Josh Turknett, MD

Better Brain Fitness with Drs. Josh Turknett and Tommy Wood

Science EN ↓ 99 episodes

Hosted by Drs. Josh Turknett and Tommy Wood, Better Brain Fitness explores the frontiers of how to keep our brain fit and healthy, so that we can perform at our best and do the things that we love for as long as possible.

Author

Josh Turknett, MD

Category

Science

Podcast website

brainjo.academy

Latest episode

Jun 3, 2026

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Episodes

Preventing the Wrong Kind of Brain Plasticity, with Dr. Henry Mahncke 03.06.2026

Henry Mahncke is the CEO of Posit Science and the creator of BrainHQ , the most researched brain training platform in the world. A neuroscientist who did his PhD with Michael Merzenich, considered the father of adult brain plasticity, Henry has spent two decades translating brain plasticity science into tools that actually improve brain health. In this conversation, we dig into why most brain trai...

Can This Vaccine Help Prevent Alzheimer's? 07.05.2026

Can a shingles vaccine cut your dementia risk by 20%? A series of landmark studies — published in Nature, Cell, and JAMA — say yes. In this episode, Tommy unpacks the research: how natural experiments in four countries produced one of the most compelling signals in dementia prevention, what might explain the effect beyond infection prevention, and what it means for your own vaccination decisions....

Can a Blood Test Predict Alzheimer's? 14.04.2026

A recent study published in Nature Medicine claims a blood test can predict when you'll develop Alzheimer's disease, and it got a lot of attention. But how well does it actually work, and should you rush out and get tested? In this episode, we break down the study behind the headlines to understand what it really shows, where the major limitations lie, and what it means for anyone thinking about g...

An Existential Crisis for Alzheimer's Research? 28.02.2026

In this episode, we discuss a study published in PLOS One that compared living brain tissue to post-mortem brain tissue and found dramatic molecular differences between the two. The findings raise serious questions about decades of Alzheimer's research built on post-mortem analysis and may help explain why pharmaceutical treatments for the disease have been so disappointing Study: A Study of RNA S...

Does Computerized Brain Training Help? 30.01.2026

In this episode, we dig into a recent McGill University study on computerized cognitive training and its effects on brain chemistry in older adults. What you'll learn: Why certain brain training games reversed a decade of age-related cognitive decline in just 10 weeks—and how researchers finally measured actual biological changes in the brain The critical difference between activities that genuine...

What's Wrong With The New Food Pyramid. 16.01.2026

In this episode, we dive into guidelines to figure out what all the fuss is about, whether that fuss is warranted, and whether we should even be issuing dietary guidelines to begin with! Topics and Questions Covered The updates : A breakdown of the specific shifts regarding protein prioritization, full-fat dairy, and whole grain recommendations. The visual shift in nutrition : The transition from...

#90: This Brain Aging Study Is Our New Favorite! 18.12.2025

Much of what we talk about on Better Brain Fitness resolves around the demand-driven decline model we published. Well...a new study just published in Nature Communications gave that model the best test to date, and the results are pretty darn exciting. So of course we had to do an episode about it! The study looks at the relationship between brain aging and creative activities like music, dance, a...

#89: How to Neutralize the Impact of Hearing Loss on Dementia Risk 12.12.2025

In this episode, we tackle a question from listener Carolyn in Michigan about the potential cognitive impacts of long-term hearing loss. What You'll Learn: The research linking hearing loss to increased dementia risk and what the evidence actually shows How hearing aids impact the risk of cognitive decline The mechanisms behind why hearing loss might affect brain health Practical strategies for ma...

#88: Are Microplastics Causing Dementia? 04.11.2025

You may have heard the alarming headline about a recent study that showed the typical brain had about a teaspoon of microplastics inside of it. And that amount appears to be increasing each year. In equally alarming fashion, that same study also revealed that those with dementia had over 5 times the amount of plastic in their brains as those without. Needless to say, it's an issue worth paying att...

#87: Hacking the Brain: TMS, Brain-to-Brain Communication, and Predicting Your Cognitive Future (with Dr. Andrea Stocco) 28.10.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind." Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone...

#86: Why Your Brain Needs Friends, with guest Dr. Ben Rein 15.10.2025

Click here to grab Ben's new book, "Why Your Brain Needs Friends"! To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated...

#85: Unpacking the surprising results from the POINTER trial 07.10.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind." Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone...

#84: Dr. Tommy Wood's Exciting Announcement! 25.09.2025

Click here to pre-order a copy of Dr. Wood's book, The Stimulated Mind! To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to:  betterbrain.fitness . To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness...

#83: How To Thrive In An Always On World, with Dr. James Hewitt 09.09.2025

Click here to check out James's book, Regenerative Performance .  To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with ne...

#82: Why Your Brain Is (Perfectly) Weird: Understanding Individual Differences (with Dr. Chantel Prat) 26.08.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind." Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone...

#81: Your Brain on Caffeine: the REAL story 15.08.2025
#80: Statins, Cholesterol, and Brain Health: Our Unfiltered Take 31.07.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy .  Intro and Outro music composed and...

#79: Does Red Light Therapy Boost Brain Health? 24.07.2025

06To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness Substack newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to:  betterbrain.fitness . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy .  Intro and Outro music co...

#78: What's More Important For The Brain: Diet or Exercise? 08.07.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen .   

#77: Why Does Sleep Quality Decline as We Age (and what can we do about it!)? 24.06.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy .  Intro and Outro music composed and...

#76: Can the Brain Heal Itself After Years of Poor Sleep Habits? 10.06.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy .  Intro and Outro music composed and...

#75: Can a Long Layoff Really Boost Your Performance? 27.05.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy .  Intro and Outro music composed and...

#74: Can We Train Our Brain To Improve Focus? 15.05.2025

To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to  brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen .   

#73: Democratizing Health Optimization with AI: A conversation with Dr. Jared Pelo 01.05.2025

Click here to learn more about Bionic Health. To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.a...

#72: Hormone Replacement Therapy: A Secret Weapon Against Dementia? 15.04.2025

06To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question . To subscribe to The Better Brain Fitness newsletter and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness . Paper: " Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of menopause hormone therapy on risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia " Intro and Outro music c...

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