125 of 133 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind your brain, March 5, 2000
This is the third Jean Carper book I have read, and I was delighted to find so much new information to help postpone the effects aging. Like most of us, I have always assumed the conventional belief that the aging brain simply deteriorates. This is not true. Not only does Ms. Carper's new book examine the latest scientific evidence showing how simplistic that notion is, but she goes on to identify many of the practical things each of us can do to develop new health habits that will improve our mental functions. "Your Miracle Brain" will certainly be a best seller, but more importantly, it will transform the way our minds think about our brains.
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48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste, August 20, 2005
Let me cut to the chase, there are numerous supplements you can take to keep your mental facilities in top working order, but if you are looking for the ONE thing you can do that will provide the best overall results - take a multivitamin daily.
Ms. Carper has provided another fine study of the current research (circa 2000) related to the human brain and the effect of various supplements or lack thereof. If there is one complaint that I have about the book, it is that it is dated, continued research in the field would argue for an updated edition of the book.
The four sections of the book cover the workings of the brain, what to eat, what supplements to take and how to prevent vascular problems from affecting your brain. True to her usual form the author presents the research for each topic, broken up by nutrient or supplement, further broken down by details of the impact on the brain of a shortage and the research data to support claims that the nutrient or supplement may correct the problems, and how much to take for full effect.
The discussions are intriguing in that the author's conclusions require so little action on the reader's part to correct or prevent the stated neurological problems (topics range from depression to aggression to forgetfulness to age related problems like Alzheimer's).
One of the reasons I bought this book was because I was heading back to grad school (in my 40s), and I wasn't quite sure I was up to it. Having completed 13 semester credits in biological and chemical sciences over two 6 week summer sessions with a flawless 4.0 grade average, I can say that I feel at the top of my mental game and ready for admission to grad school. My current set of supplements include: a multivitamin with minerals, coenzyme Q10, Omega 3 fish oil, ginko biloba and grape seed extract.
Getting back to my initial statement, unless you have a perfect diet (be honest), you need a multivitamin with minerals to ensure that you are providing the basic nutrition for a healthy brain, once you are there you can look into the other supplements for further improvement. P-)
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58 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Your Miracle Brain by Jean Carper, January 9, 2004
A main thesis of this work is that food can impact the brain
either favorably or unfavorably. The author explains that
men have brains that tend to shrink faster than women.
In addition, high blood pressure tends to reduce brain size.
Stress also damages the brain. There are juices which have a
positive impact on brain chemistry; namely, grapefruit,
tomato, orange and blueberries. Cranberry, spinach, kale,
strawberries and plums have maximum ORAC units. Raisins and
prunes are top anti-oxidants. Spinach, beet greens, tomato,
orange juice, cantaloupe, squash, sweet potato and avocado help
to minimize strokes. B vitamins and Vit C help to keep the
brain young and preserve cerebrospinal fluid. Selenium
boosts the brain and a deficiency can upset brain function.
The stone age diet is best for people. It consists of 65%
veggies, fruits, nuts and honey with 35% lean meat, eggs and
fish. DHA is found in seafood and EPA is found in a fish diet.
Linoleic acid is found in leafy green veggies and olive oil.
Brain fat busters are saturated animal fat, whole milk, butter
and cheese. This book will be a good addition to any personal
health library
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