The truths of dietary regimes told by a geneticist

As a British genetic epidemiology professor, the author is regarded as one of the top one percent scientists whose theses are often cited across the globe. Regrettably, Dr. Tim Spector suffered a stroke while climbing to reach the summit of Bormio in Italy with an altitude of 3,100 meters above sea level. A healthy mid-aged man turned into a patient with a stroke just in two weeks. While taking his time to heal, he started to study regimens that can increase chances of recovery even with less medication. Then, the scientist found it shocking to discover a bunch of shams, which later led him to make a scientific analysis of diets.

Nineteen chapters of the book are divided according to nutrient type. Starting off with nutritional science, which deals with the basics of diets, “The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat” by Tim Spector points out groundless and unverified marketing schemes and pseudoscience of the food industry. The author is critical of “reductive thinking” that discourages essential nutrients merely for the sake of weight loss. He also reveals the lies behind marketing schemes, arguing that any kind of fresh vegetable or fruit is a superfood.

The book concludes that the focus should be on how nutritional ingredients in whole food and intestinal microbes interact in the human body from a holistic viewpoint. The author has promoted intestinal microorganisms via his publications, blog posts and media activities. Being acclaimed as “the great example of science journalism,” his book was selected among the Financial Times Books of the Year in 2015.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com