Insane in the Grain Brain

My library hold finally came in! No way was I paying to read Grain Brain. I like to financially support quacks as little as possible.

First thought: Including a quote from Dr. Oz on the front cover of your book does little for your credibility.

Second thought: I really like the font used for the Contents page.

Introduction: “I’m also a founding member and fellow of the American Board of Integrative and Holistic Medicine.” Cue alarm bells! He said the “H-word”! I promptly googled the organization to learn more. Hmm… While I like the general notion of treating the patient as a whole I’m not sure about this principle: “Integrative holistic physicians strive to relate to patients with grace, kindness and acceptance, emanating from the attitude of unconditional love as life’s most powerful healer.” Love as the most powerful healer?? Call me crazy but I’m not going to my doc for love to heal me when I have an injury or infection. For more about the ABIH check out this post on Science-Based Medicine. Which confirms my fear that this certification has essentially zero meaning. Okay… So the author, David Perlmutter, is the founder of a quack organization. Still, just for fun, I’ll keep reading and see what his “proof” regarding the toxicity of grains is.

Modern wheat is not the same as the wheat of our ancestors. Yeah, yeah. We’ve heard this all before.

“Why is precious little information made available about how we can keep our brains healthy and stave off brain diseases?” I do like this question. Also, I suspect the answer is the same for the brain as for other organs: get plenty of exercise, avoid being sedentary, cook for yourself, and eat more veg. Oh, wait. Not according to Perlmutter, “it’s pointless to consume antioxidants.”Forget the veg, apparently we should all be eating more fat and cholesterol.