Book excerpt: The human brain consists of more than 100 billion nerve cells, which die off as people age. Until recently, it was believed that these cells did not regenerate, but recent scientific findings proved that the brain does have nerve cells that are capable of regenerating-a breakthrough that has changed the entire landscape of brain research and treatment. It is this newly discovered ability of the brain to restore, renew, and regenerate that Dr. Jordan K. Davis focuses on in The Brainpower Plan. A neurosurgeon for over thirty years, Dr. Davis puts all the valuable information he has gleaned into this book in order to help you avoid the all-too-prevalent, disastrous choices that can diminish your brainpower, and with it the quality of your life. He outlines the brain's structure and the functions of each part, then discusses the three primary neurological diseases that can befall the brain: strokes, Alzheimer's and other memory-impairment diseases, and Parkinson's disease. He then shows that these are not the unavoidable genetic consequences of the aging process, but are, in most cases, avoidable and treatable. Dr. Davis details all the risk factors for these and other diseases and then presents his Super Strategies for Brain Health. The doctor is emphatic that optimum nutrition creates a favorable environment for the body to boost its immune system, and thereby helps prevent degenerative diseases of the internal organs, most critically the brain. Justifiably convinced of the efficacy of his strategies, Dr. Davis believes that if you follow his advice on nutrition, supplements, exercise, mental stimulation, and moderate lifestyle changes, you will see improvements in just a matter of weeks. Book jacket.