Category Archives: fish
UPDATED: Observer plugs fish oil for concentration, ADHD and depression
Observer plugs fish oil for concentration, ADHD and depression – based on very inadequate evidence. Continue reading
Filed under ADHD, depression, fish
Madeleine Portwood, fish oil, chemistry and children
Madeleine Portwood discusses fish oil research, saying “this is not about chemistry. This is about children”. We say this is about chemistry *and* children. Continue reading
Durham fish oil (non)trial: when is a control group not a control group?
In response to a FOIA request, Durham has told us about another significant flaw in their fish oil (non)trial: the ‘treatment’ arm was students with more than 80% reported compliance with supplementation with Equazen fish oil pills; the ‘control groups … Continue reading
Durham choosing how to measure success in their fish oil (non)trial: third time lucky?
Looking over the Durham fish oil (non)trial again, I noticed something I had missed: they have previously claimed to be looking at three quite different things in order to determine whether the pills are effective. They started out (back in … Continue reading
Filed under fish, supplements
Irish Times: “Holford has been a vegetarian for 30 years”. Has he?
In the course of a truly dire article on Patrick Holford – ‘Eat Your Medicine’ – the Irish Times states that “Holford has been a vegetarian for 30 years”. This seems a peculiar claim: the Independent has previously referred to … Continue reading
Filed under fat, fish, Holford, patrick holford, supplements
Durham fish oil (non)trial and science by press release: it’s unclear what the children were taking
In their continued efforts to provide a textbook example of why science by press release is a very bad thing, Durham Council’s press releases about their fish oil (non)trial even manage to muddy the water as to which Essential Fatty … Continue reading
Filed under Equazen, fish, omega 3, supplements
Durham fish oil (non)trial: confusing numbers, and the dangers of science by press release
If I didn’t know better, I might suspect that Durham’s fish oil trial initiative has been designed as an example of the dangers of releasing scientific results via the mainstream media. I have been looking over the Durham figures, and … Continue reading
The fish oil zombie swims again in Durham: the fabulous mutating press release
In a fine example of convergent evolution, some information posted on HolfordWatch, the digging by Letting off Steam and Ben Goldacre’s tenacity have a welcome airing as the Durham fish oil zombie once again swims through the nutrient-rich waters of … Continue reading
Patrick Holford, Food for the Brain and Equazen
Professor Patrick Holford of Teesside University and Head of Science and Education at Biocare has an unerring sense for his endorsements (see, e.g., the qLink with the unconnected coil and the dLan that may enhance your exposure to EMR and YorkTest, the IgG food intolerance tests criticised by both the House of Lords and the ASA). Holford managed to procure some useful backing for the Food for the Brain project. One of the companies is Equazen. Equazen donated essential fat supplements. With an astonishing sense of inevitability, Equazen has just been criticised by the ASA and found to be unable to substantiate some of its advertising claims: e.g. “A Hi-EPA fish oil formula that may help maintain concentration levels and healthy brain development”. Continue reading
Filed under Ben Goldacre, fish, Food for the brain, Food for the brain foundation, Holford, omega 3, supplements
NICE recommendations for fish oil after a heart attack
In the Irish Independent, Holford is quoted as stating that “The UK’s National Institute of Clinical Excellence [NICE] recommends that all doctors prescribe one gram of fish oil to patients who have had a heart attack. The trouble is, most … Continue reading
Filed under fish, omega 3, patrick holford
