Articles from February 2012

While many nutrition and health books provide generalized information on the types of foods and supplements people should include in their diets, they’re often short on specific details about individual ingredients in commonly purchased foods.

The complexity of nutritional labeling and the fact that many ingredients (even safe ones) are indecipherable to the general public, and the misleading claims used to sell food products, all combine to make it difficult to choose wisely when in the supermarket.

Dr. Christine Farlow’s pocket-size guide, first published in 2004 and updated in 2007, has become a standard reference guide for thousands of people.

From acacia gum to zinc sulfate this book classifies more than 800 commonly used food additives according to safety, whether they may cause allergic reactions, and if they’re Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by the FDA.

The book won high praise from health experts like Earl Mindell, PhD (“A great pocket resource in understanding labelese”) and the late Lendon H. Smith, MD, author of “Feed Your Kids Right” (“I recommend everyone carry this with them in their purse or glove compartment for handy reference”).

It’s also proved popular with readers, who gave it a 4.6 out of 5-star rating at Amazon. The book is available through the author’s website at www.foodadditivesbook.com.

Dr. Farlow is also the author of “Dying to Look Good,” an exposé of the often questionable and potentially dangerous additives used in cosmetics, toiletries, and personal care products. Similar in style to her “Food Additives” book, this volume classifies more than 1,200 cosmetic ingredients according to safety, whether they may cause allergic reactions, whether they have been reviewed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel and if they are approved or recognized as safe by the FDA. It also lists over 750 cosmetic and personal care products that have been evaluated as “safe.”

Order from Amazon for only $7.95!