Magic answers

Over the next few weeks, I shall be returning from time to time to Patrick Holford. I had not heard of him until a few weeks ago when I came across his claims to enable people to say “no” to cancer, arthritis and heart disease.

Today, I notice that he has a banner advert on his site saying:

HEAR ABOUT HOW TO REVERSE DIABETES.

And so he goes on, plugging his books and his outspoken views on nutrition. It is a free world, but it angers me that GMTV gives him sofa space and thus lend his views the imprimatur of a television company.

“It was on the tele doctor, so it must be true.”

Do not get me wrong. I do not think that dietetic and nutritional advice is a waste of time. Far from it. Dr Crippen is a great believer in the importance of nutrition, and frequently refers patients for dietetic advice. There is an excellent dietetic resource on the internet. You will find no magic cures for serious illnesses there but you will find a wealth of sensible advice. I talk, of course, of the British Dietetic Association.

Diets, behaviour and learning in children

Reports in the media often tell us that changing a child's diet can improve their behaviour, improve their concentration, and even make them more intelligent.
Unfortunately there are no magic nutritional pills to take, but the evidence suggests that enjoying regular meals and a healthy balanced diet helps a child to have the best chance at optimal mental and behavioural performance. Regular physical activity or exercise is equally important - aim for at least an hour a day. The basics of a healthy diet are...

Diet and Autistic Spectrum disorder

Patrick Holford seems to embrace all the “treatment” modalities that the medical profession regards as quackery.

Get the definitive advice from here


Food Allergy – Fact or Fiction

You may not like what the BDA has to say, but it is true:

As many as one in five people believe themselves to be intolerant (or 'allergic') to a food. In act, less than 1% of the adult population have a true food allergy. With more people self-diagnosing a food allergy, there is a risk of unnecessarily cutting out important foods from the diet and risking nutrient deficiencies.

No magic answers anywhere on the British Dietetic Association website. The advice they give is rational and sensible and freely available to all. There always seems to be a problem with free advice.

It is not valued as advice for which you have to pay.

You may prefer to pay Patrick Holford £6.99 to teach you how to say “no” to cancer. Looking at his web site, at the rate he is going, I would not be surprised if soon he does not announce a cure for all known diseases. Patrick Holford must truly be a magician.