Combining a thorough explanation of nutritional supplements with healthy food recommendations, Feed Your Genes Right is a straightforward guide to healing modern illnesses--sometimes even before they strike. Author Jack Challem (Syndrome X) does a fine job with presenting complex health information in simple terms, and the mix of research, individual stories and personal touches result in a book as informative as most textbooks while being far more readable.

Supplements are accessible in two separate ways (in addition to an excellent index): by the supplement name, and by disease. One section explains each supplement in fine detail, including how they are available and what conditions particularly benefit from them; a later section lists medical conditions alphabetically--including everything from sickle cell anemia to wrinkles to cancer--and suggests dietary and supplemental recommendations, including specific reference to the research that makes the recommendation.

Many of the diet-related advice will sound familiar: there is nothing too earth-shattering about eating nutritionally-dense foods along plenty of water, fruit and vegetables, and getting a good mix of lean proteins and healthy fats. Challem makes a clear case for eating organically when possible, and also avoiding trans fats, referencing a number of studies that zoom in on specific nutrient loss or potential cancer-causing agents. A short recipe section provides new inspiration for following these guidelines, with interesting options like roasted carrots and black rice pudding with coconut milk.

While probably of more use to those looking to prevent chronic health issues rather than to cure acute illness, the book offers fine assistance to anyone investigating the use of supplements past the addition of a one-a-day tablet. --Jill Lightner


From Publishers Weekly
Offering an unusual mix of hard science, commonsense nutritional advice and even a handful of recipes, this book counsels readers to take control of their bodies (and, more specifically, their genes) by being knowledgeable about what to feed them. "Nutrients provide the building blocks of genes, and they turn many genes on and off," Challem notes. Therefore, what you eat determines not only your energy level and your belt size, but also your risk of DNA damage and disease. Challem, coauthor of Syndrome X, packs his volume with information on specific genetic conditions and advice on how to avoid or ameliorate them, as well as general tips for healthy living. The text is well organized but full of arduous terminology, particularly the latter half, which details specific diseases and their genotypes. At one point, for example, Challem notes that "people with an inefficient APOE E4 variation of the apoliprotein gene, which is relatively common in some parts of Scandinavia, tend to have higher blood-cholesterol levels and are more likely to suffer a heart attack." Though Challem stuffs his book with facts and makes frequent references to clinical studies, readers may be skeptical of some of his claims. (He asserts, for example, that many of the biochemical problems associated with Down Syndrome "can be circumvented through high-dose vitamin and mineral supplements and thyroid medications, leading to improved intelligence and appearance.") Not all readers will embrace Challem's prescriptions, or his sometimes technical writing, but those interested in the science of healthy living, particularly the nuts and bolts of the body's inner-workings, will find this a fascinating read. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
Links between genes and disease have become a popular subject of debate in the world of health. The obvious genetic basis of diseases such as cystic fibrosis has been recognized for years, but now there appear to be genetic causes for some cancers, heart disease, and types of diabetes. It also appears that people with genetic predispositions to certain diseases can cut their risks of contracting them if they pursue healthy eating regimens that provide plenty of nutrition and few carbohydrates. Challem calls the best foods "nutrient dense," foods that provide the most vitamins and minerals and the fewest simple sugars. This takes the low-carb diet to a different plane, one that emphasizes the health-giving aspects of food beyond mere consumption of protein. Challem offers specific nutritional advice for sufferers from many sorts of diseases, from prostate cancers to celiac disease to sickle-cell anemia. Proponents of nutritional therapies will find a lot of support here, and Challem's exhaustive bibliography leads the curious reader to basic texts and scientific studies. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
The first popular book on nutrigenomics, complete with diet and supplement plans to help prevent specific diseases
For anyone who has a family history of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's, or other common diseases-or for anyone worried about how the aging process is setting the stage for disease later on-this breakthrough book will be a revelation. Renowned nutrition expert Jack Challem has taken the findings of the emerging science of nutrigenomics-which explores the link between nutrition and our own DNA-and translated them into practical eating plans and nutritional supplement recommendations to help people maximize their genetic inheritance, slow the aging process, and reduce the chances of disease. Challem shows how nutrients are essential cofactors for normal DNA function and health, and after describing how food and individual nutrients can help repair flawed or damaged genes, he offers specific diet and supplement plans that target two dozen common or inherited diseases and conditions, including arthritis, birth defects, diabetes, fatigue, gluten intolerance, and obesity. Complete with meal plans, delicious low-carb recipes, and recommended nutritional supplements (including dosage guidelines), Feed Your Genes Right is an essential disease-prevention resource that is sure to find a large audience.
Jack Challem (Tucson, AZ) publishes the Nutrition ReporterTM health newsletter and is a contributing editor for Alternative Medicine, Body & Soul, Let's Live, and Natural Health magazines. He is the coauthor of the bestselling Syndrome X (0-471-39858-6) and author of The Inflammation Syndrome (0-471-47881-4).


