Can Your Gut Predict Parkinson's & Alzheimer's Disease? | Dr. Trisha Pasricha Live Q&A
The Exam Room by the Physicians Committee
Physicians Committee
4.9 • 3.5K Ratings
🗓️ 1 April 2026
⏱️ 57 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Could your gut hold the key to preventing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease? Researchers believe the first signs of these diseases could be digestive issues that occur years before neurologic symptoms appear.
In this live Q&A, gastroenterologist and researcher Dr. Trisha Pasricha joins Chuck Carroll on The Exam Room Podcast to break down the powerful connection between the gut microbiome and brain health — and what it could mean for your future.
From constipation as an early signal to the power of diet in shaping gut health, this episode uncovers the science behind the gut-brain axis.
🧠 You will learn:
- The gut-brain axis explained
- Early warning signs hidden in digestion
- The role of constipation in disease risk
- How diet shapes your microbiome
- Practical tips to improve gut health
- The power of the vagus nerve
Plus, we answer live audience questions on Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, digestion, fiber, and microbiome health.
💩 You've Been Pooping All Wrong
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🔬 Dr. Pasricha's Research on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
👉 https://www.trishapasricha.com/laboratory
🙏 Support The Exam Room Podcast & PCRM
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- About Us -
The Physicians Committee is dedicated to saving lives through plant-based diets and ethical and effective scientific research. We combine the clout and expertise of more than 17,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of more than 175,000 members across the United States and around the world.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today on the exam room. |
| 0:05.0 | Parkinson's disease is a good example of a disease that we used to not think of as being related to the gut, but actually it's deeply connected to the gut. |
| 0:13.0 | 80% of these patients have GI symptoms. What's even more interesting is that a lot of them start years, if not decades, before the brain type of symptoms. |
| 0:22.6 | And so people often get diagnosed with Parkinson's disease officially when they develop tremors, |
| 0:29.6 | when they develop trouble walking or moving or speaking. |
| 0:32.6 | But a lot of them will say, I had constipation, years, if not decades, before any of that other |
| 0:39.2 | stuff started. |
| 0:40.2 | I started to get nauseated. |
| 0:41.2 | I started to feel really full after every meal. |
| 0:44.0 | Maybe I had trouble swallowing. |
| 0:45.4 | Those things started well before the other diseases. |
| 0:48.2 | And we think that that's because there is this period that can take years when the disease |
| 0:52.3 | hasn't reached the brain first. |
| 1:04.1 | Welcome to the exam room podcast brought to you by the Physicians Committee. Hi, I'm Chuck Carol raising health IQs coast to coast and around the world. Hi to the exam room. He's listening in |
| 1:10.1 | Beantown, Boston, Massachusetts, |
| 1:13.0 | Wichita, Kansas, and Mumbai, India. |
| 1:16.2 | Wherever you are, we appreciate you helping to make the world a healthier place. |
| 1:20.6 | This is episode 25 of season 9, number 724 overall. |
| 1:26.0 | And today we are going to be diving into one of the most fascinating and frankly |
| 1:30.6 | underappreciated connections in all of medicine. Today we are visiting the link between your |
| 1:38.0 | gut and your brain. And we're going to be asking ourselves this question. What if the health of your microbiome could influence your risk for Parkinson's disease or even Alzheimer's? |
| 1:51.0 | Well, that is exactly what we're going to be talking about today with Dr. Tricia Pusrecha, a gastroenterologist, researcher, and one of the leading voices in how the gut may play a role |
... |
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