Results from the National Research Council's (NRC) landmark study Diet and health are readily accessible to nonscientists in this friendly, easy-to-read guide. Readers will find the heart of the book in the first chapter: the Food and Nutrition Board's nine-point dietary plan to reduce the risk of diet-related chronic illness. The nine points are presented as sensible guidelines that are easy to follow on a daily basis, without complicated measuring or calculatingâ€"and without sacrificing favorite foods. Eat for Life gives practical recommendations on foods to eat and in a "how-to" section provides tips on shopping (how to read food labels), cooking (how to turn a high-fat dish into a low-fat one), and eating out (how to read a menu with nutrition in mind). The volume explains what protein, fiber, cholesterol, and fats are and what foods contain them, and tells readers how to reduce their risk of chronic disease by modifying the types of food they eat. Each chronic disease is clearly defined, with information provided on its prevalence in the United States. Written for everyone concerned about how they can influence their health by what they eat, Eat for Life offers potentially lifesaving information in an understandable and persuasive way. Alternative Selection, Quality Paperback Book Club

Alcohol is the most widely used drug in the world, yet alcoholism remains a serious addiction affecting nearly 20 million Americans. Our current understanding of alcohol's effect on brain structure and related functional damage is being revolutionized by genetic research, basic neuroscience, brain imaging science, and systematic study of cognitive, sensory, and motor abilities. Volume 125 of the Handbook of Clinical Neurology is a comprehensive, in-depth treatise of studies on alcohol and the brain covering the basic understanding of alcohol's effect on the central nervous system, the diagnosis and treatment of alcoholism, and prospect for recovery. The chapters within will be of interest to clinical neurologists, neuropsychologists, and researchers in all facets and levels of the neuroscience of alcohol and alcoholism. The first focused reference specifically on alcohol and the brain Details our current understanding of how alcohol impacts the central nervous system Covers clinical and social impact of alcohol abuse disorders and the biomedical consequences of alcohol abuse Includes section on neuroimaging of neurochemical markers and brain function

Caffeine in Food and Dietary Supplements is the summary of a workshop convened by the Institute of Medicine in August 2013 to review the available science on safe levels of caffeine consumption in foods, beverages, and dietary supplements and to identify data gaps. Scientists with expertise in food safety, nutrition, pharmacology, psychology, toxicology, and related disciplines; medical professionals with pediatric and adult patient experience in cardiology, neurology, and psychiatry; public health professionals; food industry representatives; regulatory experts; and consumer advocates discussed the safety of caffeine in food and dietary supplements, including, but not limited to, caffeinated beverage products, and identified data gaps. Caffeine, a central nervous stimulant, is arguably the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world. Occurring naturally in more than 60 plants, including coffee beans, tea leaves, cola nuts and cocoa pods, caffeine has been part of innumerable cultures for centuries. But the caffeine-in-food landscape is changing. There are an array of new caffeine-containing energy products, from waffles to sunflower seeds, jelly beans to syrup, even bottled water, entering the marketplace. Years of scientific research have shown that moderate consumption by healthy adults of products containing naturally-occurring caffeine is not associated with adverse health effects. The changing caffeine landscape raises concerns about safety and whether any of these new products might be targeting populations not normally associated with caffeine consumption, namely children and adolescents, and whether caffeine poses a greater health risk to those populations than it does for healthy adults. This report delineates vulnerable populations who may be at risk from caffeine exposure; describes caffeine exposure and risk of cardiovascular and other health effects on vulnerable populations, including additive effects with other ingredients and effects related to pre-existing conditions; explores safe caffeine exposure levels for general and vulnerable populations; and identifies data gaps on caffeine stimulant effects.

Fermented Food Beverages in Nutrition presents the proceedings of International Symposium on Fermented Food Beverages in Nutrition convened at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It focuses on the contributions of alcoholic beverages in nutrition. It discusses the effects of specific alcoholic beverages, such as wine, beer, and certain distilled spirits, in human health. Organized into seven parts, encompassing 31 chapters, the book starts by discussing the history of alcoholic beverages and their nutrient contributions. Part II focuses on fermentation process, its history, biochemistry, nutrient synthesis by yeast, wine fermentation and aging, and beer brewing. Part III discusses the production and consumption trends of beer and wine, with emphasis on the changing attitudes of Americans toward wine consumption. Metabolism and therapeutic application of alcoholic beverages are examined in part IV. Discussions include role of alcoholic beverages in gerontology and ketogenesis, and the effect of alcoholic beverage incorporation into therapeutic diets. Part V highlights the effects of misuse and abuse of alcoholic beverages in various human body systems, including gastrointestine, pancreas, liver, and cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as in cancer development and offspring effects during prenatal alcohol exposure. Parts VI and VII discuss the use of miniature swine as model for the study of human alcoholism and socioeconomic aspects of alcohol abuse. With the aim of bringing together existing factual knowledge concerning nutrition and health contributions of alcoholic beverages, this book is ideal for food scientists, nutritionists, dieticians, and researchers.

Chronic alcohol use is associated with heart, liver, brain, and other organ pathology. Alcohol is a drug of abuse and a caloric food and it causes poor intake and absorption of nutrients, thus playing a major role in many aspects of clinical consequences. Alcohol use lowers consumption of fruit and vegetables, lowers tissue nutrients, and, in some cases, requires nutritional therapy by clinicians. Alcohol, Nutrition, and Health Consequences will help the clinician define the causes and types of nutritional changes due to alcohol use and also explain how nutrition can be used to ameliorate its consequences. Chapters present the application of current nutritional knowledge by physicians and dietitians. Specific areas involving alcohol-related damage due to nutritional changes are reviewed, including heart disease, obesity, digestive tract cancers, lactation, brain function, and liver disease. In addition, alcohol’s effects on absorption of minerals and nutrients, a key role in causing damage are treated. The importance of diet in modifying alcohol and its metabolite damage is also explained. Alcohol, Nutrition, and Health Consequences is essential reading for alcohol therapists and researchers as well as primary care physicians and dietitians and is an easy reference to help the clinician, student, and dietitian comprehend the complex changes caused by direct and indirect effects of ethanol at the cellular level via its nutritional modification.