The XX Brain

Informationen zum Autor Lisa Mosconi, PhD; Foreword by Maria Shriver Klappentext "The first book to address cognitive enhancement and Alzheimer's prevention specifically in women--and to frame brain health as an essential component of Women's Health"-- Leseprobe Chapter 1 The Inner Workings of the Female Brain John Gray's bestseller Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus , with which he coined that now famous metaphor, speaks to pop science's long-term fascination with the psychological differences between men and women. There's no shortage of comedy routines that enjoy poking fun at this infamous battle of the sexes. If we were so inclined, we could hop on the bandwagon, imagining a female brain that consisted of zones such as the must-have-chocolate-now node, the gossip gland, or the busy kids-and-marriage center. Of course, our male counterparts would possess their own set of similarly satirized areas, including a pair of power tool glands, a quick-firing lame excuse lobe, and the ever-defiant "getting lost and not admitting it" region. The origins of behavioral differences between men and women have been a topic of conversation since ancient history. However, the idea that the brain could be the principal means by which males and females behave differently is strikingly modern, having only been accepted as a true determining factor in the 1960s. Before then, people were convinced that our genitals themselves were at the crux of the matter. Then in 1992, scientists made a very powerful discovery: Our so-called sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, influence not only sexual behavior but brain function as well. In other words, the hormones inextricably involved with our sexuality turn out to be just as crucial in the overall functioning of our minds. Although our gender and its hormones don't offer a universal explanation for our health or behavior, gender differences in the brain manifest themselves in many fascinating and often overlooked ways. This is in part due to the fact that 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. X Marks the Spot: The Estrogen-Driven Brain All women are intuitively aware of the constant conversation between their brains and their hormones, and many of us find ourselves attributing our moods to them. Actually, our female hormones do have strong, deep effects on the brain that go far beyond the typical attributes of PMS and the variety of other ups and downs associated with our cycles. Hormones are powerful chemicals involved in almost every process in the body and brain, including cellular metabolism, tissue growth, and recovery from injury. By doing so, hormones keep our brains acute, energized, and youthful. At the same time, they keep our bones strong, our gut active, and our sex life potent. They also affect our weight, immune function, and even how we turn food into fuel. Thanks to their all-encompassing roles, our hormones influence every aspect of our physiology, and subsequently, our health-physical and mental. When your hormones are out of whack, you feel it everywhere from your joints to your thoughts. Depending on whether they are in balance or going awry, we'll experience changes not only in a number of bodily functions but also in our cognitive power, mood, and mental alertness, right down to how we think, talk, feel, and remember. While all hormones are important in this regard, most of the research points to 17§-estradiol, more commonly known as "estrogen", as a major, if not the ma...

Auteur

Lisa Mosconi, PhD; Foreword by Maria Shriver

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The instant New York Times bestseller!

"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."
--from the foreword by Maria Shriver

The first book to address cognitive enhancement and Alzheimer's prevention specifically in women--and to frame brain health as an essential component of Women's Health.

In this revolutionary book, Dr. Lisa Mosconi, director of the Women's Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medical College, provides women with the first plan to address the unique risks of the female brain.

Until now, medical research has focused on "bikini medicine," assuming that women are essentially men with breasts and tubes. Yet women are far more likely than men to suffer from anxiety, depression, migraines, brain injuries, and strokes. They are also twice as likely to end their lives suffering from Alzheimer's disease, even when their longer lifespans are taken into account. But in the past, the female brain has received astonishingly little attention and was rarely studied by medical researchers-- resulting in a wealth of misinformation about women's health.

The XX Brain confronts this crisis by revealing how the two powerful X chromosomes that distinguish women from men impact the brain first and foremost and by focusing on a key brain-protective hormone: estrogen.

Taking on all aspects of women's health, including brain fog, memory lapses, depression, stress, insomnia, hormonal imbalances, and the increased risk of dementia, Dr. Mosconi introduces cutting-edge, evidence-based approaches to protecting the female brain, including a specific diet proven to work for women, strategies to reduce stress, and useful tips for restorative sleep. She also examines the controversy about soy and hormonal replacement therapy, takes on the perils of environmental toxins, and examines the role of our microbiome. Perhaps best of all, she makes clear that it is never too late to take care of yourself.

The XX Brain is 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.

Échantillon de lecture

Chapter 1
The Inner Workings of the Female Brain

John Gray's bestseller Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, with which he coined that now famous metaphor, speaks to pop science's long-term fascination with the psychological differences between men and women. There's no shortage of comedy routines that enjoy poking fun at this infamous battle of the sexes. If we were so inclined, we could hop on the bandwagon, imagining a female brain that consisted of zones such as the must-have-chocolate-now node, the gossip gland, or the busy kids-and-marriage center. Of course, our male counterparts would possess their own set of similarly satirized areas, including a pair of power tool glands, a quick-firing lame excuse lobe, and the ever-defiant "getting lost and not admitting it" region.

The origins of behavioral differences between men and women have been a topic of conversation since ancient history. However, the idea that the brain could be the principal means by which males and females behave differently is strikingly modern, having only been accepted as a true determining factor in the 1960s. Before then, people were convinced that our genitals themselves were at the crux of the matter. Then in 1992, scientists made a very powerful discovery: Our so-called sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, influence not only sexual behavior but brain function as well. In other words, the hormones inextricably involved with our sexuality turn out to be just as crucial in the overall functioning of our minds.

Although our gender and its hormones don't offer a universal explanation for our health or behavior, gender difference…