I was also irked by his too-common slip-ups in seemingly basic biochemistry and toxicology. I understand his thesis that free radicals are one of the primary contributors to disease, but he tries to extend this theory to situations in which free radicals pale in comparison to other carcinogens in terms of their disease-promoting potential. For example, ciagrette smoke contains a group of scientifcally-proven very potent carcinogens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, that he neglects entirely in explaining smoke's toxicity. Of course, he says that cigarette smoke is carcinogenic because of its radical producing chemicals, which he chooses not to name.

In addition, he mistakenly says that alpha lipoic acid is an amino acid that is an integral part of an antioxidant enzyme, when in fact alpha lipoic acid is a lipid (and antioxidant itself). Lastly, I was concerned with his suggestion that people take oral supplements of antioxidant enzymes to render free radicals harmless, as the HCl and proteases of our stomach and small intestine would surely destory any activity of these "enzymes" before they can can catalyze the intended reaction.

There are many claims throughout the book that are not backed by any scientific data, the majority of which I cannot argue against due to my incomplete knowledge of the subject. However, the fact that on several instances I found his science not only un-referenced, but also wrong, stopped me from finishing the book. I might as well have read the back of a cereal box, on which marketers attempt to persuade kids why vitamins are good for them (and henceforth their product).

For a more holistic and factual review of good nutrition, try "Diet for a New America" by John Robbins.

6 of 6 found the following review helpful:


I LOVE THE TOPIC AND GENERALLY ENJOY READING BOOKS IN THIS GENRE: THIS BOOK IS THE EXCEPTION  Jul 26, 2007 By Heather L. Parisi "Robert and Heather Parisi"
IN A NUTSHELL: WRITTEN IN A DUMBED-DOWN CONDESCENDING MANNER WITHOUT MUCH SUBSTANCE

Since the Author of this book is an M.D. I was rather shocked and disappointed with his style of writing which included making numerous unsubstantiated claims mixed in with very insulting and distracting humor. An earlier reviewer compared the text of this book with "reading the back of a cereal box" and sadly I must agree.

Also, the author has an annoying habit of quoting many other writers in the field, most often Dr. Michael Murray, which tended to reinforce my notion that one should be reading a different book on this very important and worthwhile topic.

There are obvious errors and ommisions within the text, the worst which is the author's constant compulsion for not referencing the results of the numerous studies that have been conducted and which do demonstrate the importance of anti-oxidants in our daily diets. Instead, he simply makes statements without any referencing. Somehow everything within this book is distilled down to anti-oxidants vs. free radicals which is an obvious oversimplification.

17 of 21 found the following review helpful:


Yep - Balch is right on target, again!  Aug 04, 2000
I couldn't agree more with the focus of Balch's book on Anti-Oxidants! We can no longer expect our food to contain enough of those wonderful supplements necessary for our bodies to sustain/prolong life in these stressful/toxic times. YES we need to eat well - cut out that fast food - to keep our everyday focus on being healthy, but unfortunately that isn't enough. If this book isn't enough to convince you (which I believe it is) access a site, PapaNature, and research further their documentation on anti-oxidants. They offer the same combinations as Balch recommends to his readership.

16 of 24 found the following review helpful:


This Book is Worth a Read  Dec 12, 1999 By Ralph E. Nordstrom "Papabear94"
This is an exciting book. Packer reviews the research on antioxicants, not only from his own lab at the University of California, Berkely, but also from labs around the world. He not only quotes research results in vitro and on mice but he also quotes such human studies as are available. Packer is enthusiastic about the effects antioxidants can have on improving health and increasing ones life. He freely speculates about discoveries he expects will be found in future research but he is careful to state them as such. I'd skip to the last part on implementing the Packer plan and put that into action, then return to the beginning of the book and read up on all the research.


great resource  Feb 09, 2010 By J. Dorfman "J. Dorfman fishdoc"
Have read a lot of books on nutrition and health in recent years( have diabetes and had two blood clots in my right leg) and I found this book to be excellent for a few reasons. One was the way the information is presented- all of the major antioxidants are discussed as well as many of the less well-known. For each there is a brief but informative summary as well as 3-5 pages of detailed information regarding things like exactly what the antioxidant does in the body, its chemistry, cited studies, exactly what dosage is optimal, what other supplements or antioxidants are necessary for it to be absorbed properly and tons of other useful things to consider before taking it. The book is straightforward and to the point, and does not require you to be an expert or scientist to read and understand it. I read the entire book in about three days and highly recommend it if you have any medical condition and are interested in what you can buy and take to improve your condition, or just looking for ways to stay healthy. After reading this book, you will realize that it is impossible for your body to get all it needs from the food you eat.

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