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  • Metabolical

  • The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine
  • Written by: Robert H. Lustig
  • Narrated by: Charles Constant
  • Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (102 ratings)

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Metabolical

Written by: Robert H. Lustig
Narrated by: Charles Constant
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Publisher's Summary

The New York Times best-selling author of Fat Chance explains the eight pathologies that underlie all chronic disease, documents how processed food has impacted them to ruin our health, economy, and environment over the past 50 years, and proposes an urgent manifesto and strategy to cure both us and the planet.

Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric neuroendocrinologist who has long been on the cutting edge of medicine and science, challenges our current healthcare paradigm which has gone off the rails under the influence of Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Government.

You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know what the problem is. One of Lustig’s singular gifts as a communicator is his ability to “connect the dots” for the general listener, in order to unpack the scientific data and concepts behind his arguments, as he tells the “real story of food” and “the story of real food”. 

Metabolical weaves the interconnected strands of nutrition, health/disease, medicine, environment, and society into a completely new fabric by proving on a scientific basis a series of iconoclastic revelations, among them: 

  • Medicine for chronic disease treats symptoms, not the disease itself
  • You can diagnose your own biochemical profile 
  • Chronic diseases are not "druggable," but they are "foodable" 
  • Processed food isn’t just toxic, it’s addictive
  • The war between vegan and keto is a false war - the combatants are on the same side
  • Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Government are on the other side

Making the case that food is the only lever we have to effect biochemical change to improve our health, Lustig explains what to eat based on two novel criteria: protect the liver, and feed the gut. He insists that if we do not fix our food and change the way we eat, we will continue to court chronic disease, bankrupt healthcare, and threaten the planet. But there is hope: this book explains what’s needed to fix all three.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

©2021 Robert H. Lustig (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Metabolical

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Very informative

Very good book & very informative.
And the narrator was easy to listen to.
Would highly recommend.

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Ground breaking

This book was so good that I had to buy the hardcover version. The chapters are short and digestible and appropriately named. The content is informative and evidence based. What we call food is a racket and he breaks it down chapter by chapter.

My only qualm is the meat chapter was not detailed enough. It didn’t contain enough detail on the research on how good meat is for humans, as per the book sacred cow by Robb wolf and Diana Rodgers.

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  • Mac
  • 2022-05-03

Knowledge is Power

If I only retained 1% of all the information that was in this audiobook - it’s still more than enough to begin making better decisions regarding individual health and nutrition.
Thank You Robert Lustig for your hard work in researching and writing this book.
An Educational listen.

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Exciting and Refreshing

A wonderful book. I really appreciated the brutal honesty. My only criticism is that the content was sometimes a little bit too complex. If you're knowledgeable in medical or biological language then you'll have no problem.

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Best book ever ever

Everyone should listen or read this book. Highly educational and entertaining. Loved it so much.

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  • Ali
  • 2023-07-03

eye-opening

Very informative!
I wish my parents had this information when we were growing up.

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Current and fascinating

Loved that the book is from 2021 and is relevant to what’s going on now in our society. Some of the topics and science pieces were a little over my head but overall, it was good. I don’t know if I could have read this book. Prefer to listen. The author is well versed on nutrition, health, big food, big pharma and big soda.

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lots to learn

To political was hoping for more things I can do to improve my health. well narrator.

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The Truth is in the "pudding"!

the Narrator was real, believable and Honest. Scary truth about the food / pharma industries.

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Adding this one to my top five book recommendations

So much information and actionable advise. Everyone should have this as required reading to support a long and healthy life and reduce burdens on our health care systems.

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