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

I purchased the paperback version of this amazing book. I have to say that I have honestly NEVER highlighted and annotated a book to this extent EVER. Amy Berger guides us through a tour of the root causes of this disease at a cellular and intracellular level. She does a fantastic job of using just the right amount of humor and provides simple visual analogies to help you understand what would otherwise be a complex subject. I was literally coming to points in the book where I was saying "WOW" out loud. I could not wait to share the information with my wife. The real question is...does it work? IT DOES! My mother in law has vascular dementia and has lived in a memory care facility for two years. She is now back home with us due to the poor care she was given and multiple medication errors. Her short-term memory was completely shot and she was often anxious, fearful, and depressed. She was declining fast both physically and mentally at the facility (which started feeding higher and higher carb meals towards the end). We now have her on a very low carb ketogenic diet. We are also adding MCT oil to various meals (titrated up from 1 tsp to 1 tbsp per day over a couple of weeks). After three weeks the depression and fearfulness are gone. The anxiety is greatly reduced. Today she actually remembered one of her caregivers whom she had not seen in 24 hours (she typically couldn't remember at all). Her countenance is also different and more "alive" and "warm". Her sense of humor is back. Her caregiver see's a definite improvement and is now a believer. She assessed her at a level 4-5 prior to this change in her diet and remarked that she would now assess her as a level 3-4. I am so thankful to Amy Berger for providing this very important and extremely well-written book. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be an invaluable learning resource for the millions of families suffering from any of the various forms of dementia (Alzheimer's). GREAT BOOK!

Since I have one of the two Alzheimer gene alleles, and being in my late sixties, I decided to see if there was anything pro-active I could do to reduce my Alzheimer's risk. I was already following the usual recommendations of eating and sleeping well, keeping fit and socially active, etc. My first book was Dale Bredesen's "The End of Alzheimers". It had a lot of new ideas and suggestions, but I found the recommended protocol was overly complex and expensive to implement. Despite this, I selected portions of it that I thought might help, and began implementing them. Going on a ketogenic diet was not one of the suggestions I tried. Awhile later (July, 2020) I discovered Amy's book, and found it to be much more focused and clearly explained. Her description of the probable cause of dementia (inadequate ability of the brain to process carbs for energy as we age) and likely antidote (a ketogenic diet to provide a new source of brain energy) struck me as very credible. So I immediately started the diet, ensuring I ate 70% of daily calories from fat, keeping carbs to 25 mg daily, and the rest of my calories from protein. Within a few months I was surprised to find my memory becoming much more clear. I say "surprised" because I didn't think I even had any memory deficits. As the months have slipped by, I even have started remembering random events from childhood that I had totally forgotten. Needless to say, I'm convinced that the ketogenic diet is a key, if not the main key, for rejuvenating the brain and protecting against dementia. As far as the challenge of sticking to a ketogenic diet, and missing carbs, I didn't find the transition very hard - though the desire for sweet fruit, pasta, bread, and desserts continued for awhile, after a year or so they weakened and now are mostly gone. I do find certain keto desserts meet my occasional desire for a sweet, which I satisfy with keto-friendly foods like Rebel ice cream, which is sweetened with xylitol, or very dark chocolate, neither of which elevate my blood sugar. Most of my dietary fat comes from olive oil, avocado oil, cheese, nuts, and the fat in meats. A smoothie I have most days is as good as a milk shake, to my taste buds: 1 tbsp flax seeds, 1/4 cup frozen mixed berries, 3 tbsp of olive oil, 30 grams of protein powder, and a cup or so of unsweetened almond milk. I put these in a power blender for 15 seconds, and it's ready to drink. I highly recommend this book. I do believe it has guided me to a real Alzheimer's antidote.

