Nutrition in Crisis

Flawed Studies, Misleading Advice, and the Real Science of Human Metabolism

The Nutrition in Crisis cover
Pages:304 pages
Book Art:Black-and-white illustrations throughout
Size: 6 x 9 inch
Publisher:Chelsea Green Publishing
Pub. Date: March 18, 2019
ISBN: 9781603588195

Nutrition in Crisis

Flawed Studies, Misleading Advice, and the Real Science of Human Metabolism

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Almost every day it seems a new study is published that shows you are at risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or death due to something you’ve just eaten for lunch. Many of us no longer know what to eat or who to believe. In Nutrition in Crisis distinguished biochemist Richard Feinman, PhD, cuts through the noise, explaining the intricacies of nutrition and human metabolism in accessible terms. He lays out the tools you need to navigate the current confusion in medical literature and its increasingly bizarre reflection in the media.

At the same time, Nutrition in Crisis offers an unsparing critique of the nutritional establishment, which continues to demonize fat and refute the benefits of low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets—all despite decades of evidence to the contrary. Feinman tells the story of the first low-carbohydrate revolution fifteen years ago, how it began, what killed it, and why a second revolution is now reaching a fever pitch. He exposes the backhanded tactics of a regressive nutritional establishment that ignores good data and common sense, and highlights the innovative work of those researchers who have broken rank.

Entertaining, informative, and irreverent, Feinman paints a broad picture of the nutrition world: the beauty of the underlying biochemistry; the embarrassing failures of the medical establishment; the preeminence of low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss, diabetes, other metabolic diseases, and even cancer; and what’s wrong with the constant reports that the foods we’ve been eating for centuries represent a threat rather than a source of pleasure.

 

Reviews and Praise

  • “Fascinating book, full of original, interesting material by one of the original low-carb researchers whose grounding in the field goes back decades. Feinman combines a unique perspective with the experienced eye of a scientist. He’s had a front row seat to developments in the field of carbohydrates and metabolism over the past decades, which has given him key insights into the latest research.”—Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise


More Reviews and Praise


  • “With his usual cutting wit and verve, Dr. Feinman hacks through the tangled thicket of nutritional science to show us how we got to the sorry state we find ourselves in today. Obesity is at an all-time high, and diabetes has soared to epidemic proportions, yet the nutritional establishment, blind to its failures, continues to exhort us to trudge down the same path that got us to this pitiful mess in the first place. Dr. Feinman teaches us how to escape. He deploys his vast experience in biochemistry, nutrition, and the turgid mindset of academia to demystify mainstream nutritional research and explain how it has currently gone off the rails. With a sprinkling of humor and literary allusions, along with a deep dive into some of the nutritional literature, he tells readers what they need to know to shed excess body fat, lower blood sugar, and restore their health. A must read for anyone with a serious interest in health and nutrition.”—Michael R. Eades, MD, author of Protein Power

  • “We have arrived at the most important nutritional crossroads in all of human history: We must choose to either keep the dietary status quo despite every bit of evidence that it has failed, or demand a change in order to salvage what is left of our collective health. In Nutrition in Crisis, Dr. Richard Feinman has dropped the opening salvo in what is sure to be a battle for the ages—one that determines the future of how we eat and the prevalence of disease in the years to come. Join the revolution!”—Jimmy Moore, health podcaster; bestselling author of Keto Clarity

  • “Every scientific discipline needs a Dr. Richard David Feinman. He is just as skeptical about what he believes as what he disbelieves. His writing bears eloquent testimony to why he is such a scientific treasure.”—Timothy Noakes, MD, PhD, emeritus professor, University of Cape Town; founder, The Noakes Foundation

  • “As a physician who has worked with thousands of patients unraveling the mysteries and mythology around diet and nutrition, it is refreshing and timely to come across a sane voice among the misinformation perpetuated by a misaligned food industry. We have moved far beyond the simple ‘calorie in, calorie out’ mentality and can now embrace biochemical individuality and updated research while avoiding the dogma of certain dietary camps.”—Nasha Winters, ND, FABNO, author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer

  • “I have devoted my medical career to normalizing blood sugars in people with diabetes. This is only possible with very low carbohydrate diets. Dr. Feinman explains why low-carb is wise even for people without diabetes. This can’t-put-it-down title is the closest thing to a complete, popular analysis of the biochemistry of human nutrition that you will find and a superb lesson in how scientific studies have been manipulated to prove fiction.”—Richard K. Bernstein, MD, FACN, FACE, CWS, author of Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution and The Diabetes Diet

