Abstract
More and more discussion is occurring around the concept of food as medicine. For the clinician interested in applying lifestyle medicine principles in their patient care, it can at times be confusing as to what is the appropriate nutritional approach to an individual patient with a specific disease. The second edition of Advancing Medicine with Food and Nutrients is meant to clarify this dilemma, closing the gap between medicine and food that currently exists in the mind of the average health care provider.
The book is organized into 9 organ-based sections, including disorders of the ears, eyes, nose, and throat; cardiovascular, hematologic, and pulmonary conditions; gastrointestinal disorders; endocrine and dermatologic disorders; kidney disorders; neurologic and psychiatric disorders; soft tissue and musculoskeletal disorders; neoplasms; and reproductive health and toxicology. The book includes 910 pages with a total of 70 authors contributing to 44 separate chapters. Each chapter is about 20 pages in length and is heavily referenced, averaging more than 100 references per chapter. Each chapter begins with an introduction and a review of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of the disease process(es) being discussed. This is followed by a discussion of patient evaluation and treatment recommendations. Next, specific dietary and nutritional aspects of the disease(s) are considered, including nutritional factors in disease acquisition and dietary treatment recommendations.
This is a book written “by doctors for doctors.” The editor and at least one of the authors for each chapter is a clinician. Although many of the authors are based in traditional academic institutions, an equal number are located in independent health clinics. Multiple authors are also associated with neutraceutical companies and/or the functional or integrative medicine movements. This broad spectrum of viewpoints adds a practical perspective that is valuable. Some would say it also creates a bias toward supplements.
Advancing Medicine with Food and Nutrients is probably most valuable as a bridge tool. It goes a long way toward helping document the science behind the place of food and nutrients in both the development of disease and the treatment of those diseases. Although it could be useful as a reference for practicing clinicians, its real place of significance is as an educational tool for health care providers, researchers, and policy makers who want or need to be familiar with the evidence for the role of food and nutrition in illness and health. It is not a quick reference. It is a detailed picture.
As the role of food in both the development and treatment of disease continues to clarify, this text serves as a core resource documenting these associations. It is recommended as a valuable reference.