Unsettled Science

Unsettled Science explores the complexities and controversies in nutrition and health, emphasizing the challenges in obtaining reliable advice. It covers debates over dietary guidelines, the scientific scrutiny of popular diets, the evaluation of nutritional research, and the impact of diet on health conditions and national security.

Nutritional Controversies Dietary Guidelines and Health Scientific Evaluation of Diets Health Policy and Recommendations Impact of Diet on Health Conditions Nutritional Research and Studies

The hottest Substack posts of Unsettled Science

And their main takeaways

US Dietary Guidelines: Science is "Subpar," Cannot be Replicated

948 implied HN points • 27 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Public Health Dietary Guidelines Research Methodology Health Policy
  1. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines are based on low-quality science that is hard to replicate. This raises questions about their reliability for healthy eating.
  2. A new study found serious flaws in how the USDA reviews the research for these guidelines, including mistakes in their search strategies and lack of transparency.
  3. Despite criticism and calls for improvement, the USDA has not made the necessary updates to ensure the guidelines are trustworthy and based on solid research.

US Dietary Guidelines Remain an Evidence-Free Zone

1255 implied HN points • 11 Dec 24
🏥 Health Politics Dietary Guidelines Public Health Regulatory Affairs Bipartisan Issues
  1. Many clinical trials show that the recommended dietary changes may not actually improve health. In fact, some guidelines might worsen our health.
  2. The expert committee ignored strong evidence for reducing ultra-processed foods while pushing for less evidence-based recommendations on meat and dairy.
  3. Conflicts of interest within the expert committee raise questions about the validity of the guidelines, suggesting that politics may influence dietary recommendations over solid science.

Op-ed on the US Dietary Guidelines: the problems and how to fix them

1158 implied HN points • 22 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Dietary Guidelines Public Health Wellness Trends Food Science
  1. The US Dietary Guidelines have some serious flaws that need addressing. Many people think these guidelines aren't based on solid science.
  2. Experts are suggesting changes to improve the guidelines. They believe the rules should be more flexible and better reflect current nutrition research.
  3. There's a call for a broader discussion on diet recommendations. It’s important for everyone to have a say in what healthy eating looks like.

Get ready to eat beans, peas, lentils--as cuts in meat, poultry, and eggs are proposed for next Dietary Guidelines

800 implied HN points • 08 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Diet Chronic Disease Public Policy Food Safety
  1. The new Dietary Guidelines may suggest eating less meat, poultry, and eggs for everyone. This change could encourage more consumption of beans, peas, and lentils.
  2. Changing the guidelines is important because they influence what food programs, like school lunches, serve. The guidelines can also impact health issues like obesity and diabetes in children.
  3. There seems to be a long-standing bias against animal foods in these guidelines, with a focus on vegetarian and vegan diets despite concerns about nutrient deficiencies from those diets.

Do red and processed meats cause cancer?

840 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🏥 Health Politics Nutrition Cancer Public Health Research Health Policy
  1. The World Health Organization says processed meats cause cancer, but only one type of cancer has been linked directly to them, which is colorectal cancer.
  2. The IARC's decision was based on a small number of studies, which raises questions about how strong the evidence really is.
  3. Many people reacted strongly to the news, fearing that all red meats are dangerous, but the evidence used may not support that broad conclusion.
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A Substack update, MDs reinforcing failure and ill news about sugar (a clever study!)

516 implied HN points • 09 Nov 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Public Health Medical education Chronic diseases
  1. Medical schools might not be teaching the right nutrition information. It's important to examine if the problem lies in what is taught, not just how much is taught.
  2. New research suggests that reducing sugar in the diets of young children can lower their risk of diabetes and high blood pressure later in life. This raises serious questions about how we view sugar in our diets.
  3. Physicians should be more open about the uncertainties surrounding nutrition advice. Understanding that there's still much to learn can help doctors connect better with their patients.

News! & Longer Living Through Chemistry

545 implied HN points • 26 Oct 24
🔬 Science Research Health Chemistry Lifestyle Wellness
  1. A new Substack newsletter is being launched due to challenges faced in a joint project. Leaving the previous newsletter was not an easy decision but necessary to move forward.
  2. There is a mention of an anti-aging pill in the news. It's important to think carefully about whether to take such a pill or not.
  3. The focus is on exploring longer life through chemistry. This suggests that science might hold keys to better health and longevity.

