Busting nutrition myths with Dr. Zoë Harcombe PhD. Episode 358

BMJ talk medicine

What should we eat in order to stay healthy and avoid disease? Nutrition is one of the biggest drivers of chronic disease, including obesity and diabetes, yet the answer to this seemingly simple question remains a subject of heated debate. On this week’s episode, Dr. Zoë Harcombe (@zoeharcombe) joins BJSM’s Daniel Friedman (@ddfriedman) to address some common nutrition myths. Zoë has a PhD in public health nutrition. The full title of her thesis is: “An examination of the randomised controlled trial and epidemiological evidence for the introduction of dietary fat recommendations in 1977 and 1983: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis“. She researches in the fields of nutrition, diet, dietary advice, diet-related health and obesity and writes and talks about these topics daily - http://www.zoeharcombe.com/ In this 30 minute conversation, Zoë reviews the evidence supporting commonly held nutrition beliefs and discusses: · Does red and process meat cause cancer? · Should everyone follow a Mediterranean diet? · Are wholegrains healthy? · How many fruit + veg should we be eating daily? · What makes up a nutritious diet? Further reading: Harcombe, Zoe. "Designed by the food industry for wealth, not health: the ‘Eatwell Guide’." (2017): 1730-1731.https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2016/05/25/bjsports-2016-096297 Harcombe, Zoe. World Health Organisation, meat & cancer http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2015/10/world-health-organisation-meat-cancer/ Estruch, Ramón, et al. "Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet." New England Journal of Medicine 368.14 (2013): 1279-1290.