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The Cheese Trap: How Breaking a Surprising Addiction Will Help You Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Get Healthy
New York Times bestselling author Dr. Neal Barnard reveals the shocking truth about cheese-the dangerous addiction that is harming your health-and presents a radical program to lose weight and feel great. We've been told that dairy does a body good, but the truth is that cheese can be dangerous. Loaded with calories, fat, and cholesterol, cheese can make you gain weight and leads to a host of health problems like high blood pressure and arthritis. Worse, it contains mild opiates that make it additive, triggering the same brain receptors as heroin and morphine. In THE CHEESE TRAP, Dr. Neal Barnard presents a comprehensive program to help readers break free of their cheese addiction so they can lose weight, boost energy, and improve their overall health. This easy-to-follow diet features a treasury of healthy recipes that will tame even the toughest cravings-from pizza, to lasagna, to ice cream and cheesecake.
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First published January 1, 1992
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About the author
Neal D. Barnard
71 books406 followersNeal Barnard, MD, FACC, is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, and President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, hormonal symptoms, and chronic pain, including a groundbreaking study of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that paved the way for viewing type 2 diabetes as a potentially reversible condition for many patients. Dr. Barnard has authored more than 100 scientific publications and 20 books for medical and lay readers, and is the editor in chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians, a textbook made available to all U.S. medical students.
As president of the Physicians Committee, Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research. His research contributed to the acceptance of plant-based diets in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In 2016, he founded the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, as a model for making nutrition a routine part of all medical care.
Working with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American Medical Association, Dr. Barnard has authored key resolutions, now part of AMA policy, calling for a new focus on prevention and nutrition in federal policies and in medical practice. In 2018, he received the Medical Society of the District of Columbia’s Distinguished Service Award. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee.
His latest book is The Power Foods Diet: The Breakthrough Plan that Traps, Tames, and Burns Calories for Easy and Permanent Weight Loss. With more than 120 recipes and beautiful food photography, it shows the surprising ability that certain foods have to cause weight loss.
Dr. Barnard has led numerous research studies investigating the effects of diet on diabetes, body weight, hormonal symptoms, and chronic pain, including a groundbreaking study of dietary interventions in type 2 diabetes, funded by the National Institutes of Health, that paved the way for viewing type 2 diabetes as a potentially reversible condition for many patients. Dr. Barnard has authored more than 100 scientific publications and 20 books for medical and lay readers, and is the editor in chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians, a textbook made available to all U.S. medical students.
As president of the Physicians Committee, Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research. His research contributed to the acceptance of plant-based diets in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In 2015, he was named a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology. In 2016, he founded the Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, as a model for making nutrition a routine part of all medical care.
Working with the Medical Society of the District of Columbia and the American Medical Association, Dr. Barnard has authored key resolutions, now part of AMA policy, calling for a new focus on prevention and nutrition in federal policies and in medical practice. In 2018, he received the Medical Society of the District of Columbia’s Distinguished Service Award. He has hosted four PBS television programs on nutrition and health.
Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Barnard received his M.D. degree at the George Washington University School of Medicine and completed his residency at the same institution. He practiced at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York before returning to Washington to found the Physicians Committee.
His latest book is The Power Foods Diet: The Breakthrough Plan that Traps, Tames, and Burns Calories for Easy and Permanent Weight Loss. With more than 120 recipes and beautiful food photography, it shows the surprising ability that certain foods have to cause weight loss.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
May 10, 2019
Living in America's Dairyland, this title caught my eye. I wanted to read it, yet I didn't want to read it. I love cheese! Cheese makes everything better! Or so I deluded myself. I always knew cheese wasn't that healthy but now I know just how bad it is for me.
After reading this book, I must sadly cut back on my cheese consumption. I must. No more State Fair cheese curds, no more evening cheese and cracker snack, no extra cheese on my pizza. I don't think I'll completely give up cheese, but I will be more conscious of my cheese consumption and make changes to limit the amount I enjoy. I also plan to investigate the dairy free cheese options and maybe try a vegan recipe or two.
After reading this book, I must sadly cut back on my cheese consumption. I must. No more State Fair cheese curds, no more evening cheese and cracker snack, no extra cheese on my pizza. I don't think I'll completely give up cheese, but I will be more conscious of my cheese consumption and make changes to limit the amount I enjoy. I also plan to investigate the dairy free cheese options and maybe try a vegan recipe or two.
May 9, 2017
I loved it. But, two things...I have done my research and already know cheese is addictive and what it does to the brain. I also know what it does to my middle. And....I am a big fan of Neal Barnard since I participated in a diabetes summit online and heard him speak.
This book is straightforward and easy to read. Cheese has more calories than coke, more salt than potato chips and does ugly things to your waistline. Is cheese fattening? Remember, milk is nature's food for fattening a calf, and that means the cow packs a lot of calories into it. In ch. 1 the process of cheese making is explained and we see how it takes the calories in milk and concentrates them even more. Those calories come from fat. And fat calories are a problem.
" If you were to overindulge a bit on bread, your body still does not want to make fat. Rather, it stores excess glucose as glycogen-molecules that act like spare batteries in your muscles and liver. If you were to keep overeating carbohydrate-rich foods-more than you need for basic energy and more than you can store as glycogen-your body will eventually convert the sugar molecules from that unneeded carbohydrate into fat. But turning sugar into fat is not especially easy for the body to do. The process of turning sugar into fat uses up almost a quarter of its calories. So while it is possible for your body to turn bread or sugar into fat, it is not easy, and a lot of calories are lost in the process. It is much easier for your body to turn cheese fat or other fats into body fat."
"Fat can slow your metabolism. It gets worse. Not only does fat in foods get stored as body fat. It also packs into your muscle cells, and there, it can interfere with your metabolism."
