Michael GregerReseñas

Once again Dr. Greger delivers on his series of how not to in the health topic of diet and what we consume in our daily lives.

This book is jam packed with so many topics and categories it is hard to keep track of them in your mind's eye. Most everything is backed up by prodigious research and studies that support or debunk many long held beliefs in what benefits us or what does not.

Dr. Greger is a die hard plant based diet advocate, actually more a zealot on vegetables. He sees the meats as the poisons that take a significant toll on your health and longevity.

He gets into some very esoteric topics on deep research into certain chemistry and complex subjects that I found somewhat hard to follow. But overall this book is infinitely useful to those looking for answers to longevity and the do's and dont's of nutrition and health.

I saw this book in a bookstore not long after it was published. Although I had no interest in getting his previous book: [b:How Not To Die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease|39093890|How Not To Die Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease|Michael Greger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520626193l/39093890._SY75_.jpg|45486853], and although I had no interest in diet books, yet I came close to buying this book.

I borrowed it from my local library. By the end of chapter 1, there were over 800 end notes already. I peeked at the end of the book: 4990 end notes in the book! Never have I seen such a book include so many references.

By the time I had finished chapter 1, I was thoroughly enchanted. It is such delightful reading that the same day that I started reading it, I bought a kindle edition.

I have been delighting in Dr. Michael Gregor’s observations for years. This comprehenisve source evaluates the scientific evidence for weight lost strategies, many of which we have never heard of. He spends little time on fad diets, but concentrates on the evidence for what does and does not work.

Serious books typically have footnotes. This one had endnotes, 4990 of them! I have never seen a book with so much documentation behind it. The printed copy of the book would have been 500 pages longer if the endnotes had been included. Instead there is a QR code and/or URL link to them, which is much more convenient for someone who wants to actually go look at the source.

The only way it might be better would be to attend a talk by Dr. Michael Gregor.

This book covers COVID-19, but most of the book talks about a much greater threat from H5N1 causing a much more lethal pandemic than the one we are now in (in the year 2020). That threat comes from intensive factory “farming” of poultry with thousands of birds cooped up in cramped quarters. Wild birds are the carriers of a form that is not optimized to infect humans. Chickens are the intermediary where the virus mutates into forms that can infect humans. Intensive pig farming is also a virus breeding ground.

As usual, Dr. Michael Greger intensively documents his findings, with the last 40% of the book containing 3612 references.

The kindle version is very reasonably priced, or you can check it out from your library.

Absolute must-read for anyone who has suffered a chronic disease, or know somebody who has (I'd wager most of us do). A friend referred this book to me when my boyfriend and I started leaning more toward a plant-based lifestyle, and even though it took me a long time to get through it (wanted to soak up all the information in here), it was completely worth the read. Even my reading-averse boyfriend has been working on this book, as well. Both of us are healthcare providers, and we've both found the information immensely helpful.

Plenty of evidence-based information on the progression of chronic diseases (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, depression...just to name a few), what causes them, and how so much of it is based on diet. Most people don't think about food as a reason why these problems are so common here in the USA, and don't realize that doctors aren't given nearly enough training in nutrition. We're trained to think that pills and medication solve everything, never giving diet and lifestyle a second thought. In Part 2 of the book, he also talks about different food groups and his recommendations, plus a few recipes here and there.

I personally have adopted more of a plant-based diet to try and help my allergies and constant skin breakouts from eczema. I was a heavy meat and dairy eater for most of my life, and it didn't do my health any favors. Of course, I have to cook a lot more now, but I fell in love with it, and now enjoy creating vegan and plant-based dishes of anything, and everything. Granted, I am not 100% plant based, and still eat meat once or twice a week (mostly when I don't really have a choice). But overall I feel lighter, my skin has cleared, and now, in my 30s, I look and feel better than I did in my 20s. Now, working on slowly cutting oil out of my diet.

I have yet to download the Daily Dozen app, but will be doing that in the future. Also, his guidelines on red, green, and yellow light foods help to make good, conscious dietary choices. The way the book is written isn't boring, and almost reads like a novel. He injects a lot of his personal experiences into each chapter.