My mother passed away with no memory and no leg muscles, the result of a double-whammy effect of the officially mandated low-fat, high-carb diet and statin drugs to lower her cholesterol. This experience intensified my search for information on health through nutrition, and in the process I have found out that we have been led down the wrong dietary path for decades. The ghastly effects of this mess we've been eating is appalling, and research is finally catching up. Amy Berger has done an absolutely bang-up job of presenting the most up-to-date information available that demonstrates the dangers of the low-fat, high-carb diet, and conversely, the huge benefits of the reverse- a high-fat, low-carb diet. This book is a very comprehensive work that covers the fallout from eating the way we've been told to eat for decades, how to change all that, and considers the situations that many face including care-givers for those in managed care (nursing homes) and those who prefer a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. It's one-stop-shopping that combines information available in separate books on some of the basics of nutrition, the cholesterol myth, the dangers of statins, the dangers of the low-fat, high-carb diet and food and cooking recommendations as well as other lifestyle factors. I have read quite a few nutrition/health books over the years, and some are a bit more technical than I can drag myself through, but Amy has presented the information in a way that anyone can understand. Body chemistry is unbelievably complicated, making the processes involved rather difficult to explain, but I found this one easy to understand. I've been known to glaze over and skip to the bottom line at the end of the chapter, but I didn't have to do that with this one. There is some serious myth-busting here. Cholesterol causes heart disease? Busted! Statins for heart health? Busted! Dietary fat makes you fat? Busted! Saturated fats are evil? Busted! We desperately need to shift our thinking where our eating is concerned. Sugar and carb addictions have turned us into people that live to eat rather than people that eat to live. If you want to find out what you can do to save your brain and practical advice on eating to live and staying out of the Alzheimer's unit, get your copy now!

Very good and important information, now if I can only do it!

This book is a wonderful resource, and while all the following is anecdotal, I'm hoping that someone finds it useful. I've switched my 89 year old dad to the diet outlined in this book and I've seen a fairly dramatic change. He has a lot more energy and is just more "with it" than he was before. In fact, he had his 6 month physical and he scored higher on the standard memory test than he did last time. Having said all that, the diet is a real challenge and a lot of extra time spent preparing meals. It's best to just purge your whole pantry when you've made the decision to go for it. It takes a lot of the temptation away. But I can't argue with the results - he is a lot more cogent and I'm hopeful that he will stay that way for the rest of his life. And I'm not the only one who notices either, so I know it's not all wishful thinking! I will add that while there was a chapter dedicated to supplements, I would have appreciated more information on dosages or sources. EDIT--- Dad was diagnosed with Stage IV liver and bowel cancer a year ago and died last month; because of that I took him off the diet and let him eat what he wanted. I will say that he still kept his mind throughout everything, I really believe that the diet staved off the worst symptoms of dementia. He was still happy, still smiling, still knew just about everybody. The diet and supplements were a difficult path to take, but I would do it all over again if I had the chance. It was absolutely worth it.

The only thing I think that is wrong with this book is that the title almost by default insures that the only people who will read this book are individuals who have a loved one facing Alzheimer's. This is a book that every person eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) should be required to read. I have two parents who are in their mid-eighties, and one had an episode that absolutely terrified me. I bought this book with little expectation, and was completely blown away. I have totally changed my own diet and have shared this book with all my siblings. I had no idea that Alzheimer's was being referred to as Type III Diabetes. It is clear to me after reading this book that Alzheimer's is just one more wonderful gift of SAD. Alzheimer's is just one more component of the Diseases of Civilization. I have also read much of Ms. Berger's blog: tuitnutrition.com and she is the only person I follow on twitter. I am an admitted hater of social media. As impressed as I am with her book, I am even more impressed by Ms. Berger herself. More than anything else, I believe Ms. Berger is a totally straight shooter. I trust her, and I trust almost no one on the internet. We stabilized my father's blood sugars with a ketogenic diet, and he has transitioned into a low carb diet and his sugars have remained good. I am trying to get my mother to envision a life without crackers, lol, but that is going to be a tough one. I will be immediately shorting Nabisco's stock if it ever looks like she is going cracker free. I have not had to do it yet, but if I see more signs of possible troubles, I will immediately call Ms. Berger and workout the best game plan we can come up with. I hope that is a call I never have to make, but it is comforting to know she is there. Also, if I never have to make that call, it is because we follow the information from this great book. Ms. Berger also has some very good interviews on youtube.com, If this seems like a commercial, than good. It is the least I can do for her given what she has given my family by writing this book. People don't realize it, but people who take stands like her's catch a lot of grief, and are often ostracized by their peers. Just ask Nina Teicholz and Gary Taubes if you don't believe it.

