This book started in 1983 as my private notes. I had become interested in
nutrition and was reading every book I could find on the subject. I started
making notes of nutritional data that I could reference. It soon became clear
that most of the books were mere pep-talks. While these books convinced the
reader of the need for adequate nutrition, they gave little data that could be
used. Most books gave only a few symptoms of deficiency for each nutrient,
and often these symptoms were so vague that they provided little evidence of
actual need. More startling, was the fact that most books failed to describe
the toxicity symptoms. After convincing the reader that more of certain
nutrients were required, the books gave no hint about how to detect an
excessive intake of these nutrients. Also lacking were adequate warnings
about nutrients that can be harmful under certain conditions, the
combinational ratios required by certain sets of nutrients, and alternate
names by which nutrients may be known.
I found most books to be incomplete. Some would refer only to nutrients
regulated by the FDA. Others would refer only to nutrients that could be
purchased in most health food stores. Some would ignore controversial
nutrients as if they did not exist, while others imply universal acceptance
without mention of the controversy.
As I set out to find a complete reference book that would provide the
information that I needed, I found few nutrition books that were actual
references. Most were either textbooks, with very introductory material, or
case histories with very little data attached. Such books were not set up for
reference. It became tedious to search through various volumes to find a
reference hidden in the text.
I finally decided to expand my notes into a full reference handbook of
nutrients, a volume in which one might easily look up specific facts. It is
not the kind of book that one would read cover to cover, nor is it an
introductory text to the subject of nutrition. Instead, it is intended to be a
book to be kept on the desk of anyone actively working with nutrition. It is
not intended to be used by those without proper nutritional training. It is
dangerous to diagnose disease or to prescribe specific nutrients without proper
understanding of how nutrition works. This handbook does not impart that
knowledge.
For the knowledgeable practitioner, this handbook is intended to be a single
point of reference. It is to be used to survey information about a particular
nutrient, to verify symptoms of deficiency or toxicity, and to find food
sources containing a desired nutrient. The practitioner will find quick and
easy access to facts and information without having to search through
explanatory text.
Harvey Newstrom