In this episode I talk with Professor Sandrine Thuret at Kings College London about her research on how different molecules in the diet affect neuroplasticity in general and hippocampal neurogenesis in particular. She has shown in preclinical studies that certain dietary factor including omega-3 fatty acids can counteract the adverse effects of chronic psychological stress on neurogenesis. She has also shown that intermittent fasting enhances hippocampal neurogenesis and improves cognition. Thuret has also found that factors circulating in the blood can either enhance or inhibit neurogenesis, and may either promote brain health or contribute to brain dysfunction in disorders such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

LINKS:

Effects of intermittent fasting on neurogenesis and memory:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8760057/pdf/41380_2021_Article_1102.pdf

Omega-3 fatty acids and neurogenesis:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7341841/pdf/41398_2020_Article_908.pdf

Phytochemicals and brain resilience:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4081729/pdf/pr.113.007757.pdf

Serum factors:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10151193/pdf/awac472.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8612606/pdf/ad-12-8-2151.pdf

Bacteria in the gut play essential roles in the metabolism of dietary nutrients. But a recent explosion of research has revealed influences of microbes in the gut on brain function in health and in anxiety disorders, depression, and possibly Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Professor John Cryan at University College in Cork Ireland is at the forefront of this research. In this episode I talk with John about how diet and lifestyle affect the gut microbiome and the mechanisms by which these microbes can affect brain health. Those mechanisms include roles for the vagus nerve and chemicals produced by gut bacteria that travel through the blood and into the brain. We also discuss translational research aimed at optimizing the gut bacterial composition in ways that promote lifelong brain health or for the treatment of neurological disorders.

LINKS:

Professor Cryan’s webpage: https://www.ucc.ie/en/apc/people/johncryan/

Book ‘The Psychobiotic Revolution’: https://www.amazon.com/Psychobiotic-Revolution-Science-Gut-Brain-Connection/dp/142621846X

Review articles:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959438822001465?via%3Dihub

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8321864/pdf/nmaa181.pdf

https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1550-4131%2820%2930067-X

David Nutt has made major contributions to understanding mechanisms by which psychoactive drugs affect the brain and has conducted numerous clinical trials of a wide range of drugs in patients with various mental disorders. He has also been an outspoken critic of the disconnect between drug science and government drug policies. For example, alcohol is legal, widely available, and causes tremendous harm to individuals and society. On the other hand psychedelics are illegal and yet very safe and can be very beneficial for mental health. In this episode I talk with Professor Nutt about the relative harms and benefits of different drugs to individuals and society. His efforts and those of many other scientists and psychiatrists are pushing governments to accept the facts and help facilitate rather than obstruct science-based progress in drug research and use of that knowledge for medicine and society.

David Nutt is a distinguished professor in the Division of Brain Sciences at Imperial College in London. He is the founder and chairman of Drug Science and host of the Drug Science Podcast.

LINKS:

Drug Science website: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/drug-information/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwuJ2xBhA3EiwAMVjkVG_peCbmMCI9tKIYTUldYjmfjHNxCLeLX2WYvkLPezA7zaJpciU8HhoCGHcQAvD_BwE

Drug Science podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2hLSRIS777SKphWxv4HyDK

Recent relevant articles:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10291338/pdf/fpsyt-14-1183740.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9669276/pdf/fpsyt-13-1027159.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028390822003161?via%3Dihub

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8625009/pdf/nutrients-13-03938.pdf