The Edge Effect: Achieve Total Health and Longevity with the Balanced Brain Advantage

He makes certain protocols seem so easy, but yet you would have to keep on top of the effects of these protocols every week or so to make sure they are working. It just seems way too complicated....maybe I am not willing to be on top of my game in the neurotransmitter arena.


TREATING MEMORY DISORDERS WITH MUSIC   June 5, 2004
Daniel Kassell (New York City)
90 out of 113 found this review helpful

Eric Braverman MD in this just released book "The Edge Effect" (Sterling Pub Co.) believes that "singing or playing an instrument yourself is an active way in which you can increase GABA."

Dr. Braverman, also the force behind creating The Place for Achieving Total Health (PATH Medical in NYC and Penndel, PA) describes the biochemical GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) as having "a calming stabilizing effect on the brain" that "prevents us from being to `juiced', too quick, and therefore ineffective." Other "natures" as he calls them, are
"Powerful Dopamine", "Creative Acetylcholine" and "Playful Serotonin".

Listening to Eric Braverman's explain his "Head-First Medicine" approach sounds like the revolution medicine needs is here as does his extending the concept of menopause to the entire body by naming how the brain ages as "pauses": "Electropause (slowing of brainwave activity), Biopause, Pituitarypause, Sensorypause" or "Psychopause (changes in mood) and how the body ages as: "Thyropause, Thymopause, Cardiopause, Vasculopause, Pulmonopause, Adrenipause, Somatopause, Osteopause" and "Dermopause".

The complete program that explains how the brain controls the body's functions and how you can adjust and even augment its capabilities he's titled the "Edge Effect". First identify your
own brain-dominant nature with the Braverman Nature Assessment (pages of multiple choice True or False questions), address your differences, focus on making the most of your primary nature then use the "Edge Effect" to experience higher performance - all in 270 pages!

Actor Ben Vereen is quoted on the back cover suggesting, "Everyone with a brain must buy this book,"

Daniel Kassell
June 5, 2004


Early take on personality/neurotransmitter/supplement connections   January 11, 2007
Marianne (Denmark)
50 out of 51 found this review helpful

The connection between personality and mood on the one side and neurotransmitters on the other side is a young subject.
This book is definitely worth owning and reading to get some basic popular orientation in the field, to play with the questionaire and to experiment with medication or alternative supplements to balance your own mood states. It is very readable.
- It is not an in-depth treatment, the last word on the subject or your essential reference tome.

Words of caution: it's important to remember that the health of other organ systems also impacts mood and personality. Not to mention life events! We are not just wandering brain chemistries ...
The supplements suggested are very high. I have effects with about 1/10 of the dosages recommended in the book, and at about 1/6 of recommended dose I start to get overdose symptoms - so get professional advice about dosage (and a general health overview if you don't already have one) if you decide to try the supplements.
The author also has a website and an organisation that sells supplements and is good about giving advice on email exchanges.


Clear and Concise Help - Thank you Dr. Braverman   November 9, 2004
Donna
47 out of 58 found this review helpful

Your book has helped solve the ongoing health problems I have suffered for years. I read the book and identified my nature, followed the recommendations and my illness has improved tremendously. I am now able to enjoy my life without the nagging pains I used to have. It is truly amazing all the other doctors I have been to over the years haven't caught on--The Brain does control the Body's Health. I am on my way to good health. Great Book.


Interesting, but most physicians wouldn't do the tests he recommends   March 7, 2008
rusty (seattle, wa, usa)
30 out of 32 found this review helpful

This book is about achieving total health by balancing your brain chemistry, based on a quiz you take (in the book) to determine your dominant neurotransmitters. Once you take the quiz and find out which of the four major neurotransmitters is dominant, you can take supplements and eat foods that supposedly restore your brain's normal biochemistry (normal meaning how it was before you started having symptoms of disease).
The author says everyone is born with a dominant neurotransmitter that determines their health and their personality, and when this gets out of balance, signs of illness begin. He lists the supplements you should take and the foods you should eat to get back in balance again, and also recommends some exercises, both physicla and mental. At the end there is a section of exercises you can do to improve your memory.
In his private practice the author claims to have healed many people by simply balancing their brain chemistry, and this is a wonderful thought, but he doesn't say where you can find a doctor to work with who would be into this type of treatment. Most doctors would not agree to do some of the tests he recommends, and would not be open to his ideas. He claims you can do it on your own, but I am concerned that the high doses of some of the supplements may be harmful. On the other hand, I'm a bit of a risk taker and decided to start the supplement and diet program to see what will happen. If anyone else has tried this program, I'd like to know their results and whether they would recommend it. This book has a very interesting and believable theory, but I think is too new to be accepted by mainstream medicine, so you're pretty much on your own if you apply it.