The Doctor's Farmacy With Mark Hyman, M.d.

Your brain doesn’t wait until old age to start changing. It’s being shaped right now by the choices you make every single day. On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I’m joined by preventive neurologist Dr. Richard Isaacson—founder of RetainYourBrain, a free assessment platform empowering people to understand and improve their cognitive health. Dr. Isaacson was also recently featured in a CNN documentary highlighting his groundbreaking work on Alzheimer’s prevention. In our conversation, we dig into what the latest science reveals about cognitive longevity—how biomarkers, metabolism, nutrition, and sleep shape the brain’s long-term performance. Watch the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. We cover: • What early biomarkers can reveal about long-term brain health • How metabolism, blood sugar, and belly fat impact memory and focus • Why a personalized plan beats a one-size-fits-all approach to Alzheimer’s • Lifestyle changes that strengthen cognitive resilience sta

Milk has long been sold as the key to strong bones, but research challenges that claim: many people don’t tolerate dairy, calcium needs are lower than advertised, and higher milk intake doesn’t necessarily prevent fractures. Politics and industry marketing helped set “three glasses a day,” even though healthy bones depend more on overall diet and lifestyle—things like vitamin D, movement, and avoiding soda, excess sugar, and stress that drive calcium loss. Dairy may be helpful for some diets, but it can also trigger bloating, acne, congestion, or digestive issues. The good news is that strong bones and good nutrition are still very doable without cow’s milk—think leafy greens, sardines, almonds, chia, and sunshine for vitamin D. In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. David Ludwig and Dr. Elizabeth Boham why bone health depends more on diet, lifestyle, and nutrient balance than on dairy. David S. Ludwig, MD, PhD, is an endocrinologist and researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital, Professor of Pediatrics

Our food system is reaching a breaking point—and the warning signs are already on our plates. From disappearing crops to rising health costs, it’s clear that the way we grow and eat food can’t continue as it has. Today on The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with Sam Kass, former White House chef and senior policy advisor, to explore his new book The Last Supper: The Politics of the End of Food. We talk about what’s driving the crisis, what’s already being done to repair it, and how each of us can help build a food system that supports both people and the planet. Join us for the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. We discuss: • What if the foods you eat every day are quietly shaping both your health and the planet’s? • Learn how a healthier food system could mean cleaner air, better soil, and stronger communities. • See why so many farmers want to do better—and what keeps them stuck. • How everyday food choices shape the culture that businesses and policymakers follow. • S

Most people don’t realize that what happens in the mouth can ripple through the whole body. The balance of the oral microbiome—the community of bacteria living in our mouths—can either protect us or trigger widespread inflammation that affects the heart, joints, and brain. Hidden dental infections or mercury fillings can quietly drive fatigue, autoimmune issues, or dementia—and fixing the mouth often helps the rest of the body heal, too. The good news is that with simple steps like eating whole foods (often removing gluten), cleaning the mouth well, and breathing through the nose, we can protect both our smile and our overall health. When we care for the mouth as part of the body, lasting wellness becomes possible from the inside out. In this episode, Dr. Todd LePine, Dr. Elizabeth Boham, James Nestor, and I talk about how a healthy mouth microbiome is a key to whole-body wellness. Dr. Todd LePine graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, specializing in Integrativ

My guest today on The Dr. Hyman Show, Dr. Tom Frieden has spent decades proving how small, smart changes can save millions of lives.  We talk about his new book, The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives—Including Your Own—a fascinating look at what really works to prevent disease and rebuild public trust. We also dive into his See–Believe–Create framework—how it connects public policy with personal action to make prevention the easy choice. Catch the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.  We unpack:  • Why rebuilding trust in public health is key to protecting your own wellbeing  • How balancing sodium and potassium could transform your heart health  • What the food industry learned from Big Tobacco—and how to take back control of your choices  • Simple policy shifts that could save millions of lives and make prevention easier for everyone  • How AI and team-based care could shape a future of medicine that works for you  We already know what works