  • “I was first drawn to Professor Feinman through his prolific peer reviewed publications in nutrition and metabolism. He has been a leading pioneer in educating the academic community and lay public on the health benefits of low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets. His work was a guiding light that inspired our lab to shift focus from drug-based research to metabolic-based therapies for neurological disorders and cancer. In addition to being a fantastic comprehensive review of practical nutritional biochemistry, this book tells an informative and entertaining story about what went wrong in the nutrition establishment and advocates for a rational solution to the problem.”—Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, leading scientist on ketogenic metabolic therapies

  • “Low-carb? Low-fat? Count your calories? If you have whiplash from trying to follow contradictory health headlines, you’re not alone. We’ve gotten ourselves into quite a nutritional mess thanks to poorly done research that was even more poorly reported to the public. With his trademark wry humor, Dr. Feinman exposes just how shoddy much of the research has been and outlines how to take control of your own health.”—Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP, author of The Alzheimer’s Antidote

  • “A distinctively insightful treatise on the sad state of affairs in nutrition written by one of the true thought leaders. In his unique Brooklyn style, teacher and intellectual Dr. Richard Feinman fights against ignorance by enlightening people on the real science and application of nutrition.”—Jeff S. Volek, professor, Department of Human Sciences, Ohio State University

  • “I’ve had the honor and privilege of knowing and working with Dr. Feinman for many years. I’ve watched him employ his deep knowledge of biochemistry and metabolism to tackle the entrenched, misguided nutritional advice cemented by thirty-five years of the food pyramid. His book says it all.”—Eugene Fine, professor, Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

  • “Dr. Feinman has spent his professional life dedicated to exposing the many flaws found in most reporting in nutrition science. Nutrition in Crisis walks the reader through the fog of dubious statistical analysis and into the light of day. In doing so Dr. Feinman examines the science behind the low-carb debate, using humor and metaphor to engage the reader in the process.”—Miriam Kalamian, EdM, MS, CNS, author of Keto for Cancer

  • “In his wonderful book Nutrition in Crisis, Dr. Feinman is speaking as a proper doctor should. He is looking for the why and how of disease. Doctors should provide the interface between the pure science and research and the clinical art of treating patients. Indeed the word ‘doctor’ comes from the Greek ‘to teach.’ In this book Feinman leads us down a simple, logical, irrefutable path to the cause of many diseases affecting Westerners. He details the dishonest and fraudulent misinterpretation of science promulgated by Big Pharma and designed to mislead us toward prescription drug dependence. This represents unsustainable medicine for big profit. And yes, this is killing people.

    Making the lifestyle and nutritional changes necessary for lasting health is difficult. This book supplies the intellectual imperative to take control of your own health without resorting to symptom-suppressing medication. Read it, learn what you need to do, and you will be mentally empowered and physically fortified for life!”—Dr. Sarah Myhill, author of Sustainable Medicine and Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalitis



Reviews and Praise

  • “Fascinating book, full of original, interesting material by one of the original low-carb researchers whose grounding in the field goes back decades. Feinman combines a unique perspective with the experienced eye of a scientist. He’s had a front row seat to developments in the field of carbohydrates and metabolism over the past decades, which has given him key insights into the latest research.”—Nina Teicholz, author of The Big Fat Surprise

More Reviews and Praise
  • “With his usual cutting wit and verve, Dr. Feinman hacks through the tangled thicket of nutritional science to show us how we got to the sorry state we find ourselves in today. Obesity is at an all-time high, and diabetes has soared to epidemic proportions, yet the nutritional establishment, blind to its failures, continues to exhort us to trudge down the same path that got us to this pitiful mess in the first place. Dr. Feinman teaches us how to escape. He deploys his vast experience in biochemistry, nutrition, and the turgid mindset of academia to demystify mainstream nutritional research and explain how it has currently gone off the rails. With a sprinkling of humor and literary allusions, along with a deep dive into some of the nutritional literature, he tells readers what they need to know to shed excess body fat, lower blood sugar, and restore their health. A must read for anyone with a serious interest in health and nutrition.”—Michael R. Eades, MD, author of Protein Power

  • “We have arrived at the most important nutritional crossroads in all of human history: We must choose to either keep the dietary status quo despite every bit of evidence that it has failed, or demand a change in order to salvage what is left of our collective health. In Nutrition in Crisis, Dr. Richard Feinman has dropped the opening salvo in what is sure to be a battle for the ages—one that determines the future of how we eat and the prevalence of disease in the years to come. Join the revolution!”—Jimmy Moore, health podcaster; bestselling author of Keto Clarity

