A recent series of papers (links below) suggests that most nutrition epidemiologic research is “meaningless” and engendered a fictional “diet-centric” discourse with significant ramifications for public health policy.
Article In Defense of Sugar: A Critique of Diet-Centrism
Article The Demonization of ‘Diet’ Is Nothing New
Article Controversy and Debate: Memory based Methods Paper 1: The Fa...
Article Controversy and Debate: Memory-Based Dietary Assessment Meth...
Dear Edward
The topic you initiated is critical, multi-pronged & diverse in many ways. The concept of "diet-centrism" becomes only central once we had been plagued with plethora of metaboloc disorders like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, & heart diseases.
I am not underscoring the evidence u shared, but need of thecday is strike the balance & the balance is where we as medics struggle.
unfortunately the medicine we practice has started morecfocus on drugs & absolute starements about dietary advices, which by no means is desirable.
your evidence needs to be translated but the balance shoukd also include the adversaries of metabolism in the best interest if "personalized medicine"
Rest i m goingvthrough your very interesting articles & need to learn more on the subject.
Thanks for raising this important missing link in medicine.
Regards
I am from the Spanish Mediterranean area. I believe in the ancient Mediterranean life-style. It is not only a diet, it is more than that. Sun, physical activity (farm work, walk), oliveoil, wine, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products (cheese and milk), fish and meat (pig, lamb, goat, rabbit and chicken) and siesta.
Dear Faustino Cervera Burriel
Yes, i have heard a lot about these diets. What do you think these diets have which makes them protective? Similar stuff is available everywhere?
Regards
It is not only a diet, it is a life style.
However the diet contains olive oil, wine, vegetables and legumes, fruits, and fish. All of them have some protectives compounds like fiber (vegetables, fruit) and vitamines (vegetables, fruit, fishes), omega 3 acids (fish and oli olive), cardioprotective factors (wine and others).
But the important thing is the life style (siesta, physical exercise, wine,...)
I appreciate the responses to my question. Nevertheless, my work suggests that diet "is a trivial risk factor in obesity and metabolic disease." Additionally, it is clear that the field of nutrition epidemiology published a great deal of "illiterate nonsense" that was repeatedly refuted but is still heavily cited.
Thus, my question is whether or not the research community's focus on 'diet' is an impediment to progress in public health; and has it led to the disease-mongering of foods and beverages. As Faustino implied, there is a great deal more to health than diet.
My recent publications expand on these ideas...Please see:
Article Cell-Specific ‘Competition for Calories’ Drives Asymmetric N...
Article Controversy and Debate: Memory based Methods Paper 1: The Fa...
Article Controversy and Debate: Memory-Based Dietary Assessment Meth...
Thanks, Ed
Edward Archer considering dietary intake as you suggested and the literature abstracts indicate, this highlights the prominent role of other factors like exercise and especially genetics and the epigenetics more significant as players in the development of ASCVD and other causes of mortality/morbidity?
So if diets like Mediterranean ones may not be that significant.
In my experience genetics and probably epigenetics are more important, especially in the subcontinent.
regards
Sikandar and Luaay, it will help if you actually read my papers before commenting. I challenged (and potentially refuted) both the 'diet-centric' and 'gene-centic' paradigms. As such, it will be difficult to have a productive discussion if you are not aware of my theories and empirical work.
For a more detailed explanation please read:
Article The Contributions of ‘Diet’, ‘Genes’, and Physical Activity ...
Article Cell-Specific ‘Competition for Calories’ Drives Asymmetric N...
Thnaks,
Ed
Dear Dr. Archer, I don't agree with "Diet-Centrism". The healthy diet can't be centralised. It depends on the specific requirements of every individual. That's way the nutrition has to be individualised.
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