What’s for Dinner?
Diet advice changes so fast it’s almost a full-time job to keep up with it. Avoid cholesterol; no, avoid saturated fats; no, avoid trans-fats. Avocados are bad; no, avocados are good. Wheat germ is...
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Raw deal: Got diarrhea?
I recently saw a 14 year old girl in my office with a 2 day history of severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, and fever. Her mother had similar symptoms as did several other members of her...
View ArticleA nutritional approach to the treatment of HIV infection—same old woo?
I get all sorts of mail. I get mail from whining Scientologists, suffering patients, angry quacks—and I get lots of promotional material. I get letters from publishers wanting me to review books,...
View ArticleTIME Magazine, Dr. Oz, What to Eat, and Supplements
Here on SBM we have frequently had cause to criticize the media for poor science reporting and for spreading misinformation. Among many other individual offenders, we have criticized Dr. Oz for...
View ArticleSteven Fowkes (Part 2 of 2): Nutrients for Better Mental Performance
Last week, in part 1, I covered Steven Fowkes’ “cures” for Alzheimer’s and herpes. In part 2, I will cover a video where he goes further afield. It is titled “Nutrients for Better Mental Performance,”...
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Everything we eat causes cancer…sort of
Read meat causes cancer. No, processed meat causes cancer. OK, it’s both read meat and processed meat. Wait, genetically modified grain causes cancer (well, not really). No, aspartame causes cancer....
View ArticleShould you be “Eating Clean”?
Like many of you I’m interested in the science of good nutrition. In general, I’ve come to be pretty skeptical of the nutritional literature, as so many studies seem to follow the same trajectory that...
View ArticleA closer look at Dr. Oz’s 15 Superfoods
I’m sure I’m not the only health professional that bites their tongue whenever a patient starts a question with “I heard on Dr. Oz that…” More often than not, I have expectations to realign, and some...
View ArticleFood for Thought
I am excited to tell you about a wonderful new endeavor that is helping to promote critical thinking about science and medicine. It’s a free online course on “Food for Thought” that offers a scientific...
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Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe): The Jenny McCarthy of food
NOTE ADDENDUM – Ed. I’ll admit it: I’m a bit of a beer snob. I make no bones about it, I like my beer, but I also like it to be good beer, and, let’s face it, beer brewed by large industrial breweries...
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Naturopathy vs. Science: Infertility Edition
This is another post in the naturopathy versus science series, where a naturopath’s advice is assessed against the scientific literature. It’s Naturopathic Medicine Week in the United States, so it’s...
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The Food Babe’s war on “chemicals” heats up again
[Note: This is an extra bonus post. Because The Food Babe has been in the news and I couldn’t wait until today, I discussed it at a certain not-so-super-secret blog. If you’ve read it before, it’s...
View ArticleLet food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food? The obsessive worship of...
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. – attributed to Hippocrates Who said anything about medicine? Let’s eat! – attributed to one of Hippocrates forgotten (and skeptical) students Who...
View ArticleScience-Based Nutrition
Nutrition is embedded in mainstream medical teaching and practice, despite efforts to convince patients to the contrary (usually in an effort to sell them something).
View ArticleThe Clean Eating Delusion
While some parts of the world are concerned with eating, because of food insecurity, the “worried and well-fed well” are increasingly obsessed with so-called “clean eating.” This is nothing new, but...
View ArticleHealth and Wellness Coaching: cautious optimism and some concerns
The National Consortium for Credentialing of Health & Wellness Coaches (NCCHWC) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) signed an agreement last month for the launch of a national...
View ArticleDiet and exercise versus cancer: A science-based view
Yes, diet and exercise can be useful to prevent some cancers. Unfortunately, they don't prevent all cancers, and the effect size is more modest than often represented. That's not to say that eating...
View ArticleBetraying the Science on Vegan Nutrition
After the prolonged comment thread in Harriet Hall's review of this book in July, given the controversy, we were willing to consider a guest post offering another perspective. In this case, the...
View ArticleDietetics: Embracing Integrative and Functional Medicine?
The Accreditation Council for Education in Dietetics is planning on changing the accreditation standards for requirements Registered Dietitians to include integrative and functional nutrition as core...
View ArticleThe Skinny on Saturated Fat
The bottom line is that there are trade-offs and complexities when it comes to biology. A high carbohydrate diet is a risk factor for many diseases, and this is highly genetically variable. Types of...
View ArticleWhat the Health: A Movie with an Agenda
The documentary "What the Health" espouses the fairy tale that all major diseases (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and many others) can be prevented and cured by eliminating meat and dairy from the...
View ArticleI Used To Be a Holistic Nutritionist
Up until a year ago, I was a practicing holistic nutritionist. As someone who has left that world behind, I have a moral obligation to do what is right – and what is right is to denounce my former...
View ArticleFive steps to add ten years to your life expectancy
A new study identifies five lifestyle decisions that can add over a decade to your life expectancy.
View ArticleThe Red Meat Controversy
A new paper flies in the face of current recommendations and concludes we simply don't know the health risks of eating red and processed meat. The post The Red Meat Controversy first appeared on...
View ArticleAlternative Medicine: Placebos for Pets
A skeptical veterinarian reviews the evidence for alternative medicine for pets, and concludes it's mostly placebos. The post Alternative Medicine: Placebos for Pets first appeared on Science-Based...
View Article“DNA-based” personalized nutrition advice: Not ready for prime time
There are countless vendors offering "personalized" nutrition recommendations, some based on DNA- or microbiome-testing. What does the evidence actually say? The post “DNA-based” personalized nutrition...
View Article“Personalized” dietary recommendations based on DNA testing: Modern astrology
GenoPalate is a company that claims to give "personalized" dietary recommendations based on DNA testing. Unfortunately, what is provided by such companies is more akin to astrology than science. The...
View ArticleThe Food Is Medicine (FIM) Movement
Optimal nutrition can be a highly cost-effective, even net positive, government program. The post The Food Is Medicine (FIM) Movement first appeared on Science-Based Medicine.
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