An Apple a Day: The Myths, Misconceptions, and Truths about the Foods We Eat

"Phew! That was a lot to digest, wasn't it?" Those are the words author Joe Schwarcz uses at the conclusion of his book which is jam-packed with the latest data, debates, and drama about the foods (and chemicals therein) we eat. His book is indeed a full-course meal...and then some. First, he leads us through a tour of naturally occurring substances in our food supply, including flax, fiber, omega-3 fats, antioxidants, flavanols, vitamins, and minerals. Next, he presents the most controversial issues related to the manipulation of our food supply: fortifying with iron and fluoride; sweetening with natural and artificial sweeteners; manipulating genes in our food; and preserving with sulphites, viruses, and radiation. Then, he takes us up close and personal with the contaminants in our food supply, including pesticides, hormones, BPA, PCBs, and dioxins. And, finally, Joe leads us through the nutritional hype surrounding some of the latest nutritional fads such as goji juice, detoxing, DHEA, and green tea. It's likely your head will be spinning after consuming all the nutritional chemistry, controversy and and commentary that Joe serves up. (And, to answer his question above: yes, it is a lot to digest!) He does do an impressive job in guiding us through the maze of myths, misconceptions and truths about the foods we eat, but--as food science is rarely a conclusive one--be prepared to be confused at times. Fortunately, Joe offers relief at the end of the book, to help us digest it all: "There is more to life than worrying about every morsel of food we put into our mouths. What matters is the overall diet...When you carefully scrutinize the scientific studies that are being rolled out almost on a daily basis, most amount to no more than tinkering with the basic nutritional principles we have tried to lay down: eat mostly foods based on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, and don't overeat." Whew.

Overall, I found this book to be comprehensible and reasonable. The main points were there for the reading, and the more comprehensive research was there for those who want something deeper. He says what he's going to say, goes into detail, then sums it all up at the end. I can't ask for much more. I felt that he did a good job of handling a wide variety of subjects. I agree with other reviewers who say that his chapter on milk was overly simplistic and cursory, which is odd because the rest of An Apple a Day seems very well thought out. Mr. Schwarcz covers dioxins, BPA, fish oils, caffeine, floridation and various vitamins, among others. The book answered a number of questions I've had for a while, and some I hadn't thought of. In general, Mr. Schwarcz was skeptical of research funded by people with a stake in the results, but he breaks his own rule a couple of times, which I found odd. I made a note of those times and tended to dismiss those particular research results. Those instances were rare, however, so I didn't find that it took away significantly from the book as a whole. I would recommend this book for anyone with specific questions about major nutritional talking points, who wants a (mostly) even-handed evaluation of the scientific literature.

Joe Schwarcz tells us what to eat and backs his advice up with the best and most verified lab results from all over the world. If you just love chemistry you'll love this book but if you care about yourself you'll find him a treasure chest of tips to live a long healthy time.

Dr. Schwarz does exactly what he sets out to do - provides clear, straightforward summaries and explanations of the EVIDENCE that is out there regarding human nutrition and various foods and substances. He does not talk in detail about social aspects of food (production, transportation, cost) or ethical dilemmas regarding food (animal rights, etc.) because that is not the purpose of this book. Being a physician (as well as a vegetarian), I appreciate his evidence-based approach, which is very rational and even-handed. Of course, this book will not be appreciated by those who are primarily motivated by fear and emotion when making food choices, but if you want unbiased INFORMATION, read this book!

I have to completely disagree with the previous review by Warren. It looks like this person doesn't know what he's talking about. "An apple a day" is an excellent book and it will answer a lot of questions you might have about food etc. First of all the author is not a "nutrition authority" as Warren claims but a Professor of Chemistry, so he explores the subject from the scientific point of view. This is not a nutritional guide or a diet book. And by the way, the author exposes many so called "nutrition experts" with degrees from online universities who really don't know what they are talking about, since they have no real knowledge of chemistry or biology. Everybody should read this book to get a better understanding about food, "toxic chemicals" etc. Now it's much easier for me to tell which "nutrition expert" knows his stuff and which one doesn't!