A hidden fire called chronic inflammation drives many problems—from joint pain and arthritis to autoimmune conditions, and even faster aging. Typical fixes (like pain meds and steroid shots) calm symptoms but often miss the “why,” and can leave people still hurting or even create more issues. Big triggers of inflammation that impact our joints, and so much more, include sugar and refined carbs, extra weight, leaky gut, toxins, infections, stress, and poor sleep—plus joints naturally get less blood and oxygen as we age. This is why it’s important to create an anti-inflammatory lifestyle plan starting with real whole foods, and incorporating regular exercise, stress management, gut repair, and targeted anti-inflammatory supplements.  In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. George Papanicolaou and Dr. Cindy Geyer, how chronic inflammation, arthritis, and joint pain can be reduced using a Functional Medicine approach, including how to do the anti-inflammatory 10-Day Detox diet.  Dr. George Papanicolaou is a

Food is medicine isn’t a slogan—it’s how our bodies are designed to heal. My guest today, Autumn Smith, knows that better than anyone. After overcoming years of digestive and mental health struggles, she co-founded Paleo Valley and Wild Pastures to help others access truly nutrient-dense food. On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, we explore how regenerative farming restores both soil and human health, why food quality matters as much as food choice, and how regeneratively raised animal foods can contain the same healing compounds we find in plants. Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll learn: • How to tell if your meat is truly regenerative • What labels like grass-fed, grass-finished, and regenerative really mean • Why soil health directly impacts your nutrient intake • Easy ways to lower inflammation through better fats • Affordable steps to eat well and support the planet When we heal the soil, we heal ourselves—and that change starts with what’s

Many communities face an uneven food landscape: plenty of cheap junk food, but few places to buy fresh, healthy food. This pattern—often called “food apartheid”—doesn’t happen by accident; it grows from redlining, unfair rules, and corporate control. The impacts are steep: higher rates of type 2 diabetes, kidney failure, and learning problems in Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, along with unsafe conditions for farmworkers. These harms have a long history, and government subsidies and convincing marketing keep ultraprocessed foods on top. However, we take practical steps to make change including investing in regenerative and community farms, protecting and fairly paying farmworkers, and enforcing civil-rights laws so public dollars support real food, healthy soil, and communities that thrive. In this episode, Leah Penniman, Dr. Rupa Marya, Raj Patel, Karen Washington, and I discuss why food injustices exist and how we can create regenerative food systems to serve everyone. Leah Penniman is a Black

Today we tackle Parkinson’s as a preventable epidemic—not an inevitable fate. I’m joined on The Dr. Hyman Show by two of the field’s top neurologists, Drs. Ray Dorsey and Michael Okun, co-authors of The Parkinson’s Plan, to unpack why cases are exploding and what we can do about it right now. We look at how toxins drive disease, why Parkinson’s goes far beyond dopamine, and the early signs most people miss—plus what you can do today to protect your brain. And we connect the dots between environmental exposures—whether from food, water, or even recreational spaces—and the growing burden of neurological disease. Watch the full conversation here or listen wherever you get your podcasts. [YOUTUBE THUMBNAIL] We also explore: • How to spot early signs—like loss of smell—long before a diagnosis • Everyday ways to cut toxin exposures in your food, water, and home • Why Parkinson’s is a whole-body disease, and what that means for prevention • The kind of exercise that protects your brain and slows progression

Our immune systems are under more pressure than ever—from processed diets, environmental toxins, stress, and fast-spreading infections—and the result is faster aging and greater vulnerability to disease. As we grow older, “zombie cells” spread inflammation throughout the body, weakening defenses and accelerating decline. But research shows we’re not powerless: the emerging science of immuno-rejuvenation reveals that we can retrain and rebuild our immunity. Through the right foods, lifestyle habits, and even strategic stressors, the body has hidden pathways for repair and renewal—offering clues to how we might slow aging and unlock greater resilience. In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Dr. Roger Seheult, how we can support the immune system by using food, lifestyle, and hormetic stress to reduce illness and restore resilience while slowing aging. Dr. Elizabeth Boham is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School, and she is an Institute for Functional Medicine Ce

