BOOKS
Diet and Disease Reviewed by Aaron M. Altschul
Animals have no built-in sensors fox detecting toxic or inhibitory materials in foods. They rely on learning, on the transmission of food preferences from one generation to the next, and on an innate reluctance to try any new foods. When driven by hunger, they may overcome their timidity and try a new food, which might turn out to be poisoned bait. Humans, however, can rely on accumulated knowledge to warn them away from toxins and to be wary of foods that, although not clearly toxic, might eventually be harmful. Knowledge of the nature of the toxic components would mandate use of a given food at a level at which no harm is done. Hence, our culture provides us with a means for selecting and producing a safe food supply. The four authors of "Diet-Related Diseases," all but one of whom is on the faculty of the University of Manchester in England, describe the various toxic and biologically active substances in foods in a book designed for the interested layman. The title might better have been "Food-Related Diseases," because that is how the authors develop the subject. They deal with individual foods, not with combinations of foods that would comprise a diet. And because the scope of the book is narrower than that suggested by its title, the authors do not deal satisfactorily with the issues they raise in the subtitle, "The Modern Epidemic," and in their preface, where they mention the food problems of affluence. The composition of plants, in particular, but also of animals may have developed by chance or even for the purpose of defense of the plant or animal species. Aside from the clearly poisonous plants, such as horse chestnut and foxglove, many plants contain inhibitors that are not clearly toxins. Among them are the enzyme inhibitors (trypsin in-
Evidence is increasing to link foods with heart disease, cancer, longevity, and other aspects of health "Diet-Related Diseases: The Modern Epidemic" by Stephen Seely, David L. J. Freed, Gerald A. Silverstone, and Vicky Rippere, AVI Publishing Co., P.O. Box 831, Westport, Conn. 06881,1985, 272 pages, $35 Aaron M. Altschul was director of the division of nutrition at Georgetown University school of medicine from 1975 to 1983 and since then has been professor emeritus in the school's department of medicine and department of community and family medicine
hibitors and others) found in many common foods, alkaloids distributed widely in plants (caffeine), goitrogens, estrogens, cyanogenetic glycosides, saponins, lectins, and amines that affect blood pressure. Likewise, food components of animal origin can cause diseases. These are toxins that are eaten by the animals and transferred in milk, meat, or fish. They also include food contaminants and additives that enter the food accidentally or deliberately as part of the growing or processing of animals (or plants) into foods. "Diet-Related Diseases" could be a source of anxiety for anyone who might wonder how we manage to avoid all the toxins or possible toxins in our food. The authors recommend variety in diet, avoidance of faddism, and care in storing and preparing foods. They also suggest that, when experimenting with exotic foods, a person should use the
method of preparation customarily followed in the country of the food's origin. The authors do not discuss the important issue of society's response to toxins in foods. When intensively bred over centuries as a common food, edible crops are less likely to contain toxic elements. But, even so, there are exceptions. Sometimes, processing steps are required to render the food safe. For example, soybeans are a source of a number of inhibitors; this is certainly true of raw soybeans. But raw soybeans are rarely eaten. They are heated and fractionated, as in production of bean curd or soy milk; are fermented, as in the production of miso or soy sauce; or are fractionated to prepare concentrate and isolate. Such products can be eaten safely. Another example is the treatment of cassava (tapioca) to render it safe in African countries and in northern Brazil, where it is a major source of calories. Cassava contains the toxic cyanoglycoside linamarin. Even under the most primitive conditions, this toxin is removed by grating the roots and drying them in the sun. When considering the dangers to our food supply that can result from natural toxins or those produced during growth, processing, and storage, the tools that have been developed to deal with them must be considered. These include, in addition to processing, the testing of foods for safety by producers and by government agencies; and the labeling of food composition to guide individuals at risk, such as those with food allergies. In recent years, increasing attention has been given to the total diet as a basis for explaining, at least in part, the differences in mortality rates from coronary artery disease, stroke, and several types of cancer in various countries. The authors, indeed, devote an entire chapter to diet-related diseases of the arteries that includes a discussion of the naJanuary 13, 1986 C&EN
