Healthy Living
Bookcorners
Review by Katherine Duff
Alternatives for Brain Dysfunction
Brainrecovery.com: Powerful Therapy for Challenging Brain DisordersBy David Perlmutter, MD, FACN
The Perlmutter Health Center, 800 Goodlette
Road North, Suite 270, Naples, Florida 34201 USA
Softbound, ISBN: 0-9635874-1-2, 2000, $15.95, 170 pp.
David Perlmutter, MD notes in the introduction to his book, BrainRecovery.com that the decade of the 1990's was declared the Decade of the Brain by scientists and researchers. Unfortunately for those trying to cope with the effects of the many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis, the progress made does not include effective therapies.
Perlmutter suggests that the increasing incidence of neurodegenerative diseases may bring us into the Century of Brain Dysfunction. Using Alzheimer's as an example, we learn that there are currently 4.5 million people with the disease in the US, and by the year 2030 we can expect that number to double. And though there are drugs marketed for the treatment of Alzheimer's, none offers any significant improvement for the patients. Add to this the increase in mortality from other degenerative diseases of the nervous system and it is easy to see that the author has coined a most appropriate term for our new century.
As a neurologist, Perlmutter has put together a book of therapies for these brain disorders. But first, he starts with an examination of the underlying mechanism behind them, namely the group of chemicals known as free radicals. These chemicals can be our saviors when they are destroying cancer cells and bacteria, but their activity becomes a problem when the body is overwhelmed by too many of them or the body's antioxidant chemicals are insufficient. The free radicals are increased by stress hormones, infection, trauma, environmental toxins and irradiation.
The damage done by excessive free radicals occurs in the energy producing part of cells, or mitochondria. A cycle develops that not only causes the cell to be more susceptible to the free radicals, but produces more of them as well. The end result is cell death.
Illnesses, though appearing diverse in their symptoms, can be seen as a variation of the fundamental elements of defective antioxidant protection and reduced mitochondrial energy protection. Whether one develops Parkinson's Disease or Alzheimer's is directed by one's genetic predisposition. The therapies then are aimed at correcting those defective elements but tailored for the unique damage done by the various illnesses.
Nonprogressive brain damage that is found in those who have had strokes or other brain trauma is also considered. The author describes the potential for "bringing back on line" those cells in the brain that have been left nonfunctioning but are capable of functioning. Located between the damaged and healthy brain tissue, these are referred to as "idling neurons." Supplements aimed at enhancing energy production of the cells can be used to bring function back to these cells. Another therapy offering improved function to idling neurons is the use of the hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
Having illuminated the common root of these neurodegenerative diseases, Perlmutter, dedicates a chapter to several illnesses, including: Alzheimer's Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis; ALS; Post-Polio Syndrome; Vascular Dementia and Stroke. In each chapter he discusses the particular damage caused and the therapy that would best be used to treat that illness. Again using Alzheimer's as an example, we learn that inflammation plays a role in the illness. Treatment therefore must address the need for reducing inflammation as well as limiting free radical activity and increasing neuronal function. The suggested therapy includes: diet modification and supplements of essential fatty acids to reduce inflammation; the antioxidants Vitamins D and E, Ginkgo biloba, alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl-cysteine to limit free radical activity and; Coenzyme Q1O, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, acetyl-carnitine, phosphatidylserine and Vitamin B-l2 to enhance neuronal activity. The end of each chapter contains the detailed protocol with resources for obtaining products and the necessary tests. He also includes testimonials from patients he has treated.
Throughout this book the author references prominent scientific/medical journals and includes a bibliography at the end of each chapter. It is apparent that much of what Perlmutter is telling us about the effectiveness of certain supplements on brain disorders has been known in the medical establishment but just not acted upon. He calls for a complementary approach to these illnesses and a correction in the medical culture that has come to depend on pharmaceutical companies for answers.
The title of this book, BrainRecovery.com, will lead a Web surfer to David Perlmutter's website. It should also be a tip-off that this has been written in a post-Internet style, one that is familiar and suitable for people affected by these illnesses as well as busy physicians. It is straight to the point, easy to follow and offers further reading for those needing additional information.
First and foremost, David Perlmutter is a physician concerned with educating and healing his patients. As he states in the Introduction, "knowledge is health." Patients whose treatment options have been limited to only those that offer wealth to the drug companies should find hope in this book. There are steps one can take to improve and they are accessible.
BrainRecovery.com also opens the door for a greater understanding of the source of these illnesses. Though he has left that issue for others to debate, one cannot help but read this book and be left with questions about the world we live in and the one that awaits us. The extrinsic factors known to stimulate free radical production include infection, trauma, exposure to toxins and irradiation. Our society has committed to reducing infection and trauma, but as for toxins and irradiation - our exposures are ever increasing. Incorporating Perlmutter's model into the mainstream would help to enable policies of prevention of brain disorders.
From the Townsend Letter, July, 2001, #216
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