I will be referring my patients to this book, as well as Dr. Greger's website, NutritionFacts.org, or at least, those in more natural management of their conditions. Again, highly recommend this book for well, anyone and everyone, even if just to learn how to eat properly and the way that we're supposed to. You just might see a change in your health and overall well-being!

This was a very well written and meticulously researched book about how the avian influenza came about thanks to our intensification of the domestication of poultry, the possible catastrophe that is coming, and some simple ideas of how to protect ourselves. After reading this book, I'm a believer to how bad the bird flu will be and am appalled at how the poultry industry around the world is ignoring the signs and what experts are saying in order to continue making their profit.

5 stars. One of those books that make you want to take action and change your behavior, in this case, for me; regarding my own decisions about nutrition. That is what makes a book stand out!

Accessible and super informative. Science heavy and interesting. If you have any interest in how what you put into your body does and what we really need and should avoid, give this one a shot.

If you are already of the hyper-conscious sort who is happy to wash their hands until they bleed even when there isn’t a pandemic, this book will not comfort you. I thought, naively, that I would feel more knowledgeable and therefore feel more confident and in control of this whole covid thing (after all, isn’t knowledge power?) but alas, I now feel only justified in my life choices. The only change is that now I am terrified of chicken. Seriously, how is any of that chicken shit legal? In the words of my darling younger sister, “who let you read that!?” 5/5 would recommend except to my older sister [Allison seriously let me bear this burden for us].

Dr. Greger has adapted one of his earlier books and added new material, especially in this book's voluminous appendices. If you want the truth about how the global industrial raising of all farmed animals exponentially raises our 21st century risk for a) a much longer COVID-19 pandemic, and b) many more, likely concurrent, 21st century pandemics, then this book is an essential read.

Looking back thru US history, all US presidents since World War I have contributed to the extreme vulnerability of the USA to pandemic risk. Laurie Garrett's 1990s book The Coming Plague has the best historical analysis of that trend. Many US public health professors, disease researchers and epidemiologists have warned US politicians, mostly in vain, about our increasing pandemic risks. Lest you think I am a biased liberal, in my opinion the most thoughtful response to these US presidential pandemic briefings was from President George W. Bush, who began some important new reforms. My pandemic focus is on the needed US and global public health steps, not on politics, where there's plenty of blame to be shared everywhere anyway.

Those who read this best-seller will find many reasons to adopt a plant-based diet sooner rather than later. Example: A plant-based diet greatly strengthens the human immune system. For further reading, I recommend The Fatal Strain, by Washington Post reporter Alan Sipress. The subject of The Fatal Strain is influenza pandemics, which is caused by a different family of viruses (the influenza family) than is COVID-19 (which stems from the coronavirus family), but the pandemic risk is horrifyingly almost the same. I also recommend the forthcoming (October 2022) title from US science writer David Quammen; his book Breathless is about the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Strong case for a vegan diet for optimal health. I did find myself arguing with it quite a bit. Sweet potatoes, dark greens and black beans are good staples according to this. I think it's a good thing there was a co writer. I found myself thinking that I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time with the main author. I did enjoy his anecdote about meeting a true health food nut at one of his lectures who recounted an intense kale juice experience.

LOVEEEEE THIS! This is such an important book!

What I liked most about this book is the extensive research on which it is based. The 400 pages are backed by another 100 pages of footnotes, and Gregor’s team surveys the full set of academic journals for annual updates to their guidance. This book is divided into two sections. The first set of chapters are about preventative diets oriented to each of several diseases and ailments, such as heart disease, cancer, and suicidal depression. The later chapters summarize the Daily Dozen foods Gregor recommends. This big tome is full of more guidance and competing risks than one can digest in a single reading.

I go back and forth on this book. The problem isn't Dr. Grieger. The problem is the reliance on peer-reviewed studies. Given my own research into problems with replication, plus politics, plus funding, I'm not nearly so enamored with the world of research studies as I used to be. And unless you truly dig in to studies, analyzing their methodology, their use of statistics, etc. you will never be able to know *for sure* if the results advertised are accurate.

