Using Precision Medicine to Reverse Alzheimer's Disease with Dr. Heather Sandison: Rational Wellness podcast 464
Release Date: 06/04/2026
Chronic Diarrhea: A Functional Medicine Approach w/ Dr. Ilana Gurevich Rational Wellness Podcast 483
Rational Wellness Podcast
Diarrhea: Root Causes, Testing, and Treatment Strategies with Dr. Ilana Gurevich Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast episode on diarrhea and its complex differential diagnosis, featuring naturopathic gastroenterology specialist Dr. Ilana Gurevich. They discuss defining diarrhea using the Bristol Stool Chart and distinguishing acute from chronic cases, including when to investigate (about 4–5 days for new onset). Gurevich outlines an acute workup using LabCorp’s rapid GI Pathogen Profile PCR stool test, notes limitations and false positives, and explains her approach to...
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An Integrative Approach to Parkinson’s Disease with Dr. Karin Duncan | Rational Wellness Podcast 482
Rational Wellness Podcast
An Integrative Approach to Parkinson’s: Gut-Brain Axis, Toxins, Pro21 Diet, Testing & Key Supplements | Dr. Karin Duncan Dr. Ben Weitz introduces a Rational Wellness Podcast episode on Parkinson’s disease with naturopathic physician Dr. Karin Duncan, who is launching the Integrative Neurology Wellness Center in Hayden, Idaho in partnership with the Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation to provide accessible integrative care. They discuss Parkinson’s as more than dopamine deficiency, emphasizing toxins, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and the gut-brain axis,...
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The HRT Questions Most Women Never Get Answered with Karen Martel | Rational Wellness Podcast 481
Rational Wellness Podcast
The HRT Questions Most Women Never Get Answered with Karen Martel | Rational Wellness Podcast 481 Perimenopause to Menopause: Testing, Progesterone First, and Evidence-Informed HRT with Karen Martell Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews hormone specialist Karen Martell about perimenopause and menopause, emphasizing that midlife hormonal shifts affect metabolism, sleep, mood, cognition, bone and cardiovascular health. Martell says perimenopause can begin in the mid-30s, often with declining progesterone from less frequent ovulation, leading to heavy periods,...
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What are the Functions of Microbial Gases, Hydrogen, Methane, & Hydrogen Sulfide with Dr. Tom Fabian | Rational Wellness Podcast 480
Rational Wellness Podcast
What are the Functions of Microbial Gases, Hydrogen, Methane, & Hydrogen Sulfide with Dr. Tom Fabian | Rational Wellness Podcast 480 Gut Microbial Gases Beyond SIBO: Hydrogen, Methane, and Hydrogen Sulfide as Signaling Metabolites Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews Dr. Tom Fabian, PhD, to discuss gut microbial gases beyond the usual SIBO framing. They explain that hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide are normal microbial metabolites with potential signaling roles, alongside key microbiome products like short-chain fatty acids (especially butyrate),...
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Removing Galectin 3 to Prevent Sepsis and Chronic disease with Dr. Isaac Eliaz | Rational Wellness Podcast 479
Rational Wellness Podcast
Galectin-3, Modified Citrus Pectin, and Therapeutic Apheresis: Emerging Applications in Sepsis, Cancer, and Chronic Inflammation Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews returning guest Dr. Isaac Eliaz about galectin-3 as an upstream driver of inflammation and fibrosis implicated in chronic degenerative disease, autoimmunity, cancer progression, and acute sepsis. Eliaz explains modified citrus pectin (PectaSol) as a researched galectin-3 inhibitor, discusses dosing ranges, and describes its clinical relevance across inflammation, cardiovascular risk,...
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Home Testing For SIBO with Claire Shortt, PhD and Aonghus Shortt, PhD | Rational Wellness Podcast 478
Rational Wellness Podcast
IBS and SIBO Breath Testing with FoodMarble: Real-Time Hydrogen and Methane Monitoring Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast episode on IBS and SIBO with guests Angus Short, PhD (CEO/co-founder) and Claire Short, PhD (chief clinical officer) of FoodMarble, creators of the handheld AIRE breath analyzer that measures hydrogen and methane in real time to track fermentation patterns at home. Inspired by Angus’s wife’s unresolved IBS symptoms and restrictive dieting, the device evolved from early prototypes into a validated product, including published research with...
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Environmental Toxins and Health with Dr. Joe Pizzorno | Rational Wellness Podcast 477
Rational Wellness Podcast
Environmental Toxins, Wildfire Smoke, and Practical Detox Strategies with Dr. Joe Pizzorno Dr. Ben Weitz hosts the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews Dr. Joe Pizzorno on latest research about environmental toxins, emphasizing wildfire smoke risks, PM2.5 penetration, rapid body and brain distribution, and links to neurological, respiratory, and cardiovascular disease. Pizzorno argues toxins are a primary, solvable driver of chronic illness and that oxidized cholesterol reflects toxic exposure more than cholesterol itself. Practical protections include running high-MERV (≥12,...
