Some Like It Hot: Food, Genes, and Cultural Diversity by Gary Nabhan

Ever wonder why some people love hot peppers, and others can't tolerate even mild ones?  Or why some ethnic groups have a greater propensity to certain diseases like diabetes? Nabhan explores some of the recent research behind the interaction of genes and foods, and how sometimes a food may cause not only unwanted harmful reactions but also helpful ones.  For example, fava beans cause an allergy type reaction among many people living in the Mediterranean/North African area, but also help to protect from malaria.  Nabhan also explores how genes, diet, ethnicity and place can influence how we interact with different diet types.  He explains why more attention should be paid to each culture's traditional food sources, as the foods to which people from that area and culture are best adapted in complex ways.  This also helps to explain why the latest diet fad will fail many people, because it is not well suited to their body's genetic predispositions.  210 pages