Younger A breakthrough program to reset your genes, reverse aging, and turn back the clock 10 years

Gynecologist Gottfried (The Hormone Reset Diet) emphasizes the role of environment and lifestyle in her new book about how to age well. According to her, a regimen of diet, exercise, and supplements can "maximize what your genes can do." Her advice boils down to the basics-eat and sleep well, exercise, destress, and live in a healthy environment-which she enumerates in a seven-step protocol. Each step is meant to be adopted over a week, and the protocol for each one combines detailed explanations of the genes related to that step and the supplements, foods, or behaviors that turn each gene on or off. There are three levels for implementing each protocol: the basic rituals, the more involved steps (often including many supplements), and the "advanced projects" readers can try. The book contains a "healthspan" quiz, recipes, and copious notes. Throughout, Dr. Sara (as she calls herself) urges readers to skip the science if it overwhelms them and turn to the steps themselves. Her relatable, energetic delivery adds conviction to her cogent advice. Agent: Celeste Fine, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gynecologist Gottfried makes many promises to "reset your genes, reverse aging," etc., in this title. Some claims are correct, some not. Eating and sleeping right and staying mentally and physically active can boost well-being. But the author makes claims ranging far beyond the scientific literature. Regarding APOE4, a gene variant that when inherited from both parents can increase Alzheimer's risk, she states that using "the strategies in the Younger protocol, such as sticking to an anti-inflammatory diet, exercising, keeping blood sugar stable, and getting restorative sleep" will turn off the "bad variant." Nothing in the literature proves one can permanently "turn off" APOE4 with the above regiment. Likewise, discussing the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene variants, which confer such a strong proclivity for breast cancer that many who test positive are advised to consider prophylactic mastectomies, the author writes breezily, "Turn off the breast cancer genes by eating more vegetables and less inflammatory meat, drinking less alcohol (no more than one serving twice per week), and keeping your inner clock ticking at a normal pace." We cannot permanently turn off those genes this way, according to current studies. Verdict It would behoove the author to take extreme care when writing exactly what science has proven those activities can do. We cannot vanquish APOE4-driven Alzheimer's or BRCA1/BRCA2-related breast cancer by riding a bike and wielding an asparagus spear, at least as far as science currently knows. But we can stave off many age-related maladies for a while this way-and that is on its own a worthy endeavor.-Cynthia Fox, Brooklyn © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.