Until a few years ago, few people had even heard of gluten. Now going on a gluten-free diet has become a popular fad. People who have been diagnosed with celiac disease must avoid gluten to prevent symptoms; but others are avoiding gluten for questionable reasons, or for no reason at all. I watched a TV
Is a diet comprised solely of meat good for you? I think you know the answer. I have been watching the National Geographic series of documentaries Life Below Zero, which features individuals who live (often alone) in harsh conditions in the Alaskan wilderness. They are self-sufficient, providing their own water, heat, shelter, and food. They harvest
There are lots of testimonials from people who say they lost weight with GOLO, but its effectiveness is not supported by any scientific evidence. Advertisements for GOLO seem to be everywhere. They feature people who were unable to lose weight until they tried GOLO. The testimonials are enthusiastic and feature before-and-after pictures of people who
A study found that olive oil increased longevity and reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases, but it only showed correlation, not causation. I enjoy the taste of olive oil and use it for cooking. It has been recommended as part of the Mediterranean diet for heart health and as a
Are you having trouble losing weight? So are a lot of other people. Have you tried intermittent fasting? Should you? According to a survey by the International Food Information Council, intermittent fasting was the most popular weight loss diet in 2018. Some have called it a fad whose adverse effects have not been sufficiently studied, and
Diet recommendations based on DNA are not based on good science. When the human genome was first sequenced, some people optimistically assumed that we now knew (or soon would know) everything about human genetics and would be able to predict who would develop a disease and prescribe what each individual should do to ensure the
Magic Mind claims to be the world’s first productivity drink. It seems to me an increase in productivity should be easy to prove. If your widget factory produces 1,000 widgets a day you could do a controlled study comparing workers who used Magic Mind to workers who used a placebo. If the output increased to 1,500
The word “organic” has a precise definition in chemistry. It has been hijacked to refer to organic farming. Good communication requires that both parties use the same definition. Words matter. Imagine someone who only speaks English trying to communicate with someone who only speaks Mandarin Chinese. Imagine a physicist trying to discuss energy with a
Joel Fuhrman thinks his Nutritarian diet will increase longevity and prevent or treat most chronic diseases. He claims it is based on science, but his evidence is far from convincing. Joel Fuhrman, MD is a celebrity doctor, entrepreneur, and best-selling author whose latest book, Eat for Life, advocates his “Nutritarian” or micronutrient-rich diet. He calls the
I recently got an email newsletter from TRC Natural Medicines. One of the articles was “Understanding the Hype Behind Adele’s Sirtfood Diet.” It’s brief enough to quote in its entirety: “English singer-songwriter Adele has made headlines in recent months for her dramatic weight loss. You might start getting questions about the diet she followed—it’s called the
