In the rush to show the ill effects of Brexit, the British Medical Journal published a piece saying that reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables will be responsible for thousands of UK citizens dying unnecessarily. If it were true -- and it is not -- perhaps mentioning it before the vote would have been helpful.
Food & Nutrition
It's a new era for winemaking. Long the domain of craftsmen and connoisseurs, scientists worldwide are utilizing new technologies and combining forces to create better vino. In fact, Washington State University has an entire program dedicated to the science of wine.
The Lancet continues its year-long series on non-communicable diseases, turning now to the pandemic caused by Big Food, climate change, transportation and energy systems. But there's just something not quite right about its proffered solutions, which include the governmental nudges of taxes and banishing Big Food -- and it's cronies -- from policy discussions.
Fiber is an oft-ignored member of the carbohydrate family. But it provides significant health benefits and with careful selections it tastes good, too.
Bloomberg's recent hit piece on milk touches upon almost every sensitive issue that worries parents: food, school and their children. Toss in a conspiracy theory about "Big Dairy," and that's how Bloomberg came up with a fear-mongering headline, complete with a disgusting photo that is supposed to make readers feel queasy.
The superfood phenomenon is likely the result of (1) Our cultural obsession with quick fixes and easy answers to complex questions; and (2) Marketing gimmicks that take advantage of widespread scientific illiteracy.
With so much disinformation on the Internet, debunking junk science and bogus health claims could be a full-time job. Indeed, "debunkery" is one of the main reasons why ACSH exists. Narrowing down a full year's worth of nonsense into the 10 worst bogus health stories is quite a challenge. But we never shy down from a challenge. Here are the stinkiest stories from the past 12 months.
In a world of food fads, dairy milk is old news. Even though it's not currently considered a "superfood" the farm-based beverage is just as healthy as it always was. So drink up!
A study of chicken bones helps tell the story of our Anthropocene times, which is when Sapiens began making a significant impact on the planet. What lessons can we learn from how we have, so significantly, altered a bird to fit our needs?
Overlooked in the final Christmas rush were two reports from the USDA. They highlighted that very few of our foods were found to contain pesticide residues, while the use of human antibiotics in animals is decreasing.
A small study of the Thanksgiving cranberry raises the issue of when science in the public interest transitions from informing to advocacy and then to marketing.
Dr. Edward Archer believes that nutrition science is not just misguided but actually harmful. That's an extraordinary statement that requires extraordinary evidence. Does he provide it in his latest paper?