Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Am I the only person who's downright amused when they hear someone spout off "Studies show..." or "You know what THEY say..." Usually it's in reference to something like antioxidants, polyphenols, superfoods, flaxseeds, green smoothies or a fad diet of some sort. I've overheard so many conversations where the people talking are so swept away by the latest "study that shows xyz" - it seems like every other week it changes. One week avocados are good for you, the next week you should limit consumption. In October pomegranate seeds were all the rage, now it's goji berries.

I'm not talking about conversations among vegans; this is usually taking place with omnivores who are trying to eat healthier, but are perpetually confused by the conflicting info presented to them.

This article suggests ignoring all of it. "Studies have gone back and forth on the cancer-preventing powers of vitamins A, D, and E; on the heart-health benefits of eating fat and carbs; and even on the question of whether being overweight is more likely to extend or shorten your life. How should we choose among these dueling, high-profile nutritional findings? Ioannidis suggests a simple approach: ignore them all."
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/pri ... ience/8269

What do you guys think? Do you follow the latest nutritional findings, or mainly eat what you want?

I've never seen a study that contradicts common sense.

That avocado diet is a miracle worker. Guac for everyone!

I don't tend to let the 'latest superfood'-type news affect me much. Just normal healthy eating and exercise (plus plenty of cookies) for me.

Studies show that people who worry too much about studies have a shorter life expectancy?

I don't take too much because a lot of the time the studies aren't that great and the coverage of them is even worse. With nutrition, there are so many variables to control, so I take them with a heavy grain of salt.
I feel like everyone knows how to eat well more or less, whole foods and a heavy hand on the veggies. How we choose to eat and otherwise approach our lives is something else though... Gotta have some indulgences!

As a former academic, I am all too aware that studies can show anything, and that most people (reporters, general public, and actually probably a lot of people in your department!) don't actually understand what any given study is about or how to tell whether or not it was well executed.

Yep! I like some so-called superfoods like hemp, flax, cocoa and lucuma but mostly for taste and what I do with them. I honestly don't believe 'superfood' at all.

One study doesn't mean a whole lot. The study group could have contained by fluke the only 83 people on the planet who will react the way they did. Or mistakes could have been made. Or the researcher might have been allowing their personal bias to influence them. Studies must be peer reviewed, and If subsequent studies can be performed, by different scientists, with different volunteers, then you have some solid information worth basing your actions on.

Ugh, yes. When I hear about a study I either strongly agree or disagree with, I try to look it up--and invariably, the results are vague or really specific (ie, "Vitamin D supplements cure canver in blue-eyed, red-haired people people who live in caves and only eat raw oats"*) or not actually about what the news source said it's about.

*-not a real study

As an academic, I definitely have learned to question the findings of studies unless they've been replicated a few times by other researchers. Too often, one study's findings are just "flukes" so I definitely don't change my eating habits based on one study. Generally, I just eat what I want :).

"Studies show that 99.5% of data is manipulated to produce the desired outcomes"

Oh here's a good one - check out this latest finding, you know this will be blown up and retweeted out the wazoo...

"McGill University research finds the sight of red meat calms men down"
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada ... 20108.html

(Kachanoff recruited 82 men...)

SIGN ME UP

but for real, i grew up eating in "technicolor"-- my parents would abide my (in their opinion) crazy veggie ways (i went vegetarian at 8, no one else in my family was) as long as my plate was varied and colorful-- red peppers, purple cabbage, orange carrots, green spinach, etc. and that's really the only food rule i try and follow. i think it's a good way to get all your important vitamins and minerals without actually putting much effort into it.

That's what I do too. My mom has preached this for years and it's stuck with me I guess!