I. Introduction
The suggestion that foods you’ve been eating — and loving — your whole life could be destroying your brain is astounding (and more than a little worrying). But David Perlmutter, MD, isn’t afraid to go against the grain — literally.
In his best-selling 2013 book Grain Brain, Perlmutter defied conventional medical wisdom by declaring that our gluten-filled, high-sugar, low-fat diets are responsible for a long list of neurological diseases. Top of his hit list is Alzheimer’s, the disease that killed his father.
In addition to explaining what he calls the revolutionary new science behind his theories, Perlmutter lays out a four-week program that includes a diet plan. Carbohydrates and all sources of gluten are out, healthy fats and cholesterol are in.
Perlmutter promises that this program can alleviate conditions including ADHD, chronic fatigue, mild cognitive impairment (which often precedes Alzheimer’s), arthritis, insomnia, Tourette’s syndrome and more. Other experts have pushed back against many of Perlmutter’s claims, but he insists that’s what happens when you dare to expose the truth about everyone’s favorite foods.