichtenbelt, W. D., Vanhommerig, J. W., Smulders, N. M., Drossaerts, J. M., Kemerink, G. J., Bouvy, N. D., Schrauwen, P., & Teule, G. J. (2009). Cold-activated brown adipose tissue in healthy men. New England Journal of Medicine, 360(15), 1500–1508. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0808718

Virtanen, K. A., Lidell, M. E., Orava, J., Heglind, M., Westergren, R., Niemi, T., Taittonen, M., Laine, J., Savisto, N. J., Enerbäck, S., & Nuutila, P. (2009). Functional brown adipose tissue in healthy adults. New England Journal of Medicine, 360(15), 1518–1525. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa0808949

Betz, M. J., & Enerbäck, S. (2015). Human brown adipose tissue: What we have learned so far. Diabetes, 64(7), 2352–2360. https://doi.org/10.2337/db15-0146

Autonomic Nervous System, HRV, and Cold Exposure

Mourot, L., Bouhaddi, M., Regnard, J., Tordi, N., & Rouillon, J. D. (2008). Cardiac autonomic control during short-term exposure to cold water in humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 104(3), 541–547. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-008-0810-3

Janský, L., Pospíšilová, D., Honzová, S., Uličný, B., Šrámek, P., Zeman, V., & Kamínková, J. (1996). Immune system of cold-exposed and cold-adapted humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 72(5–6), 445–450. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00242276

Cardiovascular Stress and Cold Shock

Tipton, M. J., Collier, N., Massey, H., Corbett, J., & Harper, M. (2017). Cold water immersion: Kill or cure? Experimental Physiology, 102(11), 1335–1355. https://doi.org/10.1113/EP086283

Tipton, M. J., & Bradford, C. (2014). Cold water immersion and cold shock response. Extreme Physiology & Medicine, 3(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-7648-3-7

Whole-Body Cryotherapy (Distinct From Cold Plunges)

Costello, J. T., Baker, P. R., Minett, G. M., Bieuzen, F., Stewart, I. B., & Bleakley, C. (2015). Whole-body cryotherapy (extreme cold air exposure) for preventing and treating muscle soreness after exercise in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015(9), CD010789. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010789.pub2

LINKS

Scott Carney's website: https://www.scottcarney.com/

FOLLOW US

Join NEURO World: https://neuro.world/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebraindocs YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thebraindocs More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Around the start of 2026, a study sparked viral headlines claiming that cheese could reduce dementia risk.

But... nutrition science almost never works like this. One study can't "prove" a food is protective or harmful, and viral health claims often miss the most important details of research: how the data was gathered, what was actually measured, what variables were controlled for, and what it means in real life.

In this episode, we unpack what the 'viral cheese study' (PMID: 41406402) actually found, what it DOESN'T mean, and why critical thinking around nutrition headlines matters more than ever.

We discuss:

• Why viral food headlines are so persuasive (and so often misleading)

• What the cheese study REALLY reported

• The difference between correlation and causation in nutrition research

• Why long-term dietary recall data can be unreliable

• How bias (including our personal food preferences) shapes interpretation of research

• What "show me the data" really means in a world of clickbait science

• How to interpret food and brain health studies without falling into extremes

We also speak to Emily Sonestedt, research group leader and associate professor at Lund University, and one of the authors of the viral study.

"Your Brain On..." is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: https://www.neuroworldretreat.com/

'Your Brain On... Cheese' • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 6

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LINKS

The study, 'High- and Low-Fat Dairy Consumption and Long-Term Risk of Dementia: Evidence From a 25-Year Prospective Cohort Study': https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41406402/

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FOLLOW US

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More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Chemotherapy saves lives. But for millions, it also comes with side effects of cognitive fog, memory lapses, slowed thinking, and emotional flattening.

In the past, 'chemo brain' has sometimes been dismissed as anecdotal. But, as science has evolved, we've come to understand the very real shifts in attention, memory, processing speed, and emotional regulation underpinning the impairment.

In this episode, we break down what's happening in the brain during treatment, why these changes arise, and how healthier lifestyle choices can support our recovery.

