Page 62 - Fall2012

All Thumbs Book Reviews

The Starch Solution scratching my head (maybe I should scratch my
by John A. McDougall, MD armpit) and here’s why. We have “mapped the
and Mary McDougall human genome” which seems to lead people
Rodale Books 2012 to believe we have it all figured out. This is not
even remotely true, which makes any sweeping
Starch is the key to optimum health accord- claims based on DNA analysis shaky at best. The
ing to Dr. McDougall. Eat a starch-based diet gene-coding DNA usually referred to in these
and eschew animal products and you, too, can comparisons is only a very small percentage of
be healthy. He admits that his MD degree gave total DNA. For many years that other DNA was
him no help in the field of nutrition (and he does referred to as junk DNA until science changed its
need help). I don’t know if McDougall came up mind (again) and decided it is not junk but plays
with this starch idea himself, but he also doesn't a very important role. When you take all of that
claim to be the first to buy into this theory. He DNA into consideration, it turns out we are not
points to a lot of purported evidence to support just hairless chimps.
such an assertion. Slippery phrases like “experts agree” and
Literally from page one of The Starch Solu- “there is no disagreement about this whatso-
tion McDougall points to the Chinese as proof ever among scientists” appear and I still can’t
of the supremacy of a starch-based diet, and resist reacting to that. Never in history have all
already I’m scratching my head. The Chinese the experts really agreed on anything. Even if
are not generally vegan and not exceptionally McDougall meant that the majority of experts
healthy. From there we tour the globe from the agree, more often than not that just means col-
perspective of ancient times to those more re- lusion or some powerful corporation has flooded
cent. McDougall recognizes the belief that the the literature with pseudo-science in order to sell
European Paleolithic diet consisted mainly of something.
animal foods but points to traces of grains found Chapter Three tells us about the five major
on grinding tools from that time period to argue poisons found in animal foods. This is where it
with that point of view. How that proves anything really gets good. The five villains are methionine,
about animal foods in their diet leaves me still protein, fats, cholesterol, and dietary acid found
We have scratching my head. in pretty much all animal foods. The essential
Later on, he cherry-picks some data from amino acid methionine, found in meat, fish, eggs,
"mapped the Africa about the Bantu to support starchy vegan cheese, etc., is a toxin? Among other things, this
human diets. According to Weston Price, who actually essential amino acid stands accused of causing
genome" went to Africa, the Bantu were not as rugged as foul-smelling gas and stools. Okay, if you sound

which leads the neighboring Masai, who are decidedly not like you’re playing a tuba underwater in the
vegetarian. Tribes who ate animal foods clearly bathroom and smell even worse, you may well
people to dominated tribes who didn’t and took their lunch have a problem but I don’t think methionine is
believe we money to boot. Many African tribes including likely to be your biggest culprit.
have it all those who didn’t eat a lot of animal foods did eat Dr. McDougall’s claims get more question-
bugs and were not quite as vegan as some would able from there but he does provide at least some
figured out have us believe. references so before I go on I want to review the
when this is Right after we finish our world tour, we basic principle I use to sort this out. This book
not even are told that our DNA proves that we are starch amply demonstrates that you can find studies on
eaters. This claim is based on the similarity Medline, the Internet, and whatever else to back
remotely true. between human and chimpanzee DNA. I’m still up veganism, or the Atkins diet, or anything in

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