I could go on awhile with the quotes but I won't. You just need to read this for yourself if you care about your health.
While I knew the downsides of eating diary, I was still having some of it until I began a whole foods plant based diet in Jan. 2017 to reverse type 2 diabetes and reduce inflammation because I have RA. I don't struggle with giving up cheese any longer...but, I really wanted to read this book to have the research available(and there is plenty!) and I am a big admirer of Barnard's work and his organization,( PCRM) Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
There are some great recipes included and I do highly recommend this book for anyone who is health conscious. Some chapters include:
A forward by Marilu Henner (which I loved!)
The Ultimate Processed Food
How Cheese Keeps You Hooked
Hidden Hormone Effects
Heart Disease, Diabetes, and the French Paradox
What the Animals Go Through (I had to skim this one...too painful for me)
The Industry Behind the Addiction
A Healthy Diet
All the Flavor, None of the Regrets
A great read I am thrilled to have in my kindle collection. Thank you Netgalley for a digital copy to read and I am happy to offer a 5 plus star review for the research alone.
This book is straightforward and easy to read. Cheese has more calories than coke, more salt than potato chips and does ugly things to your waistline. Is cheese fattening? Remember, milk is nature's food for fattening a calf, and that means the cow packs a lot of calories into it. In ch. 1 the process of cheese making is explained and we see how it takes the calories in milk and concentrates them even more. Those calories come from fat. And fat calories are a problem.
" If you were to overindulge a bit on bread, your body still does not want to make fat. Rather, it stores excess glucose as glycogen-molecules that act like spare batteries in your muscles and liver. If you were to keep overeating carbohydrate-rich foods-more than you need for basic energy and more than you can store as glycogen-your body will eventually convert the sugar molecules from that unneeded carbohydrate into fat. But turning sugar into fat is not especially easy for the body to do. The process of turning sugar into fat uses up almost a quarter of its calories. So while it is possible for your body to turn bread or sugar into fat, it is not easy, and a lot of calories are lost in the process. It is much easier for your body to turn cheese fat or other fats into body fat."
"Fat can slow your metabolism. It gets worse. Not only does fat in foods get stored as body fat. It also packs into your muscle cells, and there, it can interfere with your metabolism."
I could go on awhile with the quotes but I won't. You just need to read this for yourself if you care about your health.
While I knew the downsides of eating diary, I was still having some of it until I began a whole foods plant based diet in Jan. 2017 to reverse type 2 diabetes and reduce inflammation because I have RA. I don't struggle with giving up cheese any longer...but, I really wanted to read this book to have the research available(and there is plenty!) and I am a big admirer of Barnard's work and his organization,( PCRM) Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
There are some great recipes included and I do highly recommend this book for anyone who is health conscious. Some chapters include:
A forward by Marilu Henner (which I loved!)
The Ultimate Processed Food
How Cheese Keeps You Hooked
Hidden Hormone Effects
Heart Disease, Diabetes, and the French Paradox
What the Animals Go Through (I had to skim this one...too painful for me)
The Industry Behind the Addiction
A Healthy Diet
All the Flavor, None of the Regrets
A great read I am thrilled to have in my kindle collection. Thank you Netgalley for a digital copy to read and I am happy to offer a 5 plus star review for the research alone.
July 11, 2017
This is not a book about the surprising addiction of cheese. This is a book about going Vegan. I have no problem with going Vegan, or promoting Veganism, but that's not how this book is positioned. There are also some pretty wild claims in here, like going Vegan will prevent autism.
In general books on nutrition are pretty hard to evaluate, as you're more or less trusting that the author is accurately reporting on the peer-reviewed studies. This book basically says, look, I know everyone is saying that cholesterol and fats aren't as bad as advertised, but that's wrong, they're bad.
In general books on nutrition are pretty hard to evaluate, as you're more or less trusting that the author is accurately reporting on the peer-reviewed studies. This book basically says, look, I know everyone is saying that cholesterol and fats aren't as bad as advertised, but that's wrong, they're bad.
March 7, 2017
Ever feel that something is not quite right with your diet, but you don't know what? Two years ago, I adopted a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet in hopes that it would help my rheumatoid arthritis. (It did!) What surprised me was that ongoing stomach and digestive problems also disappeared. I thought having constant stomachaches was just a part of life—I hardly even noticed how terrible I felt all the time until they went away.
The culprit? Mostly dairy (I know because when I have it now, the pain comes back). I grew up being taught that dairy was good for me, essential even. I am glad to have learned the truth, and Barnard confronts everything that's bad about dairy—and especially cheese—in this book.
I must admit that when going WFPB, cheese was the hardest thing for me to give up. I still crave it. In this book, Barnard explains why it is so hard to leave behind. I found it comforting to know that I'm not the only one who has a hard time with it, and that there are actual reasons for it. The statistics on modern cheese use are staggering. Did you know that at the turn of the 20th century, people used only a few pounds of cheese per year? Before we switched, my family was going through at least three pounds per week for the five of us.
If you have read a lot of WFPB books, I would still recommend this one. Some WFPB books seem like re-runs after you've read several, but this one includes a lot of specific information on cheese, as well as lots of anecdotes about people's experiences with giving it up.
Dr. Barnard doesn't just tell us to stop eating cheese: he gives a lot of advice on what to eat instead. The end of the book is full of plant-based recipes, and heavy on cheese substitutes. Some doctors' books have pretty lame recipes, but Dreena Burton did these, so you know they're going to be good. The only problem—and this is a problem I have with Burton's other work—is that many of the recipes contain either high-fat ingredients (coconut, nuts, etc.), or expensive, hard-to-find ingredients (spelt, tiger nut flour, coconut butter). I'm not surprised that the cheese recipes used a lot of nuts, but all the other recipes are heavy on those ingredients too. However, there are a few recipes I want to try.
