The Optimal Health Revolution: How Inflammation Is the Root Cause of the Biggest Killers and How the Cutting-edge Sceince of Nutrigenomics Can Transform Your Long-term Health [Paperback]

Duke Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2009

Science is coming to a startling realization. The bulk of our most lethal diseases have a common underlying cause: persistent inflammation. Inflammation is an overactive reaction of our natural immune system function that results in cell and tissue destruction. This persistent inflammation is triggered by our industrial lifestyles, including exposure to chemicals, synthetic food ingredients, pollution and processed foods. "Researchers are linking inflammation to an ever-wider array of chronic illnesses," reports Newsweek's Anne Underwood. "Suddenly medical puzzles seem to be fitting together, such as why hypertension puts patients at increased risk of Alzheimer's, or why rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers have higher rates of sudden cardiac death. They're all connected on some fundamental level." But inflammation, and the risks of chronic diseases it brings, can be managed. Lifestyle and nutritional change is part of the answer. But the other part lies with groundbreaking information from the newest field of science―nutrigenomics. Nutrigenomics is the science of how genes interact with nutrients. It is the study of how DNA and the genetic code affect a person's need for certain nutrients to help maintain optimal health throughout life.

The Optimal Health Revolution combines leading-edge science―including nearly 900 scientific references―with an easy-to-read, conversational writing style that make this critical information accessible to every reader. Relevant to both the research and medical doctor interested in the latest science and the casual reader looking to improve his or her well-being, The Optimal Health Revolution makes a critical contribution to our understanding of health.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Duke Johnson has dedicated over 20 years of his life stopping the epidemic spread of chronic diseases around the world. He is an expert on the different medical traditions practiced globally and on the state of world health with patients living in over 30 different countries. Through the multibillion dollar corporation Nutrilite, his preventive health teaching regularly reaches over 3 million people in 55 countries.

Dr. Johnson is Medical Director of the 30,000 square foot, $14 million Nutrilite Health Institute Center for Optimal Health in Southern California and is a highly-requested lecturer; having spoken to hundreds of thousands of people in 30 different countries on 5 continents. He has been filmed and recorded on numerous DVDs and CDs with countless duplications made of these recordings. He has significant media experience with articles in Elle, Success at Home magazine, Inspiration magazine, and many large international newspapers.

Dr. Johnson graduated from UCLA's School of Medicine and was awarded the Gladys M. Shea Award in Anatomical Sciences. He also has a Master's of Science Degree in Kinesiology from UCLA where his research focused on helping patients who have had spinal cord damage. His master's thesis was published in the book Spinal Cord Reconstruction and in the Journal of Experimental Neurology.

As Medical Director of Nutrilite Health Institute Center for Optimal Health, Dr. Johnson has dramatically changed the lives and reduced the risk of chronic disease in thousands of lives on every inhabitable continent on earth. With his unique understanding and knowledge of world health, command of the scientific literature, cutting-edge preventive medical care, passion and warm nature, he is highly respected by over 1 million people in the US and millions more globally.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: BenBella Books (April 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933771828
• ISBN-13: 978-1933771823
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #567,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb integration of how inflamation is the common thread of chronic diseases and what to do about it, May 11, 2009

By 

Dr. Michael Brickey (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Optimal Health Revolution: How Inflammation Is the Root Cause of the Biggest Killers and How the Cutting-edge Sceince of Nutrigenomics Can Transform Your Long-term Health (Paperback)

More and more researchers cite inflammation as the common denominator of chronic diseases. Dr. Johnson's book was the first time I have seen a good explanation of why. But he doesn't stop there. He takes an optimistic view that there are many things you can do to reduce inflammation and doing any of them helps. He sites many things that help including a Mediterranean diet, exercise, sleep, and filtered water. I especially like his description of stress as being about aligning our values and sense of purpose with how we actually spend our time. His approach is balanced, research oriented, and very fair. After reading his book, I had the pleasure of interviewing him on www.webtalkradio.net (also archived on www.AgelessLifestyles.com --Anti-Aging Psychologist Dr. Michael Brickey

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended, but also a little disappointing, November 20, 2009

By 

David Steadson (stockholm, sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Optimal Health Revolution: How Inflammation Is the Root Cause of the Biggest Killers and How the Cutting-edge Sceince of Nutrigenomics Can Transform Your Long-term Health (Paperback)

Dr Johnson makes big claims on the cover of this book that unfortunately aren't really established in the text. The theory he promotes is that inflammation is "the root cause" of the major killers of the modern world, heart disease and cancer. The problem I have is that the book itself never really supports this premise as he states it. He successfully links inflammation as a major risk factor and contributor to disease, but despite promises to do so, he never clearly establishes it's causality. Furthermore, in my opinion if eating a crap diet leads to inflammation, and inflammation contributes to heart disease, then the "root cause" isn't the inflammation - it's the crap diet! Dr Johnson pretty much says this in his book, so the hyperbolic marketing is unfortunate.

A further criticism is that in at least once area he let's his personal beliefs influence his presentation of the science. For example he highlights the researching showing the positive effect of "faith" and attendance at religious services on health. That's fine as there's quite a lot of research to support that, and to his credit he goes out of his way not to promote any particular faith. However he fails to mention that other research seems to indicate it's not the faith or religious connections per se that seem to matter - it's the social connections and support networks that are an integral part of observing religious faith that matter. Even more disappointing he cites some controversial and poorly designed studies on "intecessory pray" - the idea that other people praying for you is good for your health. The fact he cites them without any mention (or apparent knowledge) that their methodology and analysis have been well discredited by statisticians and other researchers is concerning. Indeed it made me feel as if I now have to go through every claim in the book to see whether the science he cites in support is actually any good.

Still, I recommend the book for a good overview of the modern field of achieving optimal health, particularly for those unfamiliar with many of the findings of the past decade on the effect of nutrition on health.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars a little disappointing, March 29, 2010

By 

Ms. Rachael Edgar "raquelle" (Newcastle, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Optimal Health Revolution: How Inflammation Is the Root Cause of the Biggest Killers and How the Cutting-edge Sceince of Nutrigenomics Can Transform Your Long-term Health (Paperback)

I agree with the review from Sweden. I was looking forward to reading this book hoping it would provide me with some scientific background as to why inflammation is the cause of all disease. I did not learn anything new from this text. The book is poorly written and almost insulting with its lack of objectivity to support the authors 'revolutionary' claims. I appeal to the author to re write the book with a more rigorous and scientific approach that can actually be contemplated by the 'healthy sceptic'. Healthful Regards.