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Books ture of the arterial wall and its diseases. But the focus is primarily on the possible role of estrogens, particularly estrogens from milk, in causing arteriosclerosis. Their conclusion is: "Civilization seems to have added something to its difficulties which has made all the difference between a trouble-free and a highly disease-prone organ system. As already hinted, the transformation is likely to have something to do with the Western diet, but, in spite of claims to the contrary, the identification of dietary pathogens still awaits future developments." With this, they dismiss as unproven and "unimaginative" work that has been done all over the world and is generally accepted which shows that total fat intake, particularly saturated fat, and total dietary cholesterol should be lowered. The authors seem to take the position that only pathogens can be responsible for diet-related diseases of the arteries. Hence, when faced with the dilemma of increased diet-related diseases somewhat connected with prosperity, they seek pathogens concentrated in the western diet. And they find none. The authors also neglect to discuss obesity, a condition in western societies implicated as a risk factor in coronary artery disease and certain types of cancer, which surely have a diet-related component. Nor do they mention the role of salt in hypertension or of diet in the management of diabetes. Surely, there is—and will continue to be—argument about the role of excesses of normal nutrients in causing diseases in affluent societies. But the important concept that normal dietary constituents taken in excess can exacerbate conditions in which there already is a genetically induced vulnerability to specific diseases seems to be on solid ground. Nor is there any doubt that proper control of the intake of these constituents may delay or prevent the onset of such diseases for many people. Changes are occurring. In the past few decades, a sharp reduction has taken place in mortality from heart disease and stroke in the U.S. The reasons are not clear, but evidence is beginning to accumulate that lower 42
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mortality is due chiefly to the lower incidence of these diseases at the same time improvements have been made in managing the diseases once they have developed. What is actually happening to reduce the incidence is not well understood, but the public must be responding to dietary advice. Year after year, serum cholesterol levels in American men and women have been decreasing. In recent years, the U.S. public has been eating less egg yolk, less butterfat, less beef, probably less salt and refined sugar, and more fruits, vegetables, and fiber. And more people are exercising. The cancer story is more complex. Carcinogens produced by microorganisms are clearly implicated as a cause of cancer. The best known of these are the aflatoxins, which sometimes are produced by molds growing on such stored crops as peanuts. To decrease the risk of developing certain types of cancer, the public is being advised to reduce the amount of food it eats, lower the
level of fat in its diet, raise the intake of foods rich in fiber, and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The authors believe that a high consumption of sugar is a causative factor in breast cancer—an idea that is not widely accepted in scientific circles. Our knowledge about the conditions that favor overall longevity comes from experiments with animals. The authors suggest that the correlation between dietary intake and longevity is parabolic. That is, inadequate nutrition is associated with a short life, adequate nutrition with a long life, and, beyond an optimum level, a further increase in total caloric intake probably tends to shorten life. "Diet-Related Diseases" is an interesting discussion of substances in foods that cause disease. However, the reader who wishes to get a broad understanding of the role of diet as it affects health and longevity in prosperous societies is apt to find it disappointing. •
Advanced Technologies: Improving Industrial Efficiency. F. William Payne, editor, xi + 188 pages. Fairmont Press, P.O. Box 14227, Atlanta, Ga. 30324. 1985. $32.
454 pages. Pergamon Press, Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, N.Y. 10523. 1985. $36.
Animal Cell Biotechnology. Vol. I R E . Spier, J. B. Griffiths, editors, xvii + 347 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1985. $55.
Catalyst Characterization Science. ACS Symposium Series 288. Marvin L. Deviney, John L. Gland, editors, xi + 616 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1985. $89.95.
Animal Cell Biotechnology. Vol. 2. R. E. Spier, J. B. Griffiths, editors, xix + 475 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1985. $66.
Cation Ordering and Electron Transfer. C. Gleitzer et al. 167 pages. Springer-Verlag New York, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10010. 1985. $35.
Annual Reports on NMR Spectroscopy. Vol. 16. G. A. Webb, editor, x + 373 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1985. $100.
Ceramic Dielectrics and Capacitors. J. M. Herbert, xix -I- 264 pages. Gordon & Breach Science Publishers, 50 West 23rd St., New York, N.Y. 10010. 1985. $59.
Annual Review of Energy. Vol. 10. Jack M. Hollander, Harvey Brooks, David Sternlight, editors, viii + 711 pages. Annual Reviews, 4139 El Camino Way, Palo Alto, Calif. 943069981. 1985. $56.
Characterization and Measurement of Flavor Compounds. ACS Symposium Series 289. Donald D. Bills, Cynthia J. Mussinan, editors, viii + 183 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1985. $42.95.
Annual Review of Physical Chemistry. Vol. 36. B. Seymour Rabinovitch, J. Michael Schurr, Herbert L. Strauss, editors, x + 634 pages. Annual Reviews, 4139 El Camino Way, Palo Alto, Calif. 94306-9981. 1985. $28.
Chemistry of Coal Conversion. Richard H. Scholsberg, editor, xi + 336 pages. Plenum Press, 233 Spring St., New York, N.Y. 10013. 1985. $52.50.
