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The Autoimmune Epidemic
by
Donna Jackson Nakazawa (Goodreads Author),
Douglas Kerr
From the foreword by Dr. Douglas Kerr, Director, Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center
"The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an astounding book....It is the kind of book that will rivet you and scare you. It will make you angry. It will amaze you with the courage of some of the people described in the book...The Autoimmune Epidemic is every bit as compell...more
"The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an astounding book....It is the kind of book that will rivet you and scare you. It will make you angry. It will amaze you with the courage of some of the people described in the book...The Autoimmune Epidemic is every bit as compell...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
February 10th 2009
by Touchstone
(first published 2008)
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Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
387)
I started reading the book in the middle, because I was flipping through it at the library. I was perusing the new nonfiction to just catch up on what we had, and I started reading about a swarm of lupus cases in one neighborhood. I wanted to know why, so I kept reading until the end. Then I went back and read the first half of the book. It is very good, well-researched, and very scary. However, I cannot find a reference in the book for the statement the author makes that hair dye increases the...more
Scary stuff... Throw away all your furniture and plastic and stay away from processed foods.
This book needs editing, but contains some good facts. I wouldn't call it light reading, because the subject matter is not light... I recommend for people who don't mind overuse of bad metaphors, but want a very superficial understanding of autoimmune disease.
I fear its emphasis on medical research, especially genetics, detracts from the larger message that we have created a world full of plastic and chem...more
This book needs editing, but contains some good facts. I wouldn't call it light reading, because the subject matter is not light... I recommend for people who don't mind overuse of bad metaphors, but want a very superficial understanding of autoimmune disease.
I fear its emphasis on medical research, especially genetics, detracts from the larger message that we have created a world full of plastic and chem...more
3 likes · like · see review
Living with Crohn's Disease and awaiting a possible Lupus diagnosis, Nakazawa's The Autoimmune Epidemic proved to be both enlightening in its evidence based argument of the environmental causes and pathophysiology of autoimmune disease as well as shocking in its presentation of heartbreaking anecdotes and expose of the hidden killers that are pervasive in our everyday lives. Readers with and even those without autoimmune diseases will undoubtedly rethink the way we approach diet and lifestyle af...more
Out of all the books that I've read on autoimmune diseases, this one is the most informative. The topics that I so often dwell upon and obsess over are all discussed and with extensive evidence, citation and sensitivity. These topics include chemical toxicity, Vitamin D, vaccinations, adrenaline, emotional sludge, stress, and of course the workings of the immune system. I really feel this book as a value to my education and outreach in researching and learning about the autoimmune disease I was...more
I highly recommend this book for anyone w/autoimmune disorders OR anyone who is interested in the impact of our world becoming increasingly toxic and chemical. . . In fact, I'd recommend this to anyone who has food or other allergies, asthma or anyone who has KIDS . . . . or anyone interested in medical mysteries. Thoroughly researched and documented . . . a very interesting read.
Mar 17, 2008
Books Ring Mah Bell
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-med-psych
excellent resources in the book for those with (or who know someone with) an autoimmune disease. Worth reading just for the chapter on autoimmune disease in the East Ferry neighborhood in Buffalo. please think again if you think the government (example FDA) really gives a rats ass about people. scary info at http://www.epa.gov/enviro/emef
.
.
2 likes · like · see review
Nakazawa explains the mechanism of autoimmune response while showing how exposure to toxins, viruses, chemicals, etc., has caused an epidemic of autoimmune diseases. Part of her research involved the cluster epidemics of lupus etc. in Buffalo, New York, due to toxic waste in the soil and water, and a genetic predisposition to autoimmune response.
p.255: "Each day an average of five new chemicals are put out on the market in the United States without any testing as to whether or not they pose a ch...more
p.255: "Each day an average of five new chemicals are put out on the market in the United States without any testing as to whether or not they pose a ch...more
This book talks about the variety of reasons which may contribute to the rise in various autoimmune diseases, but ends on a very positive note, highlighting some progress being made in the field. The biggest downside is that funding for research is too limited, so progress is slow.
I read it because I have an autoimmune disease, but everyone would benefit from a quick read.
The number of people in the USA who have an autoimmune disease outnumber Cancer patients, or Heart disease patients. Research has confirmed that chemicals - industrial, man-made chemicals - are causing many if not all autoimmunity. I worked around a solvent that (as I found out later), that has been shown to trigger my disease.
A co-worker has the same disease (Maybe more, I'm not in touch).
