The Alzheimer's Antidote: Using a Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet to Fight Alzheimer’s Disease, Memory Loss, and Cognitive Decline

by Amy Berger

"If you or someone you know suffers from Alzheimer’s, I highly recommend this book."―Robb Wolf,  New York Times  bestselling author "An important and informative text . . . an excellent book."―Dr. David Perlmutter, New York Times  bestselling author A revolutionary multi-pronged nutrition and lifestyle intervention to combat Alzheimer’s disease at its roots from Certified Nutrition Specialist Amy Berger   Amy Berger’s research shows that Alzheimer’s results from a fuel shortage in the As neurons become unable to harness energy from glucose, they atrophy and die, leading to classic symptoms like memory loss and behavioral changes. This is a revolutionary approach―one that has been discussed in the scientific literature for years but has only recently been given credence in clinical settings, thanks to extremely promising studies wherein Alzheimer’s patients have experienced complete reversals of the condition. Medical and scientific journals are full of research showing alternate ways to fuel the starving brain, but no one has been bringing this essential information to the people who need it most―until now. In a culture obsessed with miracle medications, the pharmaceutical route for tackling Alzheimer’s has been a massive failure. Pills and potions don’t address underlying causes, and regarding Alzheimer’s, they typically fail to improve even the symptoms. As a metabolic problem, the only effective way to treat Alzheimer’s may be a multifaceted approach that fundamentally reprograms energy generation in the brain. The good news is, the secret is as simple as switching to a low-carb, high-fat diet. The Alzheimer’s Antidote  shows us that cognitive decline is not inevitable , but if it does occur, we don’t have to sit idly by and wait helplessly while it progresses and worsens. Amy Berger empowers loved ones and caregivers of Alzheimer’s sufferers, and offers hope and light against this otherwise unnavigable labyrinth of darkness.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Nutrition, Science, Medicine, Diets, Food

352 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2017

Reviews

[Lee Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you 1) have a brain and 2) eat food, I'd recommend this book.

For a preview, here are two recommended podcasts with the author: https://www.peak-human.com/home/amy-b... and https://thefatemperor.com/amy-berger-...

Tl;dr: if you want to lose weight once and for all, eliminate irresistible cravings, reduce anxiety most likely, and possibly lower the risk of developing metabolic-related diseases of modern civilization (diabetes and Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, most likely even cancer) caused by overconsumption of processed foods, carbs, sugar, and seed oils (omega-6 fatty acids), target nutrient-dense protein (grassfed meat, pastured chickens and eggs, fish high in omega-3 fatty acids [ie, the SMASH fish: sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, herring], shellfish, liver and other organ meats), eat your first meal of the day at lunch and stop eating after dinner, and exercise regularly and intensely if possible (lift weights and do a series of sprints in 15 minutes instead of an hour of cardio), while minimizing consumption of all carbs, sugars, and most fruits (other than avocados, olives, blackberries).

Here's how I came to read this book -- and why I recommend it:

In May 2018 (about a year ago) I started listening to nutrition-related podcasts after a colleague at work who had effortlessly lost 60 lbs starting in October 2017 gave me this link (https://burnfatnotsugar.com) and I listened multiple times to an interview with Dr. Ted Naiman -- https://www.peak-human.com/home/dr-te... -- and started to see miraculous, effortless results simply by minimizing carbs, sugar, processed foods, and seed oils, while targeting nutrient-dense, whole-food, high-quality sources of protein (meat, eggs, sardines, herring, mackerel, liver) and to a lesser extent healthy fats (ghee, butter from grass-fed cows, extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, unrefined coconut oil). I wanted to lose some weight but more so I needed to find a solution to my flat-out fucking aggravating addiction to the candy machine at work -- sometimes I hit it three times a day to extract goddamn peanut M&Ms (at $1.25/bag or even $2 for the larger bag that left me feeling crappy the rest of the day and seemed to nearly blur my vision).

