From: Greg Jordan (jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu)
Date: Thu May 01 2003 - 12:22:44 MDT
I agree with most of this, and I too hope the list can form a consensus. I
would only question the bit about organic food: we know pesticides and
herbicides are harmful to humans, why wouldn't food dusted with them and
absorbing them also be harmful to humans? I think some studies which have
shown organic diets less healthy have had to do with the organic dieters'
particular food choices, not the organicity of the food.
I would also add what we've heard from the Atkins dieters - that it sheds
pounds (presumably from fat?) while also causing constipation, and
physical and mental weakness/sluggishness.
gej
resourcesoftheworld.org
jordan@chuma.cas.usf.edu
On Wed, 30 Apr 2003, Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
> Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 18:27:41 -0700
> From: Rafal Smigrodzki <rafal@smigrodzki.org>
> Reply-To: extropians@extropy.org
> To: extropians@extropy.org
> Subject: Consensus diet? RE: Experiences with Atkins diet
>
> Last week I purchased a piece of salami with peppercorns and some garlic
> butter.
>
> I haven't had salami for about 5 years, and butter for at least ten.
>
> Delicious.
>
> I wonder if we could come up with a consensus about what we really know
> about diet based on the highest quality studies (leaving aside quibbles
> about the validity of e.g. evolutionary arguments). All this without trying
> to agree on all the hundreds of less well established observations.
>
> For the consensus I would nominate:
>
> 1) Ingestion of hydrogenated lipids in any amount is bad for you
>
> 2) Ingestion of calories from any source, if leading to obesity, is bad for
> you
>
> 3) Failure to provide at least 100% of RDA for established vitamins is bad
> for you
>
> 4) Consumption of raw vegetables (with some exceptions), and most types of
> fruit, is good for you
>
> 6) For persons with homocysteine levels exceeding 10 to 15, supplementation
> with vit B12, folic acid and thiamine, is beneficial
>
> 7) There is no consensus on the efficacy of antioxidant supplementation
>
> 8) Ingestion of vit A significantly above the RDA is bad for you
>
> 9) Ingestion of iron above the RDA, is bad for you, except in some special
> circumstances
>
> 10) There is no consensus as to the benefits of organic foods, as compared
> to conventionally produced ones of the same general composition
>
> 11) Ingestion of certain high-caloric density foods with highly refined
> palatability (a.k.a. sweets) may contribute to obesity
>
> 12) Certain types of moderately calorie-dense foods, consisting
> predominantly of highly absorbable, processed carbohydrates (e.g. most
> brands of cereal, fries, many types of bread, some types of pasta, pizza)
> may contribute to obesity
>
> Any more?
>
> Rafal
>
>
>
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