Last but not least, Dr. Barnard has included instructions on an elimination diet to fight pain in an appendix. This is a very powerful tool, and one of the tools that really helped me to fight my arthritis. If you're considering an elimination diet (or a "pain-safe" diet), it's worth checking out this book.
The culprit? Mostly dairy (I know because when I have it now, the pain comes back). I grew up being taught that dairy was good for me, essential even. I am glad to have learned the truth, and Barnard confronts everything that's bad about dairy—and especially cheese—in this book.
I must admit that when going WFPB, cheese was the hardest thing for me to give up. I still crave it. In this book, Barnard explains why it is so hard to leave behind. I found it comforting to know that I'm not the only one who has a hard time with it, and that there are actual reasons for it. The statistics on modern cheese use are staggering. Did you know that at the turn of the 20th century, people used only a few pounds of cheese per year? Before we switched, my family was going through at least three pounds per week for the five of us.
If you have read a lot of WFPB books, I would still recommend this one. Some WFPB books seem like re-runs after you've read several, but this one includes a lot of specific information on cheese, as well as lots of anecdotes about people's experiences with giving it up.
Dr. Barnard doesn't just tell us to stop eating cheese: he gives a lot of advice on what to eat instead. The end of the book is full of plant-based recipes, and heavy on cheese substitutes. Some doctors' books have pretty lame recipes, but Dreena Burton did these, so you know they're going to be good. The only problem—and this is a problem I have with Burton's other work—is that many of the recipes contain either high-fat ingredients (coconut, nuts, etc.), or expensive, hard-to-find ingredients (spelt, tiger nut flour, coconut butter). I'm not surprised that the cheese recipes used a lot of nuts, but all the other recipes are heavy on those ingredients too. However, there are a few recipes I want to try.
Last but not least, Dr. Barnard has included instructions on an elimination diet to fight pain in an appendix. This is a very powerful tool, and one of the tools that really helped me to fight my arthritis. If you're considering an elimination diet (or a "pain-safe" diet), it's worth checking out this book.
March 19, 2017
"Some foods are fattening. Others are addictive. Cheese is both-fattening AND addictive. And that's the problem."
Dr. Bernard's book is excellent! It's very straightforward, easy to understand, but yet written intellectually. His sequencing of information is brilliant, zeroing in on what he's sharing in such an order as to keep the reader connected and interested. His science is air-tight, and yet so refreshing if you've been reading any of the dieting slop that's sold under the guise of "science."
Here are a few facts I learned while reading:
- The first cheese factory in the U.S. didn't exist until 1851, and it STILL took till 1935 before the average American ate even 5 pounds per year - now the average annual consumption is 33 pounds per year!
- All mammals produce milk, but most do not coagulate properly to form cheese. Those animals also do not have the right temperament for the dairy industry.
- In order of production, the US makes the most cheese of any country in the world, followed by France and Germany. However, France and Germany are top in exports - not the US.
- Cheese slows the metabolism by interfering with the production if mitochondria by our genes.
- Dairy can cause painful colic in babies.
- Dairy is the cause of postpartum psychosis.
- Dairy can be the cause of infertility.
- The drug Premarin is made from the urine of pregnant horses.
- Cow's milk production peaks after about 70 days of lactation and then gradually goes down - the use of rBST prevents this; some states have made it illegal for milk companies to specify whether their milk is free of these hormones or not.
- The more calcium you consume, the less your body is able to activate and use Vitamin D - this causes your cancer risk to increase.
- Dairy makes other allergies worse - like those to animals (I have experienced this one myself, but I had no idea this was common).
- Dairy increases inflammation of the lungs, causing respiratory problems. "Many young children suffer with otitis media - a painful inflammation of the middle ear that often starts as an upper respiratory infection and congestion in the Eustachian tubes. As middle-ear secretions accumulate, they provide a breeding ground for infection." This was me as a kid!!! I had chronic ear infections, and I would have horrid coughs for what seemed like all of every winter. After high school, before my diet switch, I was finally prescribed an inhaler. I no longer need one, breathing freely and actively on a plant-based diet.
- Dairy can reduce the ability to absorb iron.
- Dairy can stop insulin from working properly.
- Eskimo, Inuit, and Maasai populations, while purported to be free of heart disease, actually die too soon for heart disease to fully develop, dying from strokes and infection instead.
This book had me shouting "Aha!" and "I knew it!" with great frequency. My only complaint was that he seems to be rubbing shoulders a little much with the dairy-free cheese companies (all containing oil, which he advises us to avoid for perfect health).
In spite of this, I adored reading The Cheese Trap. If you are to choose one health book to read in 2017, make it this one.
Dr. Bernard's book is excellent! It's very straightforward, easy to understand, but yet written intellectually. His sequencing of information is brilliant, zeroing in on what he's sharing in such an order as to keep the reader connected and interested. His science is air-tight, and yet so refreshing if you've been reading any of the dieting slop that's sold under the guise of "science."
Here are a few facts I learned while reading:
- The first cheese factory in the U.S. didn't exist until 1851, and it STILL took till 1935 before the average American ate even 5 pounds per year - now the average annual consumption is 33 pounds per year!
- All mammals produce milk, but most do not coagulate properly to form cheese. Those animals also do not have the right temperament for the dairy industry.
- In order of production, the US makes the most cheese of any country in the world, followed by France and Germany. However, France and Germany are top in exports - not the US.
- Cheese slows the metabolism by interfering with the production if mitochondria by our genes.
- Dairy can cause painful colic in babies.
- Dairy is the cause of postpartum psychosis.
- Dairy can be the cause of infertility.
- The drug Premarin is made from the urine of pregnant horses.
