Books by Gary Taubes: 'Good Calories, Bad Calories' and 'Why We Get Fat'
Gary Taubes is a well-regarded science writer whose books include "Good Calories, Bad Calories" from a few years ago and the more recent "Why We Get Fat." Taubes also wrote two cover stories for the New York Times Sunday Magazine. See below.
Taube's analysis of the existing research on heart disease and obesity literally turns the conventional thinking about the foods we eat upside down. He convincingly shows that the medical establishment has misinterpreted the existing data for decades. I've read Good Calories, Bad Calories', but haven't yet read 'Why We Get Fat.'
Good Calories, Bad Calories was loaded with information and analysis and was completely captivating. But the book was not an easy read since it was so packed with information. As important as the information is, it may be more suited for the research community, but if you can stick with it you will be rewarded. That said, if you are up to the task the book will change the way you look at food and diet. Possibly, the book 'Why We Get Fat' may be a better choice for those of us not inclined to want every bit of detail. But again, the information Taubes presents is fascinating and the book is important.
The thrust of the Taubes thesis is that the old concept that fat is the culprit in heart disease is wrong and that the available data has been misinterpreted over the years. Taubes says the carbohydrates are killing us, not the fats. He says fast digesting carbohydrates like sugars, flour products (bread and pasta) are the real culprits. His conclusions are similar to many of the ideas in the Atkins Diet.
In his New York Times article "Is Sugar Toxic" he states that the evidence pointing sugar as the major factor in heart disease, is equally compelling as the theory that points to fat, but mainstream medicine has ignored these facts.
Taubes also shows that the fructose in fruit juices are a problem because ingesting the fructose in liquefied form causes it to reach your liver quickly, causing a potentially dangerous spike in blood sugar levels. He says when fructose reaches your liver in sufficient quantity and with sufficient speed, the liver converts that fructose to fat…and this causes a condition known as 'insulin resistance' which is an important factor in heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and weight gain.
Here are links articles by Gary Taubes in the New York Times Sunday Magazine:
What If It's All Been A Big Fat Lie »
Is Sugar Toxic? »
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