The Mind-Gut Conversation Podcast

Menopause isn't just hot flashes — it's brain fog, bone loss, sleep, mood, and your gut. In this solo episode of The Mind-Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer unpacks the ~34 symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, the 2002 hormone-therapy scare that still shapes care today, and what current science says about estrogen and HRT. Then he turns to the part almost no one is talking about: the e...

This episode is brought to you by Mayer Nutrition. Use code MINDGUT at checkout to save 10% on your first order of our polyphenol blend, Synaptic Bloom, at https://www.mayernutrition.com. The health of our soil and the health of our gut may be expressions of the same crisis — and healing one may depend on healing the other. In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer continues his conv...

Neuroscience is built on an assumption most scientists never examine: that the brain is the seat of consciousness, intelligence, and everything that makes us human. Sadhguru thinks that’s like a child staring at a phone while a sunset unfolds right in front of them. In this episode of The Mind-Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Sadhguru — yogi, mystic, and founder of the Isha Founda...

Most of us know overwork isn't good for us. But the research on just how damaging it can be, and how quietly the damage accumulates, is more sobering than most people realize. In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer reflects on his own experience of sustained overwork throughout his career. We're talking 80-hour weeks, chronic sleep disruption, borderline hypertension, and e...

Consciousness is one of science's deepest mysteries — and it may be under threat. In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer is joined by Michael Pollan, author and one of our most important thinkers on the relationship between humans and the natural world, to discuss consciousness, the subject of Michael's latest book. They explore what consciousness actually is, how it diffe...

For decades, fiber was shorthand for digestiveregularity. Today, the science tells a more complex and far more interesting story. In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer is joined by Professor Jens Walter, a leading microbiome scientist at University College Cork in Ireland, to discuss one of nutrition’s most surprising findings: fiber supplements don’t work like whole foods. Prof....

Joint pain and limited mobility are often treated as inevitable parts of aging — but what if there's a fundamentally different way to think about joint health? In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer sits down with Jeff Bailey, founder of Avita Yoga and author of the bestselling book Mobility for Life , to explore a revolutionary approach to restoring joint health through yoga....

Peptides are everywhere right now — on social media, in wellness clinics, and in the claims of biohackers promising faster healing, sharper thinking, and slower aging. But how much of this is science, and how much is hype? In this episode of The Mind-Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer draws on decades of peptide research — including his early work on gut peptides at UCLA — to explore what these mo...

Eating for your microbiome doesn't have to be complicated — but it does require rethinking how we approach food, carbohydrates, and flavor. In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer is joined by Anu Simh, a board-certified functional health coach, microbiome educator, and author of Flourish from Within: New Gut for Lifelong Health. Anu's work bridges the gap between microbiom...

Fiber has been talked about for decades — but emerging research suggests most of us still don't understand what it actually does, how much we need, or why the modern diet has left us so dramatically short of it. In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer is joined by Dr. Matt Amicucci, food scientist and co-founder of OneBio, to discuss the cutting-edge science of dietary fiber an...

Chronic pain is often treated as a problem to suppress with medication or surgery, but what if it’s actually a signal from a complex system that needs to be addressed holistically? In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer is joined by Jared E. Katz, author of Retrain the Brain: Self-Help for Traumatic Brain Injury and creator of the pain management app Painless . Jared’s story begin...

Menopause is often described as a simple decline in estrogen production, but emerging microbiome research suggests the story is far more complex. In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Mayer is joined by Dr. David Meriwether, a scientist at UCLA’s Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center, to discuss the estrobolome — a specialized group of gut microbes that recycle and reactivate estrogen after...

In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Tim Spector, MD, to discuss the implications of a landmark gut microbiome study involving more than 34,000 participants — one of the largest and most comprehensive efforts to date to understand what a “healthy” gut microbiome actually looks like. Drawing from the study’s novel design and findings, they explore why defini...

