Last year, Food for the Brain modified some advice on dietary exclusions for children – when we pointed out that such changes should be implemented under medical and/or dietetic supervision. We were therefore disappointed to see iAfrica reporting Holford’s advice that “in order to maximise your children’s potential” you should:
Take your child off foods [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘allergies’
December 5, 2008
Holford gives poor advice about dietary restrictions for children. Again
August 26, 2008
You and Yours on Which? Investigation into Food Intolerance Tests
Radio 4’s You and Yours ran an intereresting segment about the Which? investigation into food intolerance testing. Dr Mike Walker of Cambridge Nutritional Sciences participated and attempted to defend the scientific basis for the IgG food intolerance test. However, he argued that the IgG food intolerance test is not diagnostic of food intolerance. Oddly enough, YorkTest have also made similar statements. Somebody should send Allergy UK and Patrick Holford the memo about this.
August 24, 2008
YorkTest, Hardman & Hart: there’s a difference between the BMJ and Nutrition and Food Science
A YorkTest brochure about their IgG food intolerance tests states that there are “25 years of the highest quality ‘double blind’ clinical trials that have been published in numerous peer reviewed medical journals, including the British Medical Journal”. No, there aren’t and they have never published in the BMJ. Chutzpah or mistake?
August 21, 2008
Which?, YorkTest and Cambridge Nutritional Sciences Ltd
A Which? investigation into commonly available tests for food intolerance reported that the tests returned inconsistent results and flagged up health problems that don’t exist. Predictably, both YorkTest and Cambridge Nutritional Sciences have objected to the findings although it isn’t clear what their grounds are. YorkTest in particular demonstrates a degree of chutzpah that we typically associate with former Visiting Professor Patrick Holford.
June 6, 2008
Patrick Holford is an ex-Professor: he has resigned his Visiting Professorship at Teesside. UPDATE: Teesside’s Cactus Clinic also ceases to operate
Patrick Holford has resigned his visiting professorship at the University of Teesside. The Cactus Clinic has ceased to operate: this is unfortunate for the parents who benefited from its services. However, the nutritional assessment programme with its emphasis on unproven tests such as hair mineral analysis and IgG blood tests for food intolerance was not pursuing an evidence-based approach and it is unsettling that this was considered appropriate with such a vulnerable clientele.
May 28, 2008
Patrick Holford and Natural Products magazine get things badly wrong about nutrition and allergy
Just a quick post – to note that Prof Patrick Holford of Teesside University has a pretty terrible article on hayfever on the Natural Products website.
April 21, 2008
BANT and Conflict of Interest: YorkTest and Similar Commission
Members of BANT are allowed to accept commission on lab tests and supplements and are under no obligation to declare these to the client; unlike the financial services industry where such practices are frowned upon. Is this acceptable? Particularly when nutritional therapists frequently accuse medical professionals of such conflicts of interest.
January 8, 2008
Food for the Brain Child Survey: The Promotion
Professor Patrick Holford and Drew Fobbester co-authored the Food for the Brain Child Report 2007. The report was covered widely and largely uncritically in the media. It was presented as a snapshot of the dietary status and mental health of children although it is not a representative sample of UK children and that there are severe limitations to what may be claimed for the study. Holford Watch is willing to make a contribution to the critical appraisal of this report; especially when some authorities express the pious hope that it should be read by people who might influence public policy.
December 18, 2007
Patrick Holford Still Advocates IgG Testing for Food Allergies
Professor Patrick Holford of Teesside University and Head of Science and Education at Biocare frequently upbraids professionals and researchers for what he perceives as their lack of up-to-date research.
Holford’s 100%health newsletter for November 2007 is full of the usual inexactitudes and creative interpretations of quite straightforward research. He once again conflates allergies and intolerance [...]
November 3, 2007
Holford in the Scotsman: another dubious claim about autism
I thought that – when the Scotsman published Blissett’s dire article on Holford a while after the Standard – it was just letting its standards slip, and running a poor-quality cast-off from the London media. However, having taken a closer look, the Scotsman have form on this type of ’science’ journalism. Last year, [...]
