If your email In-box is anything like mine, it’s filled with all sorts of unsolicited nutrition (mis)information. Just today, I was told how I could add 15 to 20 vibrant years to my life thanks to new scientific evidence that makes living to 100 possible. I just have to pay big bucks to enroll in the proven nutrition program. Through another email, I learned my brain’s storage is perfectly fine because I can remember my childhood phone number—but new memories can’t get in and be saved. I can reactivate my “save button” with a simple 30-second fix (vitamin pills at a price). The wellness industry is aggressively marketing a plethora of products.
I suspect you, too, are getting inundated with alluring ads for nutrition products that promise to extend your life, fix all of your ails, help you lose undesired belly fat, and make you into an Olympian. Some of the ads are outrageously unbelievable. Others can appear legitimate. We are living in a world where we often don’t know which information to trust. This article highlights some trusted sources of nutrition and wellness information that counter the fearmongering ads. May they be helpful for you.
@immunologic with Dr. Andrea Love
Andrea Love PhD is an immunologist, microbiologist, and science communicator. She posts on Instagram and Substack. Her passion is to educate people who are floundering in the world of science disinformation, wellness profiteering, and fearmongering. She is a trusted source of science. Here are two samples of her work:
Cancer misinformation—it’s rampant. Roughly one is three people will develop cancer during their lifetime. Are cancer rates rising? Or are we better at detecting it due to better diagnostic methods, expanded screening, and better public health education so that people are aware of symptoms? Likely the latter. We already know when the colonoscopy screening age was lowered to start screening at age 45, the rate of colon cancer occurrence went up. The cancer was detected earlier, meaning more people were able to get earlier treatment—not more people were getting cancer due to “skyrocketing cancer rates.”
Organic is the Wellness Industry of Agriculture reports organic farming is not safer, more nutritious, better for the environment, or pesticide-free. It is just marketed to make you feel that way. The organic industry has convinced people for more than 35 years that organic means no pesticides. False, Organic farming uses a lot of “naturally derived” pesticides. which means nothing about safety or effectiveness. Many are more toxic. “The result is opposite to what organic marketing promises: more chemical load, more ecological disruption, more risk to farmworkers. And, ironically, because glyphosate (RoundUp) has been targeted for nearly fifty years by anti-science activists, it is one of the most studies and safest pesticides to exist.” While organic food may claim it has “fewer pesticide residues,” that’s because it’s not tested as rigorously as conventionally grown produce. You can’t detect things you aren’t testing for.
Unbiased Science
Dr. Jessica Steier (public health scientist) and Dr. Sarah Scheinman (neurobiologist) host The Unbiased Science Podcast. They break down complex health topics and debunk medical myths using scientific evidence. For example, here’s their take on peptides:
Peptides (short chains of amino acids that act as signals in the body) are abundant in the wellness world right now and are touted to improve wound healing, joint repair, and longevity. They come with concern because the evidence to support their use ranges from limited to non-existent. Most people buy them online from overseas brokers. The label reads “research use only” to sidestep safety regulations. Makes you think twice about buying them…
Dr. Jessica Knurick
Jessica Knurick is a Registered Dietitian (RD) with a PhD in nutrition science. She educates the public on nutrition, health, and the food policies that impact what we eat. Given today’s complex political environment, many food policies are being changed (school meals, subsidized farming, food assistance programs, etc.). Jessica explains the importance of creating food systems that support good health. After all, good nutrition is fundamental to good health.
Samples of Jessica’s podcasts include GLP-1s, the Food System, and Why Americans Stay Sick and Testosterone, Food Safety & the Future of Healthcare
Fueling Endurance: Nutrition for Runners, Cyclists & Triathletes
This 30 to 90 minute podcast, hosted by Australian sports dietitian/researcher Alan McCubbin PhD addresses current sports nutrition confusion: Are collagen supplements worthwhile? How much sodium should athletes actually consume before, during and after exercise? Do athletes need multi-vitamin pills? The list goes on. McCubbin interviews exercise scientists and nutrition professionals who are well-versed in their area of expertise. He transforms sports nutrition confusion into useful fueling tips.
The Grocery Cart by Build Up Dietitians
The Grocery Cart is a sassy weekly digital newsletter about everything food: What’s new and worth trying—and what’s not. It addresses the misinformation that is whirling around social media. For example:
What’s With Meal Sequencing? If you are not familiar with the term meal sequencing, it means eating foods in your meals in a specific order, with the goal of reducing blood sugar (glucose) spikes. First eat protein (chicken, fish, etc.), then eat vegetables, fats, and finally starches/grains. A concern about food sequencing is the claims are based on very limited research. Given athletes have much lower “glucose spikes” than sedentary people, we likely have little need to experiment with meal sequencing at all. Meal sequencing might show promise for some people with diabetes and prediabetes—but what happens when we are eating mixtures of foods (soups, stews, casseroles, bowls, sandwiches, stir-fries, and smoothies)? Is there a way to sequence them?
The Grocery Cart’s post Should We Be Afraid About Antibiotics in Meat? is worth a read. Antibiotics are strictly controlled and less problematic than the fearmongers have led us to believe.
The Botton Line: When reading about alarming problems with food, supplements, and drugs, please seek information from a trusted source of science, particularly if a high price tag is attached!
Nancy Clark MS RD counsels both casual and competitive athletes (617-962-4382). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource. For more information, visit NancyClarkRD.com