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Media Reviews 47

ticularly to health professionals, including , nutritionists, dentists, phar- macists, , policy makers, health educators, and investigators. Its overar- ching goal is to describe the most re- cent nutritional approaches for promot- ing health and preventing disease, with increasing recognition of the role of nu- trition in and disease risk prevention. The volume is a sort of intellectual bridge, connecting nutri- tional research findings with clinical and recommendations. The sev- eral dozen luminaries who contributed to the volume cuts to the core of the vast expanse of clinical, epidemiological, and experimental data pertaining to diet and health, reviewing adroitly the extant body of nutritional data, and offers prac- tical clinical guidance and sensible pub- lic health recommendations. This scientif- ically authoritative, timely, and up-to-date resource is a highly valuable contribution to the ongoing, thorny debate regard- ing diet and disease. The contributors to the volume—some of whom are from outside the United States—include re- searchers, epidemiologists, public health officials, clinicians, and nutritionists. The lengthy, probing tentacles of their in- tellectual curiosity and energy extend to a considerable multitude of - Preventive Nutrition: The Comprehen- related topics of timely interest. Re- sive Guide for Health Professionals, search findings, gleaned from the global Second Edition, Adrianne Bendich and body of nutritional data, are placed un- Richard J. Deckelbaum, editors. 2001, der the microscope of expert scientific 503 pages, hardcover, $99.50. scrutiny. The reviewed data are culled from clinical and intervention trials and Preventive Nutrition: The Compre- from animal, experimental, epidemio- hensive Guide for Health Profession- logical, population-based, retrospective, als, second edition, is a solid bedrock prospective, case-control, and cohort of nutritional scholarship, targeted par- studies. P1: FRS FCH/Aspen Publisher, Inc. AS104-MR December 5, 2001 15:14 Char Count= 0

48 FAMILY &/JANUARY 2002

The volume is composed of 21 chap- can be prevented, or at least delayed, with ters, divided into six parts. The chapters relatively facile nutritional interventions. are written in a dry, academic style and The nutritional guidelines spelled out generally provide a brief overview of may potentially mitigate individual mor- some nutrition-related topic, a relatively bidity and, in a more macro sense, con- pithy epitome of selected research data tribute to the global debate regarding germane to that topic, and succinct rec- . The volume may be an im- ommendations, based on the synthesis petus for public health initiatives, and of the reviewed data. A limitation of further, it makes many well-reasoned a book of this nature is that some is- recommendations regarding future re- sues will be beyond the scope of the re- search studies. In the latter vein, the vol- view, since it is not possible to discuss ume makes it manifestly clear that exten- all topics of possible nutritional interest. sive additional research is needed to flesh This particular volume has an especially out the bones of and solid mooring in cancer and cardiovas- also to elucidate pertinent biologic mech- cular disease. Cutting-edge developments anisms. Moreover, the volume makes in nutrition relating to childhood cancer, plain the paramount importance for stu- lung cancer, colon cancer, and upper gas- dents of nutrition to stay abreast of new trointestinal tract cancer are examined, developments in the field of nutrition re- as are -related top- search. Although this very commendable ics, encompassing omega-3 fatty acids, volume is probably too esoteric for per- homocysteine, folic acid, iron, and di- sons lacking some academic background etary fat. Attention is also focused on in nutrition science and , other possible nutrition-disease linkages, it is heartily recommended to all others including osteoporosis and age-related wishing to educate themselves about nu- macular degeneration. trition and health. One part draws readers’ attention to possible linkages between nutrition and — Leo Uzych, JD, MPH teratology, DNA damage to sperm, and Health Care Lawyer optimal neurodevelopment. Another part Wallingford, Pennsylvania focuses on global preventive nutrition strategies. Salutary features of the volume include multitudinous research references and numerous tables and figures of over- all excellent quality. An annotated listing of Web sites of nutritional interest is also included, along with a list of books related to preventive nutrition. This comprehen- sive volume amounts to a quite impressive amalgamation of the science and practice of nutrition. This volume makes the point that many debilitating, chronic diseases