I was drawn to the candy machine by some infernal internal hand acting against my better judgment and best interests -- ie, I had cravings for sugar that I couldn't control, spare cash in my pocket, a sedentary work environment, and access to sugar and chocolate at all times. I ate a presumably "healthy" veggie-loaded turkey Subway sandwich (no cheese please) on "heart-healthy whole wheat" nearly every day for lunch, with Sun Chips (comparatively "healthy" chip choice, I thought) and a goddamn fountain Diet Coke ("healthiest" soda choice). I occasionally lifted weights a bit, could easily run five or even ten miles or longer at a decent pace, and walked ~15K steps/day, but still my weight had ballooned again (I'm 6'3" so my weight at most attains a number associated with NFL defensive ends, if never quite to that of an offensive lineman or nose guard). I found myself complaining that the XXL shirts I tried on were so cheaply made these days, smaller than they should be, way too tight in the chest and belly area, as though the entire sizing system had conspired against my attempts to find shirts that fit.

I'd been there before, gawking at the number on the scale, about 15 years ago, when I first noticed that it seemed like all my jeans had shrunk -- I blamed my girlfriend's washer/drier, not what I was eating and drinking. A few years later I had lost 50 lbs mostly through calorie restriction, egg-white omelettes, and running 7 miles every other day plus walking about another 5 to 7 miles every day (commuting on foot 3.5 miles round-trip and walking/reading another 2 miles at lunch). But then the weight crept up again.

I went vegan for a while -- and my weight dropped somewhat (linebacker level!), most likely mostly because I stopped eating at Subway for lunch during this time and more often opted for salads. I felt righteous but it was a pain foraging for so many veggies, especially while holding the hand of a hyperactive toddler who really only liked to eat asparagus, avocado, and lots and lots of chicken. And those vegan salads were like $8 to $12.

In short, since my late twenties, my weight has fluctuated on a slow sine curve by about seventy pounds. I've read how to control it and have always made inroads only to get swamped by old habits and lose any gains I'd made.

A few years before I'd "gone vegan" I had even read Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes and for a while mostly ate BBQ'd chicken and pork (I stayed away from red meat because I'd been conditioned to believe that it was unhealthy) but felt like eating too many animals was unnecessary, possibly immoral, and terrible for the environment (turns out, I had believed without researching at all inaccuracies about cow farts essentially that have been perpetuated despite being quickly corrected and retracted -- listen to this for everything you could possibly want to know about livestock and the environment: https://www.peak-human.com/home/part-...). I read Eating Animals and VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good after watching vegan-related Netflix documentaries and bought but didn't really read The China Study Cookbook: The Official Companion to the China Study and another T. Colin Campbell book. Again, I felt good eating no meat or dairy but couldn't really sustain it, plus wasn't really sure if eating a vegan seitan sandwich was really all that healthy.

I then lapsed to the Standard American Diet again, eating more or less whatever, always opting for "healthy" stuff like broccoli or spinach pizza, Subway sandwiches with turkey and no cheese on whole wheat instead of Italian hoagies -- that is, minimizing meat in favor of carbs, eating pasta and rice with loads of veggies and beans, oatmeal with nuts and blueberries and bananas, "healthy" protein bars, etc.

All of which was generally under control, sort of, although I still weighed about as much as an NFL linebacker even while training for and running the Philadelphia Marathon in November 2016. And then once I took the winter off from running after the marathon (and the election) my weight shot up again despite walking all the time and "eating well."

Around this time (the past couple years) my father began to seriously decline on the cognitive side, calling me at work for help with his home computer, concocting elaborate unrememberable password schemes to maintain his online security, telling the same stories over and over, always misplacing his glasses, regular occurrences that exceeded so-called senior moments.

