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Grain Brain
Book

Grain Brain

The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers

David Perlmutter
Little, Brown US, 2013
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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Scientific
  • Eye Opening
  • Well Structured

Recommendation

Readers seeking clarity about eating grains, gluten and sweets will devour nutritionist and neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter’s explanations of how your dietary choices can lead to inflammation that harms your health. Working with writer Kristin Loberg, he describes his concept of how refined grains, whole grains, and other carbs interact with your DNA and may affect your long-term health. Perlmutter believes eating a low-carb, gluten-free diet isn’t just for those at risk of celiac disease. While never giving medical advice, getAbstract recommends taking the book’s popular advice with a bit of caution. Perlmutter is deliberately and skillfully writing accessibly for a lay audience, but nutritional science is a very complex medical subject, as is inflammation. Read the book if you’d like to explore how diet links to overall health, longevity, quality of life, and neurological or autoimmune disorders. And, of course, don’t radically change how you eat without consulting your doctor.

Summary

“Small Shifts” and “Huge Gains”

Inflammation is the main building block of all degenerative conditions, including those that affect the brain. Anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dementia, depression, diabetes, insomnia and movement disorders are among the issues that can be linked to diets rich in carbs.

Your brain should function throughout your lifespan. You can nurture your “genetic destiny” and support your body’s longevity and health. To take strides to prevent brain disease, start by making healthy choices. The “Grain Brain” way is to avoid environmental toxins, gluten, “pro-inflammatory foods” and sugar.

Carbs Versus Fats

Following changes in dietary guidelines instituted in the late 20th century, many people adopted today’s unhealthful “low-fat, high-carb” regimen. The subsequent increase in the diagnoses of diabetes may be no coincidence. For the sake of their health, people should return to a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, largely similar to the diets of hunter-gatherers.

Dietary fat is your metabolism’s preferred form of fuel. Humans require virtually...

About the Author

David Perlmutter, MD, is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, board-certified neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He also wrote Brain Maker,  Power Up Your Brain and Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten. Writer Kristin Loberg has co-authored many bestsellers.

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