This week’s nutrition news focused a spotlight on how in the 1960’s the sugar industry paid scientists to down play sugar’s effect on heart disease and instead tried to lay the blame on saturated fat instead. The food industry has a long history of funding research that influences nutrition science. No doubt this is a risk when industry is offering financial payment to scientists to write papers that support industry cause. In this case, the goal was to shift public opinion to believe that sugar was a harmless factor in heart disease.
Readers of nutrition science articles should be skeptical of study results for any trial that was funded by industry. Studies funded by public, university or government would have less conflict of interest issues. The good news is that today, there are more checks and balances and scientists cannot be so easily bought off to write for profit. And even if they did, the chance that a respected journal would publish such a study is not likely. But just in case, consumers are advised to check out who funded the study to make sure that the research was unbiased. Get your nutrition information from sources that have no financial gain from the information. Rely on health experts who have reviewed evidence and have culled out the garbage nutrition claims.
In regards to Sugar vs. Fat…. stay away from sugar sweetened beverages and added sugars. Taking in high amounts of sugar is not good for your health and has been linked to disease. And while you are at it…skip the unhealthy fatty fried foods as well.
Interested in reading more about this topic? Check out these links:
- https://www.npr.org/2016/09/17/494360187/industry-influence-in-nutrition-research
- https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html?_r=0
Post submitted by Arleen Temer-Wittcoff, a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator at OrthoHealth – Illinois Bone and Joint Institute
