read for free: http://www.veganmd.org/writings.html
Everywhere you go these days, it seems, the Atkins “A” can be found. In the first six months of 2004, no fewer than 1864 new “low-carb” products were launched – everything from low-carb pasta to low-carb gummy bears. Yet warnings from medical authorities continue to pour in. How have low-carb diet gurus managed to mislead millions of people onto a diet opposed by so many – including the American Dietetic Association, the American Medical Association, The National Academy of Sciences, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health?”
Carbophobia is a very important book to read if you have ever considered or know those around you who are following any version of low-carb diets. In this book, Michael Greger, MD, (known also for his Latest in Clinical Nutrition DVDs which stand out for their emphasis on scientific evidence when discussing diet and natural health) discusses the history and faulty science behind the “low-carb craze” and more importantly, documents the scary short term and long term side effects and dangers of such diets before offering a safer alternative (a wholefoods plant based diet with unrefined “good” carbohydrates, good fats (like nuts) and good sources of protein like beans, nuts, whole grains, fruit and vegetables).
Although only a small book of around 100 pages, Michael Greger once again shows the importance of good science and research, including no fewer than 58 pages of references at the back of the book which one follow for further comprehension.
Even if you are not interested in following a low-carb diet I would still recommend reading this book because it is interesting not only in its diet information but in it’s clear documentation of how large cooperation’s can ‘bend’ the truth, create the illusion of good science and research and, create a deep set (and dangerous) belief amongst great numbers of people that endures over time. It’s important to understand these things because it is not just with the Atkin’s diet that this has happened!
This is especially seen in the last chapter entitled “The Atkin’s Cooperation responds.” The legal department of the Atkins Corporation sent Dr. Greger a letter threatening to sue him for speaking out against the Atkins Diet on his website www.AtkinsFacts.org (now AtkinsExposed.org). claiming that his website “impinges on Atkins’ rights” by making “defamatory” statements that “continue to harm Atkins’ reputation and cause injury to Atkins.” Dr. Greger posted the company’s entire legal threat letter online for all to see, accompanied by a point-by-point rebuttal, and in this chapter covers the major points addressed.
Carbophobia can be read for free on Michael Gregers website: http://www.veganmd.org/writings.html
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