Freedom of “Nutrition” Speech

by Brooke on July 3, 2012

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It is almost July 4th and time to remember one of our inalienable rights, freedom of speech.  This human rights law encompasses multiple mediums of expression whether that be oral, written, print, or through the Internet.

With this kind of freedom, comes a lot of nutrition misinformation.  I believe this is due to two main issues.  One, everyone eats and therefore believes they are a nutrition expert.  Two, with the amount of misinformation out there at our finger tips, it makes identifying the difference between fact and fiction really difficult.

I find it amazing and sad how many comments I have even received on my blog posts from readers citing information they believe is valid, proven, and accurate.  If you are doing research on a nutrition topic on Google, you are going to stumble across a lot of false information.  If you are citing a news report, grant summaries, or blog posts (even if it is on a university website) your research efforts have fallen short.  Googling hormones, organics, vitamins, etc. is not doing research, it is just “googling”.  If you really want to do research on a nutrition topic you will need to use a search engine like PubMed.

Here are a few comments I have received and will post only here for demonstration:

Hillary

No food should be only based on it’s caloric value. It’s humorous to picture our ancestors planning a meal around calories. Sure, cutting calories will make a person lose weight- that only makes sense. But what’s at stake here is the persons health. What exactly is in these low-calorie cereals? Well, for beginners, boxed cereals are processed foods full of fillers, not exactly a food group I’d recommend for someone seeking a healthy diet. I do however like your suggestion of homemade cereal.  But I’m not a fan of over-pasteurized, hormone-laden cow’s milk, especially the low-fat version which is full of “dangerous additives”. http://www.healthwatchmd.com/2011/09/is-skim-milk-making-you-fat/ A source from MSN: “When we want to lose those few extra pounds, we typically start by going on a low-fat diet, and restricting our calorie intake.  However, research shows that these weight loss methods are not that effective in the long-run.”

Alex

Brooke, you said “1)  Use Coconut Oil.  The most heart healthy oils are olive, canola, and corn – NOT coconut oil.  Coconut oil is high in saturated fat.  It is this fat that increases the bad cholesterol (LDL) in our bodies.  Unsaturated fats are healthy for the heart.  There are two types: monounsaturated fats (olive, canola, and peanut) and polyunsaturated fats (canola, corn, sesame, sunflower, safflower, and soybean).”  This literally almost made me fall off my chair. It’s dangerous to disseminate such false information like this. Corn, canola, and all of the other vegetable oils that you mentioned (besides extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil that has not been heated or oxidized) should be avoided like the plague. Virgin organic coconut oil on the other hand (the only stable oil that you mentioned) has been researched extensively for its wonderful health properties. I don’t understand where you got this information from?”

I love getting constructive comments on my blog post!  I welcome research that challenges my views that is from peer reviewed scientific research papers.  I understand that research can change, but I have to support current peer reviewed scientific research or I am no different than anyone else you might find in a google search.

Hi, My name is Brooke Schantz.  I am a Registered Dietitian and I support peer reviewed scientific research.

 

Happy Fourth of July!

 

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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Cheliza July 3, 2012 at 1:21 pm

Great post – I do not normally comment and I am not a dietitian (yet!) but I have taken several college and university courses in health and nutrition where all the information is from research journals, peer review articles and papers but the amount of resistance I receive when discussing this with informed “google” experts makes me cringe!!!

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Brooke July 6, 2012 at 2:12 pm

Hi Cheliza, Thank you for commenting and good luck finishing up your B.S. in Dietetics!

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Anna July 3, 2012 at 10:08 pm

Great post!!! I am a future dietitian and I could not agree with you more.

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Brooke July 6, 2012 at 2:13 pm

Thanks Anna!

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Kristen @ Swanky Dietitian July 4, 2012 at 1:15 am

Great post! This needs to be said.
I hate having people try and go against what information I say. It happens ALL the time. Like you said, everyone thinks they know everything when it comes to nutrition.
Happy 4th!!

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Brooke July 6, 2012 at 2:13 pm

Thanks Kristen! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday week :)

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