From the Inside Flap
Today's medical researchers are exploring the far-reaching roles genes play in determining your risk for disease. Simply put, when your genes do their job properly, you enjoy good health; when they don't function properly, you are at greater risk for heart disease, cancer, and other common diseases. Now, in the groundbreaking Feed Your Genes Right, renowned nutrition expert Jack Challem has taken the latest findings of the emerging science of nutrigenomics—which explores the link between nutrition and our own genes, our own DNA—and translated them into practical eating plans and nutritional supplement recommendations to help you maximize your genetic inheritance, slow the aging process, and avoid diseases to which you may be genetically predisposed. Because you control the nutrients you consume, you can literally feed your genes right and prevent DNA damage while also losing weight, normalizing your blood sugar and insulin levels, and reducing inflammation.

In his reader-friendly and easy-to-understand style, Challem explains how nutrition affects your genes and your risk of disease, regardless of whether you have inherited "good" or "bad" genes. He then gives you a breakthrough nutritional program designed to enhance your DNA function and minimize your risk of common diseases and conditions ranging from arthritis, hypertension, Syndrome X and Alzheimer's to diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many types of cancer. In Feed Your Genes Right, you'll discover: what you should and should not eat the disconnects between ancient genes and modern foods how the right nutrients can repair flawed or damaged genes the specific vitamins and supplements needed for healthy genes how to reduce the effects of stress on your genes nutritional recommendations for reducing genetic damage that occurs in aging, heart disease, certain inherited diseases, and many other conditions

Complete with easy-to-follow meal plans, delicious low-carb recipes, and guidelines for eating out, Feed Your Genes Right is the only book that lets you start improving your DNA and your health right away—setting the stage for an active, healthy, and long life.


About the Author
JACK CHALLEM, known as the Nutrition Reporter, publishes a health newsletter by the same name, is a contributing editor for Alternative Medicine, Body & Soul, and Let's Live magazines, and is the co-author of the bestselling Syndrome X and author of The Inflammation Syndrome. He also writes for many scientific and medical journals, including Medical Hypotheses and Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Today's medical researchers are exploring the far-reaching roles genes play in determining your risk for disease. Simply put, when your genes do their job properly, you enjoy good health; when they don't function properly, you are at greater risk for heart disease, cancer, and other common diseases. Now, in the groundbreaking Feed Your Genes Right, renowned nutrition expert Jack Challem has taken the latest findings of the emerging science of nutrigenomics-which explores the link between nutrition and our own genes, our own DNA-and translated them into practical eating plans and nutritional supplement recommendations to help you maximize your genetic inheritance, slow the aging process, and avoid diseases to which you may be genetically predisposed. Because you control the nutrients you consume, you can literally feed your genes right and prevent DNA damage while also losing weight, normalizing your blood sugar and insulin levels, and reducing inflammation.

In his reader-friendly and easy-to-understand style, Challem explains how nutrition affects your genes and your risk of disease, regardless of whether you have inherited "good" or "bad" genes. He then gives you a breakthrough nutritional program designed to enhance your DNA function and minimize your risk of common diseases and conditions ranging from arthritis, hypertension, Syndrome X and Alzheimer's to diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many types of cancer. In Feed Your Genes Right, you'll discover: what you should and should not eat, the disconnects between ancient genes and modern foods, how the right nutrients can repair flawed or damaged genes, the specific vitamins and supplements needed for healthy genes, how to reduce the effects of stress on your genes, nutritional recommendations for reducing genetic damage that occurs in aging, heart disease, certain inherited diseases, and many other conditions.