His father had had hydrocephalic dementia in his late eighties and early nineties -- died of pneumonia at 91 in a nursing home, his brain and memory warped, his talk totally confabulatory (and way more interesting as a result than when he'd been more cogent). My grandfather had type 2 diabetes but my father didn't -- he was always in pretty good shape, something of an annoying spare tire he sometimes complained about but otherwise athletic, playing tennis a few times a week, often coming home drenched in his own sweat, talking about the scores that I never really cared about. He did however eat a "healthy" breakfast of Familia (a Swiss granola-type cereal with 39 grams of carbs and 13 grams of sugar -- half what's in a 16 oz bottle of Coke -- in every half cup, but only half a gram of saturated fat, so therefore considered "healthy" thanks to faulty nutritional guidelines issued in the late '70s -- ye olde food pyramid) with a large banana and milk (replaced by grape jelly in his later years -- I guess he thought he didn't need the fat in 1% milk and jelly made with high-fructose corn syrup would be better), large chocolate chip cookies from the local deli, ice cream, chocolate M&Ms, and whatever my mom made (always scrumptious salads with a light dressing using "heart-healthy" canola oil [ie, omega-6 seed oil], often fish, often pasta, risotto, etc). More recently he started hiding bags of Hershey's chocolate miniatures from my mom, downing them all the time, to the point that one of his canines fell out -- in AD, the brain no longer receives adequate glucose for fuel so, in a way, his body and brain were essentially compelling him to jam pure glucose upside his head. But after a while with AD the blood-brain barrier no longer functions and the only way to really get energy to the brain is by producing ketone bodies when in ketosis, which is really only achievable by minimizing consumption of foods (sugar and carbs) converted into glucose in the body. There was no way my mother was going to completely change his diet, make eggs for him, meat, cheese, avocado, and drench everything in coconut oil (natural MCTs). I bought him some powdered MCTs but he said they made him poopy and didn't have any discernible impact on cognition while eating his regular diet of banana with cereal and grape jelly, chocolate, ice cream, and whatever relatively healthy thing my mom made for dinner.

In the late '80s and early '90s, I had assumed that by the time my father was in danger of developing Alzheimer's they'd have developed a cure. Turns out, for decades they targeted amyloid plaques, which got them nowhere, and all they have now is Aricept, which he takes to slow the inevitable decline. In no way do I expect that they'll develop a cure by the time I'm endangered, since I'm already somehow indisputably middle aged and therefore already at risk for the development of the disease -- that is, the metabolic processes that lead to disease progression would've started long ago, possibly back when I first noticed that my jeans had seemed like they'd shrunk in the drier. All those delicious and pleasantly inebriating craft beers I consumed after moving to Philly after grad school in 2006 (oh how I loved the craft beer explosion of the second half of the first decade of the century and my local pub's half-price happy hour!) and whatever related dietary indulgences that followed (cheesesteak from Pat's with cheese fries sometimes!), even with regular exercise, most likely had helped to get the ball rolling in the direction of inevitable cognitive decline, ending up very possibly in a nursing home like my grandfather.

So then about a year ago at work I heard the guy who lost a lot of weight talking with someone about how he did it -- and I heard him say the word "keto," which I didn't know, so I googled it and within a few days I cut out carbs (bread, pasta, etc) and sugar and started eating more fat (ghee, butter, coconut oil, olive oil) and steak. Within a week I was losing weight without doing extra cardio or anything, amazed that the obstacle (too much fat on the body) was the path (put more fat in the body). I started intermittent fasting, delaying my first meal from before leaving for work to 10 am, then noon, then 1, then 2, then 3, then sometimes even until dinner. Because I ate more protein and fat and no carbs/sugar, I had at most minimal hunger pangs that went away with black coffee and water. My concentration was better and I felt stronger.

I had switched from burning glucose constantly in the form of carbs and sugar I'd consumed -- glucose that's depleted every few hours, causing serious hunger when the level drops -- to using my own fat stores as energy, producing ketones (ie, I was in what's called "ketosis"). Because I was eating more fat that has a minimal insulin response, my blood-sugar levels were much lower and steadier instead of constantly fluctuating throughout the day based on sugar and carb intake (peanut fucking M&Ms!) spiking insulin and making me feel like crap as the blood-sugar began to drop.

