FOODS THAT FIGHT PAIN

by Neal Barnard (Bantam Books £7.99)

This book describes how various foods and nutrients can relieve pain, ease a variety of medical conditions and promote health. It has chapters covering: circulation, inflammatory pain, hormone-related conditions, metabolic and immune problems and activity and rest. It also contains menu plans and recipe ideas.

The main aim of the book is to describe which foods and nutrients can help alleviate pain and how they work. Generally, these foods are meant to reinforce the work of conventional medical treatment.

The book is aimed at the lay person and covers a wide variety of acute and chronic conditions. It is ‘easy-reading’ with some very clear explanations of medical conditions. It does not have to be read in one sitting and is well cross-referenced to other chapters when appropriate.

It fulfills its aim well in describing which foods can help to relieve pain. However, anyone looking for a quick fix will be sorely disappointed. The dietary advice given for most of the conditions would require most people to make massive changes to how they cook and eat. The emphasis tends to be on avoiding all animal products in the diet, and although this can result in a perfectly adequate diet, it is not necessarily suitable for everyone.

This book makes an interesting read, and as the author points out, its ideas might work for some people and not others. It is quite balanced in its approach of advocating dietary treatment alongside medical treatment, and tends to promote real foods rather than supplement pills.

However, the dietary advice it encourages would need to be considered very carefully to ensure the resulting eating pattern is nutritionally balanced. For the majority of people, the advice it gives is impractical and ignores the potential benefits that small changes to the diet can have on health.


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