When I wrote a skeptical article about the alleged benefits of the fruit juice POM earlier in the year, some people thought I was being pretty radical. After all, it was one of the most popular beverages of 2005 -- and it's full of antioxidants.
So Kudos to the AP's J.M. Hirsch whose wonderful article today, "Experts Urge Less Focus on Antioxidants," makes my point. Writes Hirsch: "Consumers also must be critical of companies' health claims about antioxidants, many of which are unregulated and unsupported by science." Thinking you can fix your diet by focusing on one "superfood" is a myth. "Healthy diets are like healthy investment portfolios," writes Hirsch, paraphrasing John Erdman Jr., a professor of internal medicine at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Eating a variety of produce and whole grains ensures the best mix of all nutrients."
Jeff Stier, Esq., is an associate director of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).