- Cow's milk production peaks after about 70 days of lactation and then gradually goes down - the use of rBST prevents this; some states have made it illegal for milk companies to specify whether their milk is free of these hormones or not.
- The more calcium you consume, the less your body is able to activate and use Vitamin D - this causes your cancer risk to increase.
- Dairy makes other allergies worse - like those to animals (I have experienced this one myself, but I had no idea this was common).
- Dairy increases inflammation of the lungs, causing respiratory problems. "Many young children suffer with otitis media - a painful inflammation of the middle ear that often starts as an upper respiratory infection and congestion in the Eustachian tubes. As middle-ear secretions accumulate, they provide a breeding ground for infection." This was me as a kid!!! I had chronic ear infections, and I would have horrid coughs for what seemed like all of every winter. After high school, before my diet switch, I was finally prescribed an inhaler. I no longer need one, breathing freely and actively on a plant-based diet.
- Dairy can reduce the ability to absorb iron.
- Dairy can stop insulin from working properly.
- Eskimo, Inuit, and Maasai populations, while purported to be free of heart disease, actually die too soon for heart disease to fully develop, dying from strokes and infection instead.
This book had me shouting "Aha!" and "I knew it!" with great frequency. My only complaint was that he seems to be rubbing shoulders a little much with the dairy-free cheese companies (all containing oil, which he advises us to avoid for perfect health).
In spite of this, I adored reading The Cheese Trap. If you are to choose one health book to read in 2017, make it this one.
August 14, 2017
This book is not just about the 'dangers' of cheese- it's a very pro-vegan book with little science behind it. Many anecdotes are provided about people who were very sick and were miraculously cured by going vegan. At the end of every anecdote the authors talk about how there's little to no studies about the effect of a vegan diet on diabetes/ infertility/cancer but really, it still cures all that! There's very few studies in the book- which is frustrating because I do believe that eating less cheese is good for you but this book did not prove up that fact.
December 7, 2020
Very good, detailed book on cheese & the effects of cheese on the body. I knew that cheese is not very healthy, but this book helped me remind me why it is unhealthy. There's also a great description on how cheese is made & what suffering happens for it to be made.
If you need a little extra push to stop eating cheese (for example if you decide to go vegan), this is an excellent book to read. I will reread this often.
If you need a little extra push to stop eating cheese (for example if you decide to go vegan), this is an excellent book to read. I will reread this often.
July 2, 2017
If you read this book you may never want to eat cheese again which I guess is the goal here.
February 26, 2018
Having already given up dairy products, I read this book to expand my scientific understanding of why dairy is an unhealthy dietary choice, and it led me to believe that dairy products should carry warning labels.
There are some compelling fact-based arguments:
* Cheese is far from natural - it is a highly processed food requiring complex procedures to produce.
* Cheese is "loaded with calories, high in sodium, packing more cholesterol than steak, and sprinkled with hormones"
*"cheese fat has more than twice the calories found in the most concentrated sugar"
* Cheese is highly addictive...it contains a concentrated form of the opiates contained in milk to encourage baby calves to nurse. Added to this, the salt and grease also make our bodies crave it.
* Cheese is loaded with calories but without fibre, which means that it doesn't fill you up and it is easy to over indulge.
* The bacteria used to produce cheese often have the same origin as their smell - that could be the same bacteria found on unwashed human feet, in human B.O or human feces...
*Cheese is loaded with hormones, especially as (due to intensive farming practices) many cows are already pregnant again whilst being milked. Nothing is done to remove the hormones in milk, nor to label dairy products to alert consumers. Dairy consumers have markedly higher hormone levels (i.e. estradiol), which some studies show could have an influence on cancers...women diagnosed with breast cancer who consumed dairy products were between 20% and 49% more likely to die of breast cancer (depending upon the level of their dairy consumption), and men eating most dairy were found to be more likely to have abnormal sperm and risk of prostate cancer. In contrast, soy consumption reduced breast cancer risk by 29% to 41%.
* Cutting out dairy could improve pre/menstrual pain - many women in a controlled experiment to exclude dairy were so taken with the result they refused to go back to their previous eating habits.
* The concentrated dairy protein content (casein) in cheese can trigger respiratory problems, migraine, arthritis, skin conditions, ear infections / otitis. The National Athsma Council in Australia denies links with diary proven in studies as it is bankrolled by Dairy Australia and the big drugs companies.
* The concentration of cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease and Alzheimers.
* Cheese contains more salt that potato crisps, and this high concentration can increase blood pressure.
* Lactose intolerance is natural after human beings have been weaned. We lose the enzymes capable of digesting lactose, but some people have a genetic mutation enabling them to be lactose tolerant.
For the most part I liked the book, but is definitely more focused upon an audience of current cheese consumers, to educate them on the reasons of why to change their diet. It was padded out with healthy eating advice, recipes and an abundance of rather anecdotal examples based on selective case studies in order to support some points. It could have been a third of the length. I think its failure to separate dairy-free from plant based diets in some of the anecdotes damaged its credibility / objectivity in some places and I felt that the evidence presented on the cholesterol debate was insufficiently convincing in scientific terms.
There are some compelling fact-based arguments:
* Cheese is far from natural - it is a highly processed food requiring complex procedures to produce.
* Cheese is "loaded with calories, high in sodium, packing more cholesterol than steak, and sprinkled with hormones"
*"cheese fat has more than twice the calories found in the most concentrated sugar"
* Cheese is highly addictive...it contains a concentrated form of the opiates contained in milk to encourage baby calves to nurse. Added to this, the salt and grease also make our bodies crave it.
* Cheese is loaded with calories but without fibre, which means that it doesn't fill you up and it is easy to over indulge.
* The bacteria used to produce cheese often have the same origin as their smell - that could be the same bacteria found on unwashed human feet, in human B.O or human feces...
*Cheese is loaded with hormones, especially as (due to intensive farming practices) many cows are already pregnant again whilst being milked. Nothing is done to remove the hormones in milk, nor to label dairy products to alert consumers. Dairy consumers have markedly higher hormone levels (i.e. estradiol), which some studies show could have an influence on cancers...women diagnosed with breast cancer who consumed dairy products were between 20% and 49% more likely to die of breast cancer (depending upon the level of their dairy consumption), and men eating most dairy were found to be more likely to have abnormal sperm and risk of prostate cancer. In contrast, soy consumption reduced breast cancer risk by 29% to 41%.
* Cutting out dairy could improve pre/menstrual pain - many women in a controlled experiment to exclude dairy were so taken with the result they refused to go back to their previous eating habits.
* The concentrated dairy protein content (casein) in cheese can trigger respiratory problems, migraine, arthritis, skin conditions, ear infections / otitis. The National Athsma Council in Australia denies links with diary proven in studies as it is bankrolled by Dairy Australia and the big drugs companies.
* The concentration of cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease and Alzheimers.
* Cheese contains more salt that potato crisps, and this high concentration can increase blood pressure.
* Lactose intolerance is natural after human beings have been weaned. We lose the enzymes capable of digesting lactose, but some people have a genetic mutation enabling them to be lactose tolerant.
For the most part I liked the book, but is definitely more focused upon an audience of current cheese consumers, to educate them on the reasons of why to change their diet. It was padded out with healthy eating advice, recipes and an abundance of rather anecdotal examples based on selective case studies in order to support some points. It could have been a third of the length. I think its failure to separate dairy-free from plant based diets in some of the anecdotes damaged its credibility / objectivity in some places and I felt that the evidence presented on the cholesterol debate was insufficiently convincing in scientific terms.
March 26, 2017
If you have already given up cheese, you really don't need to read this book unless you want to read it before recommending to others. You may also want a peek at the recipes! If you are contemplating ditching dairy, read this book! You will gain insight into why you are truly addicted to cheese, how the concentrated calories and salt wreak havoc on your body, how the dairy industry, and even the government, manipulate you into eating cheese! I have to admit that I did not finish the chapter about what the animals go through. It's bad. I don't need details. Dr. Barnard breaks it all down into easy to swallow chapters. The bottom line: cows produce milk to feed a baby calf who will gain about 500 pounds. Do you really need a cow's milk? Eww.
July 11, 2021
Dr. Bernard points to research studies that show the dangers of dairy and reveals the aggressive campaign to silence opposition to the billion dollar industry. This addictive "dairy crack" has hidden hormone effects, yet the effects on heart health are right out in the open.
Key facts:
Cheese is bacterial decomposition.
The majority of adults are lactose intolerant.
Casein is the protein concentrated in cheese, which has opiate molecules.
Bernard points out that it took 2 and half million years of human existence to get to the first idea of milking a cow and that this relatively new habit only became common in the U.S. after 1935. We would've been much better off without it!
Key facts:
Cheese is bacterial decomposition.
The majority of adults are lactose intolerant.
Casein is the protein concentrated in cheese, which has opiate molecules.
Bernard points out that it took 2 and half million years of human existence to get to the first idea of milking a cow and that this relatively new habit only became common in the U.S. after 1935. We would've been much better off without it!
March 2, 2017
What a great and informative book!
After my son was born with a dairy allergy, I cut out all dairy products from my diet while breastfeeding. I found within a couple of weeks I had lost all my baby weight. I also went in for a yearly physical to have bloodwork. High cholesterol runs in my family and I was not exempt. Lo and behold my blood work came back normal. I eat cheese sparingly, but after reading this book I'm throwing it away. Thanks Dr. Barnard!
After my son was born with a dairy allergy, I cut out all dairy products from my diet while breastfeeding. I found within a couple of weeks I had lost all my baby weight. I also went in for a yearly physical to have bloodwork. High cholesterol runs in my family and I was not exempt. Lo and behold my blood work came back normal. I eat cheese sparingly, but after reading this book I'm throwing it away. Thanks Dr. Barnard!
January 8, 2018
I sincerely enjoyed this book. No holier-than-thou, extremist, New-agey quips. Just research and solid points for why our bodies can’t process dairy and fat products as well as we cheese-lovers may wish. Very insightful.
Plus, I actually want to make the recipes in the book. How often does that happen? I was expecting recipe upon recipe with tofu and mushroom substitutes, but several of them actually sound both easy and delicious. Will definitely be having a go at making a few.
Plus, I actually want to make the recipes in the book. How often does that happen? I was expecting recipe upon recipe with tofu and mushroom substitutes, but several of them actually sound both easy and delicious. Will definitely be having a go at making a few.
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August 15, 2023i already knew a lot of what was in this but i did add some clapbacks for the bullies to my repertoire
June 9, 2020
I bought this book after listening to this interview and then THIS interview with Neal Barnard on the Rich Roll podcast. I already knew dairy was making me sick and had been learning about lactose-intolerance, which led me to these podcast episodes.
But the thing is that food is so hard to to understand with all these conflicting sources of information. A few years ago, I read It Starts with Food, which insists that meat is part of a healthy diet but that legumes and all grains are not. I've seen some reviewers talk about that Wheat Belly book as well. But in a plant-based diet, as Barnard advocates for, legumes and whole grains are staples, and it's meat and dairy that are out. Like, which is it? It can't be both! But they both sound so convincing as you're reading about them!
So after panic-texting friends and furiously skimming too many articles online, I talked to my doctor (literally the same day I finished this book... at least there's one perk to everything being done remote), who said the Mediterranean diet is best but that it's okay if I don't want to eat meat or dairy at all since all vital nutrients can be gotten from the other foods. (She did seem to want me to eat fish though.)
TBH after reading The Cheese Trap, I think I am ready to let go of dairy and meat entirely. Key facts:
1) Foods can be just as delicious without animal product. (I've been making recipes from Isa Does It, and honestly, they're much tastier than any grilled chicken breast recipe I've made at home. And much less gross to handle.)
2) Milk's evolutionary function is to "turn a 50-pound calf into a 300-pound cow in six months" (viii). Those are not my personal health goals.
3) Diet aside, the meat industry is f*cking terrible for the environment and in its treatment of animals. And since dairy deals with the same animals (same gasses impacting climate, same water and fertilizer needs, same f*cked up treatment of animals), the dairy industry is just as guilty. Dairy cows need to be give birth to create milk... so all those calves are either male (meat) or female (milk producers and then meat).
So if I were to not eat red meat for ethical/environment reasons but still consume dairy, I'd be a hypocrite.
Anyway, as you can see, this book gave me a lot to think about.
I shouldn't end without noting that I agree with other reviewers that Barnard's tone is, uh, ...cheesy (but less so than the performative #sorrynotsorry sass of Melissa Hartwig).
But the thing is that food is so hard to to understand with all these conflicting sources of information. A few years ago, I read It Starts with Food, which insists that meat is part of a healthy diet but that legumes and all grains are not. I've seen some reviewers talk about that Wheat Belly book as well. But in a plant-based diet, as Barnard advocates for, legumes and whole grains are staples, and it's meat and dairy that are out. Like, which is it? It can't be both! But they both sound so convincing as you're reading about them!
So after panic-texting friends and furiously skimming too many articles online, I talked to my doctor (literally the same day I finished this book... at least there's one perk to everything being done remote), who said the Mediterranean diet is best but that it's okay if I don't want to eat meat or dairy at all since all vital nutrients can be gotten from the other foods. (She did seem to want me to eat fish though.)
TBH after reading The Cheese Trap, I think I am ready to let go of dairy and meat entirely. Key facts:
1) Foods can be just as delicious without animal product. (I've been making recipes from Isa Does It, and honestly, they're much tastier than any grilled chicken breast recipe I've made at home. And much less gross to handle.)
2) Milk's evolutionary function is to "turn a 50-pound calf into a 300-pound cow in six months" (viii). Those are not my personal health goals.
3) Diet aside, the meat industry is f*cking terrible for the environment and in its treatment of animals. And since dairy deals with the same animals (same gasses impacting climate, same water and fertilizer needs, same f*cked up treatment of animals), the dairy industry is just as guilty. Dairy cows need to be give birth to create milk... so all those calves are either male (meat) or female (milk producers and then meat).
So if I were to not eat red meat for ethical/environment reasons but still consume dairy, I'd be a hypocrite.
Anyway, as you can see, this book gave me a lot to think about.
I shouldn't end without noting that I agree with other reviewers that Barnard's tone is, uh, ...cheesy (but less so than the performative #sorrynotsorry sass of Melissa Hartwig).
January 8, 2020
If i was rating this book on the suggestion of giving up the addiction to cheese, i would have had to rate it low but the science really does make sense and so i have rounded up a 3.5 to a 4 star rating.
This book was recommended by my family doctor and after reading through, I will be cutting back on cheese - hard to believe that the amount of cheese on a sandwich equals the saturated fat of 8... yes 8 pieces of bacon!!
. It seems that all the nutrition knowledge from elementary school, highschool and nursing school needs to be thrown out the window and replaced with a mostly plant based diet lacking sugar, saturated fats and... sadly, cheese!
This is a good one to read and although a lot of the research resonates, it will be a big lifestyle change to reduce (for me, i don't think that i could eliminate) cheese!
This book was recommended by my family doctor and after reading through, I will be cutting back on cheese - hard to believe that the amount of cheese on a sandwich equals the saturated fat of 8... yes 8 pieces of bacon!!
. It seems that all the nutrition knowledge from elementary school, highschool and nursing school needs to be thrown out the window and replaced with a mostly plant based diet lacking sugar, saturated fats and... sadly, cheese!
This is a good one to read and although a lot of the research resonates, it will be a big lifestyle change to reduce (for me, i don't think that i could eliminate) cheese!
May 27, 2018
I was disappointed. In fairness, it would be hard to get me to like a book about how bad cheese is. But I've been convinced that there's something to this concept, so I went in open minded. What I found was a little interesting info about how cheese is made and its main ingredient never intended for human consumption and a LOT of information promoting a vegan lifestyle. Not as much scientific backup as I'd hope, and a lot of exaggeration of the scientific support that was there. It was just too dramatic for me. Telling someone who loves cheese about how evil it is probably isn't going to them inclined to a trash argument. And I didn't sign up for a book about how bad meat also is and how I should change to a vegan lifestyle. I'm pretty sure that isn't mentioned in the title.
March 24, 2017
The tone is a little hoaky and it turns into more lists and suggestions toward the middle of the book, but I liked the (sneaky) idea of coming at promoting a plant-based (vegan) diet from the angle of cheese. I read Eating Animals before this, which was strangely silent on the dairy industry, and I was looking for more info that would turn me off of dairy (and especially cheese). This gave me a lot of good reasons to avoid cheese and made cheese start to seem more repulsive than delicious, so it was a great book for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2017
Dr. Neal Bernard's "The Cheese Trap" was a quick read and an interesting one for me, though it clearly fits the "preaching to the choir" paradigm. Bernard corroborates my sense that milk is an unhealthy food: I feel better when I don't include it in my diet; I am fearful of the maternal hormones that milk, of course, includes, since it is produced by a mother; and I am also wary of the dairy industry's use of hormones, antibiotics, and chemicals in milk production. Much of the information in this book is similar to Dr. Bernard's other writings, with the prescription unchanged (eat plants, not animals) and the emphasis here on abstaining from dairy products. His tenet that dairy is addictive ("crack" he calls it) is true in my experience. I was most entranced by his chapter on the U.S. government's support of the dairy industry even in the face of growing evidence that milk is not "the perfect food" (sorry, Mom) and that many of our country's burgeoning health problems can be attributed to our growing dependence on dairy and animal products. The book ends with a large array of cheese-substitute recipes, some of which are labor intensive and others are more practical. "Got milk?" Well, no I don't. And, I don't miss it. Bravo, Dr. Bernard.