But this sa...more
The number of people in the USA who have an autoimmune disease outnumber Cancer patients, or Heart disease patients. Research has confirmed that chemicals - industrial, man-made chemicals - are causing many if not all autoimmunity. I worked around a solvent that (as I found out later), that has been shown to trigger my disease.
A co-worker has the same disease (Maybe more, I'm not in touch).
But this sa...more
I purchased this book after a recent rash of autoimmune flares had me in bed and unable to walk without pain for 20 out of 60 days. I never realized how much of an impact diet, stress and environment have on my condition until I started reading this book. It has inspired me to change my diet and start thinking about the environment that I live in and how it is affecting my health. The exact mechanisms that trigger autoimmunity are not completely understood, but toxins in industrial chemicals, he...more
This book is an odd combination of medical jargon and anecdotes in 'every day'' speech, vacillating from one to the other mid chapter, and all throughout the book.
I do think that the author brings to light many areas of autoimmune disease that receive very little focus or research. Most doctors don't understand it or make a diagnosis, and the patients with the autoimmune diseases receive no or little education on their condition.
This book is a good resource, and had lots of good info and things...more
I do think that the author brings to light many areas of autoimmune disease that receive very little focus or research. Most doctors don't understand it or make a diagnosis, and the patients with the autoimmune diseases receive no or little education on their condition.
This book is a good resource, and had lots of good info and things...more
Good info but so much conspiracy theory it was depressing.
Sep 28, 2011
Angela
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
health,
not-as-good-as-i-hoped
Interesting. I learned a few things. However, I think the book should have spent more time on new foods (industrially made seed oils, texturized vegetable protein, GMO, wheat) and their impact, for example the similarity between antibodies to gluten and autoantibodies to thyroid. Also, while I agreed with much of the description of the problem, I can't get behind the author's prescription for federally funded studies and increased government regulation. However we got here, I don't think federal...more
This book is extraordinary! A real eye-opener that should be required reading for anyone trying to lead a healthy life in our modern, chemical-laden world.
Donna Jackson Nakazawa's own experience suddenly becoming partially paralyzed (luckily for her it only lasted a couple months) and being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, led her to follow her journalistic instincts and training and delve into the murky and messy world of autoimmune disease, which now affects 24 million Americans (more t...more
Donna Jackson Nakazawa's own experience suddenly becoming partially paralyzed (luckily for her it only lasted a couple months) and being diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, led her to follow her journalistic instincts and training and delve into the murky and messy world of autoimmune disease, which now affects 24 million Americans (more t...more
I have had this book on my shelf for over a year now, and I have just been dreading to read it. Why? I am the statistic, that is why. I have an autoimmune disease (uveitis, which is inflammation of the uvea in the eye), and I wanted to read more about others who struggle with their bodies turning against them. I was also interested in theories on why I have this problem to begin with and learn about possible causes, factors, and also health tips.
With that said, I was interested very much in thi...more
With that said, I was interested very much in thi...more
1 like · like · see review
This probably really deserves a 3.5 or 3.75 :) Very interesting look at the combination of genetic, environmental, and health factors that when added together can result in autoimmune disease. Specifically the book is trying to address why we are seeing such sharp increases in diagnosis of autoimmune diseases (sometimes in clusters). I had no idea there were as many different diseases that are classified as autoimmune responses and it's interesting that each disease tends to get treated by a spe...more
This is a good book to help people do what they can to prevent autoimmune disorders, but I got it to help my husband cure (or at least significantly treat) his two autoimmune disorders. It wasn't until the final chapter that I learned some things that he can do. (Now the trick is getting him to do them.) If you suffer from lupus, this is a good book for you, as most of it discusses lupus. It's also a scary book, though, because, given the supposed causes and risk factors for autoimmune diseases,...more
1 like · like · see review
Jan 19, 2012
Tianna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone with or who knows someone with an autoimmune disease
Shelves:
science,
immune-system
Love this book! The author did her research (over 40 pages of citations) and gives great insight to the vague world of autoimmune diseases. While her biases and frustration with the current health system to discover the causes of autoimmune disease is present throughout the book, she presents the facts and studies of what we know so far in a manner that is easy to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who suffers from an autoimmune disease or has a loved one with one.
I read this book to get a better understanding of the disease I'll be dealing with (maybe for the rest of my life.) It was informative, but also a bit frustrating. If so many people are being diagnosed with auto-immune diseases, why isn't more being done in the field of science and medicine? According to the book, more patients suffer from auto-immune disease than heart disease and cancer. It's a little upsetting. Also, the book talks about how to change your lifestyle to help prevent further at...more
I found this book somewhat depressing but I went on and found so much information on autoimmune disorders that I was locked in and couldn't put it down. The book has so much information that it amazed me of all the different studies which were done for proof that alot of us have some sort of disorder that were totally unaware of. A very good read and I think I shall re-read it again at some later date.