In this episode of The Mind–Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Will Bulsiewicz, board-certified gastroenterologist, New York Times bestselling author, and one of today’s leading voices in microbiome science. Drawing from his newest book, Plant-Powered Plus, Dr. Bulsiewicz explores why chronic, low-grade immune activation has become so widespread—and how modern lifestyles are keeping...

In this episode of The Mind-Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Dr. Lauren DeDecker, a board-certified internal medicine physician with training in nutrition and integrative medicine, to explain how gut health is approached in real-world primary care. They discuss why fiber and plant diversity remain foundational for digestive and metabolic health, how microbiome research reshaped mo...

In this episode of The Mind-Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Wolfgang Puck, one of the most iconic chefs of our time, for an intimate conversation about the life experiences, creative influences, and personal philosophy that shaped his extraordinary career. Puck reflects on his difficult childhood in Austria and how the kitchen became both refuge and calling. He shares the pivotal...

In this episode of The Mind-Gut Conversation, Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Kate Scarlata, RDN, an internationally recognized dietitian, bestselling author, and leading authority on dietary therapies for IBS and chronic digestive disorders. Drawing from her personal medical journey and decades of clinical experience, Kate offers a deeply insightful and refreshingly nuanced look at some of the mo...

Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Taylor Bell, an Ivy League–educated former management consultant turned full-time YouTuber, for a candid conversation on authenticity, ambition, and the health consequences of living out of alignment with your true values. Through her story of leaving a high-pressure corporate career to pursue creative entrepreneurship, Taylor shares what it means to redefine succes...

Dr. Emeran Mayer sits down with Dr. Drew Ramsey, psychiatrist, author, and pioneer in nutritional psychiatry, for a thought-provoking conversation on how we can proactively strengthen and protect our mental health. Drawing from his new book, Healing the Modern Brain: Nine Tenets to Build Mental Fitness and Revitalize Your Mind, Dr. Ramsey explains what it means to develop “mental fitness” and why...

Dr. Emeran Mayer welcomes Peter Crone, widely known as The Mind Architect, for a profound conversation on healing trauma, dissolving limiting subconscious beliefs, and unlocking human potential. Peter shares how early life experiences shape the subconscious mind, often creating patterns of fear, anxiety, and self-judgment that hold us back. He explains how shifting awareness and reframing our narr...

Dr. Emeran Mayer welcomes Dr. Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, physician, author, and women’s health advocate, for an in-depth discussion on menopause, hormone therapy, and the integration of holistic practices into modern medicine. Dr. Gilberg shares her path into women’s health, including the creation of the Menopause Bootcamp to address the lack of education and awareness around menopause. She explains wh...

Dr. Emeran Mayer welcomes Professor Felice Jacka, founder of the Food & Mood Centre and a global leader in nutritional psychiatry, for an in-depth discussion on how diet influences mental health and brain function. Felice shares the groundbreaking research that launched an entire field, from the first studies linking diet quality to depression, to clinical trials demonstrating how dietary chan...

Dr. Emeran Mayer welcomes Martin Picard, PhD, mitochondrial biologist and systems thinker, for a fascinating conversation on the hidden role of mitochondria in health, stress, and consciousness. Martin explains how mitochondria, far beyond being simple “powerhouses of the cell”, are dynamic regulators of energy, emotion, and resilience. He explores their symbiotic relationship with the gut microbi...

Dr. Emeran Mayer welcomes Dan Buettner, National Geographic explorer, Emmy award-winning filmmaker, and founder of the Blue Zones, for an illuminating conversation on the secrets of longevity. Dan explains why people in Blue Zone communities, like Ikaria, Greece, and Nicoya, Costa Rica, live significantly longer, healthier lives, and why it has little to do with genetics. Instead, he shares how th...

Dr. Mayer unpacks groundbreaking research on how men and women differ in their responses to stress, emotional stimuli, and gut sensations. Drawing from studies at UCLA’s Oppenheimer Center, the conversation highlights key differences in brain-gut communication, revealing how neural pathways influence both emotional and physical health. You’ll learn why women are more prone to conditions like IBS,...