thoughts on Dr Timothy R. Jennings' "The Aging Brain"

I’ve seen firsthand the effects of dementia—on the one who has it, and those who love that person. And, as is often the case, a person seems to be at increased risk if a parent is affected by the disease. That would be my case, so when I saw an opportunity to learn more about the disease, and more importantly to learn about some ways to slow down the onset, or even prevent it, I jumped at the chance.

                Dr. Timothy R. Jennings has obviously done his research, and that research has resulted in his latest book, The Aging Brain: Proven Steps to Prevent Dementia and Sharpen Your Mind (Baker Books, 2018). There is an encyclopedia worth of knowledge packed into less than 250 pages.

                Jennings sorts the information into 4 distinct sections—different aspects of aging.  These four sections include some background information about aging, stress and aging, life style and aging, and then information about the pathology of aging. This final section provides information about Alzheimer’s disease, vitamins and supplements that are (or aren’t) helpful in preventing dementia, how to identify risk factors and reduce the risk, and even a section that caregivers will find helpful.

                A lot of the material presented is overly scientific for my taste, but at least most of it was presented in a way that was at least semi-understandable for my non-scientific brain. Much of it is common sense: smoking, alcohol, and drugs are bad for you, or an appropriate amount of exercise is good for you. But where this book is different from others, is that we also learn how each of those items factors in to how well or poorly we age. Smoking does more than cause pulmonary disease or cancer. Smoking impacts the brain in ways that can lead to an increased risk for dementia. Jennings also addresses the need for sleep, the benefits of water, how too much exercises negates the effects of an appropriate level of exercise, and my favorite: caffeinated coffee is actually good for you- it slows down some of the factors which in turn lead to deterioration of brain function.

                There were a couple of questions that I had after reading the book. Dr. Jennings points out the rate of incidence for dementia worldwide, and then suggests that in the US, the rate is much higher. I wish there had been more information about why that difference was so great. In several parts of the book he talks about the benefits of regular exercise, but in another spot he suggests that too much exercise can be a factor in causing dementia. Again I would have liked a little more explanation, or at least been offered a way to determine what is “too much”.

                Although there is a lot of good information in this book, it’s not always presented in a way that my non-scientific and non-medical brain can easily process, so I’m rating the book 4.5/5

                In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of the book from the publisher for being part of the launch team.