  • “Every scientific discipline needs a Dr. Richard David Feinman. He is just as skeptical about what he believes as what he disbelieves. His writing bears eloquent testimony to why he is such a scientific treasure.”—Timothy Noakes, MD, PhD, emeritus professor, University of Cape Town; founder, The Noakes Foundation

  • “As a physician who has worked with thousands of patients unraveling the mysteries and mythology around diet and nutrition, it is refreshing and timely to come across a sane voice among the misinformation perpetuated by a misaligned food industry. We have moved far beyond the simple ‘calorie in, calorie out’ mentality and can now embrace biochemical individuality and updated research while avoiding the dogma of certain dietary camps.”—Nasha Winters, ND, FABNO, author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer

  • “I have devoted my medical career to normalizing blood sugars in people with diabetes. This is only possible with very low carbohydrate diets. Dr. Feinman explains why low-carb is wise even for people without diabetes. This can’t-put-it-down title is the closest thing to a complete, popular analysis of the biochemistry of human nutrition that you will find and a superb lesson in how scientific studies have been manipulated to prove fiction.”—Richard K. Bernstein, MD, FACN, FACE, CWS, author of Dr. Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution and The Diabetes Diet

  • “I was first drawn to Professor Feinman through his prolific peer reviewed publications in nutrition and metabolism. He has been a leading pioneer in educating the academic community and lay public on the health benefits of low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets. His work was a guiding light that inspired our lab to shift focus from drug-based research to metabolic-based therapies for neurological disorders and cancer. In addition to being a fantastic comprehensive review of practical nutritional biochemistry, this book tells an informative and entertaining story about what went wrong in the nutrition establishment and advocates for a rational solution to the problem.”—Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, leading scientist on ketogenic metabolic therapies

  • “Low-carb? Low-fat? Count your calories? If you have whiplash from trying to follow contradictory health headlines, you’re not alone. We’ve gotten ourselves into quite a nutritional mess thanks to poorly done research that was even more poorly reported to the public. With his trademark wry humor, Dr. Feinman exposes just how shoddy much of the research has been and outlines how to take control of your own health.”—Amy Berger, MS, CNS, NTP, author of The Alzheimer’s Antidote

  • “A distinctively insightful treatise on the sad state of affairs in nutrition written by one of the true thought leaders. In his unique Brooklyn style, teacher and intellectual Dr. Richard Feinman fights against ignorance by enlightening people on the real science and application of nutrition.”—Jeff S. Volek, professor, Department of Human Sciences, Ohio State University

  • “I’ve had the honor and privilege of knowing and working with Dr. Feinman for many years. I’ve watched him employ his deep knowledge of biochemistry and metabolism to tackle the entrenched, misguided nutritional advice cemented by thirty-five years of the food pyramid. His book says it all.”—Eugene Fine, professor, Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

  • “Dr. Feinman has spent his professional life dedicated to exposing the many flaws found in most reporting in nutrition science. Nutrition in Crisis walks the reader through the fog of dubious statistical analysis and into the light of day. In doing so Dr. Feinman examines the science behind the low-carb debate, using humor and metaphor to engage the reader in the process.”—Miriam Kalamian, EdM, MS, CNS, author of Keto for Cancer

  • “In his wonderful book Nutrition in Crisis, Dr. Feinman is speaking as a proper doctor should. He is looking for the why and how of disease. Doctors should provide the interface between the pure science and research and the clinical art of treating patients. Indeed the word ‘doctor’ comes from the Greek ‘to teach.’ In this book Feinman leads us down a simple, logical, irrefutable path to the cause of many diseases affecting Westerners. He details the dishonest and fraudulent misinterpretation of science promulgated by Big Pharma and designed to mislead us toward prescription drug dependence. This represents unsustainable medicine for big profit. And yes, this is killing people.

    Making the lifestyle and nutritional changes necessary for lasting health is difficult. This book supplies the intellectual imperative to take control of your own health without resorting to symptom-suppressing medication. Read it, learn what you need to do, and you will be mentally empowered and physically fortified for life!”—Dr. Sarah Myhill, author of Sustainable Medicine and Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalitis


About Richard David Feinman

Richard David Feinman, PhD, is a professor of cell biology at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, where he has been a pioneer in incorporating nutrition into the biochemistry curriculum. A graduate of the University of Rochester and the University of Oregon, Dr. Feinman has published numerous scientific and popular papers. Dr. Feinman is the founder and former coeditor-in-chief (2004–2009) of the journal Nutrition & Metabolism. He’s currently researching the application of ketogenic diets to cancer.

Books by Richard David Feinman

The Nutrition in Crisis cover