Good Calories, Bad Calories. Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Vintage)

This groundbreaking book by award-winning science writer and bestselling author of Why We Get Fat and The Case for Keto shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong. For decades we have been taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more. Yet despite this advice, we have seen unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates, like white flour, easily digested starches, and sugars, and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. Called “a very important book,” by Andrew Weil and ”destined to change the way we think about food,” by Michael Pollan, this groundbreaking book by award-winning science writer Gary Taubes shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong. In this groundbreaking book, the result of seven years of research in every science connected with the impact of nutrition on health, award-winning science writer Gary Taubes shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong. For decades we have been taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more. Yet with more and more people acting on this advice, we have seen unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues persuasively that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates (white flour, sugar, easily digested starches) via their dramatic effect on insulin, the hormone that regulates fat accumulation and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. There are good calories, and bad ones. Taubes traces how the common assumption that carbohydrates are fattening was abandoned in the 1960s when fat and cholesterol were blamed for heart disease and then wrongly were seen as the causes of a host of other maladies, including cancer. He shows us how these unproven hypotheses were emphatically embraced by authorities in nutrition, public health, and clinical medicine, in spite of how well-conceived clinical trials have consistently refuted them. He also documents the dietary trials of carbohydrate-restriction, which consistently show that the fewer carbohydrates we consume, the leaner we will be. With precise references to the most significant existing clinical studies, he convinces us that there is no compelling scientific evidence demonstrating that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease, that salt causes high blood pressure, and that fiber is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Based on the evidence that does exist, he leads us to conclude that the only healthy way to lose weight and remain lean is to eat fewer carbohydrates or to change the type of the carbohydrates we do eat, and, for some of us, perhaps to eat virtually none at all. Good Calories, Bad Calories is a tour de force of scientific investigation certain to redefine the ongoing debate about the foods we eat and their effects on our health. - Publisher. Not Another Diet Book: After Seven Years Of Research In Every Science Connected With The Impact Of Nutrition On Health, Science Writer Taubes Shows That Almost Everything We Believe About A Healthy Diet Is Wrong. We Are Taught That Fat Is Bad For Us, Carbohydrates Better, And That The Key To A Healthy Weight Is Eating Less And Exercising More--yet We See Unprecedented Epidemics Of Obesity And Diabetes. Taubes Argues Persuasively That The Problem Lies In Refined Carbohydrates, Via Their Dramatic Effect On Insulin, And That The Key To Good Health Is The Kind Of Calories We Take In, Not The Number. He Also Argues That There Is No Compelling Scientific Evidence That Saturated Fat And Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease. Based On The Evidence, He Concludes That The Only Healthy Way To Remain Lean Is To Eat Fewer Carbohydrates Or To Change The Type Of Carbohydrates We Eat.--from Publisher Description. Prologue : A Brief History Of Banting -- Pt. 1. The Fat-cholesterol Hypothesis -- 1. The Eisenhower Paradox -- 2. The Inadequacy Of Lesser Evidence -- 3. Creation Of Consensus -- 4. The Greater Good -- Pt. 2. The Carbohydrate Hypothesis -- 5. Diseases Of Civilization -- 6. Diabetes And The Carbohydrate Hypothesis -- 7. Fiber -- 8. The Science Of The Carbohydrate Hypothesis -- 9. Triglycerides And The Complications Of Cholesterol -- 10. The Role Of Insulin -- 11. The Significance Of Diabetes -- 12. Sugar -- 13. Dementia, Cancer, And Aging -- Pt. 3. Obesity And The Regulation Of Weight -- 14. The Mythology Of Obesity -- 15. Hunger -- 16. Paradoxes -- 17. Conservation Of Energy -- 18. Fattening Diets -- 19. Reducing Diets -- 20. Unconventional Diets -- 21. The Carbohydrate Hypothesis, 1 : Fat Metabolism -- 22. The Carbohydrate Hypothesis, 2 : Insulin -- 23. The Fattening Carbohydrate Disappears -- 24. The Carbohydrate Hypothesis, 3 : Hunger And Satiety -- Epilogue -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Acknowledgments -- Index. Gary Taubes. Borzoi Book. