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Prof. Barry Sears started out as a young researcher studying phospholipids and he quickly discovered several of the major barriers that block effective new treatments from reaching the market. For example his first area of research was on phospholipids which occur in nature- and therefore are not patentable. This means that the fact that these substances can completely unclog arteries has no interest for the major drug companies that need patentable products to make a profit. So Prof. Sears focused on changing the chemistry of phospholipids slightly to make them patentable. He moved from there to research that brought him many of the major patents for cancer delivery drugs and on to the "molecular glue" of the hormonal system: eicosanoids. In his search for hormonal balance, Prof. Sears wanted to find out how to induce the cells of the body to produce the proper quantities of eicosanoids, and he focused on using food to manipulate that balance. |
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Often people will focus on reaching physical health through the use of drugs- and ignore the most powerful drug that we have- food. Everything that you eat has an effect on the health of the body. When athletes try and reach their peak performance- a level of performance called the zone- they are trying to achieve perfect biological functioning. This book is all about trying to use diet and food to improve biological functioning. |
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Prof. Barry makes the mental shift from thinking of food as a source of calories, and instead focuses on it as a means for controlling the body's hormones. He invites us to think of food as a hormonal ATM card that will determine how much energy your body will have in the next five or six hours. |
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Prof. Barry's discussion of the way food intake influences the body's hormonal system is certain to revolutionize the understanding of nutrition in America. While some of his ideas are controversial- like eat more protein and fat, and less carbohydrates, his basic philosophy is sound. The foods you eat do influence the hormone levels in your body, and subsequently determine how you think and feel during the day. This book is must reading for anyone who is interested in integrating nutritional understanding with modern medicine. |
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