High-Dose B3 for Brain Cancer, “Unvaccinated” Blood Fears, and Eating Plants for Your Brain

This week, Dr. Joe looks at what happens when promising science, pandemic-era fears, and everyday food choices collide with real-world health decisions. A small early-phase trial in people with glioblastoma suggests very high intravenous doses of vitamin B3 (niacin), added to standard care, may help “reawaken” tired immune cells and briefly slow tumor growth. Dr. Joe explains why this is an intriguing lab signal—but still an experimental hospital treatment, not a reason to start megadosing over-the-counter vitamins. A new report in the journal Transfusion finds more patients asking hospitals for blood only from unvaccinated donors since COVID shots rolled out, even though blood centers don’t track or label donations by vaccination status. Dr. Joe walks through how these requests can delay life-saving transfusions, why there is no evidence vaccinated blood is harmful, and how to think about risk when you actually need blood. A large neurology study following nearly 93,000 adults for about 11 years links eating more plant foods—especially whole grains, vegetables, and nuts—to a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, while “junk” plant-based diets high in fries and refined grains were tied to higher risk. Dr. Joe talks about why quality matters more than the “plant-based” label and how to move toward a more brain-friendly, plant-forward pattern without going fully vegetarian or vegan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.