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [507]-573) And Index. Not Another Diet Book: After Seven Years Of Research In Every Science Connected With The Impact Of Nutrition On Health, Science Writer Taubes Shows That Almost Everything We Believe About A Healthy Diet Is Wrong. We Are Taught That Fat Is Bad For Us, Carbohydrates Better, And That The Key To A Healthy Weight Is Eating Less And Exercising More--yet We See Unprecedented Epidemics Of Obesity And Diabetes. Taubes Argues Persuasively That The Problem Lies In Refined Carbohydrates, Via Their Dramatic Effect On Insulin, And That The Key To Good Health Is The Kind Of Calories We Take In, Not The Number. He Also Argues That There Is No Compelling Scientific Evidence That Saturated Fat And Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease. Based On The Evidence, He Concludes That The Only Healthy Way To Remain Lean Is To Eat Fewer Carbohydrates Or To Change The Type Of Carbohydrates We Eat.--from Publisher Description. A Brief History Of Banting -- The Fat-cholesterol Hypothesis -- The Eisenhower Paradox -- The Inadequacy Of Lesser Evidence -- Creation Of Consensus -- The Greater Good -- The Carbohydrate Hypothesis -- Diseases Of Civilization -- Diabetes And The Carbohydrate Hypothesis -- Fiber -- The Science Of The Carbohydrate Hypothesis -- Triglycerides And The Complications Of Cholesterol -- The Role Of Insulin -- The Significance Of Diabetes -- Sugar -- Dementia, Cancer, And Aging -- Obesity And The Regulation Of Weight -- The Mythology Of Obesity -- Hunger -- Paradoxes -- Conservation Of Energy -- Fattening Diets -- Reducing Diets -- Unconventional Diets -- The Carbohydrate Hypothesis, 1 : Fat Metabolism -- The Carbohydrate Hypothesis, 2 : Insulin -- The Fattening Carbohydrate Disappears -- The Carbohydrate Hypothesis, 3 : Hunger And Satiety. Gary Taubes. Previously Published: New York : Knopf, 2007. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [469]-581) And Index. Not another diet book: After seven years of research in every science connected with the impact of nutrition on health, science writer Taubes shows that almost everything we believe about a healthy diet is wrong. We are taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more --yet we see unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues persuasively that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates, via their dramatic effect on insulin, and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. He also argues that there is no compelling scientific evidence that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease. Based on the evidence, he concludes that the only healthy way to remain lean is to eat fewer carbohydrates or to change the type of carbohydrates we eat.--From publisher description Prologue : A brief history of Banting Part 1 : The fat-cholesterol hypothesis. 1. The Eisenhower paradox 2. The inadequacy of lesser evidence 3. Creation of consensus 4. The greater good Part 2 : The carbohydrate hypothesis. 5. Diseases of civilization 6. Diabetes and the carbohydrate hypothesis 7. Fiber 8. The science of the carbohydrate hypothesis 9. Triglycerides and the complications of cholesterol 10. The role of insulin 11. The significance of diabetes 12. Sugar 13. Dementia, cancer, and aging Part 3 : Obesity and the regulation of weight. 14. The mythology of obesity 15. Hunger 16. Paradoxes 17. Conservation of energy 18. Fattening diets 19. Reducing diets 20. Unconventional diets 21. The carbohydrate hypothesis, 1 : fat metabolism 22. The carbohydrate hypothesis, 2 : insulin 23. The fattening carbohydrate disappears 24. The carbohydrate hypothesis, 3 : hunger and satiety Epilogue For decades we have been taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and exercising more. Yet despite this advice, we have seen unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Taubes argues that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates, like white flour, easily digested starches, and sugars, and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number. In this groundbreaking book, award-winning science writer Gary Taubes shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong. From the Trade Paperback edition Argues that refined carbohydrates are the cause of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer; that overeating and sedentary behavior are side effects of increased insulin; and that removing these carbohydrates from one's diet is the only way to lose weight.