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August 1, 2007
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Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hype

What do chocolate, avocados, beer, and fish have in common? On any given day over the past few years, nutrition "experts" have named each of them as a panacea for cancer, high blood pressure, and a long list of other chronic conditions. And before you know it, these wonder foods find their way onto the food police hit list as the cause of all worldly woes. According to Scotland's Daily Record, it's enough to make your head (or scale) spin:

[T]he hundreds of food research reports published every year thrust the average shopper into a minefield of health warnings and advice on what is best to put in their trolley ... Worryingly, this is just the tip of the iceberg, in which experts seem to take turns describing the same food as either good or bad for you.

With groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals constantly spouting that entire categories of food are dangerous, it's no wonder the many Americans have trouble keeping up with the food scare du jour. People should forget about "bad carbs" and high-fructose-whad'ya-call-it, because the best rule is the most basic: The dose makes the poison.

Leading nutrition experts at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) denounce the "good" food, "bad" food campaigns backed by pseudo-science. On the other hand, the ADA recommends that individuals focus on the amount, rather than the type of foods consumed.

Not only is this the healthiest diet plan, it's also the most realistic. If people were to stop eating every single food that CSPI claimed would kill them, grocery lists would be left with little more than celery and water. And "according to the latest study," celery ...

 

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    The Environmental Working Group is the cauldron where some of the worst science and most creative smear campaigns are cooked up. A web of vested interests including both organic marketers and their public relations operatives reap the benefits of these deceptive advocacy campaigns. read more here »

    Environmental Media Services
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    If you’ve ever been advised to steer clear of a food, beverage, or other consumer product based on the claims of a nonprofit organization, you’ve likely been “spun” by Fenton’s multi-million-dollar message machine — and Environmental Media Services (EMS) has probably been the messenger. read more here »

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