How Overeating Sugar Shrinks Your Brain & The Unexpected Thing That Grows It

Sep 29, 2025

Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a renowned neurologist with expertise in memory and aging, discusses the detrimental effects of sugar on brain health. He explains how excessive sugar can lead to accelerated aging and even highlights animal studies supporting this claim. Dr. Fotuhi emphasizes the importance of monitoring blood markers and suggests practical lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, to promote hippocampal growth. He also underscores the significance of having a strong sense of purpose in preserving cognitive function and brain size.

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INSIGHT

How Sugar Ages The Brain

Continuous high doses of refined sugar cause insulin resistance and protein glycation that damage organs including the brain.
Animal models given high sugar develop accelerated brain and body aging, showing sugar's systemic toxicity.

INSIGHT

Sugar Spikes Fuel Overeating And Hippocampus Damage

Large acute sugar spikes trigger reactive hypoglycemia that drives repeated hunger and overeating cycles.
These repeated spikes are particularly toxic to the hippocampus and can impair memory over time.

ANECDOTE

Animal Models Use Sugar To Induce Aging

Researchers use high-dose sugar in animal aging models to induce brain, skin, bone and eye aging rapidly.
Interventions like omega-3s can partially reverse sugar-induced aging in those animal studies.

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This episode is brought to you by Bon Charge and AquaTru.

Dwindling memory is often seen as a normal part of aging. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s normal. There’s a lot we can do to safeguard the memory center of our brain, and it’s never too late to start.

Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, we’re revisiting one of our most talked-about moments with Dr. Majid Fotuhi. He unpacks how excess sugar from a highly refined, processed diet can accelerate aging and damage key organs, including the kidneys, liver, and brain. Dr. Fotuhi also highlights animal studies linking sugar to brain decline, the blood markers we should all be monitoring, and practical strategies to support brain growth. Finally, he shares why having a strong sense of purpose is one of the most powerful ways to protect brain health.

Dr. Fotuhi is a neurologist specializing in memory, concussion, and successful aging. With over 30 years of teaching, clinical practice, and neuroscience research at Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins, he has developed a multidisciplinary program to help people of all ages improve memory and attention. The results of his program have been published in numerous scientific journals as well as in his three books. Passionate about public education on brain health, Dr. Fotuhi also teaches in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at George Washington University and at Harvard Medical School.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Fotuhi dive into:

Why sugar is so damaging to the brain (01:46)
How elevated uric acid levels accelerate brain aging (11:22)
Essential blood markers to monitor regularly (17:27)
Key strategies to support brain growth (21:24)
Why having a sense of purpose is vital for brain health (22:42)
Final thoughts (30:35)

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