Holford Watch: Patrick Holford, nutritionism and bad science

Entries categorized as ‘food intolerance’

You and Yours on Which? Investigation into Food Intolerance Tests

August 26, 2008 · 9 Comments

Listen again while you can: BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours on Which?’s Investigation into Food Intolerance Testing with participation from Dr Mike Walker of Cambridge Nutritional Sciences Ltd.

One note that should be of particular interest to Patrick Holford, given his claims for IgG testing in the diagnosis of food intolerance, is a significant change in stance by the companies who promote, distribute and carry out such tests. We shall write more about this at a later date but Walker was at pains to stress that the Cambridge Nutritional Sciences’ IgG test is indicative of food intolerance but not diagnostic of food intolerance. The tap-dancing on this point was painful and brought a similar episode to mind involving Patrick Holford and his qualifications. (more…)

Categories: allergies · food intolerance · patrick holford · yorktest
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Update on Which?, YorkTest and Selective Quoting in Google Sponsored Links

August 26, 2008 · 1 Comment

YorkTest claims that Which? describes IgG as "validated scientific test"
Today’s Google is remarkably free of YorkTest sponsored links such as the one that we highlighted in our discussion of Which?, YorkTest and Cambridge Nutritional Sciences. The Google ad claimed: “Which? Magazine Report Says “Validated Scientific Test”" which is as blatant an example of quote mining as most people will ever encounter. The sponsored links have switched back to highlighting “Endorsed by Allergy UK”. (more…)

Categories: IgG tests · food intolerance · yorktest
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YorkTest, Hardman & Hart: there’s a difference between the BMJ and Nutrition and Food Science

August 24, 2008 · 5 Comments

A surprising mistake?

A surprising mistake?

HolfordWatch recently remarked on YorkTest’s chutzpah in selectively quoting from the recent Which? investigation. In the normal course of events and commenting, there has been some discussion of the lamentable Hardman and Hart audit of YorkTest customers. There has been a lot of confusion about whether the study was a clinical trial (no, it wasn’t) and even some confusion about where it was published: in some literature, YorkTest has been implying that it was published in the BMJ… (more…)

Categories: IgG tests · allergies · food intolerance · patrick holford · yorktest
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Which?, YorkTest and Cambridge Nutritional Sciences Ltd

August 21, 2008 · 40 Comments

YorkTest claims that Which? describes IgG as "validated scientific test"
Former Visiting Professor Patrick Holford is still Head of Science and Education at Biocare. It is possible that such impressive titles convince the unwary that Holford has an evidence-base for his supplement, health, lifestyle or self-empowerment-through-testing advice.

Holford frequently recommends IgG testing for the diagnosis of food intolerance although there is currently no clinical validation for such a recommendation and several associations of clinical allergists and immunologists have declared that the tests are without merit.[a],[b] (more…)

Categories: Holford · allergies · allergy · food intolerance · food sensitivity · patrick holford · yorktest
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Holford tries to respond to questions raised by BBC documentary. He fails.

March 31, 2008 · 9 Comments

Cat is jumping across a gap in a kitchen but will not reach its target; the caption reads 'About to Fail'

Having just posted about Professor Patrick Holford of Teesside University’s curious relationship with the mainstream media, we were fascinated to see Patrick Holford responding to the Radio 4 programme: The Rise of the Lifestyle Nutritionists. From what he writes, it sounds like he does feature in Part 2 of the series. I haven’t heard Part 2 yet - it’s scheduled to be broadcast on March 31 at 8pm - but it’s already clear that Holford fails to offer an adequate response to the questions raised. His responses range from dodging the questions asked, to answering while giving a clearly incorrect answer, and so gobsmackingly wrong that they even fail to qualify as wrong. Now I’m really looking forward to the radio programme: Holford digs himself in deep enough without having heard the programme, but I’m sure that the BBC’s research skills will allow them to provide a JCB or two to join Holford in his hole. (more…)

Categories: Ben Goldacre · Food for the brain · Food for the brain foundation · allergy · anaphylaxis · food intolerance · omega 3 · patrick holford
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Holford’s Health Products for Life breaches ASA rules on truthfulness and substantiation

January 30, 2008 · 6 Comments

Today, the ASA have ruled against Health Products for Life (HPFL): a supplement company that Professor Patrick Holford (Head of Science and Education at Biocare) sold to Biocare, and which has a website - and sells pills - with a picture of Holford’s face on. Holford is beginning to amass a collection of ASA rulings both for his own offerings and those for products that he endorses. (more…)

Categories: ASA · IgG tests · food intolerance · health · health products for life · patrick holford · yorktest
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Food for the Brain: Child Survey: Review Part 3

January 25, 2008 · 6 Comments

Professor Patrick Holford of Teesside University (and also Head of Science and Education at Biocare) and Drew Fobbester are joint researchers and authors of the Food for the Brain Child Survey, September 2007 (pdf). This is the third of three Holford Watch posts in which we explain why the literature overview in the FFTB Child Survey is inadequate: some of the claims made in the review are not supported by relevant references or studies of sufficient quality. Part 1 discusses the claims relating to supplements and children’s diet. Part 2 examines the claims made for the benefit of a balanced glycaemic load diet for children. For Part 3, we discuss the claims for the alleged incidence of food sensitivities and gluten sensitivity.
(more…)

Categories: Food for the brain · Food for the brain foundation · food intolerance · health · patrick holford
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Food for the Brain: Child Survey: Review Part 2

January 17, 2008 · 9 Comments

Professor Patrick Holford of Teesside University (and also Head of Science and Education at Biocare) and Drew Fobbester are joint researchers and authors of the Food for the Brain Child Survey, September 2007 (pdf). This is the second of three Holford Watch posts in which we explain why the literature overview in the FFTB Child Survey is inadequate: some of the claims made in the review are not supported by relevant references or studies of sufficient quality. Part 1 discussed the claims relating to supplements and children’s diet. Part 2 examines the claims made for the benefit of a balanced glycaemic load diet for children.
(more…)

Categories: Food for the brain · Food for the brain foundation · Holford · children · food intolerance · food sensitivity · gluten intolerance · glycaemic load · glycemic load · intelligence · intolerance · nutrition · patrick holford · referenciness · truthiness
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Food for the Brain Child Survey: The Promotion

January 8, 2008 · 16 Comments

Professor Patrick Holford of Teesside University and Head of Science and Education at Biocare and Drew Fobbester are joint researchers and authors of the Food for the Brain Child Survey, September 2007 (pdf). The report lists a distinguished Board of Scientific Advisors for Food for the Brain (FFTB) and thanks them for their overview of the data and analyses. (more…)

Categories: Food for the brain · GMTV · Holford · IgG tests · allergies · allergy · children · food intolerance · yorktest
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Patrick Holford Still Advocates IgG Testing for Food Allergies

December 18, 2007 · 2 Comments

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 and discusses IgG as if it is relevant to any such discussion. (more…)

Categories: ASA · Holford · IgG tests · Scadding · allergies · allergy · food intolerance · food sensitivity · home test · hometesting · lactose intolerance · patrick holford · supplements · yorktest
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