Healthy Foods

This highly accessible guide reviews research regarding the health benefits of 50 common foods. It is a quick read but does not need to be read cover to cover; users are likely to flip directly to entries on their favorite foods. Entries for each food are three to five pages in length and arranged alphabetically. Written for laypeople as much as possible, each entry begins with a brief history of the food and then summarizes medical and nutritional research regarding its potential health benefits and potential disadvantages. For example, based on medial and nutritional research, eggs are identified as contributing to a healthy weight-loss program and kiwis as beneficial to cardiovascular health. Entries end with a list of references to further reading and resources for more information about the food item under discussion. A useful glossary of medical and nutritional terms is included. The coauthors have previously written books both together and separately on the topic of food, nutrition, and medicine, including their award-winning Food and Nutrition Controversies Today: A Reference Guide (Greenwood, 2009). BOTTOM LINE This book will appeal to a wide range of health-conscious readers, even those with little time for in-depth study. It is highly recommended for public libraries, although school and even academic libraries will likely see it circulate widely.—Sarah Sutton, Texas A&M Univ.-Corpus Christi