Davis - Coffee is good for you: from vitamin C and organic foods to low-carb and detox diets, the truth about diet and nutrition claims

Robert Davis cuts through the fat and clears up the confusion about the diet and nutrition issues on everyones minds in this unique, concise, easy-to-read book. Coffee Is Good for You will educate you, entertain you, and even make you laugh. A must-read for anyone whos ever wondered whether or not to believe the hype.

Lisa Hungry Girl Lillien

Robert Davis deftly blends wit, wisdom, keen insights, and a voice of unfailing reason. I will be recommending this great resource to everyone I know.

Dr. David Katz,
director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center

Wow, that was easy to understand! Robert Davis does it again with his lighthearted and sensible translation of complicated nutrition science into simple how-to messages on healthy eating. Who knew reading about nutrition research could be so much fun?

Carolyn ONeil, MS, RD, coauthor of The Dish

This book is a gem. With clarity, wit, and wisdom, Robert Davis debunks medical myths and gives the reader real information to rely on. This book is stuffed with nuggets and is a great read. Its as well referenced as most medical school textbooks... just a lot more fun.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman, NBC News Chief Medical Editor

From Vitamin C and Organic Foods to
Low-Carb and Detox Diets, the Truth
About Diet and Nutrition Claims

Robert J. Davis, PhD

A PERIGEE BOOK

A PERIGEE BOOK

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.) Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Copyright 2012 by Robert J. Davis, PhD, MPH

New Yorker caption on page 144 is used with permission. Copyright by Alex Gregory/The New Yorker Collection/www.cartoonbank.com.

Text design by Ellen Cipriano

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

PERIGEE is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The P design is a trademark belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

First edition: January 2012

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davis, Robert J., 1963

Coffee is good for you : from vitamin C and organic foods to low-carb and detox diets, the truth about diet and nutrition claims / Robert J. Davis.

p. cm.(A Perigee book)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

EISBN: 9781101553992

1. NutritionPopular works. I. Title.

RA784.D387 2012

613.2dc23

2011031323

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

PUBLISHERS NOTE: Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.

Most Perigee books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. Special books, or book excerpts, can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write: Special Markets, Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

For Emily

Though food is supposed to be one of lifes simple pleasures, few things cause more angst and confusion. Its no wonder why. Were constantly being told which foods we should eat to be healthy, which diets we should follow to be skinny, which preparation methods we should use to be safe, and which chemicals and contaminants in food we should shun to avoid illness. Its enough to give anyone indigestion.

This hullabaloo over food is nothing new. In 1910, the Washington Post published an article railing against popular diet and nutrition advice. Of all subjects, said the article, that of food is the most apt to be the riding ground of cranks.

To set the record straight, the article proceeded to provide one physicians list of 39 false food fads. These so called myths included:

• Candy and sugar are bad for you.
• Vegetables with stalks and leaves are nutritious.
• Meals should last more than 30 minutes.
• The average American eats too much.

On the contrary, this expert said, sugar is one of the cheapest and best forms of nourishment, vegetables such as celery and broccoli lack nutrients, dawdling over meals is bad for you, and many people dont eat enough. Hmm. I guess by his reasoning, the millions of us today who constantly stuff ourselves with quick, sugar-laden meals, while never touching broccoli or spinach, have the right idea.

Maybe the paper would have done its readers a greater service by publishing the views of the cranks.

Separating the cranks from the credible sources is even tougher today than it was 100 years ago. In a recent survey by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), more than two thirds of Americans agreed with the statement that there are so many recommendations about healthy ways to eat, it is hard for me to know what to believe. We face a barrage of dietary information from the news media, food companies, health groups, government agencies, celebrities, diet-book authors, and of course the Internet, which gives every self-proclaimed expert the ability to reach a worldwide audience with just a few keystrokes.

Often this advice is maddeningly contradictory. Coffee is bad for you. No, wait, its good. Fiber prevents colon cancer. No, it doesnt. Fat is what causes weight gain. No, its carbs. Eat according to the governments food pyramid. Never mind, make that a plate. The list goes on and on.

If youre confused about what to believe, youve come to the right place. In Coffee Is Good for You, Ill give you the bottom line on an array of popular diet and nutrition claims in a quick, easily digestible way.

As a health journalist, Im called on to do this all the time. Whether at home or work, at speeches I give or social gatherings I attend, I find myself constantly answering questions about diet and health. Dinners with friends and relatives seem incomplete unless someone at some point shoves a box, bottle, or carton in my face and asks whether whatever it contains is okay to consume.