So, I just bought Michael Pollan's latest book, "In Defense of Food".

I think most people on this forum would really like it. He has a refreshingly simple way to look at food. You will be surprised with some of the stuff he talks about.

I'm almost done with it, and I've learned to question all of the rules about nutrition that I have learned. The advice I give on this forum will definitely change.

So, everyone should get this book. It's a very valuable read.

Sounds interesting.

So, what are some of the new ideas you've learned?

Mainly stuff about supplements. I used to think supplements actually did stuff, but he claims that it's much healthier to just eat the real food that contains that nutrient. Our bodies are designed to digest food, not chemical components extracted from food.

So shouldnt you question the stuff he says then? What is your current advice based on?

Its no secret tony. Getting the essentials from food is the best option - fullstop.

I agree totally, I gave up on vitamin tablets ages ago, I think they're the longest running scam in stores today.
I think they're very popular in the US because you have a big pill popping culture of 'quick fixes' over there so lazy people can pop a vitamin pill and eat the same old crappy diet.

A bit like in the Chris Rock stand up show where he talks about the drug adverts in America that try and get you to take things like anti depresants and sleeping pills. It's just an attitude of plastering over cracks.

Lots of research was done in the UK on the affects of vitamin suppliments to help old people and it was found they had only a placebo effect

Yeah, there was one part in the book where he talks about beta carotene.

Singnificant health benefits were found when people ate carrots which are high in beta carotene, but when they isolated beta carotene and put it in a supplement, the same health effects weren't observed. Claiming one part or one nutrient of the food to be healthy on it's own is practically like saying high fructose corn syrup is good for you because it comes from a healthy food like corn. It's just riduculous. In order to get the benefits of the carrot, a real carrot must be eaten. Pollan claims that food scientists and nutritionists just don't know enough about food to make all of the health claims they do. There are just too many components in real food to try to discover and synthesize in a pill.

A lot to do with money $$

Yes, unfortunately, the number one reason we eat what we eat in the western world is due to money. It's cheaper to produce crummy food in large quantities than it is to produce good food in small quantities.

Did you know that in the western world we actually spend more of our money on health care than we do on food? In the book, Pollan talks about how in the 1960's it was the other way around, we used to spend more of our income on food and less on healthcare. We're in a pretty sad state at this point.

Ok. Not sure why you made this post.

If I'm wrecking havock on my CNS day in day out, you can bet you're ass I'm going to take some additional vitamin C. If I am living in a household that eats mainly carbs and uses animal proteins for flavoring, you can be sure I'm consuming supplemental protein.

Not everyone lives the same lifestyle. For the majority of the nation, yeah, maybe they need to focus on a better diet before they look to get quick fixes. But for many of us just on this forum, that's not the case.

Now there was an interesting lecture I was listening to on the "cornification" of America, which I think might be online. It's very interesting and is 100x more interesting than this worn-out crap.

True, but quick fixes are what got our culture into this mess in the first place. Easy fast and cheap sometimes come at the cost of our health. People need to look at what they are doing, and how important their health is to them and how much time, effort and money they are willing to put towards their health. Like you said, not everyone is capable of this due to financial and time restraints. I can't go to the farmer's market as much as the book recommends, and my health probably won't suffer that much by eating supermarket vegetables. I pick and choose my battles.

No it isnt Tony, you replied before as if she should challenge the lecturer as if he/she was wrong. Do you want students to question EVERYTHING they say and demand evidence. Do you think lecturers are stupid.

And its vacuous comments like Leiyufat that doesnt help anything.

I was confused by the first part Matt, "its no secret Tony." Which would imply that I mentioned something about a secret.

So you're saying that we should question nothing? My point is that when someone reads something, they regard that piece of info as the end all be all. Why? Im sure that the book is implying that a balanced diet is superior to supplements, which I am not contesting. However, I dont know anyone with a perfectly balanced diet.

There are people on both sides of the supplementation fence. Those that support and those that dont believe. There are definitely far too many supps on the market, thats for sure. But things like protein powders and creatine are much better then something like grape seed extract or horny goat weed. (just wanted to type horny)

I like to read many different pieces of information and look for the similarities, rather then try to find all the differences.

Yeah,

Oh i didnt know she was referring to a book authorised by one person. In that case your right - defenitely dont take everything as if it where true without question.

In the case of lecturers and required uni books thats a different story. In my history so far ive found all the doctors, professors etc to be intellectually honest and helpfull. And the books as good as they get. The assesments usually require you to go out and research things that are not 100% certain as well, developing your critical thinking and own personal perspective of things.