4 out of 4 stars
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Official Review: HEALTH TIPS, MYTHS, AND TRICKS: A Physician’s Advice: Health information to liberate us from “Snake Oil” by Morton E. Tavel, MD
Dr. Morton Tavel’s book Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a lengthy book that examines a wide variety of health issues that are controversial in nature and gives a definitive answer to its effectiveness. Dr. Tavel is a retired physician specializing in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease as well as a retired professor at Indiana University School of Medicine. He wrote a previous book titled Snake Oil is Alive and Well. The Clash between Myths and Reality: Reflections of a Physician that also examined widespread misinformation that was being given to the public as medical facts. This book expands upon that belief by also examining where the myth came from and how the scientific community has come to process such claims.
The book is broken down in to 62 chapters with each chapter examining one issue. The first third of the book looks at Health Tips. The issues range in variety from chiropractic care, weight loss, benefits of cranberry juice, artificial sweeteners, and pain killers. The second part is examining myths. This section looked at a myriad of issues from gluten-free foods, the use of bottled water, stretching before exercise, probiotics, GMO and organic foods, even using paper towels vs. blow drying your hands. Finally, the third part of the book looks at tricks advertisers and drug companies use to make you feel you need their product. Each chapter provided an example of controversial issues such as weight loss supplements, alkaline water, human growth hormone, and detoxifying cleanses. There were also chapters that examined the type of deceit (i.e. professional athletes peddling supplements).
The basic formula is the issue is presented, research citing various viewpoints are given, and then Dr. Tavel weighs in with his professional opinion. Dr. Tavel offers seemingly sound advice. He examines a wide range of literature and couples this with his own medical background to formulate his opinion on an issue. Dr. Tavel often mentions name brands of products he is discussing and specific treatment and drugs which is refreshing. He also spells out how the public has been duped into believing we cannot live without a certain item despite the fact there is little scientific evidence that the item actually helps us. He examines the power of advertising and how that has driven sales and our beliefs that we must have the newest fad.
It is interesting to see a physician’s take on such a wide variety of issues. There are themes that run across the book. Fat, sodium, and sugar is bad for your body and exercise and proper eating habits are good.
For a nonfiction health book, the advice contained is surprisingly entertaining. I have already pulled out some of the myths Dr. Tavel has examined and used as a dinner conversation starter. Who doesn’t want to have a discussion on the virtues of a polygraph test (spoiler alert: Dr. Tavel is not a fan), is airline travel safe (for the most part), are TV doctors legit (not many of Dr. Oz’s claims according to Dr. Tavel), and the latest cleanse fad (don’t bother says Dr. Tavel).
Despite the entertainment value, there is also a lot of good old fashioned advice on what to eat, how much to sleep and exercise, and general tips on living a healthy life that is practical and makes a lot of sense. The only drawback on a book like this is that it relies heavily on research studies. New studies, trials, and information may come out that could change Dr. Tavel’s opinion on matters and I would hope that he plans on updating the book with new editions if this is the case.
Overall, I give Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks 4 out of 4 stars and would recommend to everyone. The book contains useful information on a variety of subjects. It is easy for a layperson to understand. This is the type of book you not only discuss with your friends and family, but also refer back to periodically.
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Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
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