The Assessment and Control of Major Hazards. Institution of Chemical Engineers, vi +
Computer Aided Chemical Technodynamics of Gases and Liquids: Theory, Models,
and Programs. Paul Benedek, Francis Olti. xxvii + 731 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $85. Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Technology and Systems. Ulrich Rembold, Christian Blume, Ruediger Dillmann. x + 790 pages. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $79.75. Corrosion Data Survey on Tantalum. 2nd Ed. Mortimer Schussler, Charles Pokross. xii + 156 pages. Fansteel Inc., 1 Tantalum PL, North Chicago, 111. 60064. 1985. $19.50. Costs for Hazardous Waste Incineration — Capital, Operation and Maintenance, Retrofit. R. J. McCormick et al. xx + 274 pages. Noyes Publications, Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1985. $39.
Fabric Filtration for Combustion Sources: Fundamentals and Basic Technology. R. P. Donovan, xii -I- 426 pages. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $75. Formaldehyde: Analytical Chemistry and Toxicology. Advances in Chemistry Series 210. Victor Turoski, editor, xiii -I- 393 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1985. $89.95. General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications. 4th Ed. Ralph H. Petrucci. xviii + 131 pages. Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10022. 1985. $30. Goodman and Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 7th Ed. Alfred Goodman Gilman et al. xvi + 1839 pages. Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10022. 1985. $65.
Crystal Structure Analysis. 2nd Ed. Jenney Pickworth Glusker, Kenneth N. Trueblood. xvii + 269 pages. Oxford University Press, 200 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $37.50.
Handbook of Energy Systems Engineering. Leslie C. Wilbur, editor, xiii + 1775 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $74.95.
Desorption Mass Spectrometry: Are SIMS and FAB the Same? ACS Symposium Series 291. Philip A. Lyon, editor, viii + 248 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1985. $44.95.
Handbook of Quality Assurance for the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory. James P. Dux. xiii + 123 pages. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 115 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1985. $24.50.
A Dictionary of Genetic Engineering. Stephen G. Oliver, John M. Ward, v + 153 pages. Cambridge University Press, 32 East 57th St., New York, N.Y. 10022. 1985. $19.95.
Homogeneous Catalysis with Compounds of Rhodium and Iridium. Ronald S. Dickson, xv + 278 pages. Kluwer Academic Publishers Group, 190 Old Derby St., Hingham, Mass. 02043. 1985. $44.50.
Drying '85. Ryozo Toei, Arun S. Mujumdar, editors, xviii + 547 pages. Hemisphere Publishing Corp., 79 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $79.95. Economic Methods for Multipollutant Analysis and Evaluation. William D. Baasel. xi + 339 pages. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $65. The Electronic Laboratory: Tutorials and Case Histories in Laboratory Automation. Raymond E. Dessy. 156 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1985. $29.95. Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering. Vol. 3, 2nd Ed. Herman F. Mark et al. xxiv + 820 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $200. Environmental Applications of Chemometrics. ACS Symposium Series 292. Joseph J. Breen, Philip E. Robinson, editors, x + 286 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1985. $54.95.
American Men and Women of Science Data is b e i n g gathered for an updated edition of American M e n and W o m e n of Science: Physical and Biological Sciences. This biographical directory of living North American scientists will profile some 130,000 scientists representing all the physical and biological fields, as w e l l as e n g i n e e r i n g , mathematics, and computer science. Scientists w h o have not been previously listed in American M e n and W o m en of Science, but w i s h to be considered for inclusion, s h o u l d contact R. R. Bowker Co., 205 East 42nd St., N e w York, N.Y. 10017, Tel. (212) 916-1600. All submissions will be r e v i e w e d to ensure prospective entrants meet eligibility requirements. There is no charge for inclusion. Interested persons desiring general information regarding receipt of forms for inclusion for either n e w entrants or previously listed entrants in the updated revision can obtain this by calling 1800-824-2470. The deadline for submitting material is Feb. 1.
The Human Role in Space: Technology, Economics, and Optimization. Stephen B. Hall, editor, xiv + 386 pages. Noyes Publications, Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1985. $45. Identifying and Reducing Losses in Water Distribution Systems. James W. Male, Richard R. Noss, I. Christina Moore, x -I- 156 pages. Noyes Publications, Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1985. $32. Industrial Synthetic Resins Handbook. Ernest W. Flick, xxii + 388 pages. Noyes Publications, Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1985. $54. The Industrial Uses of Tin Chemicals. S. J. Blunden, P. A. Cusack, R. Hill, ix + 337 pages. Royal Society of Chemistry, Distribution Centre, Blackhorse Rd., Letchworth, Herts., SG6 1HN, England. 1985. $38. Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 23. Stanley Kirschner, editor, xxii + 257 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1985. $39.95.
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