Dr. David Perlmutter Answers: Why I Wrote Brain Maker

Ahead of the release of Brain Maker, there’s an important question I want to answer: why did I write this book?

Jeanne

Looking forward to receiving my preordered copy tomorrow!
Question: my husband is dealing with dementia and is choking more often on water, the commercial thickeners have modified food starch, xanthan gum, etc…those are no-no’s on the grain brain diet right? Can you recommend alternative solutions for water consumption in dysphagia? Many thanks.
Dawn Auletta

my book will arrive by may 1st and I can not wait to get into it.
I am s student of the Institute for integrative nutrition and I want to research as much information as I can to help my clients with digestive issues live healthier and happier lives.
Thank you for all you do !!
- David Perlmutter
  
  Wishing you the best of luck on your journey Dawn.
  - ri
    
    wooohooo picked up my copy yesterday from the bookstore it was already a bestseller and 40% off! cant wait to begin reading it. Thank you for the work you do Dr Perlmutter im sure your family is very proud of you!
  - dawn-a
    
    thank you !
Beata

I just started to read the book. It is excellent, informative and life saving. I think everyone should read it. I am passing the quotes from this book
to my family members and friends as I read it.
Thank you, Dr. Perlmutter for your excellent work.
- David Perlmutter
  
  Thanks for those kind words Beata. Glad to know you are learning and enjoying!
Lynn Dell

Thank you! I am going to give my second copy to a special man, who is a son of one of my friends. He has suffered most of his life with severe stomach pains, probably some microbial imbalance etiology, for when he started to make his own kombucha, his GI and joint pain symptoms went away. He taught me how to make my own kombucha. Thank you again!
- David Perlmutter
  
  Always so thoughtful Lynn.
  - Barbara Anderson
    
    I have just received the three copies of your new book (two for my children, one for myself) that I pre-ordered and cannot wait to begin reading it. Thank you so much for being the pioneer you are in the field of modern medicine!!!!!! Barbara Anderson
Tom

About a third of the way through. Love it. I hope this will provide the motivation I need to take care of my health. Just ordered the CD version so I can listen to it in my car.
Ervin

Dr. Perlmutter. I’m a physician (internal med, pulmomary, and critical care). I’ve read many different books on nutrition and have practiced different diets myself since my early 20’s. I just started your book after listening to podcast on J. Moore’s low carb show. What can you say about Dr. John McDougall’s commentary “The Smoke and Mirrors Behind Wheat Belly and Grain Brain”? http://www.forksoverknives.com/the-smoke-and-mirrors-behind-wheat-belly-and-grain-brain/
- TechnoTriticale
  
  re: What can you say about Dr. John McDougall …
  
  Vegan zealot not particularly interested in data that can’t be twisted to support his agenda?
  
  http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/09/22/forks-over-knives-is-the-science-legit-a-review-and-critique/
  
  Where does that leave a doctor who realizes the consensus diet is a disaster? Personally try the Grain Brain approach and see what happens. Have some patients try it (that’s how Dr. Davis stumbled into the discovery).
  
  This is a results vs. dogma moment in history.
TechnoTriticale

One issue with probiotic therapy seems to be that re-colonization is not assured with typical oral products (apparently irrespective of enteric coatings – the bugs make to the lower, and function, but don’t get established).

FMT evidently avoids this problem. Are the probiotic enemas mentioned in your new book also thought to be effective on the recolonization issue?
barbara carroll

Thank you Dr. Perlmutter for your dedication to improving our health and answering so many questions we all consider. I picked up “Brain Maker” yesterday and last evening I read it cover to cover (almost) and it was just what I needed. I have been struggling lately and my old habits have started to appear. I needed your words and direction to re-focus my efforts. You truly are an example of a physician practising evidence based medicine. Thanks for all your hard work on this amazing book and your efforts to educate us all.
francine

I’m half way through Brain Maker and have gifted it to a friend. Now that Empowering Nutrients is no longer available, can you please recommend another good source of supplements.
Plants with pesco

The growing body of research on the gut biome will likely continue to shed light on our recent epidemic health woes- diabesity, mood disorders, AD etc…

Interesting new developments on Alzheimer’s not only include gut heath but hypoperfusion, breakdown of BBB and hypervascularity in brain.

