Customer Reviews

Nutrition Almanac (4th ed)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When I ordered this book, I was anticipating giving away my old 4th edition for a new one with improved information. NOT SO!

The tables, the heart and soul of the book, have fewer foods and not more than the 4th edition. In a display of ignorant cost cutting, Carb counts for grains such as rice are given per cup of RAW not cooked product - same for macaroni whereas the 4th edition gives raw and cooked values. This alone makes it not worth the money but scattered throughout are foods that were there for 4th edition but are now gone.

The publisher probably saved money by eliminating pages but I can no longer recommend this book to friends; I advise them to not buy it but get a copy of the 4th edition instead.

Seemingly authoritative, this 4th ed. is to be read at your own risk.

The benefits of aerobic exercise are confused with those from anerobic exercise (p9). Anerobic exercise utilizes 14 times as much glucose as aerobic does (Bernstein 1997, pp179-190). Heart disease patients are very little aided by hard exercise (Dorn 1999).

All carbohydrates are said to contain similar amounts of energy (p19). They do not, with fiber contributing none and other carbs various amounts up to 4 kcal/g (Livesey 2001). Complex carbohydrates are said to break down more slowly than simple sugars (p20). This does not explain why many complex carbs have a more serious effect on blood glucose levels than some simple sugars. The important notion of glycemic index (GI) is missing, even when recommending for Type 2 diabetics, thus the recommendation for 50-60% of their diet to be complex carbs (p207) has no basis in reality, and is quite destructive (Bernstein pp33-48, 121-140). Everyone is said to require a minimum of 100 g/day, and that 300 g/day is ideal for most people (p20). Actually there is NO carbohydrate requirement for humans. Glucose is made from amino acids when needed (Ottoboni pp25,85). Ask any Eskimo! (McGee 2001 pp82-86,109).

The GI is measured in humans by checking blood glucose levels after eating. The GI of a food shows the % glucose levels rise compared with the same weight of glucose (GI = 100). One of the things that creates high (bad) insulin levels is high blood glucose levels. Since all the common complex carbohydrates (starches) in foods are polymers of glucose, and some of them are metabolized very rapidly into glucose, and we eat more of them by weight, the contribution of wheat, corn, potato and other forms of high-GI starches to poor health is greater than that of many of the the simple sugars. The so-called low-carb diets must be low GI diets to be effective, and they really are for weight loss, and the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Fats do not all contribute 9 kcal/g to human energy when eaten. To begin with, this book give 9 calories per gram (p21); this is incorrect by 1/1000; the correct unit is kcal/g or Cal/g. Fats actually run from 5.5 kcal/g for cocoa butter (Apfar 1987) to 5.9 for beef fat (Carlson 1968) to 8.5 for corn oil (Carlson 1968). Unsaturated fatty acids are said to have points in the chemical attachment that are missing (p21); this is a fairy tale. There is a typo that is very destructive in which linoleic acid is said to be an omega-3 fatty acid (p22); actually it is an omega-6. The authors warn against taking supplements of one type only (p22), and are unaware that there is far too much omega-6 in the American diet compared with the usual smaller amounts of omega-3 (Ottoboni 2002, pp45-54). And the authors are blank on the evils of trans fats, even in the tables! (Oomen 2001; Willett 1993; Wood 1993).

This entire book is permeated by the biggest fraud in the history of nutrition  that eating saturated fats and cholesterol will lead to atherosclerosis and heart failure. This nonsense originated with a campaign by the American Heart Association (AHA) begun in 1961, and its anti-cholesterol, pro-polyunsaturated fat campaign, which peaked in the 1980s. Nothing in the Framingham, MRFIT, or any other honest study actually supports this anti-fat stand, despite the politically correct summaries of many of the studies. (Moore 1989, Smith 1991, Fehily 1993, Fraser 1997, Tunstall-Pedoe 1997, Eades 2000, Enig 2000, Kauffman 2000, Kauffman 2001, McCully 2000, McGee 2001, Ottoboni 2002, Ravnskov 2000).
The unfounded advice of the authors of this book on diets for diabetics, and for all in avoiding staturated fat and cholesterol in favor of omega-6 and trans fats (Vos 2003), and their ignorance of of GI in recommending complex carbs severely limits the usefulness of this Alamanac, despite the presence of some accurate information on other topics.

For complete references cited e-mail me at ...

