A significant part of Davis' appeal came from her credentials, including her university training, and her apparent application of scientific studies and principles to her writing, with one book totaling over 2100 footnotes and citations. Some of her nutritional ideas, such as the need for exercise, the dangers of vitamin deficiencies, and the need to avoid hydrogenated fat, saturated fat, and excess sugar, remain relevant even to modern nutritionists. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy commended her views in 1998 as well, in remarks meant to support a law protecting free speech on food safety from the threat of lawsuits.