Brain Health

The Heart and Brain Supportive Effects of Cocoa, Part 1
March 16, 2023
Chocolate joins the pantheon of functional foods like tea, berries, and coffee. Alan Frost, founder of Flava Naturals performance dark chocolate, details cocoa flavanols' cognitive, cardiovascular, and exercise performance benefits. He discusses the new FDA-qualified claim on cocoa flavanols and the prevention of cardiovascular disease, and recent food guidelines from the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for 500mg of flavanols daily for improved cardiovascular outcomes. He also addresses ConsumerLab.com data on cadmium and lead in common chocolate brands and how Flava Naturals' manufacturing mitigates those risks. It’s all about bean selection and proper processing. Flava Naturals delivers 5-9 times the flavanols of an average dark chocolate bar, with minimal sugar content. Learn about the science behind this remarkable functional food. Click HERE for part 2.

Intelligent Medicine Radio for February 11, Part 1: The Debate Over Contact Sports
February 13, 2023
Long Covid risk falls only slightly after vax—but new study shows healthy lifestyle confers protection against persistent symptoms; A listener question about newly-diagnosed scleroderma; The debate over contact sports and the risk of brain damage repetitive head injury—a genetic test could reveal which athletes are most vulnerable; A champion triathlete who overcame a challenging medical condition shares her nutrition secrets. Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Nutritional Psychiatry, Part 1
February 7, 2023
Dr. Drew Ramsey is a pioneer in the emerging field of Nutritional Psychiatry and author of "Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety: Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks." Dr. Ramsey reviews the remarkable research that has demonstrated the efficacy of diet for improving mental health outcomes. The foods we eat impact our brain function for better or for worse, delivering essential nutrients, fostering a healthy microbiome, combatting inflammation, encouraging neuroplasticity, and supporting neurotransmitters. He is co-developer of the Antidepressant Food Scale which rates foods based on their potential to support well-being. He is also director of the Brain Food Clinic which offers integrative psychiatric care incorporating “dietary assessment and food prescription along with coaching, meal planning, and hands-on skill building in your kitchen.” He believes that no single diet offers a panacea for mental health optimization, but that replacement of ultra-processed food with nutrient-dense alternatives offers the most benefits with ease of compliance. Click HERE for part 2.

Leyla Weighs In: Olive Oil and Brain Function
January 27, 2023
Can extra virgin olive oil improve impaired brain function?; Omega-3 fatty acids may promote stronger brain structure and thinking.

Leyla Weighs In: Omegas
December 9, 2022
Framingham data link higher omegas with better midlife brain health; Where to get your omegas.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 1: Knee Replacement Surgery
October 20, 2022
Teaser for a future podcast on brain and mental health!; My doctor is your protege!; Is knee replacement surgery a safe option for me? Click HERE for part 2.

Intelligent Medicine Radio for October 8, Part 1: Brain Protection
October 10, 2022
For best brain protection start early in life with Omega 3s; Can years-long reliance on acid-blockers lead to stomach cancer? Keto vs. Mediterranean diet for diabetes; Can a positive attitude keep patients from needing appendix surgery? President Biden responds to Dr. Hoffman’s letter about preserving supplement access. Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Intelligent Medicine Radio for August 6, Part 1: The Pandemic’s Collateral Damage
August 8, 2022
The pandemic’s collateral damage—increased rates of coronary disease and stroke, mental disorders, drug and alcohol dependency, and violent deaths; Heart disease expected to surge in coming decades, highlighting racial disparities; Social isolation and loneliness take a toll on heart and brain; What does low blood sodium mean, and how to fix it? Supplements for heart protection; “Feed a cold, starve a fever” may have real scientific basis; Resistance training speeds fat reduction; Parents’ history of alcoholism predictive of offspring’s addiction to highly processed foods. Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Intelligent Medicine Radio for June 25, Part 2: Long Covid—Probiotics May Speed Recovery
June 27, 2022
Is there evidence that CBD causes gynecomastia? Any value to eye health supplements? Is it Long COVID, or just usual persistent symptoms from respiratory illness? Study implicates the microbiome in Long Covid—probiotics may speed recovery; Polio discovered in London wastewater may have escaped from oral polio vaccine; Doctor check-in software may harvest health data, sell to advertisers; Medical witch hunt: punish vaccine refuseniks, delicense “misinformation” docs, pass laws to prohibit medical free speech; A supplement that can reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 47%; You can regrow brain cells—even past 70. Click HERE for part 1. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Intelligent Medicine Radio for June 11, Part 1: Justin Bieber’s Facial Paralysis
June 13, 2022
Mask, don’t mask/Unnecessary vax recommendations for healthy kids/about-face on COVID testing before return to US—Why Americans’ trust in the CDC is waning; Covid “bitter-enders”; Confusing Monkeypox messaging; Justin Bieber’s facial paralysis; A victory for health freedom as committee recommends against glutathione ban; Too much chocolate can be dangerous—but that’s if you fall into a vat of it at a candy factory! How can coronary artery plaque be reversed? Polyphenols slow brain shrinkage. Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.