I own the 1979 version of Nutrition Almanac. It has been very helpful to me in information, and in tracking my nutrition intake. However, I recently started counting grams of fiber, and started questioning when I couldn't get anywhere near the RDA of 25 grams. Then I remembered that years ago, insoluable fiber was not included in nutrition information, as it's benefit was not yet known. So I decided to purchase the latest version, and to my surprise, it has the same low fiber numbers as my 1979 version. I looked up 3 different fruits in this book and another, and there was a huge difference in grams of fiber listed. Other than this, it's a great book - mine is falling apart from use. If you want to increase your natural sources of vitamins and minerals, this book will show you which foods they are in.

I bought this book at the local bookstore after looking at other books in the same area. I have only read a few articles - however, I USE THE FOOD COMPOSITION TABLES CONSTANTLY! This is Section IX - Table of Food Composition, starting on page 389. The authors give 35 elements in each food (after measure and weight) - starting with calories, protein, numerous vitamins and minerals, and the 8 essential amino acids. If you're trying to understand which foods contain the most of a certain element, this is great! This (or something like it) is a must-have for dealing with various diets! I use this all the time to look up vegetables, fruits, beans, meats, etc.

This is an excellent resource on nutrition. I used it to develop a list of nutrients regularly depleted in the medical history of an Alzheimer's victim. It was the only source I found that summarized that information for a number of diseases. It's breakdown of the nutritional components of foods is also excellent.

I was so disappointed with the contents of the food composition section of this book that I sent it back for a refund. If you want to know true food values this is not for you. If, however you eat food from Arby's, MacDonald's,Kentucky Fried Chicken, etc., they are listed here in alphabetical order by corporation name. You can also find products from Campbell's, Swanson, etc. also listed alphabetically by corporation. There was one page devoted to vegetables. Not for those looking for basic nutrition information.

This book contains a wealth of nutritional information directed
to the health-conscious consumer. There are specific protocols
pertinent to the back, headaches, depression and a multiplicity
of disease processes and conditions. For instance, back pain
may be managed with Vitamin C, bioflavinoids, Calcium and
Magnesium (Mg. ) Depression may be managed with Dl-Phenlalamine, B-complex, Vitamin C, Iron (Fe) , SAM (e), Folic Acid,
B1, B6 and Vitamin B 12. Licorice, ginger and cayenne may be utilized for depressive states. The aromas "Melissa",
" Creeping Hysop" & "Frankincense" may be utilized for optimal
effect. Deep-tissue massage and chiropractic are also helpful
for depression. Diabetes may be managed with GTF chromium,
Co Q10 enzymes, Vitamins C and E, B6 and B12. Camelia sinensis
tea is known to reduce blood sugar. Infections are helped by
Vitamin A. Biofeedback has been known to help the bladder.
Garlic, Vitamin C, Calcium and Magnesium also help with bladder
issues. The work has a wealth of information directed to the
health-conscious consumer. This information would be hard to
replicate if you tried to do it on your own. It would take
months of plowing through the Journal of the Lancet to duplicate
the protocols set forth in this volume. It is well worth the
price charged.

Arranged in such a way that it is easy to find specific topics. Information on each nutrient is concise and well presented. A good addition to any library, especially if you are interested in a healthier, more balanced approach to nutrition.

I purchased the Nutrition Almanac, 2007 edition from Amazon.com. I bought a copy of the Nutrition Almanac over 30 years ago (1979 edition). I used it religiously over the last 30 years. It became so tattered that I finally bought a new one this year (2007 edition). Although the newer edition does have updated information in it, I am going to have to get used to the new layout. The older version was in a more bulleted type of paragraph format, making it easier to find relavent information, such as benefits of a nutrient, toxicity, and sources of the nutrient. The lump paragraph format makes it hard to find what I need. I am going to use a yellow highlighter to bold the food sources of the nutrients. What I do like much better, and the reason I rate the new version a 4-star, is that the nutrient listings for the various foods in the back of the book are much easier to read vertically, instead of horizontally like in the older version. The new Nutrition Almanac, with its bright colorful cover, looks much better than my old, tattered one. After I get used to the new format, I will probably love it as much as my old Almanac.

This is the third edition of the Nutrition Almanac that I have purchased over the years.

I find it an extremely valuable reference guide that I consult frequently. It has extensive information on vitamins, minerals, nutritional content of all the basic foods, health issues etc. It now also includes information on homeopathic remedies for a number of medical conditions...a welcome addition!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in health and nutrition.