Preserve the Reserve: How to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Avoid Alzheimer's
Patrick Holford: Simple Wisdom for a Healthy LifeShow Notes
My next guest is neurobiologist Professor Jonathan Stone, a leading light in biological science in Australia, who served as Secretary in the biological sciences in the Australian Academy of Science for several years and is recipient of numerous science awards. In his research papers, over 200 in all, he asks important questions. For example, why are we designed to produce the toxic amyloid protein found in the brains of those with dementia? In this conversation we are going to dig deeply into the ways the brain, our neural network, protects itself from damage and in so doing understand how to protect our brains from disease. This biological detective work also reveals the kind of diet and food components that protect us and why. This enlightening podcast is for anyone with a brain and a heart, as Professor Stone tackles that key area of blood and hence nutrient supply to the brain. As Hippocrates said “What is good for the heart is good for the mind.” Do listen in. Visit my website for more on brain health or see my books Upgrade Your Brain and Alzheimer's: Prevention is the Cure. Do take the Food for the Brain Cognitive Function Test.
More from Patrick Holford: Simple Wisdom for a Healthy Life
My guest today is Bob Quinn - a true pioneer of ancient, organic grains. In this rare opportunity to meet with him in his 80th year, en route to Italy, recorded in the car on the way to the airport, we unpack the whole story from the origins of the organic, wholegrain movement in the 80’s, up to now. He explains why it isn't gluten that’s causing so many people to react to wheat (other than coeliacs), what’s really happening, and what needs to happen to our food supply. His hat contains Kamut Khorosan grain - mine is made from our alpacas.
My guest today, Professor Robert Lustig - neuroendocrinologist and Professor Emeritus from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), world-renowned for unravelling how sugar, fructose and ultra-processed foods degenerate health - proposes that there is one messed up underlying process that almost all contributors to cognitive decline compound. This is an overload of reactive oxygen species (ROS), or oxidants, due to a four step dance that grinds healthy metabolism to a halt. If this is right - and I think it is - this means there are four avenues open to us all to prevent the damping down of energy, both in the brain, but also in the body. Find out how in this podcast. For more about brain health see my books Upgrade Your Brain and Alzheimer's: Prevention is the Cure and Brain Health topic on my website. Take part in Alzheimer's Prevention Day on Tuesday 19 May. Take the 3 minute test and learn more.
My guest is Dr Tommy Wood, who is Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Paediatrics at the University of Washington. He also heads research at the Food for the Brain Foundation and brain trains professional athletes including Olympians and Formula 1 racing drivers.
In today’s podcast, my guest is Dr Bill Wilson, a front-line physician who practiced medicine in Minnesota and Massachusetts for over 40 years. Three years ago, Dr Wilson was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment - often described as pre-dementia. Instead of accepting it as inevitable, he took action. The result? He reversed it. Now, drawing on both his medical background and personal experience, Dr. Wilson has developed a sharp, highly practical focus on neuroscience. In this conversation, he breaks down exactly what helped restore his cognitive function - and, just as importantly, what truly matters for anyone on the slippery slope of cognitive decline. If brain health is something you—or someone you love—are thinking about, this episode is essential listening.
Happy New Year! As we head into 2026, what actually matters when it comes to protecting your health - and what’s just noise? In this month’s podcast, I share my top health predictions for the year ahead and the habits truly worth adding to your New Year Resolutions. We go behind the headlines to unpack health politics, misinformation, and some uncomfortable truths - from vaccines and new Alzheimer’s drugs to how nutritional medicine is really moving forward. In this episode, you’ll discover: