Category Archives: omega 3
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
The Economist: The End of a Childhood Illusion
The Economist carried a particularly ill-judged piece about “new treatments for addiction” that were discussed at the recent Food for the Brain conference. The piece is the sort of shoddy scholarship that is more typically associated with other news outlets and it is distressing to see it in a publication as reputable as The Economist: a childhood illusion has been shattered. Continue reading
Filed under 5-HTP, Food for the brain, Holford, omega 3, patrick holford, supplements
Durham (non)trial fails to show any benefit to fish oil (Equazen EyeQ) supplementation
Yesterday, a draft of Durham’s report on their fish oil (non)trial flopped into my inbox like a fortnight old fish – courtesy of a Freedom of Information Act request, and Durham’s helpful FOI coordinator. Sadly, the report stinks to high … Continue reading
Filed under omega 3, 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
Patrick Holford Responds to Radio 4 Programme and Misses the Point: Part 2a
Professor Patrick Holford issues a clarification of his claims concerning the literature overview and purpose of the Food for the Brain Child Survey 2007. Continue reading
Holford tries to respond to questions raised by BBC documentary. He fails.
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 … 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
A fishy business: did Durham Council make false claims about their fish oil (non)trial?
I was interested to see JQH at Letting Off Steam blogging about his difficulties in extracting information about Durham’s Council’s (non)trial of fish oil in their schools. Apparently, Durham referred JQH to a Council meeting response to a question put … Continue reading
Filed under omega 3
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