Obesity is often seen as a matter of willpower, but science tells a different story. My guest today, Dr. David Kessler—former FDA commissioner, lawyer, physician, and the man who took on Big Tobacco—explains why biology, not blame, drives our struggles with weight. On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, we talk about why weight struggles are so common today, what new drugs can and can’t do, and how his new FDA petition targets one of the biggest culprits: processed refined carbs. Catch the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. [YOUTUBE THUMBNAIL] You’ll learn: • How food companies use ingredients like processed refined carbs to make products irresistible • Why GLP-1 drugs help many lose weight—but can’t fix the food environment driving the crisis • How belly fat fuels heart disease, diabetes, and cancer—and why ultraprocessed foods are a big part of the problem • Simple ways to break free from foods engineered to make you overeat • What Dr. Kessler’s FDA petition coul

Thyroid trouble often starts as a whisper—tiredness, stubborn weight, dry skin—until a closer look shows the tiny neck gland that sets the body’s “speed” is out of tune. Basic tests can miss the real issue, so checking active hormones and thyroid antibodies—and hunting for triggers like stress, gluten sensitivity, toxins, nutrient gaps, and gut imbalances—can reveal what’s really going on. When understood this way, thyroid health is no longer just about numbers on a lab report—it’s about restoring balance in the whole system. With the right testing, nutrition, and support, energy, mood, and metabolism can all return to their natural rhythm. In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Elizabeth Boham and Dr. George Papanicolaou, thyroid conditions such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroid autoimmunity and how Functional Medicine practitioners take a different approach to find the root cause of the imbalance. Dr. Elizabeth Boham is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School, and she i

For too long, psychiatry has treated mental illness as if it lives only in the brain. But what if the real story begins in the body? My guest today, Dr. Shebani Sethi, is a Clinical Associate Professor at Stanford and founding director of the Metabolic Psychiatry Program, the first clinic to unite psychiatry with nutrition and metabolism. On this revealing episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, we explore how shifts in metabolism affect the brain and why this whole-body lens could transform how we prevent, understand, and treat mental health. Watch the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. We discuss: • How to recognize metabolic red flags behind mood and focus • Tests you can ask for to uncover hidden drivers of mental health • Everyday steps to restore brain energy and resilience • Foods and nutrients that calm inflammation and support cognition Dr. Shebani Sethi coined the term Metabolic Psychiatry, capturing what I’ve long believed and explored: that mental health begins i

Many people feel caught in worry, fear, and constant striving—chasing achievements yet never feeling truly fulfilled. The restless “monkey mind” jumps from one thing to the next, amplifying stress and turning setbacks into heavy burdens. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. You can move from mindless tasks to a mindful purpose. The shift begins by setting a clear, heartfelt intention rooted in something bigger. When the focus moves from self-gain to contribution, the right people, resources, and opportunities often begin to flow toward you.  In this episode, Reverend Michael Beckwith, Lynne Twist, Jay Shetty, and I talk about how shifting from fear and self-focus to living with intention, surrender, daily spiritual practices, and a purpose larger than oneself can transform challenges into growth, bring deeper fulfillment, and open unexpected opportunities. For over 30 years now, Reverend Michael Beckwith has embraced a practical approach to spirituality and has helped people see the benefits of meditatio

Most women are told that midlife decline is inevitable—more aches, weaker bones, less strength. But is that really true? On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with Dr. Vonda Wright, a double-board certified orthopedic surgeon and leading voice in women’s longevity and performance. She shares how muscle functions as medicine, how hormones shape longevity, and why women’s midlife health deserves a whole new conversation. Join us for the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. What you’ll discover: • How to protect your strength, bones, and independence after 40 • Training shifts that build power, balance, and resilience you can feel every day • Why hormone therapy may be safer and more effective than you’ve been told • Nutrition habits that feed muscle, boost energy, and slow midlife decline • The key tests that reveal your true healthspan—and how to act on them Aging is universal, but frailty is not. With the right focus on strength, hormones, and lifestyle