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Newest Developments in SIBO Treatments with Dr. Mark Pimentel | Rational Wellness Podcast 476
Rational Wellness Podcast
Newest Developments in SIBO Treatments with Dr. Mark Pimentel | Rational Wellness Podcast 476 Dr. Mark Pimentel on SIBO/IBS: 3-Gas Breath Testing, Hydrogen Sulfide, Methane, Diet & Emerging Treatments Dr. Ben Weitz welcomes Dr. Mark Pimentel to discuss new research on IBS and overgrowth syndromes, including hydrogen SIBO, intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO), and intestinal sulfide overproduction (hydrogen sulfide). Pimentel explains that hydrogen on breath tests is a marker for bacteria like E. coli and Klebsiella and that slowed motility enables overgrowth; he also...
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The Microglia are a Key to Brain Health with Dr. David Perlmutter | Rational Wellness Podcast 475
Rational Wellness Podcast
Dr. David Perlmutter on Microglia, Metabolism, and a New Paradigm for Neurodegenerative Disease Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews neurologist and author Dr. David Perlmutter about his upcoming book, Brain Defenders, describing a neuroscience shift from neuron-centered thinking to the brain’s immune cells (glia/microglia) as key drivers of neurodegeneration. Perlmutter argues microglial polarization (supportive M2 vs destructive M1) is upstream of protein accumulations like beta-amyloid, alpha-synuclein, and phosphorylated tau, and is strongly...
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Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 020: Bioidentical Hormones for Women with Dr. Jill Stocker
Rational Wellness Podcast
Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 020: Female Hormones with Dr. Jill Stocker Dr. Jill Stocker discusses the use of bioidentical estrogen and progesterone hormones to help women restore their youth and vigor and their “juiciness”. I laid out the topic first by talking about how it was believed for decades that estrogen was protective for the heart, which is why women have a lower risk of heart attack than men until menopause and then their risk increases equal to men’s. There was however, concern about the increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. When the Women’s...
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Using Precision Medicine to Reverse Alzheimer's Disease with Dr. Heather Sandison | Rational Wellness Podcast 464
Dr. Ben Weitz interviews Dr. Heather Sandison about a precision, multimodal approach to Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline that challenges the amyloid-only model. Sandison cites a 2026 Cochrane review finding anti-amyloid antibody therapies remove plaque but don’t meaningfully improve cognition and carry risks like brain bleeding and swelling, arguing cognitive decline is driven by multiple modifiable factors. She reviews lifestyle-intervention research (Bredesen/Toups 2022, her 2023 study, Ornish 2024, and the Alzheimer’s Association POINTER trial) showing cognitive improvements, discusses key drivers such as toxins (mycotoxins, metals, chemicals), infections, metabolic flexibility/ketosis, sleep, stress, and social connection, and outlines evaluation tools including MoCA, CNS Vital Signs, MRI volumetrics with arterial spin labeling, and blood biomarkers like p-tau217, Aβ 42/40, and NfL, plus interpreting nutrients via homocysteine.
00:00 Show Intro
00:59 Alzheimers Rethink
01:34 Guest Background
02:48 Trial Clarification
03:39 Limits Of Amyloid Drugs
05:29 Houseplant Brain Analogy
07:10 Lifestyle Trials Evidence
09:41 Research Funding Reality
11:08 Preventable Dementia Risks
12:44 Synapses And Social Ties
15:13 Drivers Beyond Amyloid
17:27 Toxins As Key Factor
18:52 Why Toxins Get Ignored
20:42 Metabolic Flexibility Diet
23:33 Ketosis For Cognition
24:57 Exogenous Ketones Guide
26:57 MCT And Coconut Oil
27:10 Coconut Oil Ketones
28:10 Apollo Wearable Ad
29:42 Cognitive Testing Tools
31:17 Advanced Brain Imaging
33:56 Blood Biomarkers Explained
37:39 Nutrients And Homocysteine
40:29 Vitamin D And Calcium
41:53 Treatment Priorities
43:47 Sleep Apnea First
45:53 Hormones And Peptides
48:48 Wrap Up And Resources
49:53 Podcast Outro
Dr. Heather Sandison is the founder of Solcere Health Clinic in San Diego, California and Marama, a pioneering residential care facility focused on personalized, root-cause approaches to dementia. She is also the primary investigator and author of a peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease demonstrating improvements in cognition using a personalized lifestyle intervention, and the author of the New York Times best selling book Reversing Alzheimer’s. Her website is DrHeatherSandison.com.