This is a book I read back in 2017 but hasn’t dated, in fact I feel it is now more relevant than ever. The author Anthony Warner is a professional chef, blogger and regular contributor to New Scientist, The Guardian, and The Telegraph, he utilizes the help of many professionals in the writing of the book as he acknowledges himself ‘I am just a chef with an interest in various aspects of food’. The book starts by trying to deconstruct why so many of us are susceptible to dietary misinformation, food fads and overall bad science and include examples such as clean eating, detox, and the alkaline diet. Warner goes on to explore more about the origins of pseudoscientific beliefs and explains that it’s mostly a combination of misunderstandings of science with tiny grains of truth becoming over-extrapolated over time. Most of the book is written in a very informal style, he’s not afraid to use expletives or tip toe around subjects making it a very entertaining read, the term ‘nutribollocks’ certainly made me chuckle. The book takes a darker turn towards the end when the very real damage caused by inaccurate advice is explored, the most disturbing cases are those diet protocols peddled as various cures and treatment for cancer, at best these create false hope, at worst they result in rejection of conventional treatments in favour of ineffective ones. I would recommend this book as a very educational and entertaining read; the Appendix includes a section on who to believe in the world of food and what credentials to look out for when deciding which advice is worth taking and rejecting…. invaluable!
MLT Nutrition 