Politically Incorrect Nutrition: Finding Reality in the Mire of Food Industry Propaganda

by Michael Barbee

Did you know that some noncaloric artificial sweeteners can actually make you fat―or even kill you? Did you know that the overconsumption of certain soy products can upset your hormonal balance and lead to hypothyroidism? Most people didn’t, until now. Politically Incorrect Nutrition exposes many current and widely held beliefs foisted on both consumers and health-care practitioners by well-oiled, agenda-driven food industry propaganda. It analyzes popular claims and reveals what, in fact, is healthy―and what is decidedly unhealthy ―by exploring the most current and objective scientific data regarding good nutrition. If you want to provide the best possible food for yourself and your family, or if you simply want to learn the truth behind the many food myths that are presented to us day after day, Politically Incorrect Nutrition is must reading.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Nutrition, Food

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Melissa Rothrock · Rating 1 out of 5]

This belongs in the bin.

[Taylor Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward scientific evidence on things I already vaguely knew about

[Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a Kindle sale day, because it sounded interesting and covers a topic that I'm interested in. Unfortunately, there is a lot of the crazy in this book, despite all of the references, and there's enough there that it taints the whole book despite some of the valid points the author makes.

The book is set up very cleanly with each chapter addressing a topic of interest, with a summary of what the author deems the propaganda and the reality followed by the meat of the chapter. Various current "nutrition fads" such as soy, green tea, linoleic acid, and XXX are covered, mostly following along the lines of what I've read in other books. The chapter on cholesterol is very interesting, especially as it discusses the difference between dietary and blood cholesterol with a plausible hypothesis for why cholesterol levels aren't a problem themselves but are rather an indicator of other issues in the body. I also found interesting ideas and discussion in the chapters on aspartame, osteoporosis, and eggs.

The discussion gets a little tinfoil hat-esque when the chapter on fluoride hits, as this appears to be the author's pet topic and much is made of the idea of corporations being paid to put toxic waste in the water supply in order to fluoridate the water. This slightly-nutty viewpoint persists in the chapters about BGH, plastics and microwaves, vitamin C, food irradiation, and vegetarianism, to mention a few. This is not to say that I disagree with the author's viewpoints - for myself and my family we eat many eggs, avoid plastics, don't use the microwave much, and avoid hormones in our milk and foods - but some of the sections in those chapters definitely push further than I would expect from a more levelheaded assessment of the information.

A discussion on "the perfect diet" closes out the book, and while it does make some good points and brings up possible ideas for discussion and research, I was thoroughly annoyed at the author by this point. There are a ton of references, including articles, papers, and other books, which took up over 30% of the book on my Kindle, which while that does reflect well on the author I think it would have been a good idea to highlight one or two key sources for each chapter to aid the layman in doing additional research.

In summary, this is an interesting book with some good ideas and discussion that may also be found elsewhere, but also has some serious tinfoil hat and government conspiracy issues. Due to the latter, it didn't quite live up to my expectations, unfortunately, and I feel there are some better suited books on these topics for those who are interested.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. The author brings to the front subjects that are generally (and erroneously) accepted and gives us a different point of view with new evidence rarely shared with the public. He also discusses the reasoning for lack of reaction, in the health organizations, to these threats on our health. Take everything he says with the understanding that he is trying bring to light the great need for public education, reminding us not to take everything we are told as fact. He is encouraging us to look at things that effects us, ourselves instead of giving over the responsibility to someone certainly less concerned and maybe even less than trustworthy.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read enough of these books and your head (or stomach) will spin. And/Or you will get mad at the big industries who care only about making money and that don't mind endangering a few consumers along the way.

We have so much dietary guilt and conflict. The bottom line is to know what you eat and why you eat. I liked this quote in the book:

"It's often the eater, not what's eaten, that matter most....a physically based, formulaic approach that leaves no room for our emotional and spiritual life has no hope in succeeding."

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was eye-opening, full of twenty pages of small print references to back up his nutritional guidelines --- ones that my gut already told me made sense in my own life. I've excerpted the most game-changing facts about Politically Incorrect Nutrition on my blog, but this is one book I recommend checking out on your own and taking the time to slog through. Yes, it is dense, but isn't it worth putting in a bit of study time to take care of your most important possession --- your health?

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite what I was expecting. I was looking not only for a book that shed light on some of the misinformation that I've been led to believe goes on in the food industry. What I got was someone harping about misinformation that the food industry spreads. The book is thoroughly footnoted (and has plenty of references) but I wanted a book that had factual data that would NOT require me to do a bunch of follow up to get the details.

Seemingly well researched, but poorly presented.

[Fishface · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like a bomb going off for me. I knew that some of the health claims made in the popular literature were wrong, but I never knew just how many. This was written by a researcher who did what almost nobody has done: he actually read and analyzed the famous studies like Framingham and Nurse's Health and collected his findings in an affordable paperback. You should never trust anything about health you read in a magazine or see on TV, OK? This book explains why.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

full of englightening information, some I'd heard of before and some not. About the dangers or aspartame, flouride , soy and green tea, and some possible benefits from full fat dairy and beef. etc...Some of the info was a bit unsettling and made me angry.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be ready to have all out favorite beliefs about what makes for good nutrition blown apart. A must for conscious eating.

[Marty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how seriously to take this. It was don't eat or drink this and that. Negative orientation. Heavily footnoted but tone makes me not sure if I should take it seriously.

[Momninja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Nourishing Traditions and the Paleo diet this books flies in the face of what we were taught is healthy.

[Erin Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well researched and horribly written

[Charlie Lake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in 2004 ...even so the information contained within is still pertinent to diet today. A short and very good read...the chapter on cholesterol is in particular very informative. Recommended

[B. Santifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soy is poison.