Nutrition & Health News This Week

772 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Dietary Guidelines Obesity Longevity
  1. Harvard longevity expert David Sinclair faced challenges in his career due to questions about the science behind his longevity claims for resveratrol, affecting his reputation and leading to his resignation.
  2. Recent dietary guidelines in Germany emphasizing less meat and dairy in favor of grains and vegetables have raised concerns among experts, including questioning the soundness of these plant-based recommendations.
  3. A study using data from the influential Nurses Health Study at Harvard School of Public Health revealed that even those who followed U.S. dietary guidelines on fat consumption still gained weight, shedding doubt on the effectiveness of these dietary recommendations.

TGIF: Nutrition News

818 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Weight Loss Diet Obesity Military
  1. Ketogenic diet can help reduce alcohol cravings based on a small study, which also showed benefits in mice and humans.
  2. NIH is investing $190 million in short-term nutrition studies with questionable value, sparking concerns about meaningful data and focus.
  3. Weight-loss prescriptions among U.S. service members, along with rising obesity rates in military, raise questions about the effectiveness of current dietary guidelines and the impact on national security.

TGIF: Nutrition & Health News

675 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Health News Diabetes Obesity FDA Regulations
  1. FDA approved an over-the-counter glucose monitor, making it easier for people to track blood sugar levels, important for weight loss and managing diabetes
  2. Labrador retrievers with a specific gene mutation struggle with obesity, showing lower metabolic rate and greater hunger, shedding light on genetic factors affecting weight
  3. FDA permitted a qualified health claim that yogurt 'may' prevent type 2 diabetes, based on limited scientific evidence, raising concerns about potential health risks of promoting foods high in added sugars

Nutrition Researchers Say It’s the Doctors Who Are Fooling Themselves – Are They?

675 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Obesity
  1. Nutrition researchers caution against using individual or small sample experiences as evidence in clinical practice.
  2. Physicians believe in the effectiveness of carbohydrate restriction based on their observations of patient outcomes.
  3. There is a conflict between doctors and academics regarding the best approach for treating obesity and diabetes.

Are ultra-processed foods uniquely addictive?

522 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Addiction Research Home Cooking
  1. Experts suggest that ultra-processed foods may have addictive qualities due to their combination of sugar, salt, and fat, similar to how tobacco affects addiction.
  2. Food addiction research has developed tools like the Yale Food Addiction Scale to understand dependencies on specific nutrients like sugar, sugar-plus-fat, and carbohydrates-plus-fat.
  3. Debates continue on whether food addiction is due to behavioral disorders or physiological dependencies, with ongoing discussions about the impact of food processing on addiction.

TGIF: Nutrition & Health News

482 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Health News
  1. A start-up company has developed a fiber-based drink mix that acts like a sponge in the stomach to absorb sugar, offering a new approach to sugar elimination.
  2. The sponge drink comes at a cost of $150 a month and has been deemed safe, but its effectiveness in reducing blood-sugar spikes is not fully proven.
  3. Other start-up companies in the nutrition and health field, like Zye in the UK, are also making innovative products to address health concerns.

TGIF: Nutrition and Health News

499 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Health News
  1. A virtual course on reversing type 2 diabetes is being offered, with notable faculty and CME credit available.
  2. Influential studies claiming red meat is bad for health are criticized for flawed methods and lack of transparency.
  3. Nutritional approaches to health may be misrepresented in certain studies, impacting policies and recommendations.

TGIF: Nutrition & Health News

312 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Health News
  1. Medical revolutions often start with anecdotes, leading to clinical trials to verify effectiveness and potential risks.
  2. The ketogenic diet is being tested for serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
  3. There is a proposal to use Medelian Randomization as a substitute for traditional clinical trials in studying the impact of meat intake on cardiovascular health.

Less Meat, More Plants: A Rules of Evidence Controversy Pt I

3 HN points • 20 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Nutrition Diet Plant-based Obesity
  1. Eating plant-based diets tends to be healthier than consuming a lot of meat, especially processed meat, which is linked to heart disease and diabetes.
  2. The controversy lies in the differing levels of evidence - observational studies show plant-based diets may be healthier, but randomized controlled trials do not strongly support this.
  3. The GRADE methodology challenges the reliability of evidence from observational studies in nutrition, raising questions about long-standing dietary advice.

Do We Care Why Mice Get Fat?

1 HN point • 06 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Research Analysis
  1. Research using mice as models for obesity might not be as applicable to humans as assumed due to differences in environmental influences and genetic evolution.
  2. Studies on mice suggest that the pleasure factor in eating, especially fat, can lead to overeating and obesity in rodents.
  3. Some findings on mice diet and weight gain may not directly translate to humans, highlighting the need for additional research to understand the relationship between diet and obesity.