In this episode, we explore:

• What 'chemo brain' really is (and why chemotherapy itself isn't the only thing contributing to it) • How inflammation, hormonal shifts, anesthesia, sleep disruption, and chronic stress impact cognition during cancer • The latest research on structural and functional brain changes during treatment • Why many cognitive effects are temporary (and how neuroplasticity supports recovery) • How cognitive fog intersects with identity loss and grief • The role of nutrition in supporting clarity, energy, memory, and mood during chemotherapy • How to navigate food fears, misinformation, and "miracle cancer diets" • The importance of gentle movement, sleep consistency, and stress management • How patients can advocate for themselves (including tips on what to discuss with their care team)

Bringing their perspectives and expertise to this episode are two wonderful guests:

• DR. LIZ O'RIORDAN: retired breast surgeon, author, and three-time breast cancer survivor, whose personal and clinical experience offers a rare, deeply human insight into cancer-related cognitive change. • NICHOLE ANDREWS, RDN: oncology dietitian, educator, and advocate for evidence-based, fear-free nutrition during and after cancer treatment.

"Your Brain On..." is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: https://www.neuroworldretreat.com/

'Your Brain On... Parkinson's' • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 5

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LINKS

Dr. Liz O'Riordan: Website: https://liz.oriordan.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oriordanliz/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_t0jGeR8M4vCPSb68itjRQ

Nichole Andrews, RDN: Website: https://theoncologydietitian.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oncology.nutrition.rd/

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FOLLOW US

Join NEURO World: https://neuro.world/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebraindocs YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thebraindocs More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

From 18th century London to the promise of a global cure: the 200-year history of Parkinson's disease.

To mark the release of our 'Ask the MD' conversation with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and to welcome a new influx of listeners, we're sharing one of our very first episodes, first aired in August 2024.

Watch our full 'Ask the MD' interview, focused on lifestyle strategies for boosting brain health, on the foundation's website: https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/lifestyle-strategies-boost-brain-health-ask-md-video

Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative disorder most commonly characterized by tremors and other motor symptoms, is so complex, many medical professionals are starting to classify it as a group of diseases, rather than a single disease.

In this episode, we explain those complexities, including:

• The motor symptoms (e.g. cogwheel rigidity, bradykinesia) and non-motor symptoms (e.g. depression, sleep disorders)

• How the industrial revolution may have brought about environmental factors which contribute to Parkinson's

• The differences and similarities between Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's

• How Parkinson's manifests in our brains

• Why one nurse was able to detect Parkinson's through smell

• The neurogenetics of Parkinson's, and the ethical quandaries of evolving genetic technology

• Why lifestyle — nutrition, exercise, etc. — is so key to preventing and managing Parkinson's

Joining us for this extensive conversation are three incredible guests:

• Dr. Rachel Dolhun, Senior Vice President of Medical Communications at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

• Dr. Michael Okun, evolutionary biologist, movement disorders specialist, and Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases

• Dr. Matthew Farrer, neurogenetics expert and Professor Of Neurology at the University of Florida

'Your Brain On' is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: https://www.neuroworldretreat.com/

'Your Brain On... Parkinson's' • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 4 (SEASON 3 REUPLOAD)

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LINKS

Dr. Rachel Dolhun:

At the Michael J. Fox Foundation: https://www.michaeljfox.org/bio/rachel-dolhun-md-dipablm

'Ask the MD' series: https://www.michaeljfox.org/ask-md

The Michael J. Fox Foundation on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaeljfoxfoundation/videos

Dr. Michael Okun:

At the University of Florida: https://neurology.ufl.edu/profile/okun-michael/

The book 'Ending Parkinson's Disease': https://endingpd.org/

The Norman Fixel Institute: https://fixel.ufhealth.org/

Dr. Matthew Farrer:

At the University of Florida: https://neurology.ufl.edu/profile/farrer-matthew/

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References:

1. Bloem, B. R., Okun, M. S., & Klein, C. (2021). Parkinson's disease. The Lancet, 397(10291), 2284-2303.

2. Morris, H. R., Spillantini, M. G., Sue, C. M., & Williams-Gray, C. H. (2024). The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The Lancet, 403(10423), 293-304.

3. Dorsey, E., Sherer, T., Okun, M. S., & Bloem, B. R. (2018). The emerging evidence of the Parkinson pandemic. Journal of Parkinson's disease, 8(s1), S3-S8.

4. Dorsey, E. R., Okun, M. S., & Tanner, C. M. (2021). Bad Air and Parkinson Disease—The Fog May Be Lifting. JAMA neurology, 78(7), 793-795.

5. Tsalenchuk, M., Gentleman, S. M., & Marzi, S. J. (2023). Linking environmental risk factors with epigenetic mechanisms in Parkinson's disease. npj Parkinson's Disease, 9(1), 123.

6. Reynoso, A., Torricelli, R., Jacobs, B. M., Shi, J., Aslibekyan, S., Norcliffe‐Kaufmann, L., ... & Heilbron, K. (2024). Gene–Environment Interactions for Parkinson's Disease. Annals of Neurology, 95(4), 677-687.

