This book is already outdated because it’s from the year 2000 I was able to get it from the library so I didn’t have to spend any money on it. I was not very impressed by the information included. From personal experience, doing everything that they recommend, doesn’t actually work. The plan for prevention involves more things of that than the kitchen sink, and even some things that are harmful and outdated, like dark organic chocolate, which is filled with lead. This hypocritical book condones people that drink red wine yet shuns people who drink fruit juice, and both of these things are very similar in composition. It also claims the diet is ketogenic, but it’s a mostly plant-based diet without enough meat proteins. I think the stories that they made up or absolute lies. I see no evidence of any truth in them or any proof. ( )

Despite specifically addressing Alzheimer's with a well-rounded protocol that stops current or developing Alzheimer's in its tracks, the book's protocol is also a formula for reversing diabetes _and_ heart disease. ( )

I learned the importance of:
Exercise
Nutrition
Supplements
Blood tests to find out key values such as b12 levels
Brain training
Sleep
Coping techniques to deal with stress such as meditation, deep breathing and music ( )

You may remember (and if you do, you may not need this book!) that on the evening news and health news circuit a few years ago, neurologist Dr. Dale Bredesen made startling news about a pilot study he had conducted with ten advanced Alzheimer’s patients. He claimed unprecedented success, with improvements in all ten patients. (See Bredesen, D. E., Amos, E. C., Canick, J., Ackerley, M., Raji, C., Fiala, M., & Ahdidan, J. (2016). Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Aging (Albany NY), 8(6), 1250–1258. http://doi.org/10.18632/aging.100981). Of course, this article raised many eyebrows, with debunkers at the ready. Dr. Bredesen is no research lightweight. A search of PubMed shows him authoring scores of peer-reviewed research articles. On the “People’s Pharmacy,” he promised a follow-up book, and we now have it. Dr. Bredesen’s approach rejects the conventional research strategy to date. For example, he regards the signature amyloid plaques as a defense mechanism for the brain, rather than a principal cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Drugs designed to reduce this plaque as a sole strategy are doomed to failure. You can’t argue with one of his points; there is no standard therapy for Alzheimer’s that has made much of a difference. My Dad was on Aricept, for example, and I think the side effects far outweighed any delayed onset of additional symptoms- the therapeutic goal for Aricept, not cure.

Dr. Bredesen regarded this initial study as pilot, but the NIH rejected his application for a large clinical trial. He reports that his novel approach of individually evaluating each patient and prescribing a custom, multimodal therapy based on blood chemistry, genetic testing, and brain scans was outside the scope of NIH funding. It probably didn’t help that much of Dr. Bredesen’s approach called for lifestyle changes in diet, exercise, and meditation as well as an herbal supplement regimen. Does this sound like a recipe for rejection by traditional Western Medicine or what? Nevertheless, the book reports that hundreds of patients have now been successfully treated.

Whether you view the book as a skeptic or someone trying to desperately deal with their senior moments or both, this is a really interesting book. Even as someone with a reasonable science background, I occasionally found the book is a little difficult to digest, but mostly it is very accessible, and I highly recommend it. ( )