Be Well by Kelly Leveque

393: Alzheimer's Starts Decades Before Symptoms…Here's Why | David Perlmutter

July 15, 2026·1h 15m
Episode Description from the Publisher

Neurologist and bestselling author Dr. David Perlmutter returns to discuss the groundbreaking science behind his new book, Brain Defenders. Together, we unpack why Alzheimer's disease may be driven less by amyloid plaques and more by chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and changes in the brain's immune cells. Dr. Perlmutter explains the critical role of microglia, how blood sugar and insulin resistance affect the brain, why gut health is directly connected to cognitive function, and what lifestyle habits have the strongest evidence for protecting memory as we age. → Leave Us A Voice Message!  Topics Discussed: → What causes Alzheimer's disease? → How do you prevent Alzheimer'? → What foods improve brain health? → Can inflammation cause dementia? → Does blood sugar affect memory? Sponsored By:  → Function | Check your health the way I do. Function provides 160+ lab tests for $1/day and member pricing on advanced imaging. Join at https://functionhealth.com/bewellbykelly and use code BEWELL25 for a $25 credit. → Be Well By Kelly Protein Powder & Essentials | Get $10 off your order with PODCAST10 at https://bewellbykelly.com. → Shop minnow's new apré-ski capsule collection at https://shopminnow.com and enter code MEETMINNOW15 at checkout to receive 15% off your first order. → LMNT | Get a free 8-count Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavors with any purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/Kelly. Find your favorite LMNT flavor, or share with a friend. → Branch Basics | Go to https://branchbasics.com/BEWELLPODCAST and use code: BEWELLPODCASTfor 15% off your first purchase.  Timestamps:  → 00:00:00 - Introduction → 00:03:07 - Why Alzheimer's Research Is Changing → 00:05:42 - Microglia Explained → 00:10:44 - Understanding Immunomatabolism  → 00:15:10 - Insulin Resistance + "Type 3 Diabetes" → 00:19:27 - Long COVID + Brain Recovery → 00:30:20 - Lifestyle Changes For Brain Health  → 00:35:22 - The Gut Microbiome → 00:37:27 - Tracking Gut Health  → 00:39:26 - Early Biomarkers/Testing  → 00:45:20 - Exercise + Muscle → 00:49:51 - Children’s Nutrition  → 00:52:48 - Women’s Dementia Risk   → 00:58:53 - GLP1s + Other Peptides   → 01:07:41 - Dr. Perlmutter's Daily Brain Health Routine Further Listening:  → Nutrition for a Healthy Brain & Body (Without Counting Calories) | Max Lugavere Check Out David: → Book | Braindefenders.com → Website → Instagram  Check Out Kelly: → Instagram → Youtube → Facebook

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