Natural Products News was saddened to hear of the untimely death of our long-time columnist – and friend – Jack Challem.
Jack became ill towards the end of 2016 and his last NPN column appeared in the January issue. He died on April 13 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer, aged 66.
Jack gained fame as The Nutrition Reporter, a persona and newsletter that was published for decades and combined solid research with an accessible writing style. He was a prolific health writer and best-selling author of more than 20 books.
Jack’s books included No More Fatigue, Stop Prediabetes Now, The Food-Mood Solution, The Inflammation Syndrome, Feed Your Genes Right and Syndrome X. His nutrition articles also appeared widely in US consumer titles. He was a well known figure at trade shows, both in the US and Europe, where he regularly attracted standing-room-only crowds at his seminars.
NPN editor in chief, Jim Manson, comments: “I met Jack on several occasions, both at US trade shows and at our own London events. As well having a very obvious talent for making complex health topics understandable and accessible to a wide audience, he was a warm and generous-spirited person. We emailed and spoke monthly for years, ostensibly to discuss content for his NPN column – but more often than not as an excuse to discuss a shared passion for photography. I’ll miss Jack’s columns – and our monthly chats.”
Paul Chamberlain, nutrition and education director at Solgar, told us: “Jack Challam first partnered with us in 2006 at our annual masterclass. Over the years he was a valuable contributor to our education program, especially with his talent of communicating complex nutritional concepts in a logical and understandable way. However, he was first and foremost a friend to both the company and those that worked with him and he will be sadly missed for his warm, approachable manner and fun spirit.”
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