The Optimal Health Revolution

Book excerpt: Cutting-edge science is coming to a startling realization. The bulk of our most lethal diseases have a common underlying cause: persistent inflammation, an over-active reaction of our natural immune system function resulting in cell and tissue destruction. This persistent inflammation is triggered by our industrial lifestyles, including exposure to chemicals, synthetic food ingredients, pollution and processed foods. "Researchers are linking inflammation to an ever-wider array of chronic illnesses," reports Newsweek's Anne Underwood. "Suddenly medical puzzles seem to be fitting together, such as why hypertension puts patients at increased risk of Alzheimer's, or why rheumatoid-arthritis sufferers have higher rates of sudden cardiac death. They're all connected on some fundamental level." But inflammation, and the risks of chronic diseases it brings, can be managed. Lifestyle and nutritional change is part of the answer. But the other part of the answer lies with ground-breaking information from the newest field of science—nutrigenomics. Nutrigenomics is the science of how your genes interact with nutrients. It is the study of how DNA and the genetic code affect a person's need for certain nutrients and help maintain optimal health throughout life. The Optimal Health Revolution combines leading-edge science — including 600 scientific references — with an easy to read, conversational writing style that make this critical information accessible to every reader. Relevant to both the researcher and medical doctor interested in the latest science and the casual reader looking to improve his or her health, The Optimal Health Revolution makes a critical contribution to our understanding of health.