Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill

"This is a very good book, which is clearly thoroughly researched and contains a lot of fascinating information. It gives you the science behind all the "magazine diet" info on fats. The book goes into the biochemistry, how fats are produced, history (including how the corrupt food giants misguided the public about certain fats and oils), fats in your food and how they affect your body or can lead to disorders.
There are quite a lot of grammatical errors, but I was willing to overlook them because the information is presented in an easy to understand way. The most interesting aspects were about the oil manufacturers (another example of how industry created urban myths to boost their sales) cholesterol theory and the most nutritious oils available for consumption: hemp seed and oil flax seed oil. I would have liked more detail on the therapeutic use of fats, for example how much of what type of oil for how long to see a difference etc. But clearly more research needs to be done, especially into the therapeutic benefits of hemp and flax."
~ Written on 2007-03-07

"Udo Erasmus spent 6 years researching the nutritional and industry literature to properly understand the effects of oils and fats on human health. Udo's book presents these findings in clear English, so allowing all of us to understand what the scientists and nutritionalists have been discovring but but not telling anyone!

Udo writes that oil and fats have a profound effect on health, with highly processed oils, such as those commonly found on the Supermarket shelf, being highly detrimental - leading to long term degenerative diseases. Udo also explains that two oils are essential (i.e. humans cannot manufacture them they have to be taken in as part of a healthy diet), these being Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils. When the body has enough of these (an essential oil mix of a least a tablespoon a day or equivilent in crushed seeds or oily fish)there are a whole number of good things which allow the body to function properly and healthily.

Udo presents a well rounded picture by including the role of vitamins and minerals in helping essential oils to do their good work. If you know someone who suffers a degenerative disease and wants to get back to full health, this book provides useful guidance on appropriate and drug free diets and (vitamin / mineral)suppliments.

Udo is perhaps at his most entertaining when he damns the Medical profession for being being uneducated in the realms of health (they are educated in the realms of disease), and their propensity to dish out drugs which deal with symptoms instead of using nutrition to deal with the cause.

The edible oil industry gets a scathing review, as they seem intent on pumping out millions of gallons of nutritionally questionable fats and oils, knowing that their manufacturing processes damage the product.

At his most profound level, Udo discusses the effects of poor nutrition leading to criminal behaviour, uncontrollable children, moods and poor temperament. When the diet of these disturbed people is re-orientated towards being balanced and healthy, including in particular the provision of Omega 3 oils, their behaviour transforms away from their previous antisocial activity. One wonders at the benefits of transforming school and prison kitchens to centers of healthy food to help create healthy and well adjusted people - read the book if you think this too far fetched.

If there is one thing which is suprising, if not shocking about the Udo's book, it was published in its current updated form in 1993. Shocking becuase all the issues of big edible oil business, ignorant Doctors, chronic disease and people behaviour problems are as relivant today (if not more so) than in late 80's and early 90's when the book was being put together. This is a book politicians should be forced to read, so as to better help the populations who voted them into power.

Udo's book is an excellent read. For those of you serious about good nutrition and excellent health, then a good companion book is 'The Optimum Nutrition Bible' by Patrick Holford. Patrick covers Vitamins and Minerals and their relationship to health in more detail than Udo, but both books work well together.

Foot Note: Udo got fed up of poor oils on offer and set up with an edible oil manufacturer. Look out for 'Udo's Choice' oil in good health food shops. Its expensive but worth it. Use your coffee grinder to mill the seeds that Udo mentions and sprinkle this on your breakfast cereal (preferably non wheat) to have a really healthy start to the day. Here's to Good Health!"
~ Written on 2001-04-24

"I work halftime as a teacher in chemistry. In the other halftime I am a researcher and I am trying to understand in what way experiments contribute to student's learning. I am also extremely interested in finding the areas within chemistry that makes students really interested. I have found that for example cosmeics and food chemistry are such areas. This book is a goldmine. I attended a course in applied lipids in may and now I have found all the facts about omega3 and omega6, about gammalinolenic acid and which oils are good to eat. I changed my own diet and make an oil mixture that does all the difference - it gave me a lot of energy. My husband suffers from diabetes and heart trouble and this book gives us a lot of help with his diet. Thank you so much Udo Erasmus, you did an excellent work doing all the research and the book is so well written!"
~ Written on 2000-07-07

"When I first saw this book, I thought food was essentially carbohydrates, protein and fats, plus of course minerals and vitamins. My "knowledge" of fats was "avoid them!" plus "eat cod liver oil for omega-3". So why anyone would bother with a whole book on the subject was beyond me.

Yet, one idle day I opened the book in the bookstore, and behold - by the time it had left my hands I had somehow gone through the cash registry, paid for it, gone home, and had put it on the bedside table.

This book explains deep dietary issues in a straightforward manner. After reading it, you feel you KNOW how different factors in the diet work. You will not only know what to eat and what to avoid, but also why you are doing so, and which replacements you can use if some items are temporarily or permanently unavailable. Most of all - you will know how to eat healthy, to minimize risks of cancer, heart disease and other diseases down to dry skin. Read it!"
~ Written on 1999-12-29