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swolf9 's review for:
Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age
by Sanjay Gupta
Keep Sharp was a pretty good introductory text, and a good reminder of all the things we all know we should be doing (or doing better).
The first part is essentially an overview of the current state of knowledge and research into the causes/biology/mechanisms for brain aging diseases, and Gupta communicates this information pretty clearly without getting too technical, as well as highlighting where research is still ongoing.
The “how-to” part of the book on prevention contains nothing really new or surprising:
- Exercise
- Eat well (i.e. more vegetables)
- Get more sleep
- Engage in de-stressing activities
- Stimulate your brain with continued learning
- Maintain social connections and relationships
Gupta stresses the importance of and evidence for each of these points, and encourages readers that it’s not too late to start new habits because anything is better than nothing, which is a positive, potentially motivating message.
The last part of the book presents an introduction for if you or a loved one gets a diagnosis and suggests further sources of support, which could be helpful for readers experiencing the effects of a diagnosis on a more personal level.
I’d recommend this book to anyone in the latter group who is noticing symptoms or has received a diagnosis for themselves or a loved one as a good introduction (certainly over worried Googling and getting who-knows what results).
For anyone interested in preventing cognitive decline, the bullet points above are basically what you need to know, though further reading is not discouraged if there’s interest in any of the above topics/evidence/etc.
The first part is essentially an overview of the current state of knowledge and research into the causes/biology/mechanisms for brain aging diseases, and Gupta communicates this information pretty clearly without getting too technical, as well as highlighting where research is still ongoing.
The “how-to” part of the book on prevention contains nothing really new or surprising:
- Exercise
- Eat well (i.e. more vegetables)
- Get more sleep
- Engage in de-stressing activities
- Stimulate your brain with continued learning
- Maintain social connections and relationships
Gupta stresses the importance of and evidence for each of these points, and encourages readers that it’s not too late to start new habits because anything is better than nothing, which is a positive, potentially motivating message.
The last part of the book presents an introduction for if you or a loved one gets a diagnosis and suggests further sources of support, which could be helpful for readers experiencing the effects of a diagnosis on a more personal level.
I’d recommend this book to anyone in the latter group who is noticing symptoms or has received a diagnosis for themselves or a loved one as a good introduction (certainly over worried Googling and getting who-knows what results).
For anyone interested in preventing cognitive decline, the bullet points above are basically what you need to know, though further reading is not discouraged if there’s interest in any of the above topics/evidence/etc.