Comments on: Not-so-super Times article on Holford and superfoods

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:39:48 +0000

Spot on! :-)

By: dvnutrix

dvnutrix — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:57:01 +0000

Have you considered the number of lives saved and deformities that have been prevented by modern medicine?

By: edward

edward — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:04:03 +0000

http://www.rense.com/general89/sup.htm

You probably won’t put this up even so i hope it might make you think, when you consider the number of deaths and deformities attributed to ‘mainstream medicine’

By: jonhw

jonhw — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:53:32 +0000

Sure – the review can only review and include the research that has been done, and follows specific inclusion criteria. At least some of the subjects of the trials included in that Cochrane review will have been eating healthy diets, of course. There’s also not good evidence that antioxidant supplementation is useful as part of a healthy diet, nor that ORAC ratings are the best way to determine what are healthy foods – a diet including vast amounts of red wine and dark chocolate could give you loads of antioxidants, but would bring certain problems.

By: Markr

Markr — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:45:19 +0000

“Eating a healthy diet – containing plenty of antioxidants – does correlate with better health outcomes. However, eating a shed load of anti-oxidants seems to be less helpful – in fact, it appears that supplementation may be harmful [PDF]. ”

I do think it’s worth mentioning that supplementing these anti-oxidants in isolation may be harmful, but this does not extend to supplementation as part of a ‘complete’ and ‘healthy’ diet. It’s too generalised to say anti-oxidant supplements are detrimental to health, the review also does not claim this, the review can only conclude what it has specifically studied; isolated anti-oxidants.

Statements such as ’10 years younger’ and advertising for supplements/diets with such health claims are extremely misleading, standard Holford though really. Happens a lot in the media unfortunately and those less educated in nutrition will think buying a tesco antioxidant supp will have supernatural effects!