Many psychiatric labels—like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia—can obscure underlying biology, and symptom checklists often fail to explain or heal what’s really going on. Emerging evidence reframes mental illness as a problem of brain energy, mitochondria, and inflammation—shaped by insulin signaling, circadian rhythm disruption, the gut–brain axis, toxins, infections, and nutrient status. Metabolic interventions such as ketogenic nutrition, already established for epilepsy, show promise for rebalancing neurotransmitters, lowering neuroinflammation, and improving overall brain function. With depression now a leading cause of disability, shifting from “manage the symptoms” to “fix the biology” could dramatically improve outcomes where standard drugs fall short. In this episode, Dr. Christopher Palmer, Dr. Todd LePine, Dr. Iain Campbell and I explore how rethinking mental illness as a metabolic and inflammatory disorder of the brain—rather than just a chemical imbalance—could transform the treatment and prev

On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with Nick Brewer, founder of Primal Moves—a method born from his own healing journey. Once a pro skier turned drug smuggler, he spent ten years in prison, including four in solitary, where he discovered the power of breath and movement to rebuild his body and mind. I had the chance to try Nick’s class myself, and I was struck by how powerful such simple movements can be. I’m excited to share that experience with you. You can watch the full conversation on YouTube, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. [YOUTUBE THUMBNAIL] We discuss: • How to spot when your nervous system is stuck—and steps to restore balance • Why talk therapy alone can’t release trauma in the body • How group movement triggers natural feel-good brain chemistry • Why we feel cut off from our bodies and how to reconnect Healing starts in the body. By working through stress and pain, we gain the strength and energy to show up fully in life. My hope is that this conversation encourage

Inflammation is the body’s natural way of healing, but when it becomes chronic and hidden, it quietly drives many of today’s most common health problems—heart disease, diabetes, dementia, cancer, autoimmune conditions, and more. Unlike the redness and swelling from a cut or sprain, this “silent inflammation” often goes unnoticed while slowly damaging tissues and speeding up aging. Modern life fuels the fire: processed foods, food additives, pollution, plastics, chronic stress, too much sitting, and poor sleep. The good news is inflammation can be calmed by simple daily choices—eating colorful whole foods like berries, leafy greens, beans, nuts, seeds, and omega-3 rich fish; adding herbs and spices like turmeric and cumin; moving regularly; practicing relaxation; and repairing gut health. Even small shifts, like climbing stairs, eating within a shorter window, or reducing sugar, can make a big difference. By lowering inflammation, the body finds balance again, opening the door to more energy, resilience, and h

For decades, psychiatry has relied on treatments that are slow and often ineffective. But what if one intervention could reset the brain, break the grip of addiction, and open the door to an entirely new model of care? On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with Dr. Nolan Williams, a Stanford neuropsychiatrist pioneering new therapies for substance use disorders, depression, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury. We dive into these fascinating topics and more; watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll learn: • Why ibogaine is unlike any other psychedelic—and how it could reset the brain • Its promise for treating substance abuse disorders and breaking cycles of addiction • The safety step that makes ibogaine treatment possible for real patients • Why psychiatry is shifting from trial-and-error to targeted brain circuits Talks like this remind me just how close we are to real breakthroughs in mental health. Dr. Williams calls it psychiatry 3.0. It’s a

Nutrients are far more than supplements on a shelf—they are life-sustaining molecules that determine how well the body ages and resists disease. For years, their importance was overlooked because many studies were poorly designed, failing to consider existing nutrient levels or how vitamins and minerals work together. Strong evidence now shows multivitamins can slow brain aging, omega-3s can extend life expectancy, and shortages of vitamin D, magnesium, and B12 are widespread drivers of inflammation and chronic illness. Knowing and addressing individual deficiencies is critical, as these nutrients power billions of chemical reactions every second and are foundational to vitality and longevity. In this episode, I discuss, along with Dr. Rhonda Patrick and Steve Martocci, why nutrients are essential for a healthy body and how to choose the highest quality supplements. Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a scientist and health educator recognized for her leadership in aging and disease prevention. As the founder of FoundMyF