AGE-PROOF YOUR MIND : ; Detect, Delay, and Prevent Memory Loss--Before it's Too Late

A leading Harvard researcher outlines a memory loss prevention program that is based on a sixty-minute mental workout designed to target and strengthen vulnerable areas of the brain, in a guide complemented by additional information about diet and lifestyle changes that can help optimize mental health. 40,000 first printing.

Whether readers experience occasional lapses ("Where did I put my car keys?" "Why did I open this closet door?") or are concerned about a family tendency toward Alzheimer's, Tan offers information, exercises, resources and advice to help them sort out whether their memory loss is minor or indicates a deeper problem. The author, who directs a Boston memory disorders clinic, explores the connection between diet and memory and explains the effects Vitamin E, estrogen and alcohol may have on the brain. Some of his advice may seem standard (get fit, eat healthy foods, reduce stress), but other suggestions (ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medicines may help prevent Alzheimer's) will likely pique interest. Tan offers a test for readers to check their mental mettle; they can repeat it later to check their progress. The author also provides tips for improving short-term memory, information about Alzheimer's research, a detailed list of clinical trials and even recipes featuring foods high in brain-boosting antioxidants. And while Tan doesn't shy away from noting that mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, can sometimes be a precursor to Alzheimer's disease, his message is empowering: "Making certain lifestyle changes that can decrease the levels of brain... inflammation and sustain intellectual activity may be able to alter the course of MCI."
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