Grain Brain

The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar - Your Brain's Silent Killers

By: David Perlmutter, Kristin Loberg

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

The devastating truth about the effects of wheat, sugar, and carbs on the brain, with a 30-day plan to achieve optimum health.

Renowned neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, blows the lid off a topic that's been buried in medical literature for far too long: carbs are destroying your brain. And not just unhealthy carbs, but even healthy ones like whole grains can cause dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, and much more. Dr. Perlmutter explains what happens when the brain encounters common ingredients in your daily bread and fruit bowls, why your brain thrives on fat and cholesterol, and how you can spur the growth of new brain cells at any age.

He offers an in-depth look at how we can take control of our "smart genes" through specific dietary choices and lifestyle habits, demonstrating how to remedy our most feared maladies without drugs. With a revolutionary 30-day plan, Grain Brain teaches us how we can reprogram our genetic destiny for the better.

Please note that there are many references in this audiobook to information discussed in Chapter 10. Chapter 10 has been recorded in its entirety on this audiobook and all information contained in this chapter can be listened to in the recording.

©2013 David Perlmutter (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Dr. Perlmutter provides sound advice, supported by the latest and most well respected medical research." (Russell. B. Roth, MD, Past President, American Medical Association)

"Dr. Perlmutter is the leading integrative medicine neurologist in North America today. His ability to fully integrate conventional medicine diagnosis and treatment with the latest innovations in nutritional and environmental medicine is phenomenal. As a teacher and clinician, he has fundamentally changed how physicians and patients think about neurological degeneration and, happily, regeneration." (Joseph Pizzorno, MD, coauthor of Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine)

"A provocative, eye-opening scientific account of how diet profoundly influences nerve health and brain function. Grain Brain explains how the American diet rich in gluten and inflammatory foods is linked to neurological conditions. Dr. Perlmutter outlines a blueprint for optimal health and a more resilient brain through proper nutrition and lifestyle. Grain Brain is a must-read!" (Gerard E. Mullin, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and author of The Inside Tract: Your Good Gut Guide to Great Digestive Health)

As more people know this, less people will be sick

What did you love best about Grain Brain?

The first half was heavy on medical tests and studies and biological information. Such as what certain foods affect what in the body. That laid out the problem, with enough real life cases the doctor had helped to make it all relevant.

The second half was What To Do About It. What to eat, what not to eat, more about why.

What did you like best about this story?

Problem . . . Solution

Which character – as performed by Peter Ganim – was your favorite?

This is a non-fiction medical/nutritional health book. I enjoy books read by the author, and Peter Ganim has a nice voice, but there were a few places where it was a little over-the-top with the gravelly paternalistic authoritarian tone. Maybe a little more friendly tone would be nice. Listen to William Shatner or Tom Campbell for built-in friendliness.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I'm going to buy this book as a hardcopy for easier reference to go back to find certain points made. And, this will be a great gift for people I care about. Especially for anyone I may end up putting a diaper on in their old age. Better that they eat right now and save us all from that fate!

A must read

Very well written and narrated. A comprehensive account of the negative impact of wheat and the positive impact of exercise and sleep on out body.

Great Read

For a middle aged guy like myself battling adding pounds each year, I found this a very interesting read.

Sadly, this will be dismissed out-of-hand by many

Dr. Perlmutter is not the first MD, scientist, or nutritionist to point out that in recent generations our diet has changed drastically and much too quickly for our biochemistry to evolve in concert. He's not the first to point out a direct correlation between the increase in carbs in our diet and the increase in diabetes. He is not the first to demonize gluten, a protein found in many of the grains that form the basis of our (American) diet. But Dr. Perlmutter, a practicing neurologist, has written a great book here, managing to avoid the hysteria of the true believer while still delivering a shocking litany of deleterious effects produced by eating grains, including neurological diseases like dementia. He makes frequent reference to studies from renowned universities and med schools, and research published in respected medical journals, as well as discussing (with their consent) his own patients. There is a fair amount of biochemistry detailed in one section of the book, but I think if a reader is overwhelmed or disinterested, skipping this part would not affect the take-away message, which is: buck the food-industrial complex, break your carb addiction, let eating good fats keep you healthy. And you stay slim too, a nice side effect. I bet you will find your mouth agape many times as you listen to this fascinating book.

Informative and convincing

When you listen to this book it’s hard not to fall and hook line and sinker because it’s written in a way that makes the argument very very very convincing. It seems that his protocol may be difficult to follow, and I didn’t love that he makes it seem easy but I understand the message. I’m going to have to do my homework to take in what some of the naysayers say and process why. But I believe adopting some of what he suggests makes a lot of sense for me and I intend to put much of what I learned into practice. I am already doing the 80/20 rule but this will take it to a whole other level. I am definitely glad to have read this and will be looking at that PDF shortly and I’m sure I will be referring back to it in the future.

Life Changing Book!

For a very long time, I have been in search of information that makes sense and makes me feel healthy. The Grain Brain is that book! After only a few weeks of low-carb, high-fat, and gluten-free, I feel great! I have no cravings. Also, I have told my siblings since after using Statins for awhile, they are now on antidepressants (all 3 of them!). Grain Brain explains this quite clearly! I am going to listen to the BrainMaker next. Thank-you, Dr Perlmutter!

Great book

We will change our life style because now we educated. We learned how to live longer with clear mind.
Thank you so much.

Confusión

Should we worry about very high Cholesterol
While on recommended diet. Could a person have a heart attack after a high fat meal?
Otherwise everything is extremely interesting.
Hope there is more research instead of only
Anecdotal cases.
Thanks, Ricardo A. Riojas, MD
Retired pediatrician

The reader

The readers voice was a tad annoying to listen to. But other than that, the book is amazing!

Brilliant Story Telling of Your Brain Health

Dr. David Perlmutter brings forth an interesting narrative while providing credible sources for his findings in the grain brain connection.