The angiogenesis Foundation has some powerful food choices that can possibly prevent pathological angiogenesis in AD, decrease inflammation and improve gut flora all at the same time: blueberries, asparagus, artichokes, black rice, oatmeal, quinoa, chickpeas, flax, turmeric, ginger, green and black tea, garlic, onions, mushrooms, seafood etc… Just to name a few. Check out the Angiogenesis Foundation websites:

http://www.angio.org or google eat to beat for full food list
Plants with pesco

I loved your comment on p.12 – no pharmaceutical approach can come anywhere close to a dietary prescription for managing your intestinal bacteria.

Could not agree more. Successful traditional diets include fermented (probiotic) foods along with generous amounts of insoluble and soluble fibers from plant foods to feed the good bacteria. (They do not rely on fiber supplements). They also include antibacterial spices that eliminate the bad bacteria without destroying the good: garlic, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, pepper, cumin, mint…

The countries with lowest AD eat lots of these good spices and lots of plant fiber to feed the good bacteria, at least partially supplied with probiotic foods and getting a little dirty in the garden etc…. They also avoid heavy antibiotic consumption in meat, dairy and egg supply by 1) being plant-based and 2) not getting meat from factory farming practices.
Rainbowrider

I am curious. My husband, at 48, had a complete esophagectomy (in 2010) and our amazing surgeon, Dr. Carmine Simone reconstructed his stomach to create a replacement esophagus. He has been suffering with depression ever since. Before the surgery I began reading about the stomach-brain and was concerned and wondered what would be compromised as a result of this surgery? If his body is even capable of uptaking enough of the right nutrients? I suspect that something essential has been removed or repositioned that now blocks the normal brain-nutrient uptake process.

It is still amazing to me that our entire life shifted as a result of taking the focus off of food. Normal daily life, social gatherings, celebrations, work functions, just for fun and in the sheer joy of cooking, has never been the same. After his healing, he was able to find a new normal with eating but it is like the joy maker in his brain was removed. At this moment, he is being tested for diabetes so now there’s a new layer of things happening within his system that indicate an imbalance. Normal stomachs are one thing, but what about his?

I am buying your book and look forward to your insight. If there is anything that you can offer that is not addressed in the book, I would be grateful to hear it.

Thanks for your commitment to our health.
- Rainbowrider
  
  Is there an etiquette that makes a “comment” worthy of responding? I am still hopeful.
Owen

What do you know about the American Gut project to analyze our microbiome? Just finished your book and loved it!
joe

why did i write this book? to make another s–t-load of money selling pixie dust and wildly preposterous ideas and supplements more crap pun intended
- Jim Thames
  
  Joe, sounds like your brain may already be fried. Ha!
Dean Bowen

Great book that I am sharing with a lot of people. But I have some observations and questions. While fecal transplants and probiotics certainly can build up the “good bacteria”, might not T4 lytic bacteriophages specific for certain “bad bacteria” make both effective diagnostic tools, but effective therapy as well?
Inglath Cooper

Just finished listening to the audible version of Brain Maker. Learned tons, plan to implement much of it into my daily health plan. With the right information, we can make deliberate attempts to give our bodies what they need. Thank you for writing Brain Maker!
- David Perlmutter
  
  Here’s to making today Day One Inglath!
  - Inglath Cooper
    
    Already had my Bio K fermented probiotic and green smoothie! 🙂
Bill

Enjoyed Brain Maker very much . Not to nitpick, but I believe there’s an oversight in the recipe section, specifically in regard to Kombucha. It says to “see Resources” but I could find no such section in the book.
Michael Turi

I have a very large protruding stomach , people think I drink a lot of beer and I don’t at all. As soon as I eat something that is in the form of bad carbs like bread etc even whole wheat I get very bloated. I got checked for gluten intolerance but I was negative. Could it still be that I have an allergic reaction? I’m always in pain with aches. Not clear headed. What do you all think? Thanks
rsworden

I bought the Kindle version and finished it. Now I’d like to read some of the studies referenced in the notes. Unfortunately (at least in the iPad version of the Kindle app) the URLs are just text, not hyperlinks. Were hyperlinks not possible in the Kindle version, or was this an editorial choice?

