The World's Best Book Summaries
About 12% of American women will develop breast cancer in their lifetimes. Do you know the risk factors for breast cancer? There are 5 main risk factors, detailed below. Surprisingly, the consumption of animal foods is linked to more than one of them. We’ll cover the risk factors and discuss how animal products are related to breast cancer risk.
One out of eight American women will get breast cancer in her lifetime. Like most cancers, this is yet another disease of affluence, a disease that strikes people in economically advantaged areas. Why? Does this mean that breast cancer is preventable? We’ll cover the factors that pose the most risk and look at how to prevent breast cancer through a variety of treatment options. Learn why the simplest and healthiest way to lower your risk may be to adopt a plant-based diet.
What is the link between fiber and colon cancer? Is fiber preventative? Or is there something else in fiber-rich foods that helps prevent colon cancer? We’ll cover how fiber and colon cancer are connected, why fiber supplements aren’t the best preventative measure, and what other dietary factors may be at play in preventing colon cancer.
One thing we think we know about nutrition is that we need lots of protein to be strong and healthy. But how should we get that protein? In the debate about plant protein vs. animal protein, it can be hard to know how they’re different and which is the healthier choice. We probably don’t need animal protein at all. We’ll cover the difference between plant and animal proteins and determine which is healthier.
The most famous disease of Western affluence is obesity, a symbol of our privilege and the excesses it fosters. Why are Americans so fat? Many people want to blame sugar or fat, and the American sweet tooth and addiction to refined foods certainly play their parts. But are there other, more significant reasons Americans are overweight? As we’ve made a collective effort to cut down on sugars and fats, our rates of obesity have continued to climb. Why are Americans overweight? Learn the surprising factors.
You love milk, yogurt, and cheese, and you know they’re generally healthy for you. But how do you know that? Did you learn it at school? From your parents? From Got Milk? ads? The dairy industry has influenced your nutrition knowledge whether you know it or not. Part of the problem with the dairy industry, and many other food industries, is that they’re far more involved in our lives and our decisions than we’re aware. We’ll cover why this a problem for the consumer and how the dairy industry particularly has promoted health messages that are inaccurate.
Is academic freedom in decline? How are health researchers and educators affected, and how does that affect the public? We’ll cover how T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, felt his own academic freedom as a researcher and professor at Cornell was endangered, and how we all lose when researchers aren’t able to pursue their research projects free of influence from the government, industries, and their own administrations.
We’re taught to believe that science is pure and objective. But science is a human endeavor, and the scientists conducting it necessarily bring with them their own biases. But how rampant is bias in science? And how detrimental is it? We’ll cover the research and experiences of T. Colin Campbell, one of the authors of The China Study. With over 40 years as a member of the research community, Campbell is in a good position to answer the questions, How much bias is there is science? And should the public be worried about it?
You don’t have to resign yourself to cognitive impairment or dementia as you age. Diet can go a long way toward protecting the health of your brain and decreasing your risk of Alzheimer’s. So, what are the risk factors of dementia? And what are the best foods for dementia prevention? We’ll look at the risk factors of dementia and cognitive impairment and how eating the best brain foods can aid in dementia prevention.
What is scientific reductionism? And how does it harm the public? Scientific reductionism is the concept of simplifying complex processes in order to make them easier to research. However, it leads to a simplistic view of reality and inaccurate conclusions.