As far as we know, nobody has yet gone on to take the full BSc so it is difficult to know what sort of state of preparedness the students are in.

Has anyone put in an FOI request for the quality documentation for this course or the foundation degree that precedes it? It would be very interesting to examine the learning objectives and course content in detail.

No doubt you are going to disregard my experience in clinic and tell me these supplements are of no use.

That is an interesting argument to make. It assumes that your personal, subjective, experience trumps objective peer-reviewed papers and DBRCT trials. That is an argument beloved by homeopaths and frequently used to justify a scientifically untenable position.
But anyway, I am curious as to how you diagnose gut permeability, low gastric juice secretion or the inadequate breakdown of proteins?

It is however my opinion that doctors do not hand out good advice when concerning diabetes.

Interseting about multivits and mins. This is one supplement i do not advise very often. I have come across many examples where they make people feel worse. The symptoms i have recorded seem to be dizziness, fuzzyness and muscle aches.

I dont bother with intolerance testing . It is more important in my experience that the integrety of the gut wall is improved. Gut permeabilty seems to be more of a problem.
low gastric juice secretion also seems to play a big part. Many people who i see are not breaking down proteins properly. Betaine HCL supplentation, avoiding stress and glutamine use seems to help many.

No doubt you are going to disregard my experience in clinic and tell me these supplements are of no use.

I am curious because so many ION graduates offer IgG testing etc. for the diagnosis of food intolerance. Similarly, although there is no indication that they have any relevance outside very specific heavy metal exposures, a number of ION Diplomates offer hair mineral testing and I see that it is part of the curriculum along with other similar oddities.

A propos your suggestion about ION being the way forward, I’ve never been one for the faute de mieux argument. I think that there are substantially better methods that might be integrated into the general education system. Similarly, I will be interested in the assessment of the Superhealth GP practices that involve doctors rooms, gyms, pools, kitchens, teaching facilities etc.

As for the diabetes, hmm. It is not my experience so much that doctors and dietitians have any difficulty informing people about the benefits of the Portfolio or Mediterranean Diet but they do have difficulty in persuading people to follow it. Might I suggest that the people who have difficulty following these tremendously useful dietary recommendations are not the ones who pay to see a nutritionist, privately?

I, too, know a considerable number of people with Type II Diabetes who do control it by following their doctor’s dietary recommendations and take no medication at all. I could estimate these numbers, however, so they are a far cry from your countless, although, I would have thought you kept client records that would enable you to make such an estimate.

Supplements have a place for the people who need them. One of my niggling concerns is that unless people obtain the supplements from a reputable source (e.g., the sort of supplements used by the NHS and possibly supplied on an FP10) then it is only too feasible for people not to be entirely sure what they are taking (accurate dosages or possible contaminants – ConsumerLab in the US has written up some eye-opening findings in this area).

Beyond that, I do have difficulty with the notion that supplements can be promoted as if their efficacy for a general population is clinically proven. E.g., for all the posturing about cinnamon, the studies that have been done are almost all on people with established blood sugar derangements. You will be aware of the recent paper that showed a suprising number of worse health outcomes for people who take (typically) a multivitamin and mineral supplement. The reasons as to why this might be subsequently confirmed or not are fascinating.

Unfortunately, the NTC do not seem to want to do much regulating at the current time:
http://www.nutritionaltherapycouncil.org.uk/complaint.htm

Hopefully, 2008 will see more news as to how our £900,000 has been spent
http://www.bant.org.uk/bant/pdf/AN_UPDATE_FROM_NTC_%20Dec_2005.doc

Superburgermuncher

It is interesting that several Dip IONs have come on here to disassociate themselves from Patrick Holford. Certainly, no sensible person would disagree with the idea of optimum nutrition. Although, the Dip ION may be hard work it is still only a Foundation Degree. Would you agree it would be a good idea if all nutrition therapists did the full honours degree? Perhaps the ION could work more closely with dietitians?

I thought that was the whole point of setting up the NTC to get some regulation of the Nutrition therapy industry.