1.6 min. read
This past week, we learned there’s no real value in intermittent fasting, no real benefit from bone health supplements, and diet drinks work just as well as water for weight loss. Are we entering a new era where science is going to make old wisdom obsolete?
Despite the common belief that diet beverages can actually hamper weight
loss, new science has shown they’re just as effective as water –
the standard recommendation – for weight loss…
The three examples cited above are just a sampling of the recent scientific discoveries that have rendered old, standard medical and nutrition advice obsolete overnight…
What happened?
Bone health supplements
A study by Canadian researchers on the benefits of Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation found little to no effect on the chance of experiencing any bone fracture.
For calcium supplements, that conclusion was based on moderate-certainty evidence from 11 trials involving 9,067 participants. For vitamin D supplements, the researchers found high-certainty evidence from 36 trials involving 92,045 participants.
Water or soda?
A two-year randomized clinical trial followed 493 adults with overweight or obesity who took part in a structured behavioral weight management program.
Weight loss was similar between the non-nutritive sweetener beverage and water groups after 104 weeks (−4.8 kg vs −3.7 kg; a nonsignificant difference). Both groups maintained weight reductions across the full two-year study, including during the final year when participants no longer received assistance.
Short term or intermittent fasting
Scientists from Queen Mary University of London’s Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) and the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences wanted to identify the beneficial changes associated with fasting.
PHURI Director Claudia Langenberg reported: “These [benefits] were only visible after three days of total caloric restriction – later than we previously thought.” Which she says suggests that intermittent or short fasts, or those that don’t involve total Calorie restriction, may not produce positive results.
My take
What’s next? We’ll just have to wait and see what comes down the pike. In the meantime… Have thee recent turnarounds on conventional health and nutrition wisdom unsettled your own perceptions of ‘the official line’?
My questions to you:
Do you accept the findings of the researchers cited above?
If so…
Are you are a believer in any of the issues in question?
If so…
Are you now questioning your belief(s)?
Are you considering changing your position the issue(s) in question?
Has the recent spate of reversals in conventional health and nutrition wisdom caused you to question other beliefs?
Muse on that!
~ Maggie J.