Within six months I lost 50 lbs (approaching average NFL quarterback weight/height), my heart rate was under 60, my usually somewhat elevated blood pressure dropped to 110/70, I bought jeans with waists five sizes smaller, could fit into XL shirts again, my regular low-level hum of anxiety essentially seemed turned off, my wife reported that I was less prone to angry outburst, on and on. Lipid-wise, I had really nicely high HDL, super-low triglycerides, and of course DANGEROUSLY ELEVATED LDL, so despite all the improvement in my health, looking and feeling much better, overcoming flat-out sugar addiction and totally effortlessly controlling my cravings for really the first time in my life, my doctor wanted to put me on a statin . . .

I then researched "cholesterol" a good deal, listening to every possible podcast with Dave Feldman (http://cholesterolcode.com) and learned that conventional medicine simplifies an incredibly complicated lipid system into "good" and "bad" and refer to it all as "cholesterol" when it's really lipoproteins, or the vehicles (like boats) that convey cholesterol throughout the body. My doctor suggested a statin to lower my LDL number, assuming I ate the Standard American Diet, never considering that I minimized carbs and sugar and also fasted for between 18 and 24 hours every day (fasting mobilizes fat storage so more endogenous not dietary cholesterol moves around the body) and never showing me a single study that showed that statins are beneficial in someone with high HDL, low TGs, and high LDL, with all other positive cardiovascular markers, even though statins increase the risk of developing diabetes (my primary concern since AD is considered Type 3 diabetes) apparently by a factor of five.

I could go on and on about all this. I've focused on it for about a year and I'm just now writing about it for the first time. What's incredible about all this is that once you're aware of it and benefit from avoiding processed foods and carbs and sugar and seed oils, all you see everywhere, in every convenience store and 90% of the grocery store, is processed foods and carbs and sugar and seed oils -- and then all you see all around are people suffering from eating too much of this hyper-palatable crap too often.

Amazingly, the number-one killer of Americans isn't terrorists or crazy shooters or plane crashes or tornadoes or even breast cancer -- people in the US die from cardiovascular disease and diabetes and cancer caused not by saturated fat but by hyperinsulinemia caused by excessive and essentially constant consumption of processed foods and carbs and sugar and seed oils.

If any of this interests you, I suggest you listen to https://www.peak-human.com, https://obesitycodepodcast.com, https://thefatemperor.com/podcasts, http://www.lowcarbmd.com, where you will inevitably encounter Amy Berger, the author of this book, which perfectly summarizes, with unintimidating intelligence and plenty of references, the implementation of and science behind the low-carb diet, in particular the effect what we eat has on our brain.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

The more that the science of nutrition becomes a big business, the more we're learning surprising things about nutrition that are causing profound shifts in how we think about the entire subject of healthcare in general; for one example, how the form of severe dementia we call Alzheimer's is more and more looking not like the mysterious, fatal "elderly disease" we've generally considered it for the last century, but actually a fairly simple-to-explain condition whose effects can be countered and sometimes prevented altogether by a change in diet. That's certainly the main thrust of Amy Berger's new The Alzheimer's Antidote, whose tl;dr summation is basically that we should think of Alzheimer's as actually a different but related form of diabetes (a "type 3" if you will), caused by generally the same problems and that can be acted against by generally the same solutions. That solution is basically very similar to what is otherwise known as the "paleo diet" or the "Atkins diet," which with each passing year is looking more and more like just a good general plan for being more healthy altogether -- cut out most of the carbs currently in your eating plan, certainly eliminate 100 percent of the starchy, processed carbs that make up such a huge majority of the daily middle-class diet (potatoes, corn, chips, pizza, bleached rice, bleached flour, etc etc), re-introduce the full-fat versions of yogurt, butter and milk back into your life, and don't be afraid to have more red meat and eggs than have been previously recommended in the last thirty years of our dangerously flawed "no fat" era.

