What the Brain Needs to Build Itself: Myelin, Plasmalogens, Autism, Alzheimer's | 29-Min Essentials with Dr. Dayan Goodenowe
Biohacking Autism with Nadia Elkhatib.Show Notes
This is the 29-minute Essentials edition of my conversation with Dr. Dayan Goodenowe. The full episode, with more on testing, maternal health and where his research is headed, is here: https://biohackautism.com/podcast/dayan-goodenowe-autism-brain-development-plasmalogens/ What does the brain need to build itself, and why does the answer matter for a child with autism and for the parent caring for them? Dr. Dayan Goodenowe, PhD, is a neuroscientist, biochemist and the founder of Prodrome Sciences. In this condensed edition he walks through the brain as a wiring project: raw wires at birth, myelin as the insulation that lets signals stay separate, and why myelination is adaptive rather than pre-programmed. From there he explains why incomplete myelination can make noise and light overwhelming, why children with autism show reduced white matter on imaging, and where neuroinflammation and mitochondrial stress fit in. The middle of the conversation is about plasmalogens: what they are, why the body has to make them in peroxisomes, why they cannot be eaten intact, and how the body spends them like a fire blanket on inflammation. Nadia and Dr. Goodenowe then follow the same biology into later life: age as the main driver of cognitive decline, what ApoE4 actually changes, cortical thickness as the brain's muscle, and why a baseline measurement matters more than a diagnosis. IN THIS EDITION The brain as a wiring diagram: axons, synapses and myelin Why myelination is adaptive, and why deep sleep is part of it Sensory overload explained through incomplete myelination We learn by receiving: what that changes for parents What plasmalogens are and why the brain needs them Why plasmalogens cannot be eaten intact Neuroinflammation, white matter and resilience in autism Autism and Alzheimer's as two ends of the same biology Age, ApoE4 and when dementia starts Cortical thickness: the brain's muscle Baseline testing without obsessing over it
CONNECT WITH DR. DAYAN GOODENOWE Dr. Dayan Goodenowe is a neuroscientist and biochemist, the founder of Prodrome Sciences, founder of Dr. Goodenowe's Dietary Therapeutics, and the author of Breaking Alzheimer's. Dr. Goodenowe's education site: https://drgoodenowe.com Prodrome Sciences (for practitioners): https://prodrome.com Dr. Goodenowe has a financial interest in Prodrome Sciences and in plasmalogen products discussed during this conversation. FULL EPISODE Episode 34, the complete conversation: https://biohackautism.com/podcast/dayan-goodenowe-autism-brain-development-plasmalogens/ Episode 28 (solo, hormones and lipids), where this conversation was first previewed: https://biohackautism.com/podcast/autism-blood-work-thyroid-hormones-insulin/ MEDICAL DISCLAIMER This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health protocol or your child's protocol. Several compounds and tests discussed in this episode are investigational or are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The plasmalogen precursor program described is in a pre-IND stage of an FDA-regulated development pathway. Biohacking Autism does not provide individualized treatment protocols, dosing instructions, or sourcing guidance for regulated compounds.
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More from Biohacking Autism with Nadia Elkhatib.
My son was nonverbal. I was told he would never speak, and that if a child does not talk by five, he never will. Jimmy started talking at eight. This is the 11-minute version of my episode on autism recovery: the stories you never hear, what recovery means, how Jimmy started talking, and the five things it takes.
Recovery from autism is possible. I’ve seen it, and my own son isn’t there yet. This is my honest answer after 22 years: the families who got there, why you never hear about them, what recovery means, how my son started talking at eight, and the five things it takes. THE LABS TO START WITH + THE COMMUNITY WAIT LIST https://biohacking-autism.kit.com/d9c8b01fd7 One sign-up. You get the exact baseline panel from this episode in one email, the episode summaries every week, and, if you tick the box, a place on the wait list for the private community. IN THIS EPISODE The recovery stories you never see on social media, and why Two sons, same house, same protocol, one recovered What recovery means and what it does not (the truck analogy) Where Jimmy is today, 22 years in Why there is no one protocol for recovery How Jimmy started talking at eight: Dr. Klinghardt, Babesia and artemisinin The five things it takes, in order Three things to do this week, not five WHAT YOU WILL HEAR Jimmy is not recovered. We have made real progress, and the work continues at 22. Artemisinin was one herb used under Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt’s care alongside pharmaceuticals, for an infection that had been identified. No doses or sources are given, and this is not a recommendation to buy it. The recovery stories are what parents told me directly and what I saw myself. They are not a study. WATCH ON YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/Ib0cyR6MJCE RELATED EPISODES Autism Biology From a Completely Different Point of View (the baseline): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8fnI3xC0ts The 6 Step Healing Order for Sensitive Autism Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEbHibq0q9g MENTIONED Jenny McCarthy, Louder Than Words · Dr. Neil Nathan, The Sensitive Patient’s Healing Guide · Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt · Dr. Dayan Goodenowe FURTHER READING Fein D, et al. Optimal outcome in individuals with a history of autism. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013;54(2):195-205. PMID 23320807. Kang DW, et al. Long-term benefit of Microbiota Transfer Therapy on autism symptoms and gut microbiota. Sci Rep. 2019;9:5821. CONNECT biohackautism.com · [email protected] · Instagram @biohackautism · TikTok @biohackingautism · linkedin.com/in/nadiaelkhatib If you know one parent who was given a deadline and zero tools, send them this episode. DISCLAIMER One family’s experience and what other parents told me directly. Not medical advice, no doses or treatment instructions. Please discuss any testing or treatment with a qualified clinician. I’m not a doctor. I’m a mother who has been doing this for more than 20 years.
Caregiver burnout, chronic stress and brain health: the core conversation in a 34-minute Essentials edition for caregivers who want a focused starting point.
Caregiver burnout deserves more than being dismissed as "just stress." When you've spent years caring for someone else, what questions should you be asking about your own brain health?
This is the Essentials edition, a 25-minute cut of our conversation with Dr. Uli K. Chettipally, MD, MPH, an emergency physician, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, and father of Siri, a non-speaking young woman with autism. For the full conversation, see the full episode of Biohacking Autism in this feed.