Lauren Torrisi

By Lauren Torrisi

Jan 25, 2012 12:00am

Why Coffee Is Good for You, And Other Food Myths

ht coffee book jef 120123 wblog Why Coffee Is Good for You, And Other Food Myths

(Perigee)

With all of the food fads out there, how can the average person sort out the truth?

In his latest book, “Coffee is Good for You,” Robert Davis demystifies the food research we read on a daily basis.  Should we take multivitamins?  Is red wine really good for you?  Will gluten-free make you feel better?

The answer is yes, no, and sometimes half-true.  Davis tackles the tough questions in a fun yet informative read.

With his easy to understand text and simple logic, Davis filters through research and numerous studies we’re bombarded with in a way that the average person can understand: “Animal research suggests that garlic may work by inhibiting the body’s production of cholesterol or decreasing its absorption in the intestines.  But human studies have produced inconsistent findings.”

Davis covers hot topics like:

  • Coffee is high in antioxidants and there’s hardly any evidence that it’s harmful
  • High fructose corn syrup isn’t worse than sugar
  • Local food isn’t healthier than food from the supermarket
  • The studies on farmed versus wild caught salmon are inconclusive

Davis is a health journalist, the author of “The Healthy Skeptic,” and teaches at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.  His smart, cautious and honest health advice is perfect for the new healthy eater trying to make their way around all of the bogus information.

SHOWS:

User Comments

Wow, I can already tell that this book will suck. Farmed salmon is super polluted – disgusting! And local produce is definitely better for you if it is organic. Even if it is conventional, it is better for the planet because shipping it requires fewer resources. High fructose corn syrup may not be any worse for you than sugar, but that is because they are both terrible for you. Sixty-six percent of this country is overweight – do you think that is an accident? I’d bet another twenty percent are merely out of shape, which leaves fifteen percent of the country in good physical shape. That’s disgraceful and it sounds like this book is designed to make people feel good about their crappy lifestyle choices. Ugh.

Posted by: Terri | January 25, 2012, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm

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