Unfortunately, though, there's a pretty big flaw in Berger's book as well; for while I'm all for books on cutting-edge research that present their findings in terms of, "Here's what some researchers say about the subject, and here's what other researchers say, and even though that second group is currently larger and more respected doesn't necessarily mean we should dismiss everything the first group is saying," it becomes much more problematic when such results are presented in language like, "I'm 100 percent right about this so-far largely unproven theory, and if anyone tells you differently, even if they're more qualified than me and their opinion is largely considered the current mainstream accepted one, they are 100 percent wrong and you should ignore every single thing they have to say." And Berger does this a lot, especially when it comes to the most controversial part of her book, the theory that so-called "ketone nourishment" of the brain (which is what happens when your body doesn't produce enough glucose, the brain's main "food," and thus feeds the brain essentially with the by-products of fat) can actually reverse the effects of Alzheimer's among patients who already have it, and that the best thing you can do for someone with Alzheimer's is immediately stop feeding them any carbs whatsoever, and instead cram in a deliberate overdose of coconut oil and other foods supremely high in "good fat" content, essentially starving them of sugars so that their body will be forced to produce ketone and make the brain survive off that alone.

The people who disagree with this advice not only call it unwise but actively dangerous; but the non-doctor Berger claims that if anyone tells you it's dangerous, even your family doctor, then that person is full of crap and you should ignore what they're telling you, even going to the trouble of changing doctors if that one continues to be insistent about the dangers of a ketone-overdose diet. And while I could certainly get behind Berger's general advice here about how to lower your risk for Alzheimer's if you're middle-aged and don't have it yet (in those chapters, she's essentially not recommending anything I haven't already seen confirmed in half a dozen other books), I can't endorse the kind of reckless attitude she espouses in the ketone-overdose chapters, not in a book about something as important and life-changing as healthcare, an attitude that basically declares, "Anyone who disagrees with me is completely and totally wrong, even if the advice is coming from someone much more educated than I am, even if that advice is considered sensible by 95 percent of the population, and even if my own advice is still only in the early laboratory stage and has yet to be conclusively proven by a large group of disinterested, non-related scientists." Although I'm giving it a decent score today, just for the very good advice on generally eating better, my review comes with the warning to take the more radical advice here with a grain of salt.

Out of 10: 7.2, or 8.2 just for the parts on general dietary advice

[Doris Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book. This author did excellent deep research and gave excellent recommendations. Much of her advice disregards the skewed advice of the food/health industry which is obviously biased for their profit. Her advice was accurate and can be life-changing if followed. The brain is wobbly like jello and is mostly fat and mostly runs on fat, but brain-washing falsely tells us to eat sugar and carbohydrates. If I ever have Alzheimer's, I pray that my caretaker follows the diet and lifestyle in this book for me.

For all of us, to improve memory and cognition by lifestyle and diet, I believe living the lifestyle and eating as explained in this book is the best way. Sleep hygiene is crucial. Joyful movement (exercise) is also crucial as a main pillar of good brain health.

There were only two items I disagreed with: the glycemic index and "wild-caught". The glycemic index supposedly gauges how fast a carbohydrate is taken into the blood stream, but it is actually worthless because several factors will change the speed of assimilation. For example, if one chews longer it significantly changes absorption and the rating on the glycemic index. As for "wild-caught" fish they are farmed fish living in fish farms in the ocean and when they are harvested using a net or a line they are called "wild-caught" and they are not wild fish. This author several times recommended "wild-caught" fish but I think she meant wild fish, not farmed fish. The new, trendy phrase "wild-caught" has tricked the author into thinking it means wild fish.

Overall, I think this book is 98% accurate and it will be 100% helpful to those who are brainwashed by the current advertising and marketing and to those who are addicted to sugar and starches. This diet and lifestyle should be started after weaning from the mother's breast and continued for life.

[Nancy]

Can a Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet Lead to Alzheimer’s?

