The Microglia are a Key to Brain Health with Dr. David Perlmutter | Rational Wellness Podcast 475
Release Date: 08/18/2026
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
Breast Implant Illness with Dr. Robert Whitfield | Rational Wellness Podcast 474
Rational Wellness Podcast
Breast Implant Illness with Dr. Robert Whitfield | Rational Wellness Podcast 474 Dr. Ben Weitz interviews Dr. Robert Whitfield, a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction and explant surgery using an integrative approach with functional medicine, genomics, nutrition, and environmental medicine. They discuss breast implant illness (fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, GI and autoimmune-like symptoms), implant types, and why implant-based reconstruction is more common than microsurgical autologous tissue reconstruction. Whitfield reviews evidence and proposed...
info_outline
Mold Remediation with Michael Rubino | Rational Wellness Podcast 473
Rational Wellness Podcast
Mold, Indoor Air Quality, and Building a Healthy Home with Michael Rubino Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews mold remediation and indoor air quality expert Michael Rubino of Home Cleanse and the Change the Air Foundation about mold, indoor air quality, and creating a healthy home. Rubino describes entering the field after Hurricane Sandy, observing people remaining ill despite cosmetic restorations driven by insurance limits and cost-cutting, and notes an EPA statistic that people spend about 90% of their time indoors. They discuss widespread water damage...
info_outline
How to Eat for Peak Athletic Performance | Dr. Philip Goglia | RWP #18
Rational Wellness Podcast
Dr. Philip Goglia explains to Dr. Ben Weitz how to improve athletic performance through nutrition. [If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a positive review on Itunes, so more people will find The Rational Wellness Podcast] Podcast Details Dr. Goglia explained that using the correct macronutrient food pattern that fits each person's metabolism is crucial. This can be determined via a questionnaire and by looking at a lipid profile. If you are efficient at burning fats and carbohydrates and you consume a vegan diet, it will not work very well. Some people are efficient at...
info_outline
Helping Dysregulated Kids with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge: Rational Wellness Podcast 472
Rational Wellness Podcast
Helping Dysregulated Kids with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge Rational Wellness Podcast 472 Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a licensed mental health expert, founder of The Global Institute of Children's Mental Health, host of The Dysregulated Kid Podcast, and author of the bestselling book, . Her website is . Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully...
info_outline
The Science of Breathwork with Dr. Sachin Patel: Rational Wellness Podcast 471
Rational Wellness Podcast
The Science of Breathwork with Dr. Sachin Patel | Rational Wellness Podcast Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews Dr. Sachin Patel, a chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner known for breathwork, about how breathing influences health. Patel explains how tongue posture and nasal breathing affect facial structure, airway size, posture, circulation, lymph flow, and nervous system regulation, and discusses CO2 tolerance, the Bohr effect, and how hyperventilation can reduce oxygen delivery. He outlines common mistakes such as treating breathwork as a...
info_outline
The Science of Peptides with Dr. Chris Shade: Rational Wellness Podcast 470
Rational Wellness Podcast
Dr. Chris Shade on Peptides, Liposomal Delivery, and Supporting GLP-1 Therapy Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews Dr. Chris Shade, founder and CEO of QuickSilver Scientific, about peptides and oral liposomal delivery. Shade defines peptides as short amino-acid chains with signaling roles and explains how high-quality, small-particle, injectable-grade phosphatidylcholine liposomes enable intraoral absorption of water-soluble compounds like glutathione and certain peptides. They discuss BPC-157 for gut lining and broad tissue repair; KPV for...
info_outline
New Ways of Understanding and Treating SIBO with Dr. Allison Siebecker | Rational Wellness Podcast 469
Rational Wellness Podcast
New Research and Clinical Updates on SIBO: Methane, Hydrogen Sulfide, Elemental Diet, Herbs, Probiotics, and Testing with Dr. Allison Siebecker Dr. Ben Weitz interviews Dr. Allison Siebecker on major updates in understanding and treating SIBO/IMO, drawing from new DDW conference findings. Highlights include a methane-targeting enzyme inhibitor drug (CS06) that rapidly lowers methane without acting as an antibiotic; a delayed-release NAC plus rifaximin formulation that improves outcomes and may allow lower rifaximin dosing; and a new elemental diet formulation (MBiota) reported to reach up...
info_outline
Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome with Dr Felice Gersh | Rational Wellness Podcast 468
Rational Wellness Podcast
PCOS Renamed PMOS: Root Causes, Hormones, Metabolism, Labs, and Integrative Treatment with Dr. Felice Gersh Dr. Ben Weitz introduces an interview with OB-GYN and integrative physician Dr. Felice Gersh on PCOS, newly renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) per a May 12, 2026 Lancet announcement, meant to shift focus from “cysts” to hormonal and metabolic dysfunction. Gersh argues ovaries remain central, describing impaired aromatization leading to low estradiol, high LH-driven testosterone, and downstream effects including insulin resistance, inflammation, leaky...
info_outlineDr. 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 influenced by lifestyle-driven metabolic health (blood sugar, insulin resistance, lipids, blood pressure), systemic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and blood–brain barrier integrity. They discuss prevention, multimodal treatment approaches (e.g., Bredesen and Ornish/Tanzi), mitochondrial dysfunction, exercise, supplements (olive oil polyphenols, vitamin D, CoQ10, urolithin A, spermidine, dihydromyricetin, rosmarinic acid), and emerging drug strategies including TREM2 targeting and GLP-1 agonists, noting benefits and risks.
00:00 Show Intro
01:02 Meet David Perlmutter
03:04 Microglia Paradigm Shift
05:21 Beyond Amyloid Drugs
09:08 Multimodal Reversal Evidence
13:34 Neurons vs Microglia Basics
16:46 Gut Inflammation Link
19:24 Blood Brain Barrier Aging
21:22 Mitochondria Microglia Switch
25:52 Why Diseases Differ Epigenetics
29:54 Tau Is Downstream Too
31:40 Brain Defender Diet Metabolism
35:14 GLP1s For Parkinsons
42:57 Diet Types CGM Keto Fiber
48:46 Supplements For Microglia
52:04 Rapamycin NAD Hype Check
54:34 Wrap Up Preorder Book
55:03 Podcast Outro
Dr. David Perlmutter, board-certified neurologist, six-time New York Times bestselling author, with some of his most popular books being Brain Grain, Brain Maker and Drop Acid and his new book, Brain Defenders. His website is DrPerlmutter.com.
Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.