This is a review of “The Better Brain Book: The Best Tool for Improving Memory and Sharpness and Preventing Aging of the Brain” by David Perlmutter, MD.
Date: September 11, 2021
Best place to buy: Amazon.com
Author: David Perlmutter, MD
Price: $14.12
Loss of memory is not a natural part of aging—this amazing book explains why
Celebrated neurologist David Perlmutter reveals how everyday memory-loss—misplacing car keys, forgetting a name, losing concentration in meetings—is actually a warning sign of a distressed brain. Here he and Carol Colman offer a simple plan for repairing those problems, clarifying misconstrued connections between memory loss and aging, and regaining and maintaining mental clarity by offering the tools for:
Building a better brain through nutrition, lifestyle changes, and brain workouts
Coping with specific brain disorders such as stroke, vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, and Lou Gehrig’s disease
Understanding risk factors and individually tailoring a diet and supplementary program
Features a “Life Style Audit” consisting of quizzes, a brain fitness program with the most effective ways to exercise your brain, plus a nutritional program that details the best brain food and supplements.
DISCOVER:
- Hidden brain toxins in your medicine cabinet, household products, and the food you eat
- How to bring back clarity and mental vigor
- What your doctor won’t tell you about preventing and treating stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurological conditions.
CHAPTERS
Here are the chapters contained in this most interesting book:
Is Your Brain at Risk?
Am I losing it?
The Brain Audit
Understanding your Risk Factors
How common prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs can be hazardous to your brain
Tools for a Better Brain
Building a better brain through nutrition
Tailor a supplement program to your risk factors
Change your lifestyle, change your brain
Get the toxins out!
The Brain workout
Four medical tests that can save your brain:
The lipid peroxide test: Are you under free radical attack?
Homocystine check: Are you getting enough B vitamins?
The ApoE4 genotype: The “Alzheimer’s gene”
C-reactive protein: Measuring inflammation
6 steps to a better brain
Specific brain disorders and what you can do about them
Stroke
Vascular Dementia
Alzheimer’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
The Brain Workout
Of particular interest to us in this book is the “Brain Workout” chapter. That is because of the specialized types of brain training it contains and our special emphasis on brain games.
If you are not doing some form of brain fitness, you run the risk of losing brain power with each passing year. If you are having difficulty remembering things, if you aren’t as focused or alert as you used to be, or if you feel that your creative juices are drying up, it’s a sign that your brain cells need some toning up.
A good mental workout will give your brain cells a power boost. When your brain is stimulated by a new challenge, you make new branches from your neurons, called “dendrites”, that are essential for processing and assimilating information. It’s easier to make dendrites when you are young, before the brain has been worn down by free radical attack and a slowdown in energy production. In fact, at one time it was believed that there was a point in life when you stopped making dendrites. Although it becomes more difficult, we now know that you can make dendrites – and even new neurons – well into old age and keep your brain active. You need to keep making new dendrites to perform well right now and to stave off brain aging later. Scientists theorize that, if you go into old age armed with dendrites to spare, you will remain mentally resilient and less likely to develop dementia.
How do you make new dendrites? Performing mentally stimulating activities can prevent the age-related decline in dendrite production, and reinvigorate an aging brain. It’s never too late to grow new dendrites but, to achieve the best results, you need to engage in the right kind of mental activity.
Four Brain-Boosting Exercises
As stated by Dr. Perlmutter, in this book you will find a regimen of four brain-boosting exercises he has designed for his patients to accomplish specific goals. Exercises 1 and 2 are designed specifically to enhance memory. Exercises 3 and 4 are deigned to improve mental speed and accuracy.
Two Memory-Boosting Exercises
Although both exercises will help improve overall memory and sharpen your ability to recall information on demand, exercise 1 is designed to boost your ability to recall numbers, while exercise 2 is geared to help people remember names better.
Exercises 3 and 4 will significantly speed up reaction time.
If you feel that you are slowing down, that is, if performing single tasks like filling out your expense sheet at work or a form at the bank takes you longer than it used to, or if you are easily distracted, exercises 3 and 4 are just what the doctor ordered. These two exercises will significantly enhance the speed and accuracy of your brain’s performance.
More Brain Workouts
Dr. Perlmutter lets us in on a secret: What does he do to keep his brain fit? Well, in addition to the games described here, he uses a computer-based brain training program called BrainBuilder 3.0 – Math Edition, a software program for home computers. Brain-Building provides several mind-challenging programs that are actually fun to do. These mental tests are designed to help you shorten your reaction time as well as enhance short-term memory. Dr. Perlmutter recommends that you try to incorporate BrainBuilder, or a similar program, into your brain workout.
Pros and Cons:
Pros: The Pros are many: How can you go wrong doing the exercises in this book? They will just help you get smarter, which is what you want anyway!
Cons: none that we are aware of!
We hope you have enjoyed our review of The Better Brain Book. Please leave us a comment letting us know if you tried the exercises in this book and if they were of help to you.
Brain games can be found under the heading “Brain Games”, by clicking any of the published blogs in the pages listed for the following categories:
“Brain Games For Children”
“Brain Games for Adults”
“Brain Games for Seniors”
“Advanced Brain Training”
“Optimal Brain Health”
In addition, if you want to search for a particular blog, enter its title in the Search bar in the blog roll which appears during blog viewing.
This is a very interesting concept. I haven’t heard this before. I thought that losing memory was just a natural part of life. I will start to exercise my brain with this for of workout. We need to treasure one of the most powerful parts of our body that we have. I wish I would have known this when I was younger.
Thanks for your comment, Abel! Go ahead and exercise your brain! It’s not too late! I hope some of the exercises in this book will be of help to you. Please let us know how you like them!