The thesis of this book is that a high-carb, low-fat diet can lead to the development of Alzheimer’s. For years the scientific and medical community has been recommending a high carb diet, but perhaps this is missing the point that the body, and particularly the brain, needs fat. The medical profession has been so obsessed with cholesterol that statins are routinely prescribed. These drugs are designed to reduce cholesterol, but what if cholesterol isn’t the culprit?

The author presents a succinct summary of the scientific data on nutrition and the relationship with brain function. I recommend reading this if you’re concerned about your probability of developing Alzheimer’s or that of a loved one. The section is written in easy to understand language. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand it.

In addition to the scientific information, the book provides strategies for developing a high-fat diet, including foods to include, foods to avoid, and even how to deal with restaurant meals. It also includes cooking recommendations.

I highly recommend this book. The research is comprehensive. The suggestions for diet are reasonable, and the ideas provide a counterbalance to the fear of cholesterol and fat.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

[Daniel Petrov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book introduced me to keto and saved my family life and turn it all 180 around, my mother was in the terminally ill diabetic and my father suffered Alzheimer's and almost lost his driver's license. something I did not expect as I merely thought that if I am healthy and fit I would perform better in school and get somewhere in life as i was a hermit in the basement.

This book along with dr Sten Ekberg's youtube channel, Thomas dealer youtube channel and, Dr. Jason Fung book "the diabetes code", David Perlmutter "Grain brain", "Brain maker" equipped me with the knowledge to become an amateur holistic doctor and save my whole family and turn my health for the better.

The book "the big fat surprise" by Nina Teicholz is a book I can not recommend enough as well and should be something everyone should read before embarking on any diets or lifestyle changes.

All of these reads made me want to become a doctor only to be very disillusioned in med school with old and harmful knowledge and practices as I find my self way ahead of the curve. in this area of medicine, past peers who have diplomas and all. they do not research merely follows what guidance and instruction that they have been given from the institutionalized education.

The entire health care in Sweden is truly sick care only suppressing the symptoms rather than treating the core issues. and I also realized psychology plays a very important role, as there is trauma and habits that make people truly ill and sick in the long run and I read books on how to change habits and thought patterns to be healthier and better.

It is all so broken that I am even considering getting into politics or be a crtitic to iron this mess out and I hate politics.

[Joe Kalb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is generally viewed as an unstoppable disease with a cause that is too complex to understand or prevent. Amy Berger, author of The Alzheimer’s Antidote, counters that AD may not be as enigmatic as commonly believed. Medical literature often refers to AD as “Type 3 Diabetes” and like most chronic diseases, it is related to chronically elevated insulin. Berger is far too nuanced and too practical to claim bulletproof treatment or prevention of this dignity-robbing disease. However, her approach of using a ketogenic diet and other lifestyle modifications is an important step towards improving cognition in AD-afflicted people. Some of the same tactics can also mitigate the risk of developing AD in the first place.

Berger postulates that the defining factor of AD is the brain’s inability to properly fuel itself via glucose. The good news is that brains unable to properly metabolize glucose can still metabolize ketones. Ketones are produced by the liver when one eats a very-low-carbohydrate diet, so Berger promotes this ketogenic way of eating (along with other ketone-boosting interventions) to improve cognition in a person suffering from AD.

The book highlights the work of Dr. Dale Bredesen. In contrast to the disappointing results from drug-based AD treatments, Bredesen’s work has been largely successful. His ketogenic approach has allowed many of his severely AD-impaired patients to go back to work and lead their normal lives. Berger shares his quote: “AD is not a mysterious, untreatable brain disease-- it is a reversible, metabolic/toxic, usually systemic illness with a relatively large window for treatment.”

Berger discusses brain health from many angles, and she spends lots of time underscoring the value of cholesterol for a healthy brain. She is highly critical of the idea of cholesterol-lowering medications (statins) and calls out the fact that people who take them have increased risk of brain fog, cognitive impairment, depression, hormonal imbalances, diabetes, low libido, infertility, and memory loss. Furthermore, antacids (e.g. Pepto-Bismol) and proton pump inhibitors (e.g. Prilosec) can lead to brain-atrophying vitamin B12 deficiency. With common usage of these drugs and with common diets being nutrient-poor and insulin-spiking, it is no wonder that we are seeing cognitive decline in people earlier than we used to.

