HoldsUp

DavidPerlmutterMD · 2026-04-14 · David Perlmutter (host), Trisha Pasricha

You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong (And It’s Affecting Your Brain) | Dr. Trischa Pasricha

35 research-tied claims examined: 3 contradicted 3 overstated 5 context 19 supported 5 unverified

5

Needs context

0:09:08Trisha Pasrichaneeds contextmoderate

Forty percent of Americans experience bowel habits that disrupt their daily lives.

"they fall into that 40% of Americans whose bowel habits disrupt their daily lives." (said at 0:09:08)

Large population-based survey data in the United States demonstrate a high overall burden of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, with 61% of surveyed Americans reporting at least one GI symptom in the past week. Individual bowel-specific symptoms such as diarrhea and constipation were reported by approximately 20.2% and 19.7% of respondents, respectively. While gastrointestinal symptoms broadly affect a majority of the US population, citing a specific 40% figure for bowel habits that disrupt daily life requires context, as it approximates broader estimates of overall functional gastrointestinal disorders or combined symptom burdens rather than a single specific metric for life-disrupting bowel habits.

0:09:55Trisha Pasrichaneeds contexthigh

Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality among younger people.

"Colorectal cancer is leading the way right now, as of 2026, in terms of early onset colorectal cancers and mortality for younger people when it comes to different kinds of cancers." (said at 0:09:55)

According to surveillance data from the American Cancer Society published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2024), colorectal cancer has risen to become the leading cause of cancer mortality among men under age 50 in the United States (up from the fourth-leading cause in the late 1990s). However, among women under age 50, colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death, following breast cancer.

0:13:11Trisha Pasrichaneeds contextmoderate

Only about 20% of eligible adults aged 45 to 49 are actually obtaining screening colonoscopies.

"even for those people who are that 45 to 49-year range, who have been eligible for colorectal cancer screening for several years, only about 20% of them are actually getting their colonoscopies." (said at 0:13:11)

The claim that roughly 20% of adults aged 45 to 49 are obtaining colorectal cancer screening reflects baseline screening adherence rates immediately following the 2021 USPSTF guideline update (which lowered the recommended starting age from 50 to 45). In 2021, screening rates in this age group were documented at approximately 20% to 25.6%. However, screening uptake in this population has grown since then, reaching 31% to 36% nationally in 2023 and exceeding 50% in some regional health systems. Furthermore, these overall screening rates encompass both colonoscopies and stool-based modalities (such as FIT and FIT-DNA), rather than colonoscopies alone.

0:38:16David Perlmutter (host)needs contextlow

Elevated circulating levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and anti-LPS antibodies correlate with Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis.

"So, when we see elevated levels of these antibodies and of LPS itself, it's an indication of permeability. These elevated levels are seen to correlate with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and certainly with multiple sclerosis." (said at 0:38:16)

Elevated circulating levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and markers of intestinal permeability/endotoxemia have been reported in various neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS). For instance, serum LPS activity has been identified as a potential risk factor in early-onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease (PMID 41064738), and elevated serum LPS levels in relapsing-remitting MS patients decrease following dietary interventions that reduce disease disability (PMID 41205557). However, evidence directly comparing circulating LPS levels between Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and healthy controls is mixed; while related endotoxemia biomarkers like sCD14 and hsCRP are elevated in PD, circulating LPS concentrations themselves do not always differ significantly between PD patients and controls (PMID 42123298). Furthermore, specific measurement of anti-LPS antibodies across all three conditions is less commonly reported in blood biomarker studies than direct LPS or host response proteins (such as sCD14 and LBP). Thus, while increased systemic LPS and endotoxemia-related immune responses correlate with neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory conditions, findings vary by disease entity and specific biomarker measured.

1:01:22Trisha Pasrichaneeds contextmoderate

Fiber supplements such as psyllium improve rectal sensitivity and reduce the frequency of fecal incontinence episodes.

"And they've done these studies where they found that actually just fiber supplements like psyllium can help improve that sensitivity so those episodes don't happen as often." (said at 1:01:22)

Randomized controlled trials confirm that psyllium fiber supplementation significantly reduces the frequency of fecal incontinence episodes in community-dwelling adults. However, this clinical improvement is primarily driven by psyllium's water-holding capacity and stool-bulking effect (forming a viscous stool gel that is easier to retain and evacuate) rather than a direct enhancement or repair of intrinsic rectal neuromuscular sensitivity, though a bulkier, more formed stool bolus may improve rectal mechanoreceptor perception.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.