What You Must Know About Memory Loss and How You Can Stop It

Book excerpt: Leave it to one of America’s best-selling physician/authors to tackle one of the country’s fastest-growing health concerns. With over 77 million baby boomers living in the U.S., memory loss is quickly becoming a major issue. Although the common belief is that these irritating lapses in the ability to remember are a normal part of aging, current scientific research indicates otherwise. In fact, there are a number of reasons these lapses can occur. The good news is that once we understand why, we can actually restore and even strengthen our mental acuity. In her new book, What You Must Know About Memory Loss and How You Can Stop It, Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith explains why we forget things and what we can do to not only reverse the problem, but also enhance our ability to focus, concentrate, and comprehend. Dr. Smith begins by discussing why it is important not to simply accept memory loss as a normal part of aging. She then presents an in-depth look at the most common causes of these lapses in memory—nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, toxic overload, poor blood circulation, and lack of physical and mental exercise. She begins each section with a questionnaire to determine if the test taker’s memory may be affected by that particular cause. The author then details how that cause is involved in impaired memory, as well as a host of other mental issues ranging from insomnia to personality changes. Dr. Smith follows each discussion with a list of proven remedies to correct each issue. Also included in the book is a special section on recognizing and dealing with severe memory loss. While the pharmaceutical companies continue to look for that one “magic bullet” to reverse memory loss, the fact is that there are numerous scientifically valid treatments available to address this growing concern. Dr. Smith empowers her readers to avoid an unnecessary part of aging by offering simple and effective solutions.