When I was a graduate student at University of California Davis more than 40 years
ago, the late Victor Herbert, MD, JD, presented a seminar about nutrition quackery.
Since then, I have been a loyal fan of Quackwatch and the National Council Against
Health Fraud. Drawing on his extensive experience working with both of these organizations,
David Lightsey, the author of this 12-chapter book, provides a comprehensive review
of some of the most egregious yet long-standing myths about nutrition science. Unfortunately,
many of these myths are as prevalent today as when Dr Herbert spoke out about them
decades ago. For example, in Chapter 8, Lightsey effectively busts the myth that antioxidant
supplements are “magic bullets,” and “synonymous with better health and prevention
of disease.” Quoting Herbert, Lightsey writes, “Every [antioxidant] supplement so
labeled is seen as having only an upside and no downside. This a myth. No supplement
is pure antioxidant.” This chapter, like all chapters, first clearly describes the
misconception or misunderstanding. Then extensive scientific information in easy-to-understand
terms debunks the myth.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessSNEB Member Login
SNEB Members, full access to the journal is a member benefit. Login via the SNEB Website to access all journal content and features.Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Nutrition Education and BehaviorAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
Article info
Footnotes
Inclusion of any material in this section does not imply endorsement by the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Evaluative comments contained in the reviews reflect the views of the authors. Review abstracts are either prepared by the reviewer or extracted from the product literature. Prices quoted are those provided by the publishers at the time materials were submitted. They may not be current when the review is published. Reviewers receive a complimentary copy of the resource as part of the review process.
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
