Sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium are the primary electrolytes that regulate and preserve the health of body systems. Since those electrolytes come from our food as nutrient minerals, diet is the key mediator of electrolyte balance for the body. In this important, well-researched book, W Rex Hawkins MD presents persuasive evidence that the standard American diet does not provide an appropriate balance of electrolytes. The consequences are serious health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, kidney stones, Crohn's disease, and more. With a clear, straightforward style Dr Hawkins reviews the nutritional research that documents the harmful effects of excessive sodium usage and of potassium, magnesium, and calcium neglect. He castigates our two-trillion-dollar food industry for the deliberate and well-camouflaged addition of sodium to foods and for their neglect of low-sodium alternatives. Writing from the perspective of a chemical engineer and vitreal-retinal ophthalmic specialist, Dr Hawkins helps the reader sort out the conflicting claims of fad diets such as that of Atkins and Suzanne Somers vs traditional food-pyramid recommendations. Full of essential information not readily available elsewhere, "Eat Right - Electrolyte" gives the consumer the knowledge to choose foods wisely and obtain optimal health by focusing on electrolyte content.
W. Rex Hawkins, M.D., in private practice with Retina Vitreous Associates, is an active staff surgeon at Methodist and Park Plaza Hospitals in Houston and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Retina Society.
""This book helps to set the record straight about minerals and their affect on health, an important yet frequently overlooked part of well-being." -The Plain Dealer(Cleveland, OH) "Dr. Hawkins's book will convince Americans to cut back on processed foods loaded with salt and eat more natural foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that can restore a proper electrolyte balance in the body and go a long way toward reversing many of the most common health problems that plague so many Americans today." James J. Kenney, Ph.D., R.D., F.A.C.N. Nutrition Research Specialist, Pritikin Longevity Center "[P]rovides an accurate summary of important scientific studies and their impact on reversing illnesses that may be diet-related." Neal D. Barnard, M.D. President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine "Hawkins fairly reviews and presents the accumulated scientific evidence showing that high-salt diets increase blood pressure and that diets high in salt, high in protein, and low in fruits and vegetables increase urinary calcium excretion rates and cause calcium losses from bone, thus contributing to the formation of calcium-containing kidney stones and to osteoporosis. He also points out the lack of critical data to support the benefit of various currently popular diets." Jacob Lemann Jr., M.D. Clinical Professor of Medicine, Nephrology, Tulane University