Mar 15, 2013
Little Pianist
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
autoimmune-diseases
This book was one of the highly educational ones that I have read. Recently I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and I did not know how or why it happened. But as I read this book it helped to explain what was going on and why. Also, it helped to realize that while there is no cure there are ways to live green and to keep a person safe while being treated with this disorder.
I wish I could give this 3.5 stars.
This book was frightening but informative. It's definitely made me more aware
of what foods I put into my body, the air I breathe, and the products I use.
Fortunately, it sounds like we can do things to prevent autoimmune illness
or reduce the effects of it (eating whole foods, fish oil, vitamin D, adequate
sleep, limiting stress, etc).
This book was frightening but informative. It's definitely made me more aware
of what foods I put into my body, the air I breathe, and the products I use.
Fortunately, it sounds like we can do things to prevent autoimmune illness
or reduce the effects of it (eating whole foods, fish oil, vitamin D, adequate
sleep, limiting stress, etc).
This book contains a lot of anecdotes about people with autoimmune disorders, and some theories about the possible reasons we've seen an increase in such disorders. The practical advice about what you can DO about it is limited to the last chapter of the book, and amounts to: eat a healthful diet with no processed foods; use only natural cleaners; and manage stress.
I think if I was a little more scientific, I would LOVE this book. What I did understand was fascinating. The title makes it sounds like one of those stupid books you would see at the drugstore - but it's actually based on research based on evolution/adaptation, and the alarmingly increasing amount of substances our bodies are exposed to. This would take HUNDREDS of years (if not more) for our bodies to accommodate to that and that's much of the reason so many of these auto immune disorders were...more
Apr 25, 2012
Trina
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
help-yourself,
food-for-thought
While overall very informative the majority of the book chronicled other people's struggle with autoimmune disorders. True to the title the author makes a convincing, repeatedly, that autoimmune problems often stymie both the sufferer and the medical team trying to assist them. The meat of the book [by my perception] is final sections that talk about ways to minimize your risk or reduce exacerbation. If you are troubled by autoimmune problems and need assurance that you are not alone read this b...more
This book had a few nuggets of good information, but overall I was not impressed it was too focused on Lupus to be a general comprehensive look at autoimmune diseases. Also her lifestyle changes and take on why there are more diagnosed cases of autoimmune issues is to get rid of all things with chemicals etc. She did not even really consider the possibility that more people are being diagnosed because more doctors know about them and the tests have become more advanced and accurate. It seemed to...more
1 like · like · see review
The sky is falling! This book is an interesting mix of medical studies, research, and personal anecdotes. Frankly, I found it very depressing and overwhelming because the author made it seem that there's really not much that can be done to prevent autoimmune disease given our current polluted state.
Nov 14, 2008
Hemi
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people interested in environmental justice. food justice, healthcare, food systems, women's health
Nakazawa connects the dots between environmental toxins, genetics, and heavy metals in our foods, to show how we get autoimmune diseases. She is as gripping as John Grisham-meets-Erin Brockovich. She illustrates complex biology by using compelling analogies and plain language.
The final chapter is a helpful tool that leaves people feeling that they could mitigate their chances of developing or worsening an autoimmune response in their bodies, through whole foods diet and nutrition. There's a chan...more
The final chapter is a helpful tool that leaves people feeling that they could mitigate their chances of developing or worsening an autoimmune response in their bodies, through whole foods diet and nutrition. There's a chan...more
Having had bouts with autoimmune disease, it was great to see so much information regarding the topic in one place, but depressing to learn that so much more could be done to diagnose and fight these diseases - 25 million people affected (mostly women) and so many more undiagnosed...
Valuable information, but a little disjointed and difficult to stay focused on. I need to read again. It was great at explaining the problem, which is essential, but left you with a feeling of hopelessness because there was not much to tell you how to protect yourself.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autoimmune Diseas...: August 2012 | 2 | 8 | Jan 23, 2013 06:05pm |
Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an award-winning science journalist and public speaker. In her newest book, The Last Best Cure (Hudson Street, February 2013), she chronicles her year-long journey investigating the groundbreaking neuroscience on the healing potential of our brains.
Critics call Nakazawa’s “story-telling art” “masterful” and The Last Best Cure “a genuine page-turning science/non-fiction th...more
More about Donna Jackson Nakazawa...
Critics call Nakazawa’s “story-telling art” “masterful” and The Last Best Cure “a genuine page-turning science/non-fiction th...more
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