September 20, 2017
Another solid Barnard book with scientific data, ethical messages, and lifestyle suggestions. Uses cheese "addiction" as entry point, but broadens to cover the implications of eating dairy and the dairy-food industry, as well as vegan diets in general.
March 2, 2024
Just a very brief search on the author and you find he's a vegan trying to push his agenda through catchy titles. The vegan stereotype just keeps proving accurate
June 21, 2019
I won't be eating much cheese from now on.
August 5, 2025
This book is so opinionated and one sided that I feel like I can’t take the research presented at face value. Not that I think this guy is wrong in the case he’s making, “big dairy” certainly exists, but any other health book I’ve read says it fixes your whole life too. He presents going vegan as a solution for a lot of health problems which I don’t suffer from, also, convenient for me that I’m skeptical of him because I don’t want to give up dairy!! This was recommended to me by a vegan friend regarding cheese being addicting (possibly true)
May 26, 2019
Very informative and easy to read.
Basically guides you through how cheese is made and how it influences our bodies via its hormones and fat and salt content.
I have been having various problems with allergies and irritated skin as well as weight tbh. And this doesn’t claim to be the all-knowing cure. It only claims that cheese is heavily processed and that the reader would benefit from removing this tasty treat from a regular diet—kind of like fast food.
This book also explains how cheese and other dairy can unfortunately sometimes negatively enhance our allergies and colds, inflammation of the joints and skin, and weight gain. Again, it doesn’t claim that all your problems will be solved (although sometimes it did lean that way, which I do not appreciate) but imo, the book was basically just saying, “hey, give it a try. Cut back or remove dairy for a month and see if some of your health issues are lessened at all.”
And I am willing to try that. I read the studies and testimonies and did my own research outside of this book. I am willing to cut back and eve temporarily remove dairy to see if some of my inflammation issues, allergy issues, and skin and weight issues are lessened even slightly. The book basically says that a few studies haven’t concluded WHY or HOW these things are correlated. They can only show that people seem to improve health-wise after reducing or completely cutting out dairy products—especially cheese. So, sometimes there was not strict and solid proof and the book own up to that pretty openly, which I appreciated. But they suspect it is due to the heavy processing of cheese as well as the hormones and high sodium content, in addition to the tendency to increase mucus content when consumed. But again, mostly these are testimonies and studies that show results but little indication as to why these things improved.
Basically cheese does have nutrients but it’s so heavily processed that it’s not really worth it. I enjoyed this book and I’m willing to try this as an experiment. I’ll even try to update after a month goes by of eating no dairy. This book also encourages eating absolutely no animals products, including eggs and meat due to cholesterol, and again fat and sodium and how bad for the environment the cheese and meat industry is. (So pretty much health and veganism and animal rights come into play).
I think it’s worth a try. I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do or anything. I’m just saying that hey, if you want to cut back on processed and high sodium and highly fatty foods anyway, and maybe you have a few of the above health issues, it doesn’t hurt to try going cheese or dairy free and see if you feel better. If it doesn’t work you can always go back to eating dairy.
I recommend it. I also recommend you do your own research too I’m the subject in conjunction with this book. I also felt like it was really interesting given the rise of the Keto diet and how that usually mostly involves lots of cheese in addition to other animals products.
Basically guides you through how cheese is made and how it influences our bodies via its hormones and fat and salt content.
I have been having various problems with allergies and irritated skin as well as weight tbh. And this doesn’t claim to be the all-knowing cure. It only claims that cheese is heavily processed and that the reader would benefit from removing this tasty treat from a regular diet—kind of like fast food.
This book also explains how cheese and other dairy can unfortunately sometimes negatively enhance our allergies and colds, inflammation of the joints and skin, and weight gain. Again, it doesn’t claim that all your problems will be solved (although sometimes it did lean that way, which I do not appreciate) but imo, the book was basically just saying, “hey, give it a try. Cut back or remove dairy for a month and see if some of your health issues are lessened at all.”
And I am willing to try that. I read the studies and testimonies and did my own research outside of this book. I am willing to cut back and eve temporarily remove dairy to see if some of my inflammation issues, allergy issues, and skin and weight issues are lessened even slightly. The book basically says that a few studies haven’t concluded WHY or HOW these things are correlated. They can only show that people seem to improve health-wise after reducing or completely cutting out dairy products—especially cheese. So, sometimes there was not strict and solid proof and the book own up to that pretty openly, which I appreciated. But they suspect it is due to the heavy processing of cheese as well as the hormones and high sodium content, in addition to the tendency to increase mucus content when consumed. But again, mostly these are testimonies and studies that show results but little indication as to why these things improved.
Basically cheese does have nutrients but it’s so heavily processed that it’s not really worth it. I enjoyed this book and I’m willing to try this as an experiment. I’ll even try to update after a month goes by of eating no dairy. This book also encourages eating absolutely no animals products, including eggs and meat due to cholesterol, and again fat and sodium and how bad for the environment the cheese and meat industry is. (So pretty much health and veganism and animal rights come into play).
