Controversial Foods

Olive oil gets a lot of great press as a health food. And olives are popular staples of Mediterranean cuisine, which is considered by many to be the world’s healthiest way of eating. But olives are very salty, and olive oil is basically 100% fat. So what’s the truth about this savory fruit? How can we separate fact from myth?

Roughly one-quarter of all calories consumed in the United States come from refined flour made from grains — mostly wheat. Maybe that’s fine — after all, humans have been grinding grain into flour for tens of thousands of years. And, maybe it isn’t — modern milling methods produce flour that may be contributing to our twin epidemics of obesity and chronic disease. In this article, we’ll discuss the different kinds of flour, which are healthier than others, and how can you healthfully incorporate them into your diet.

We hear about superfoods all the time — amazing, exotic berries harvested from over 17,000 feet up in the Himalayas, or rare roots found only on Tuesdays three days before a full moon. I’m exaggerating, of course, but the functional food industry loves to sell us extremely expensive products that they claim contain health-promoting powers that don’t exist in “ordinary” foods. It turns out, though, that many of the inexpensive, readily available foods right under our noses are unappreciated “superfoods” in their own right.

Wellness influencers and supplement companies promote green powders as miracle supplements, able to do everything from increasing energy to improving digestion to boosting brain function. But what does the science say? Are these expensive green powders the real deal, or are they another fad to separate us from our money?

GMOs — or genetically modified organisms — are a lightning-rod issue. For some, GMO crops represent the height of human ingenuity, and anyone who says otherwise is a science denier. For others, GMOs represent an unprecedented and irreversible experiment on the entirety of life on earth, as we place the power to create life into the hands of transnational corporations whose agenda is monopolistic control of the global food supply. But what is a GMO, where are they found, and how concerned should you be?

Tomatoes. Are they a fruit or a vegetable? But more importantly, are they good for you, or do they have hidden downsides? Here’s what to know about one of the world’s most widely-eaten plants.

For many, it’s hard to imagine life without bread. And yet, for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities, giving up the “staff of life” may have seemed like the only option. Fortunately for bread lovers, gluten-free baking has come a long way in the past decade. In this article, you’ll discover the joys of healthy, whole-grain, gluten-free bread baking.

Soy is celebrated as a superfood by some who claim it can fight heart disease, hormone-related cancers, and osteoporosis while providing a potent plant-based protein source. But others tell us that it’s a central driver of breast cancer, thyroid problems, dementia, and environmental problems like deforestation. So what’s the truth? Is soy good for you? And what are the health and environmental consequences of consuming it? Here’s what you need to know about soy.

Beef burgers, veggie burgers, and now… lab-grown meat? You may have heard rumblings that cultured meat — made from animal stem cells — may become a mainstream consumer option soon. Is it true? And if so, is it a good thing? What is lab-grown meat? And should we be preparing for it to change the food system as we know it?

Olive and avocado oils are widely used, popular ingredients around the world. They are often touted for their health benefits and flavor. But they are also controversial, and may not be of the quality that you would like to think. Even the Mafia is in on it. Find out what you need to know about olive and avocado oil.

You probably have a bottle or two of vinegar somewhere in your home, either for cooking or cleaning. And some people are using it for its purported health benefits. But what exactly is vinegar? What benefits does it really offer? And should you be drinking it regularly for good health? Here’s what you need to know about vinegar.

Four years after the release of his New York Times bestseller, How Not to Die, NutritionFacts.org founder, Michael Greger, MD, brings us How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss. In this comprehensive work, Greger arms readers with a deep understanding of the science of weight loss, dispelling myriad myths and misconceptions along the way. The following excerpt examines artificial sweetener side effects and their impact.