The Alzheimer’s Antidote pushes back against a common idea that beta-amyloid plaques are a driving factor in Alzheimer’s. Rather than disease causes, these plaques are effects: the plaques build up when an enzyme that could degrade them instead is too busy degrading excessive insulin. Long before beta-amyloid plaques show up in the brain, decreased brain glucose metabolism can be detected in PET scans (including in people just in their 30s and 40s). Berger also downplays common concern about the APoE4 gene variant. While APoE4 carriers do have an increased AD risk, focusing on genetics distracts from the root cause of elevated insulin levels.

For AD sufferers, for AD caregivers, and for anyone who cares about maintaining cognitive health, this book is a terrific resource. In a a practical, compassionate, and realistic manner, it teaches the reader how to implement a low-carb diet to improve cognition. It also makes the case for lifestyle practices like exercise and intermittent fasting. Berger’s work gives plenty of “why” and lots of "how" but it ultimately provides something else even more important: hope.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very good. A thorough review mainly of the role of ketosis in AD. For a person with no science it will be a bit of a learning curve. But I personally prefer a book with depth and abhor dumbed down pop-sci mind candy. Oversimplification I believe is one of the factors that got the Western world into the mess it is health wise (the belief that fat in food goes directly into arteries so eat less... ).
In true Amy style it is supported by many papers, and I completely trust her not to misrepresent the body of evidence to support a personal bias. My own analysis of the body of evidence over the last 3 years concurs with her interpretation
I have found Amy a very honest researcher and enjoyed very much meeting her at AHS17 last year.
Great work Amy!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so thrilled this book is out and available to the world. I'm looking forward to the other books by other authors that are sure to follow. The age of Alzheimer's and hopeless and helplessness is over. Not every one can restore their health in this life but at least there is now a physiologically recognized path to restoring whatever we can, it might be just be digestive ease, less anxiety and confusion, better sleep and energy, or for some it could be full cognitive function. Amy Berger gives you the biological platform and mental confidence to go buy that ketogenic cookbook and eat your way to a better existence.

[Anthony Poselenzny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

A well written, well researched, fact laden book that will serve as a long term guide to staying healthy and avoiding Alzheimer's. This book will remain at my side through the remainder of my life.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated this book. It provided me more interesting information on the genetics behind have the ApoE4 allele, and how to approach diet and lifestyle. While I have already implemented a lot of the suggestions in this book, it was great to get new bits of information.

I also think it is really well written for those who are new to suggestions such as a low carb diet. She does a great job of addressing various contraindications and walking people through how to most easily transition (including many adaptations).

It was also helpful to read about some of Dr. Steven Gundry's specific recommendations, which has led me to reviewing more of his materials.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that everyone should read. I loved her explanations of how the brain works. She’s able to translate the complicated processes into everyday English believe my mom is developing Alzheimer’s and refuses to go to the doctor so I’m trying to gain as much information as possible. This book was informative, practical and well-written.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

This book is very thorough in discussing the biological reasons behind Alzheimer's and lifestyle changes that can slow, reverse, and prevent the disease. I absolutely loved it.

[Melody Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explained scientific reasoning behind cognitive decline and gave practical tips for helping to drastically reduce symptoms. It makes a lot of sense to me as to the reasoning behind the connection between nutrition/diet and functioning of the brain.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting Book

Even though I am not dealing with a family member who has dementia,I learned a lot from reading this. I wish my mother had had the advantage of the information contained here.
It is a great book with quite a bit of scientific and helpful detail.

[Michele Pumphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative book

This book was very informative. I did not know that insulin resistance plays a major role in the development of Alzheimer's before reading this book. I'm glad I read this book.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are past the age of 30, this is a must-read. Learn how to support your cognitive and physical health as you age with a few simple changes in diet and habit.

