Customer Reviews

The Food Pharmacy: Dramatic New Evidence That Food Is Your Best Medicine

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this soon after it was published in 1988 after hearing Jean Carper interviewed, and it has been a mainstay of my health reference library ever since. The recent flood of studies on the health benefits of various foods has only served to confirm Carper's basic premise: that foods are packed with pharmacological compounds that act as potently as many drugs to profoundly affect our health. The book is well organized into chapters about important food groups (such as nuts, phenol-containing foods such as wine and tea, and complex carbohydrates), with comprehensive additional listings for specific foods and medical conditions, all extremely well supported by references to scientific literature. Unlike some of the current nutrition "gurus," Carper rigorously sticks to the medical evidence and carefully explains many of the studies on which she relies. Thanks to this book, I was already following almost all of the dietary recommendations which have been endorsed by the scientific community in recent years. I still often refer to my well-worn copy to refresh my memory about certain foods and conditions. Ms. Carper -- wherever you are -- THANK YOU!!!

I was first introduced to this book by an old roommate who happened to have a copy in his book collection. I opened it up just out of curiosity, but found myself sitting with it for quite some time and, then, going back to it frequently. Even though it's over 20 years old now, the information in it is generally still quite applicable...the author was definitely ahead of her time. And it turns what could be an otherwise boring topic into something quite fascinating and exciting. There are a few chapters of general information about nutrition, and then the rest of the book is broken out in chapters based on food...everything from "Apricot" to "Beer" to "Cauliflower" to "Coffee" all the way through "Yam" and "Yogurt" It describes the "Possible Therapeutic Benefits" of each food, but also references any conflicting or cautionary information. I was actually so inspired by this book that I took a nutrition class at my local community college and researched getting a degree in nutrition and becoming a Registered Dietitian. (Hasn't happened yet for financial reasons) I recommend this book highly for anyone who is interested in becoming more educated in food and how the right choices can benefit your body, because it actually makes you excited about the natural pharmaceutical properties of food. It might even get you to try one of those vegetables you usually avoid !

I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 simply because of the fact that it has not been revised in many years, so SOME information is a bit outdated. Overall, however, it is still quite timely.

This great book details information about specific foods, and what ailments it is good for. Included are some fabulous recipes.