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)

many times to listen to implement .

contents are easy to understand ,deep interest is required by individual to change once own life to live n better way from inside.

EVERYONE WITH A BODY & BRAIN NEEDS TO READ!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I want all my family and friends to read this and follow the protocol. There is so much valuable information, I will read again to pick up what I missed the first time! Thank you Dr. Perlmutter for sharing your knowledge and expertise.

a must read for everyone!

health is not a suggestion, everyone should learn about it and apply the knowledge! this is a great book for expanding that knowledge.

I don't agree with the author, but worth the read

Bottom-line: I was glad I read it. Despite the fact that I don't agree fully with celebrity doctor David Perlmutter's main theme, "carbs are bad", the book offers so much other valuable information, time was well spent.
The book makes a very strong case that EVERYONE should get tested for gluten sensitivity. In many cases, it goes undetected.
Great.
Now the big question:
how about those that do not suffer from such gluten sensitivity?
Here is where the author becomes foggy. Perlmutter seems to infer that food that contain gluten is bad for everyone, but not in a very clear way. He has plenty of references to seemingly credible research that shows gluten causes various issues for people with sensitivity, but the book lacks strong research references that show that gluten is bad for everyone.
Second question:
Are all carbohydrates, including non-gluten food like rice also bad for our body?
In other words, are all carbohydrates bad for normal people who does NOT suffer from diabetes or gluten sensitivity?
He quickly goes to Part 3 of the book, which is his recommended meal plan. He does not specify that this meal plan is only for people who have gluten sensitivity. He suggests his plan is good for everyone. Since his plan minimizes all carbs, his answer to my second question is YES, we should all avoid all carbs.
I have a problem with this, especially after consuming "Mindspan Diet" by Preston Estep PhD. Mindspan makes a good point, that when we study the populations of the world that has the healthiest brains, places like Okinawa in Japan and Mediterranean Italy and France, these Mindspan elites' diet is heavy on refined carbs. In the case of Italy, France, and Costa Rica, their stable food is gluten carbs. Grain Brain seems to ignore this fact.
Despite such issue I found, Grain Brain has so much valuable information, I was glad I read it. He explains many important research results from respectable scientists around the world. I really liked Chapter 8, where he explains in depth the value in running to maintain a healthy body and mind. Benefits from routine running out performs any medicine.

Excellent resource and great performance!

We have been cutting our carbohydrates back for quite a while now and this book made it clear why we need to keep reducing them. The principles are roughly the same as other books we have been studying on diet and aging: eliminate refined carbohydrates, reduce total carbohydrates and eat only natural ones, moderate protein, increase healthy fats, exercise, fast, and then a list of supplements is included. We listened to this book on a long drive and actually stopped on our way back and bought all of the supplements we did not already have. The list of supplements and why they are important was a key difference over other books on diet but the focus of this book was on brain health. Some key myths about the brain were also dispelled including the one I have heard my entire life - that we cannot replace brain cells. Studies sited in the book over the last twenty years or so show that humans can grow new brain cells and the book explains that the key is to incorporate them into new neural pathways to keep the alive. The number of diseases that are tied to carbohydrate consumption is staggering. The performance was excellent too with just the right of dryness at times and snark at other times. This book is well worth listening to more than once.

great if you are trying to fall asleep

Info presented is fine, but the narration is like the most boring lecture you could ever attend. Monotonous. I kept falling asleep. And I listen at work, at a STANDING desk. Can't finish it.

Narrator sounds like an infomercial

The book was very interesting and full of great information. The narrator was competent, but his delivery made him sound like an infomercial, so I constantly felt like I was listening to a snake-oil salesman! Poor choice for a science-based book on health.

An absolute must read

Her is the why behind all your what’s. Before starting any regiment, diet or fitness program you need to read this.

I love bread and now I want to leave it

After reading Dr. Sinclair's book about aging, this became the perfect pairing to my new approach to fasting and modifying my diet. This book makes a lot of sense to me. I love bread and Dr. Perlmutter is making it easy for me to leave it. My body knew it all along, it's not good for me. Thank you for such a great book, Dr. Perlmutter.

A Must Read Book For Brain Health

This book is the perfect companion to Dr Perlmutter's book Brain Maker, one of my favorite recent health titles. Grain Brain carefully and clearly presents the reasons why everyone needs to make drastic and life altering changes to the way we view food and illness. The cause and effect link that Dr Perlmutter proposes undoes long held beliefs in the health care world about the relationship between diet and disease. Important life altering information is presented which will propel most readers into permanent dietary change. If you are looking for a way to change the way you eat and feel Grain Brain is the perfect place to start. Excellent and fantastic information.