Grain Brain Book Summary - Grain Brain Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

Grain Brain summary

David Perlmutter

The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers

4.3 (215 ratings)
21 mins
Table of Contents

    Grain Brain
    Summary of 9 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 9

    Inflammation is closely linked to our diet – and it can lead to multiple diseases.

    You’ve probably had a headache. Or maybe you suffer from knee pain? Such irksome ills are often caused by inflammation. But inflammation isn’t just bothersome – doctors and scientists now know it’s linked to numerous chronic diseases.

    Here’s how: When the body undergoes stress – from, say, a bug bite or a sprained ankle – it responds by defending itself against what it perceives as something harmful. We experience this as inflammation, manifesting as swelling or pain.

    This is supposed to be a short term reaction; when the fight persists, however, the body keeps producing toxic chemicals to fight the irritants. Those toxic chemicals can eventually travel through the bloodstream, damaging healthy cells in addition to the irritants. In this way, inflammation can lead to chronic diseases in the body and the brain – like arterial disease and Alzheimer’s.

    This process, where inflammation leads to knee pain as well as brain damage, is called oxidative stress. It’s a form of gradual corrosion that occurs naturally in the body, but it can be deadly if it goes unchecked. People who have high levels of inflammation also have high levels of oxidation: that’s what leads to brain damage.

    But inflammation is also a symptom of other chronic diseases, such as diabetes.

    People with diabetes often have high blood sugar from consuming too many carbohydrates, especially sugar. When they’re bombarded by sugar, cells become desensitized to the sugar-delivery system we call insulin. That leads to the need for more insulin, just to get the sugar delivered to the cells, which leads to more desensitization. This cycle culminates in type 2 diabetes.

    What’s more, overproduction of insulin leads to too much insulin in the bloodstream, which eventually becomes an irritant – leading to an inflammatory reaction and all the chronic inflammatory issues listed above.

    This is why more research is now being conducted on the relationship between Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Some researchers have even started calling Alzheimer’s “type 3 diabetes.”

    Want to see all full key ideas from Grain Brain?

    Key ideas in Grain Brain

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is Grain Brain about?

    Grain Brain (2013) outlines how what we eat can cause or mitigate serious brain disorders like anxiety, ADHD and depression. Eating well is crucial to your brain’s functioning well, and these blinks tell you why.

    Who should read Grain Brain?

    • People interested in nutrition
    • Anyone who wants to keep their brain sharp and healthy
    • Those who want to learn more about carbohydrates, sugar and gluten

    About the Author

    David Perlmutter is a neurologist, writer and the president of the Perlmutter Health Center. He contributes regularly to the Huffington Post, the Daily Beast and Mind Body Green. Grain Brain is his first New York Times bestseller.

    Categories with Grain Brain

    Books like Grain Brain

    People ❤️ Blinkist
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked

    Start growing with Blinkist now
    28 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    91%
    Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
    *Based on survey data from Blinkist customers
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Start your free trial