Profound book. I've kinda done 'keto' before and This really brings home the science. Put's it all together. Good book and very good writing. Not scientific, in that there are words that are hard to understand. I did look up 'glycation' for example, but, that is a word you need to know. The science of the cell and bodily function is the best ,in understanding how your body works. You can figure out what you want to do from there. I know this works. In my Doc's office, and the pharmaceutical reps standing like hawks near me when I was checking out, I made sure they heard me say, " I brought my labs to normal and down from heart attach range with diet and exercise." This book may just save your life too. It's not how many years in the life, it's how much life is in your years. We get so dependent on doctors who are taught a one size fits all pill is the answer. What do you think?

I find this book to be just amazing. I love the fact what is written is easily understandable by a layman such as myself but just as important the facts stated point to a huge plethora of referenced foot notes which point to actual studies that can be obtained supporting what the author states. In these times, I am very suspicious of any literature which makes diet and health claims as it is hard to detect quackery and misinformation presented either deliberately or out of ignorance. But the important points in this book are backed up by a bunch of studies which can be referenced. I have checked out a few them and have found the referenced studies I looked at quite a revelation based on the content and my statistical background. This book is definitely worth the read. Can diet really help battle dementia and Alzheimer's? The jury may be out and it may be the answer is it depends on your genes. However, this books makes its case backed up by many studies and because of that is worthy of consideration.

Ótimo, chegou dentro do prazo e bem embalado!

Muy buena información! La aplico en mi persona como una manera de prevenir la demencia. Es grosera la manera en que somos tratados por los grandes “fabricantes” de alimentos sanos!

This book grabs your attention right from the first page.....captivating, interesting, personable, intelligent and clearly communicated - all the qualities I enjoy with Amy's professional writing style. It engages you from the first words and you cannot put it down. As a professional working with both people struggling with the onset of this disease and their family members, I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It will be invaluable to people who are struggling with this insidious disease, and for their loved ones as they care for them. I would also recommend this book to every medical practitioner on the planet. This book also provides hope for those who wish to prevent developing this disease in later life. Written in layman's terms, this book explores the difficult concepts around how Alzheimer's Disease (AD) begins, and what happens inside the brain when AD strikes. In not only covers AD, but also diabetes, insulin resistance and cholesterol issues. Amy explores in detail how eating a low carb and high fat diet can stop this disease in it's tracks, and in some cases, even reverse some symptoms in some people. This scientific exploration of how our body is fueled and where we have gone wrong with dietary recommendations in the past is both eye-opening and exciting as Amy shows us how to change our future, our health and the health of both ourselves and our families. On my coffee table at home, and on my desk at work, this is a book I recommend to all my clients, and to all my friends. This book offers a road map to aging healthfully with our mental faculties intact! I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Interesting relationship between dementia and our modern diet

The target audience for this book includes medical practitioners, dietitians, people at risk of getting Alzheimer's disease, and carers for people who already have it. Also, perhaps academics needing an update on the topic, and even people who are themselves already displaying early symptoms, for example mild cognitive impairment, but are still able to read this book. The content isn't tailored perfectly to any one of these. Medical practitioners and academics might appreciate the science, but want a more concise document. Carers might appreciate the way the book describes matters a number of times from slightly different points of view, but (initially) care less about the scientific details. I haven't marked it down for this. It is easy to skip things that are not (currently) of interest, but much harder to cater for things that are not in the book at all. It would be useful if this book were required reading by medical practitioners and dietitians. Doctors and nurses would be better equipped to suggest interventions rather than "get your affairs in order". Dietitians would appreciate the power and safety of the ketogenic diet, which many of them don't understand at the moment. A book on this topic published in 10 years time will be significantly more advanced. For example, it will include material about the influence of the microbiome, (gut bacteria). But most of the target audience don't have the luxury of waiting even 5 years. They need to act NOW, but with reasonable confidence that they are not wasting time (or making things worse) with "fads". The included and cited scientific material (more than 30 pages of citations) shows that this is not based on "fads", and there is also a substantial amount of practical advice, far more than simply food/diet. Sleep, stress, exercise, etc, are all covered. I am in the category "people at risk of getting Alzheimer's disease", and I am taking this book very seriously indeed. Hence the 5 stars.