Brain Inflammation and Food: Dr. Austin Perlmutter on the Gut-Brain Connection, Brain Fog, and What to Eat for Better Cognitive Health

I'm hosting a live PMDD Relief Workshop on June 10th, free when you pre-order ADHD and Women. Get your spot at https://drbrighten.com/pmdd What if your brain fog, low mood, and poor focus were not just “in your head,” but connected to what is happening in your immune system, gut microbiome, and daily food choices? In this episode of The Dr. Brighten Show, Dr. Jolene Brighten sits down with Dr. Austin Perlmutter to unpack the connection between brain inflammation and food, including why the brain is literally built from the nutrients you eat, how added sugar may influence systemic inflammation, and why the gut-brain connection is one of the most important conversations in brain health right now. Dr. Austin Perlmutter is a board-certified internal medicine physician, New York Times bestselling author, and Managing Director of Big Bold Health. His work focuses on brain and body health, including the biological roots of mental and physical “stuckness,” how environmental factors shape cognitive and emotional well-being, and how plant nutrients may impact human aging through epigenetics. His work has reached millions through media outlets including PBS, Rolling Stone, and NPR. In this episode, Dr. Perlmutter and Dr. Brighten explore how brain inflammation, nutrition, the microbiome, stress, sleep, exercise, air quality, social media, and daily habits all intersect. But the heart of this conversation is simple and powerful: your brain is not separate from your body. It is built from the food you eat, shaped by the microbes you feed, and influenced by the inflammatory signals your body produces every day. This Episode Is Brought to You By Dr. Brighten Essentials Radiant Mind Your brain deserves support every day—not just when your focus disappears, your motivation crashes, or your hormones decide to make executive function feel like a full-contact sport. Radiant Mind by Dr. Brighten Essentials was formulated to support cognitive function, mental clarity, and a healthy stress response, making it a perfect companion to today’s conversation about estrogen, dopamine, focus, and women’s brain health. Get Radiant Mind here https://drbrightenessentials.com/products/radiant-mind Sunlighten Saunas Supporting your brain and hormones isn’t only about what you take—it’s also about how you support your body’s resilience. Sunlighten Saunas are designed to help you create a restorative wellness ritual at home, supporting relaxation, sweating, and recovery. For women navigating stress, perimenopause, and the daily demands on the nervous system, having a consistent way to unwind can be a powerful part of your self-care routine. Learn more about Sunlighten Saunas here https://get.sunlighten.com/drbrighten OneSkin Founded by an all-woman team of PhD-level scientists, OneSkin is revolutionizing aging with the OS-01™ peptide, the first ingredient proven to reverse skin’s biological age by targeting cellular senescence. The result? Skin that looks, feels, and acts younger. It’s never too early — or too late — to invest in your skin health. Shop now https://oneskin.pxf.io/c/1950532/2885132/31050 Connect with Dr. Austin Perlmutter: Website: https://www.austinperlmutter.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draustinperlmutter 👩🏻‍⚕️Follow Dr. Jolene Brighten: 💻 Website:⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.drbrighten.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸  Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/drjolenebrighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎥 TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@drjolenebrighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🧵Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@drjolenebrighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🌟 Grab my free hormone friendly recipes here! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drbrighten.com/hormonekit/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Subscribe to the Podcast: Apple: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-brighten-show/id1786362161⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5VWcYWJFzi3OnwidT25IXi?si=481df20ef0a6417⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@drjolenebrighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 👉 If you found this episode valuable, drop a comment below to tell us what you loved most, and share it with a friend! Let’s spread the knowledge. 💬 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices