The XX Brain: The Groundbreaking Science Empowering Women to Maximize Cognitive Health and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease

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The XX Brainis a rallying cry for women to have full access to information regarding what is going on in their brains and bodies as well as a roadmap for the path to optimal, lifelong brain health. The female neuroendocrine system: Pregnancy and the onset of menopause both have the potential to disrupt the balance of the female neuroendocrine system. Affected parts include: the thyroid, the thymus, the adrenals, the pancreas, the ovaries, the frontal cortex, the thalamus, the posterior cingulate cortex, the limbic cortex, the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, and the brain stem. The XX brain: the groundbreaking science empowering women to maximize cognitive health and prevent Alzheimer’s disease One of the best ways to reduce oxidative stress lies in what we eat. Fruits such as berries, oranges, grapefruits and apples are excellent sources of antioxidants. Leafy green and cruciferous veg (broccoli, cabbage, spinach, kale) are great too, as are onions, carrots, tomatoes, squash and artichokes. Extra-virgin olive oil is loaded with anti-inflammatory vitamin E. Brazil nuts are the best source of selenium, but it’s also in rice, oats, mushrooms and lentils. Step 4: Choose the right fats In terms of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes 80 percent or more is caused by dietary choices, weight control and physical activity (or other unhealthy lifestyle factors). (p 18)

I recommend that every woman and all health care professionals read this fantastically important and insightful book from a true expert in the field. I couldn’t put it down.” —Dr Joanna McMillan, bestselling author of Brain Food Women are more than twice as likely to develop depression as men over their lifetimes(p.36) and if a woman has midlife depression, that elevates her risk for dementia. (p.37). By eating a balanced diet of high-quality foods and supplementing where you need to, you’ll allow your body – and brain – to flourish. The XX Brain is an exciting and empowering read for all women. Dr. Mosconi provides actionable advice to protect your brain and thrive throughout your lifetime! I highly recommend making your brain a priority now and taking charge before the inevitable hormonal shifts of perimenopause. In this book, Dr. Mosconi will show you how." —Dr. Jolene Brighten, NMD, author of Beyond the Pill This is a groundbreaking, must-read book, right on target with what I have found about women’s brains.As we age it is critical for us to act aggressively in promoting not just our health but our brain health through lifestyle. I highly recommend it!” —Anna Cabeca, DO, author of The Hormone FixAfter age 35, variable amounts of progesterone and estrogen during each monthly cycle, cause insomnia, anxiety, migraines, miserable periods, irritability, rage and bloating (p.43). Also if women have low testosterone they can get loss of libido, weight gain and low energy. (p.43). If they have polycystic ovary syndrome they can have high testosterone linked to irregular periods, difficulty sleeping, and insulin resistance. (p.43) Men’s brains produce more serotonin and women’s produce more dopamine. Men’s brains have more M cells to detect movement while women’s have more P cells to detect shapes. Some fats are bad for you; others are essential. Take trans fats. They’re highly processed and toxic for your body in any amount. On the flipside, the unsaturated fats found in avocados, nuts, and fish help your heart and brain to flourish, especially if you eat them every day. As many of you may already know (but in case if you don't), here is a little bit of scientific fact about our brains from this book: "Hormones are made by our DNA, and as we know, our DNA is different depending on our sex. However, not many people know that the X chromosome is actually much larger than the relatively tiny Y chromosome, containing a lofty 1,098 genes as compared with the Y chromosome’s 78. This means that a woman, wielding her double X, possesses over 1,000 more genes than a man, many of which are critical for both hormonal production and brain activity." From here, you can kinda guess, just how important it is to approach our brain and overall health from a gender specific view where for centuries, studies, researches and medical practice are mostly (now known as the common knowledge) based on male bodies. And as the author of this book - Lisa Mosconi puts it - even the female specific medicine are mostly focused on "Bikini Medicine" - meaning our breasts and ovaries - excluding our most important organ - the brain. In her new book, The XX Brain, she [Dr. Mosconi] explains the differences between the female and male brains and explores the different ways the brain affects women’s health. She offers practical tips on how to optimize brain health and discusses the unique risks women have for developing Alzheimer’s disease and actions they can take to help prevent it.” — The Wall Street Journal

Risks that increase the risk of Alzheimer’s for women : risk factors for heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Other medical risks that worsen a woman’s chances: depression in midlife, having suffered traumatic brain injury or repeated concussions, thyroid disease, infections and chronic inflammation. As a neuroscientist and nutritionist, I’m frequently asked if whole grains are bad for your brain. My answer is: Not really. The latest science shows no conclusive evidence that eating grains increases the risk of cognitive decline or dementia. Step 2. Get to know the phytoestrogens

Adopting a brain-healthy diet is a powerful tool in maximizing cognitive health and helping prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, says neuroscientist and nutritionist Lisa Mosconi. What’s more, it may even ward off common ailments that affect many women, from slow metabolism to insomnia and depression. Here are 8 steps to take.

Overall the longer a woman has estrogens circulating in her body and the longer the span of her reproductive years , the healthier her brain seems to remain. (So if the period from menarche to menopause is 40 years,that is more protective than if that period is 15 years, whether that is due to nature or surgery.) (p.38) Inflammation: against bacteria, cancer, dental abscess for example (p.34 to 35). Presence of chronic inflammation related to cognitive decline (p. 32). Suggestion: Avoid things that increase inflammation and practice those things that decrease it. (p.35). Suggestions for this: eat well, exercise, rest and sleep, lose weight if needed, quit smoking. Reduce or eliminate exposure to toxins and get treatment if needed, if cholesterol is high – lower it, get treatment for harmful bacterial and for gum disease. It can seem like Alzheimer’s comes on suddenly, but the disease is decades in the making. While the clearest symptoms may only be visible in old age, the groundwork is laid when we’re young. For many women, menopause is when it begins.

The XX Brain builds from the recognition that women's brains age distinctly from men's, due mostly to the decline of a key brain-protective hormone: estrogen. Prebiotics. These non-digestible carbs are “fertilizer” for good gut bacteria. Garlic, onions, asparagus, bananas, cabbage, leeks and artichokes are great sources, as are legumes, beans and lentils. That said, for most women, some wine is OK, especially if it’s red. Red wine has high levels of resveratrol, an antioxidant. If you’re someone for whom alcohol is advised, a five-ounce glass of wine once in a while (but no more than once a day) can be good for you. It is a book full of information, an interesting read and the author has spent her life researching women and their health issues...I was amazed to read that clinical trials were given to men and not women...just a few years ago. The male medical profession is learning (albeit it slowly) about women. The disparity is not only financially but also includes intellectual, legal and medical areas. This outstanding book will provide the reader with some important tools to assist them.Women also can benefit from monounsaturated fat from nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachio and Brazil nuts; fatty fruit (avocado and olives); and some oils and nut butters from sesame and sunflower seeds. Step 5: Feed your microbes

Reality: Don’t believe that genes are destiny. Do believe that our medical health, our environment and the choices we make, are important. (p.17). The exception is for about 1-2% of people who are likely due to genetics to get early onset dementia. But that means about 98-99% of people are not in this group. (p.17) As a woman, keeping yourself at your best also means falling in love with fiber. Fiber has balancing effects on estrogen levels and plays a vital role in stabilizing blood sugar and insulin. Besides, fiber-rich foods digest more slowly and are more filling. Apart from the typical symptoms like hot flashes, the drop in estrogen has an enormous impact on the brain. Many women find they struggle with depression and anxiety. Some even experience bipolar or schizophrenic symptoms for the first time. On top of that, menopause makes women more susceptible to heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Women metabolize medicine differently to men as well. Researchers found that the recommended daily dose of the sleeping pill Ambien is actually harmful to women because – you guessed it – the dose was tested on men.On p. 6 there was the fiirst reference to women with children (in comparison to men) in regards to the limbic system which includes the hippocampus and the amygdala. No comparison or discussion about how the limbic system in women with children compares to women without children….a trend of not including women without children that will continue throughout the book. In The XX Brain, Lisa meticulously guides us in the ways we can both nourish and protect ourselves, body and mind, to ensure our brains remain resilient throughout our lives.” Current guidelines recommend roughly 25 grams of fiber per day for women and 38 grams per day for men. I’m not in total agreement — I think women should consume more fiber, but you’ve got to start somewhere. To reach 25 grams, you could eat a 1/4 cup of steel-cut oats and three dried prunes for breakfast (7 grams of fiber), spinach and kale salad with half an avocado for lunch (9 grams), and minestrone soup for dinner (12 grams), and brava, you did it. And there’s still room for your protein of choice.