Thanks.
- David Perlmutter
  
  Not sure on that, would be a question for my publisher. However, a collection of studies referenced in Brain Maker can be found here: http://www.drperlmutter.com/brain-maker/
  - rsworden
    
    Well, kind of… those are selected abstracts. It would really be helpful if the full Notes section, including the hyperlinks, could be made available on line, or made more friendly in the eBook format. The iPad and Mac versions of the Kindle app limit how much text can be copied, and embed spaces (and your copyright notice) in everything that is copied-pasted to a browser. So it makes it very difficult to follow up and read those references. Some of us scientific-types really do read the studies so we can be even more informed.
    
    Thanks.
    - David Perlmutter
      
      Unfortunately, that is an industry-standard practice for scholarly journals.
Gilles Arbour

Your best work so far! Gathering all of this recent cutting edge information about the relationship between our microbiome and our mental health in one single book is fantastic. Thank you!
- David Perlmutter
  
  Thanks for that feedback Gilles, and for being a member of this community.
Denise Bester

Just on page 89 of Brain Maker…….fascinating. So glad you are in the U.S. as when Andrew Wakefield suggested that there should be further investigation into the link between measles virus in the gut and the effect on the brain he was pilloried in the UK. Everything I have read so far makes so much sense. Thank you.
- David Perlmutter
  
  Hope you find the next 89 pages (and more) as informative!
David W. Jarvis

Dr Purlmutter; I have your new book but I cannot seem to find the description of the bad contents in the colon. Please.
Jozef

Hello David,

I’m a big fan, started with grain brain and now reading brain maker.

I’d like to know what is your view on soylent http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/25/technology/in-busy-silicon-valley-protein-powder-is-in-demand.html?_r=1

Based on what I read this is not the best way to grow the good bacteria and it could be quite dangerous in the long term. What is your view?
Eliana

Hi Dr. Perlmutter,
I just finished listening to Brain Maker on CD version. Learned a lot about the biome, very exciting, thank you. I am puzzled by the references to a PDF, as there was no PDF included with my CD set. Am I missing something?
Thank you,
Eliana
Joy

I am in the middle of reading this book and it is very eye opening! I have two identical twin severely autistic sisters and two autistic cousins. My parents waited five years to have me as they were afraid to have more kids and back in 1981 not much was known on autism. I have always just heard that it is hereditary, but now I see there are choices I can make to give my children a healthy biome and at least control the environmental factors that cause autism. I have already told my family that they have to read this book. Thank you for writing!
Maheswari

Dr. Perlmutter, what is the best diet for healing leaky gut or intestinal permeability? There are so many conflicting options, GAPS, Paleo, SCD.
Would it be beneficial for me to start with probiotic enemas. I have been sick for a long time now and know it is imperative, if I am to heal fully, that I heal the lining of my gut. Please help. It seems I have sensitivity to foods, supplements, everything I ingest. Does one of your books list the best diet for healing leaky gut? Thanks for your great work. Best, Michele
Jeff

Just bought your book. I’m excited to read. I just had gut testing done by genova diagnostics. It showed low bacteria diversity and it cultured out Klebsiella oxytoca and aeremonas caviae. My doc wants me to take cipro for 2 weeks (no way) and then rebuild my gut with probiotics. What is your opinion on this?
dewluca

I’ve been reading Brain Maker and am fascinated by the gut-brain connections you describe. Unfortunately, most of the prebiotic and probiotic foods you describe trigger my migraines. Even probiotic capsules tend to give me headaches. My diet is already gluten-free, dairy-free, and corn-free (I did an elimination diet and identified sensitivities to these). Still not sure what more I can do to get my gut restored when I can’t eat the foods/supplements recommended.
Also, the book makes MANY references to a “Resources” section, but I find no such section in my copy of the book. Can you please post the “Resources” on your site and/or provide a link to the list of resources?
Chantal David CT

I am just so thrilled that you are bringing this information to the mainstream! Thank You 🙂 I am a Colon Hydrotherapist and I would like to sell your book at my practice because it is very alligned with and supportive of what I preach 🙂

Why I Wrote Brain Maker

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