The Encyclopedia of Nutrition & Good Health

Some 2,500 entries on nutrition and maintaining a healthy diet are presented in this reference for general readers and students. Coverage includes vitamins and fats, the benefits and dangers of various foods, diseases related to nutrition, and the link between certain foods and cancer. This edition contains about 30% new material, reflecting the latest work in the field and revised government guidelines, and includes new appendices. Ronzio holds an honorary doctor of naturopathic medicine degree from Bastyr University.

Clear, concise, and accurate are adjectives that describe this encyclopedia, which simplifies and demystifies sustenance and the body. Some of the "inevitable" consequences of aging--arthritis, senility, diabetes, and obesity--have now been linked to inadequate diet, and this resource will allow individuals to take greater responsibility for their own health.

Ronzio, a biochemist with 30 years of experience, identifies and describes individual nutrients, major and minor foods, bodily functions, herbs and their associated health benefits, food labels and technology, food values, and food-related conditions. A number of entries contain information that can be hard to find. Eating Patterns, for example, gives the latest statistics regarding the annual consumption of chicken, milk, vegetables, and other dietary staples. Fat, hidden includes charts on the fat content of such fast-food favorites as a Burger King Whopper and a Wendy's Big Bacon Classic. Entries are arranged alphabetically and are extensively cross-referenced. Some entries are followed by up-to-date references, primarily citations to articles in medical journals.

In his introduction, Ronzio calls his book a "nutrition translator" and a "stepping-stone on your path to wellness," preparing readers for the twenty-first century. Libraries may already own a number of other similar guides, including the Nutrition Bible [RBB Ja 1 & 15 96], PDR Family Guide to Nutrition and Health [RBB Ja 1 & 15 96], and Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition [RBB Ja 1 94]. However, information in this area changes rapidly, and librarians need to be vigilant about adding new titles and weeding out-of-date titles. This book is recommended as a current source for reference and personal libraries.