I think it’s worth a try. I’m not trying to tell anyone what to do or anything. I’m just saying that hey, if you want to cut back on processed and high sodium and highly fatty foods anyway, and maybe you have a few of the above health issues, it doesn’t hurt to try going cheese or dairy free and see if you feel better. If it doesn’t work you can always go back to eating dairy.
I recommend it. I also recommend you do your own research too I’m the subject in conjunction with this book. I also felt like it was really interesting given the rise of the Keto diet and how that usually mostly involves lots of cheese in addition to other animals products.
January 12, 2018
This book will enlighten readers as to why cheese is addtive and cheese producers know it. Cheese is loaded with fat, approximately 8 times more than a similar weight glass of milk, and very high in salt content, which is added in the production process. Individuals susceptible to diabeties should peruse this book to understand how fat interacts with insulin and how reducing sugar, while it may lower blood presure, does not reduce the risk of diabeties. Also of interest to me, was the marketing ploy cheese producers used when they wanted to sell more cheese. If you think marketing campaign, you would be wrong. They contracted with fast food restaurants to develop for them sandwitches, pizza, mexican items loaded with cheese and then help the fast food industry market these items. Think bacon double cheese burger and 5 cheese pizza.
While much of the books statistics where not new to me, some statements passed off as facts for decades are simply not true. Milk does not make you have strong bones and numerous studies proved that drinking more milk when you are pregnant can even be harmful. Message: Stay away from products that are made from cows, goats and water buffalo.
An easy read, interspersed with personal stories.
While much of the books statistics where not new to me, some statements passed off as facts for decades are simply not true. Milk does not make you have strong bones and numerous studies proved that drinking more milk when you are pregnant can even be harmful. Message: Stay away from products that are made from cows, goats and water buffalo.
An easy read, interspersed with personal stories.
March 8, 2017
Let's just say that my biggest problem with going totally plant-based was cheese. Love it, can eat a big, huge chunk of oozing brie in one sitting, have done it many a times. So glad Trader Joe's no longer sells those orange cheese curds in the plastic container that you put in the microwave to get nice and soft and gooey, because I had those for lunch a few times, too. After reading this book, I'll have a much easier time saying 'no' to cheese. If I'm somewhere they serve salad that has sprinkles of feta on it, I'm not going to make a fuss, I'll eat it, but I won't be buying any more cheese to have in the house. Middle ages, Edam cheese, rags of dye, vats of urine, 'nuff said. Very easy to read and very insightful. But Barnard is preaching to the choir here, I don't think too many adherents and fans of the typical American diet are going to read this book and change their ways. Change is hard and most people just aren't motivated enough.
August 9, 2017
It is another vegan book which is quick and easy to read. I didn't like how they make a big deal of any dairy or anmial products whatsoever. In my opinion vegan is a healthy diet that mankind could survive on, but still without any dairy or animal products it will never be complete.
Acording to the book on vitamin B12,
Unidentified foods from plant sources do not provide vitamin B12. Over a week or two, this presents no problem, but for longer periods, vitamin B12 must be supplemented in the form of a vitamin supplement or fortified foods.
By reading this book I got to know a lot about cheese, especially nutritional information. I will love and enjoy eating balanced vegan meals because they are healthy and delicious as well and in the book you could find many good recipes. At the same time I will have a well balanced meals that sometimes include dairy, cheese, meat and animal products along with the healthy vegetables and fruits.
Acording to the book on vitamin B12,
Unidentified foods from plant sources do not provide vitamin B12. Over a week or two, this presents no problem, but for longer periods, vitamin B12 must be supplemented in the form of a vitamin supplement or fortified foods.
By reading this book I got to know a lot about cheese, especially nutritional information. I will love and enjoy eating balanced vegan meals because they are healthy and delicious as well and in the book you could find many good recipes. At the same time I will have a well balanced meals that sometimes include dairy, cheese, meat and animal products along with the healthy vegetables and fruits.
July 10, 2017
So watching the Forks Over Knives was an interesting video when my husband's Dr suggested in strong terms that we should change his diet to plant based. The ethical ideas of a Plant Based Diet was not in our thoughts. After 40 years married I knew it would take work on both our parts to make it work and we needed to be on the same diet. He is a "Kill it and Grill it, kind of guy and I was not sure if I could do it myself, I wanted to, but there were many temptations, especially in the summer with Caprese Salad and Melon with Prosciutto, Antipasto plates, Cannoli...... And I make a Killer Vodka and Bolognese Sauces (can you guess I am Italian?) Mediterranean Diet is my idea of heaven, BUT -
This is the book that changed my attitude! Enough said. READ IT! I have twice in the last 3 weeks.
This is the book that changed my attitude! Enough said. READ IT! I have twice in the last 3 weeks.
May 12, 2019
We read a lot of books related to foods and nutrition. One has to be careful. While each book has some great information, I truly doubt restricting any specific food group is a good idea. It might be good for some people but not all. For instance, I another book we read said to keep away from vegetables and grains, as they have evolved to contain toxins to keep things from eating them, Both books together and I am eating rocks only. Not going to happen.
In any case, this book does offer some good information on some of the horrors of the dairy industry and dangers of dairy products, all of which I believe to be true. It also provides information on some great substitutes for certain dairy based food products. Since I have tried a few of these, I can say they are good alternatives, and would be especially good for someone who is a vegetarian. The book also includes a number of recipes.
In any case, this book does offer some good information on some of the horrors of the dairy industry and dangers of dairy products, all of which I believe to be true. It also provides information on some great substitutes for certain dairy based food products. Since I have tried a few of these, I can say they are good alternatives, and would be especially good for someone who is a vegetarian. The book also includes a number of recipes.
March 3, 2019
Some useful information regarding how cheese may cause immunity issues and cause weight gain. Listened on audiobook with the author as narrator.
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