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Although it sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, a new study in Nature suggests that your brain can sense when someone with an infection comes into your vicinity (or a pathogen floats by in the air) and send messages to your immune system so it can create a defense against the disease before you are actually infected with it. Wow! The researchers used virtual reality to simulate a person's response to potential exposure and examined electronic crosstalk in folks' brains to tabulate the immune system's responsiveness. Double wow!

How does the brain manage this? Well, another study in Nature reveals that cells from the adaptive immune system reside in the brain. It seems they may have the ability to connect its infection-sensing regions with the immune system components that exist in the brain and in the gut. Never has it been clearer that keeping your brain and gut healthy is essential for keeping yourself disease-free!

A diet that keeps your brain's blood vessels clear also keeps the microbes in your gut biome in balance: no red or processed meats, plenty of fruits and veggies, and no highly processed foods or added sugars. And a gut that enjoys a good daily supply of fiber from whole grains, and fruits and vegetables helps, too.

So, envision your healthiest self -- and rely on the 30-plus ways that you can control the onslaught of diseases that lead to premature aging that I discuss in "The Great Age Reboot" and the free newsletter at LongevityPlaybook.com.

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.longevityplaybook.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@longevityplaybook.com.

(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.