7. Golsorkhi, M., Sherzai, A., & Dashtipour, K. The Influence of Lifestyle on Parkinson's Disease Management. In Lifestyle Medicine, Fourth Edition (pp. 919-924). CRC Press.

8. Sherzai, A. Z., Tagliati, M., Park, K., Pezeshkian, S., & Sherzai, D. (2016). Micronutrients and risk of Parkinson's disease: a systematic review. Gerontology and geriatric medicine, 2, 2333721416644286.

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Website: TheBrainDocs.com

More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

Carnivorous diets have been woven into our history for millennia, but, with nutrition science advancing at an unprecedented pace over the past century... do we really still need to be eating meat?

We live in a time of rising chronic disease, new longevity research, and a growing awareness of how our food choices shape our brain and our planet.

We're also constantly exposed to 'nutrition tribalism': social media communicators and influencers building identities (and livelihoods) around polarizing dietary debates.

It's a lot to navigate. So, we're cutting straight to the data in this episode.

Plus: we're pulling on the work and research we've done in many different communities to explore how going plant-based can be as much a cultural or logistical hurdle as a health-driven or ethics-based choice.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Whether protein deficiency is a realistic concern

• Protein myths: plant vs. animal

• What the actual protein science says (and why most Americans already get more than enough)

• The role of saturated fat, fiber, and the microbiome

• Processed vs. unprocessed meat — what matters most

• How identity, culture, and family can make going plant-based challenging

• How cooking method changes risk (yes, barbecue lovers… we go there)

• Meat alternatives: healthful option or "ultra-processed trap"?

• Practical, non-judgmental guidance for plant-forward or omnivorous eaters

To give this divisive matter the nuance it deserves, we welcome three of the most authoritative voices in this space:

DR. CHRISTOPHER GARDNER: the Stanford nutrition scientist behind landmark diet trials (including DIETFITS).

DR. ADRIAN CHAVEZ: a nutrition researcher, educator, and consultant, who previously joined us for 'Your Brain On... Supplements'.

DR. MATTHEW NAGRA: a nutritionist and science communicator, who you might remember from 'Your Brain On... Protein'.

This is... Your Brain On Eating Meat.

SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: https://www.neuroworldretreat.com/

'Your Brain On' is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

'Your Brain On... Eating Meat' • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 3

LINKS

Dr. Christopher Gardner

Dr. Christopher Gardner at Stanford: https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/christopher-gardner

Dr. Christopher Gardner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgardnerphd

Dr. Adrian Chavez

Dr. Adrian Chavez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.adrian.chavez

Dr. Adrian Chavez's website: https://www.dradrianchavez.com/

Dr. Adrian Chavez's Podcast: https://www.thenutritionsciencepodcast.com/

Dr. Matt Nagra

Dr. Matt Nagra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.matthewnagra

Dr. Matt Nagra's website: https://drmatthewnagra.com/

Everyone eats. It's the one thing we all have in common. And yet, nutrition has become one of the most confusing, divisive, and misunderstood sciences in modern life.

Low-fat. High-fat. Keto. Vegan. Paleo. Superfoods. For every study, there's a headline that seems to say the opposite.

In this episode, we turn to one of the most trusted voices in nutrition research to cut through the noise: Dr. Walter Willett, MD, DrPH.

Dr. Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has spent more than four decades studying how what we eat affects our health, longevity, and brain function. His work has helped reshape dietary guidelines around the world, replacing fear and fads with clarity and evidence.

Together, we unpack what the science really says about diet and the brain: how food choices shape inflammation, cognition, and long-term disease risk, and what practical lessons decades of data can teach us about eating for life and longevity.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• How nutrition became so confusing (and what the data actually shows) • Why the quality of fat matters more than the amount • How refined carbohydrates fuel inflammation, insulin resistance, and brain fog • The power of fiber and the microbiome for mood and memory • Why plant-based proteins come out ahead for health and sustainability • How global dietary guidelines are changing (and what's still misunderstood) • The intersection of nutrition, planetary health, and human wellbeing

Dr. Walter Willett has authored over 2,000 scientific papers and several landmark books, including 'Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy'.

This is... Your Brain On Nutrition.

SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: https://www.neuroworldretreat.com/

'Your Brain On' is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.

'Your Brain On... Nutrition' • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 2

LINKS

Dr. Walter Willett at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/walter-c-willett/

Dr. Willett's book, 'Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy': https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5579.Eat_Drink_and_Be_Healthy

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