I think the best approach to this book (and his web site) is to treat it all as self-experimentation. He mostly deals with food products that are known and safe, so adding them to your diet is extremely unlikely to do any harm. Just don't fall into the trap of believing that a specific set of things will definitely prevent all the bad things in life.

The author already had a book about industrial chicken farming, added a chapter about Covid-19 and changed the title. Very clever way of getting people to read his criticism of chicken farming which few people would want to read otherwise.

Go vegan!!

yea but what if i'm vegan and just eat vegan cookie dough and pb&j's all day long. at least im hydrated

Direct and Informative

This book addresses the need for increased plant based foods in the American diet. Scientifically based with practical suggestions for improving ones health through nutrition. The premise being that most health problems could possibly be prevented with proper attention to diet. The book is arranged to specifically address common health concerns and how preventative medicine has had a tremendous impact.

I saw this book in a bookstore not long after it was published. Although I had no interest in getting his previous book: [b:How Not To Die: Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease|39093890|How Not To Die Discover the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease|Michael Greger|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520626193l/39093890._SY75_.jpg|45486853], and although I had no interest in diet books, yet I came close to buying this book.

I borrowed it from my local library. By the end of chapter 1, there were over 800 end notes already. I peeked at the end of the book: 4990 end notes in the book! Never have I seen such a book include so many references.

By the time I had finished chapter 1, I was thoroughly enchanted. It is such delightful reading that the same day that I started reading it, I bought a kindle edition.

Follow on to his "How Not To Die" with new research.
Looks like a compendium of his internet videos in text form (www.nutritionfacts.org).
Lots of information, needed a good summary or list somewhere in the book.

Unlike most cookbooks on my shelf, this one I'll actually use. The recipes are simple enough to make regularly, and good enough to look forward to eating.
Excellent.

Perfect book to read at the beginning of the year. It’s long and full of important health advice that can be distilled in this paraphrase: if you want to reduce PLOP, eat at the lowest level of the food chain. After reading studies he cites how could I justify eating meat? Should be mandatory reading.

This book was suggested to me by a co-worker while we were discussing environmental justice and the need to eat a plant-based diet in order to save more water for all the people on earth. Clearly, I was a bit disappointed.

This book was suggested to me by a co-worker while we were discussing environmental justice and the need to eat a plant-based diet in order to save more water for all the people on earth. Clearly, I was a bit disappointed.

In all his work Dr. Michael Greger takes basic research in nutrition, much of it difficult to interpret, and presents it to his readers in a clear and understandable form. This approach is what differentiates him from so many other diet- and nutrition-book authors, who lack a thorough command of the nutritional data. He writes with humour and flair as well.

Some of the other reviews describe his positions as biased, but I was baffled at this. His prescriptions for good health are all based on specific studies and meta-analyses that support his recommendations. He cites these studies in building his case. So his approach is evidence-based. He does advocate a vegan diet, based on the research he cites, which is going to be difficult for many people to accept because this runs counter to traditional dietary practices.

We live in an era in which powerful processed food producers and pharmaceutical companies control media outlets and the diet recommendations governments issue, all in the interests of boosting corporate profits at the expense of human health. It is encouraging to see Dr. Greger oppose this trend simply by advocating what the research literature is telling us.

Reading this book and following all or at least some of the strong advise given would definitely save or extend life for many including yourself. Dr. Greger is quite persuasive and to the point about how diet is nearly everything when it comes to health and longevity. Yes it helps to have good genes but even with that asset many squander their good fortune by what they put in their mouth daily. That is the central message in the book and he backs up his claims with solid evidence.

On the flip side Dr. Greger also harbors his biases and agenda and that is clearly in favor of vegetarianism. Some of his claims seem to be based on test results with debatable significance I found in doing my own research into him and criticism. Yet having said that I was convinced enough on many of the points he made do re-examine my own dietary habits and make some changes. It my not ultimately extend by life span but it makes sense to takes preventive steps when it comes well being and that message hit home with me.