100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's and Age-Related Memory Loss [Hardcover]

Jean Carper (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 2010

Most people think there is little or nothing you can do to avoid Alzheimer's. But scientists know this is no longer true. In fact, prominent researchers now say that our best and perhaps only hope of defeating Alzheimer's is to prevent it.

After best-selling author Jean Carper discovered that she had the major susceptibility gene for Alzheimer's, she was determined to find all the latest scientific evidence on how to escape it. She discovered 100 surprisingly simple scientifically tested ways to radically cut the odds of Alzheimer's, memory decline, and other forms of dementia.

Did you know that vitamin B 12 helps keep your brain from shrinking? Apple juice mimics a common Alzheimer's drug? Surfing the internet strengthens aging brain cells? Ordinary infections and a popular anesthesia may trigger dementia? Meditating spurs the growth of new neurons? Exercise is like Miracle-Gro for your brain?

Even a few preventive actions could dramatically change your future by postponing Alzheimer's so long that you eventually outlive it. If you can delay the onset of Alzheimer's for five years, you cut your odds of having it by half. Postpone Alzheimer's for ten years, and you'll most likely never live to see it. 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's will change the way you look at Alzheimer's and provide exciting new answers from the frontiers of brain research to help keep you and your family free of this heartbreaking disease.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

If trying something new can delay or offset the effects of Alzheimer's, as former CNN medical correspondent and syndicated "EatSmart" columnist Carper (The Food Pharmacy) contends, then readers would do well to try many of the ideas she offers in this empowering compendium. Genetically disposed to Alzheimer's, Carper, now in her 70s, has compressed the latest research on this and other types of dementia into short sections, each with a bottom-line action plan. While some are basic to all-around good health (e.g., taking a multivitamin, not smoking, limiting alcohol), others might surprise: consuming apple juice and vinegar, meditating, and surfing the Internet. Although Carper admits she has not tried all of them, she recommends that readers experiment with those best suited to their situations. Even a few nutritional (a Mediterranean diet) and lifestyle (exercise, stress relief, sleep) changes, she states, can gain as much as a decade disease-free, and by supplementing with anti-Alzheimer's powerhouses like niacin, choline, folic acid, and alpha lipoic acid, readers can push mental decline even further into the future. Whether in their 20s or well into retirement, readers will likely feel motivated to do the impossible: beat the approaching epidemic of a disease commonly viewed as hopeless.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Whether in their 20s or well into retirement, readers will likely feel motivated to do the impossible: beat the approaching epidemic of a disease commonly viewed as hopeless." (Publishers Weekly )

"It's about time someone has compiled such an important manual of steps we can and should all take to avoid Alzheimer's. Jean has done a skillful job at delivering accessible tips that are backed in science and still very actionable for those of us interested in preserving our intellect and memory." (Mark Liponis, MD, coauthor of Ultraprevention and author of Ultralongevity )

"In her usual science-made-simple approach, Jean Carper gives readers of all ages 100 doable strategies for keeping brains sharp and bodies healthy. I highly recommend reading it-and doing it." (William Sears, MD, author of Prime-Time Health )

"A wonderful book that appeals to the lay person, physician and scientist alike, with its beautifully outlined 'what to do' approaches to dealing with the threat of such a frightening disease. It is a must read for all of us." (Brian J. Balin, Ph.D., Professor, Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine )

"In this marvelous book, Jean Carper has done all the leg-work for the reader by basing it on the very recent scientific literature and direct contacts with many Alzheimer's disease researchers. She has a unique and refreshing writing style. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to maintain their cognitive abilities during aging and reduce their risk of Alzheimer's-which should be all of us!" (Gary W. Arendash, Ph.D., Research Professor of the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center )

"With style and wit Jean Carper has assembled all the simple things that people can do to delay the onset of age-related memory loss, an idea that may sound revolutionary to some, but is all research-based. My advice is simple: Read this book!" (Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Georgetown Medical School )

"There is a gem of knowledge and insight on every page. Jean Carper brings a rare talent to these pages-she helps the reader see the difference between scientific breakthroughs and passing fads. Most important, this book offers hope-something the reader can do right now to change their future. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to protect their minds as they grow old." (Gary L. Wenk, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Ohio State University, author of Your Brain on Food: How Chemicals Control Your Thoughts and Feelings )

"A refreshingly positive view of Alzheimer's disease and what you can do to reduce your risk." (Suzanne Tyas, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Studies and Gerontology and of Psychology, University of Waterloo )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (September 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316086851
• ISBN-13: 978-0316086851
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #23 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diseases & Physical Ailments > Alzheimer's Disease
  • #25 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Mental Health > Dementia

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Very easy to read May 9, 2011

By Paul Lappen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

For anyone in middle-age or older, Alzheimer's Disease is a major concern. This book shows easy ways to delay its onset, perhaps for years.

If the recommendations in this book can be reduced to one sentence, it might be: Eat Right and Exercise Regularly. Eat lots of deep color berries, like black raspberries, cranberries, plums and strawberries; they are full of antioxidants. Apple juice can boost the brain's production of acetylcholine, just like the popular Alzheimer's drug Aricept. Large doses of caffeine, like several hundred mg per day, may help clean up your brain if you are showing signs of mental problems (people react differently to high doses of caffeine, so be aware of the side effects). If you have cholesterol problems, get it under control, now. Cinnamon gives a boost to malfunctioning insulin, allowing it to process sugar normally. Weak insulin can lead to diabetes, and can damage your brain cells. Did you know that coffee helps block cholesterol's bad effects on the brain, is anti-inflammatory and reduces the risk of depression, stroke and diabetes, which all promote dementia?

Mental exercise is just as important as physical exercise. Fill up your brain with lots of interesting stuff, like education, marriage, language skills, etc. You can actually grow your brain with lots of physical, mental and social activities. If you can join a health club and work out regularly, do it. If going for a walk after dinner is more your speed, do it. Conscientious people are better able to cope with setbacks in life, and can better dodge chronic psychological distress, which boosts risks of dementia. If you are clinically depressed, get it treated, or you are more likely to develop Alzheimer's. Symptoms that look like Alzheimer's can easily be something else (and something easily treatable). Go to a geriatric neurologist and get the right diagnosis, now.

The best way to prevent Alzheimer's is to reduce your personal risk factors, sooner rather than later. No one is expected to do everything in this book. Pick a dozen or so things that you can do every day, and stick with them. Anything that reduces the possibility of getting Alzheimer's, even by a little bit, is automatically a good thing. This book is very easy to read, and it is excellent.

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book! September 16, 2010

By thea flaum

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

At last--there are some things we can actually do about Alzheimer's!

The author has done a thorough, careful survey of the latest and best scientific research about the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's, and what the findings imply for all of us.

In clear layman's terms,the book tells you what the top researchers have learned about how to prevent and delay the onset of Alzheimer's. And the suggestions for things you can do to prevent it are just as simple as the title promises.

This book is a ray of hope amidst all the Alzheimer's gloom. I'm sending it to everyone in my family.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful Book September 19, 2010

By Kathleen Drew

Format:Hardcover

People are hungry for information on ways they can prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's. Carper gives, in an easy way to digest, 100 simple things you can do. All of them are backed with research. Easy to read and easy to follow. Great that someone has done the digging and put all the information together in a small but powerful book!