Sorting Through All The Confusion In Nutrition Science

- Hans Taparia, co-founder of a health food business and Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU Stern School of Business

As humans, we are endlessly searching for the silver bullet that helps us live longer, feel better or look better. We are, after all, biologically wired to relentlessly pursue and prolong life. Perhaps this is why we take such a keen interest in every tip on food, diets or nutrition—be it featured on a morning news show, labeled as a health claim on a food product, or relayed by a close friend paraphrasing a press headline that, in turn, paraphrases a new study. Whether in the office coffee room or in a city coffee shop, casual eves-dropping is sure to reveal the latest in dietary thought—paleo, smoothie cleanses, macrobiotic and “military” diets all representing some of the latest additions to our lexicon.

Unfortunately, our keen interest in nutrition has not translated into better health. By virtually any metric—obesity rates, metabolic syndrome, diabetes incidence, even maternal mortality, which might be rising due to obesity-related diseases, we are worse off with every passing decade. Science, both modern and ancient, has long established what constitutes a healthy diet. It consists of whole plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, along with small to moderate amounts of dairy, and less foods that are highly processed. Excessive intake of animal-based products, sugar or highly refined grains are linked with a number of diseases. Counting calories has proven pointless and most weight loss programs cause more harm than good. But this message gets obscured by a powerful nutrition establishment of both scientists and industry, and keeps us hopelessly hopping from diet to diet, nutrient to nutrient, in search of that one elixir for life.