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David Perlmutter ’76
Released in September, Grain Brain by neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter ’76 was listed in the top ten on The New York Times nonfiction hardcover best-sellers list in just a few weeks. The work reveals the negative effects of sugar and carbohydrates, even whole grains, on brain health.
His 90-minute special aired on more than 100 PBS stations Dec. 6 through 14, with possible additional air dates planned.
Perlmutter believes that carbohydrates can cause dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, and more. He includes an in-depth plan in the book for patients to take control of their own “smart genes” through dietary choices and lifestyle habits, without using drugs.
“My interest in brain science was fostered by my interaction with Dr. Robert Chase, my biology research mentor at Lafayette,” says Perlmutter, a biology graduate who earned his medical degree at University of Miami School of Medicine.
“During my senior year I studied the important role of the nervous system in directing the regeneration of limbs in the salamander. These days I am lecturing on the topic of neurogenesis, the human brain’s ability to grow new neurons. So the research opportunity at Lafayette, so many years ago, continues to inform my current interests.”
As director of the Perlmutter Health Center, Naples, Fla., he regularly appears in national media such as Today, Fox and Friends, CNN, and the Dr. Oz Show for which he is a medical adviser.