Examining the most controversial foods and ingredients, this book provides an objective, well-balanced look at their health benefits and risks. It equips readers with the information they need to make their own informed decisions about what they eat.Most people aspire to eat healthy, but what exactly does that mean? While some foods like vegetables are universally acknowledged as beneficial, and others like added sugars are widely condemned, many foods have a more controversial reputation.Debating Your Plate: The Most Controversial Foods and Ingredients offers in-depth coverage of some of the most hotly-debated items on grocery store shelves and dinner plates. Each entry provides thorough background and contextual information before examining the unique issues and controversies that surround that food or ingredient. Written in clear, unbiased language, the book allows readers to form their own opinions about which items to include in their diet and which to avoid. On a larger scale, the book also examines why nutrition science is so prone to controversy and ambiguity, and it offers readers guidance on how to evaluate health claims for themselves.
Randi Minetor, MA, is an author and medical journalist with Western New York Physician magazine. She has written more than 60 books, including Blowing Up: The Psychology of Conflict (2017) and Medical Tests in Context: Innovations and Insights (2019).
IntroductionWhy Is Nutrition So Controversial?The History of Food ControversiesHow to Evaluate Nutrition Research and Health ClaimsFoods and IngredientsArtificial FlavoringsArtificial Food ColorsArtificial SweetenersBottled WaterCaffeineCarbonated BeveragesCarrageenanChocolateCoconut OilCruciferous VegetablesDairy ProductsEggsEssential OilsFarm-Raised Fish and SeafoodFruit and Vegetables JuicesGenetically Modified FoodsGlutenGrainsGrass-Fed BeefGreen TeaGuar GumOlive OilOrganic FoodsPhosphorus-Containing Food AdditivesPlant-Based MeatsProbioticsRaw MilkRed MeatSaltSaturated FatSoySugar AlcoholsSuperfoodsVegetable OilWineXanthan GumGlossaryDirectory of ResourcesIndex