Everyone eats. It's the one thing we all have in common. And yet, nutrition has become one of the most confusing, divisive, and misunderstood sciences in modern life.
Low-fat. High-fat. Keto. Vegan. Paleo. Superfoods. For every study, there's a headline that seems to say the opposite.
In this episode, we turn to one of the most trusted voices in nutrition research to cut through the noise: Dr. Walter Willett, MD, DrPH.
Dr. Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has spent more than four decades studying how what we eat affects our health, longevity, and brain function. His work has helped reshape dietary guidelines around the world, replacing fear and fads with clarity and evidence.
Together, we unpack what the science really says about diet and the brain: how food choices shape inflammation, cognition, and long-term disease risk, and what practical lessons decades of data can teach us about eating for life and longevity.
In this conversation, we discuss:
• How nutrition became so confusing (and what the data actually shows)
• Why the quality of fat matters more than the amount
• How refined carbohydrates fuel inflammation, insulin resistance, and brain fog
• The power of fiber and the microbiome for mood and memory
• Why plant-based proteins come out ahead for health and sustainability
• How global dietary guidelines are changing (and what's still misunderstood)
• The intersection of nutrition, planetary health, and human wellbeing
Dr. Walter Willett has authored over 2,000 scientific papers and several landmark books, including 'Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy'.
This is... Your Brain On Nutrition.
SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: https://www.neuroworldretreat.com/
'Your Brain On' is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.
'Your Brain On... Nutrition' • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 2
LINKS
Dr. Walter Willett at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/walter-c-willett/
Dr. Willett's book, 'Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy': https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5579.Eat_Drink_and_Be_Healthy
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