Drink red wine, it is good for your heart. No wait, it isn’t, so stop drinking. Err, maybe have a little.
What are we to make of conflicting advice on our dietary habits? Recommendations seem to change every second week as yet another research study lands telling us all is changed.
The latest arrived on Monday with the news that you should feed peanuts to children at risk of developing peanut allergy. This runs counter to the current recommendation to avoid exposures to peanuts at all costs if there is a question of allergy.
Earlier this month we had the apparent volte face on the consumption of saturated fats. Researchers found the original longstanding advice to reduce saturated fats was based on poor quality research and the authors even raised doubts about any benefits of reducing fats in the diet.
How many times have we heard how good red wine is for reducing heart attack only to be told months later that it isn’t so good after all? And how many of us have taken to heart limited research that claims there are health benefits connected with eating dark chocolate? Talk about a licence to abuse a sugary treat.
The media must carry some blame for this. Specialist scientific publications know controversial food research will make a good story for the general media. Who wouldn’t want to run a story about how good wine is for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease?
Things are definitely not helped by the commercial interests that gang in as quickly as possible to incorporate the latest research findings into a bestselling book (Eat chocolate and live longer), an expensive product plus book (Our blender blends veggies better than our competitor’s blender) and supermarket products that make big claims containing little science about health benefits (Eat our superfood products and you will live longer).
This causes confusion among the public and as the marketers will tell you, leaves us sitting ducks for the next nonsensical food fad coming round the bend. The challenge for the consumer is to find a middle ground where food and dietary choices aren’t driven by all the marketing and advertising.
Here are a few ideas to help you achieve this.
1. A single research report with controversial findings does not supplant the 10,000 non-controversial research studies that were conducted previously. It might make a good story but may not be good advice until tested thoroughly.
2. Ignore food fads, including super blenders, super food products and super weight-loss regimes when these appear in the media. Don’t accept “testimonials” on these fads because these have no value and only represent one person’s experience.
3. Eat more “whole” foods, items that are close to their natural state with a lower amount of processing. Rice, veg, spuds, fish and raw meat are close to or in their original state, so include more of these in your diet.
4. Yoghurts, ready meals, processed meats and many dessert products are further from their original starting point as food, so reduce these as you can.
5. Nutritionists say reduce your portion sizes and eat a variety of foods. But also do your body a favour and take enough exercise as in walking or running to ensure you use up the energy you take in as food.
Dick Ahlstrom is Science Editor