Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill: The Complete Guide to Fats, Oils, Cholesterol and Human Health [Hardcover]

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!

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!