[Leslie Portu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling information!

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a passionate reading! I love the way Amy explain the things!

[Rhayna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Misleading and dangerous title. This diet MIGHT work for you if your genes are susceptible to it...but it might not, in fact it might even make your AD worse. If you have the ApoE4 genotype the author explains that saturated fat and dairy are unsuited to you, but spends the rest of the book promoting them.

You’ll need to have regular and thorough testing to gauge how many carbs you should be eating: blood tests, monitor vit D levels, thyroid gland function and levels of sex hormones, just to name a few tests needed on a regular basis.

The book can be summarised simply as: follow a Keto diet, eat whole foods, cut down on the carbs, exercise, sleep well and don’t get stressed!

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nutritionist spells out the dietary patterns that give people the best chance to avoid or improve dementia from Alzheimer's, and I wish I had found it in 2017 when it first came out and could have helped my parents.
Don't neglect to rule out other causes of symptoms besides insulin resistance. I recommend working with a functional practitioner and educating yourself on the Bredesen protocol (apollohealthco.com). There is hope! Contact me if I can help - Kristy Lombardo Nutrition

[Kevin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been eye-opening, revealing that we do, in fact, know a great deal about the fundamental cause of Alzheimer's disease. It surprises me that this is not more widely known, that this is not more talked about. This book has the potential to do great good. Also, this book has been instrumental in transforming my eating habits for a lower-carb lifestyle.

[Roblyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting information in here on the latest info on brain health and Alzeimer's. I skimmed the last parts of the book. She does a good job explaining some of the biology and science for non-docs.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing. Encouraging

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough and clear look at how nutrition can impact cognitive function.

[Lawanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big change in my diet has just started.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had lots of scientific explanations about why the Alzheimer's eating plan will work and the steps are laid out very simply. You must be committed to reverse Alzheimer's but it can be done.

[Mary L. Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

I highy recommend this book. If you have a family member or concerned for yourself read this book there is help.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work is well organized and well presented. Although there is no proven "antidote" for Alzheimer's, I've gained new and useful knowledge to include into my nutrition planning/strategy.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficult read but clear. It gives us a lot to think about and to change. Highly recommend.

[Alison Orue · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Alzheimer's Antidote" by Amy Berger is a ground-breaking exploration of the link between diet and cognitive health, offering readers a comprehensive guide to using nutrition to combat Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, and cognitive decline. Drawing on the latest scientific research and her own extensive experience working with patients, Berger presents a compelling case for adopting a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet as a powerful weapon against neurodegenerative diseases.

At the heart of the book is Berger's examination of the role of glucose metabolism in brain function and the development of Alzheimer's disease. She argues persuasively that excessive carbohydrate consumption and insulin resistance play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's, and that adopting a LCHF diet can help to mitigate these risk factors and support brain health.

One of the book's strengths lies in its accessibility and practicality. Berger breaks down complex scientific concepts into clear, easy-to-understand language, making the book accessible to readers of all backgrounds. She provides practical advice on implementing a LCHF diet, including meal plans, recipes, and tips for navigating common challenges such as dining out and social gatherings.

Moreover, "The Alzheimer's Antidote" is not just a dietary guide; it is also a call to action to rethink our approach to Alzheimer's disease and cognitive health. Berger challenges conventional wisdom about the role of cholesterol and saturated fat in brain health, presenting a compelling alternative paradigm that has the potential to transform how we prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases.

In addition to her exploration of nutrition, Berger also delves into other lifestyle factors that can impact cognitive health, such as sleep, stress management, and exercise. She emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic approach to brain health, addressing not only dietary factors but also lifestyle factors that can support cognitive function and overall well-being.

In conclusion, "The Alzheimer's Antidote" is a ground-breaking and empowering resource for anyone concerned about Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, or cognitive decline. Amy Berger's evidence-based approach, combined with her practical advice and compassionate tone, make this book essential reading for anyone interested in preserving and protecting their brain health.