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Comment by cik2e | Hacker News Reader

I think calling nutrition is a pseudoscience is a huge disservice. It’s a rapidly growing science in its nascency. Older research suffers greatly from “correlation is not causation”. That’s the reason that ideas like “saturated fat is bad” are getting debunked now.

I am of the opinion that most every educated person with enough interest in nutrition is best off doing their own research and forming their own opinions that are backed up by scientific research. This is a great place to start: https://examine.com/

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That's why I said "I am this close to actually calling it pseudo-science". You make a good point and I agree. But I think it's way way way too early in nutrition to treat it with the confidence that we do. We just don't know much of anything yet, really. It's VERY complex.

There is certainly an element of legitimate scientific inquiry. That is drowned out by the volume of people using medical credentials to enrich themselves with half truths.

I am of the opinion that most every educated person with an interest in nutrition should ignore the questionable scientific research and focus on what empirically produces good results. Look at masters athletes who are still healthy and competing at a high level into their 60s. What do they eat? You can't go too far wrong by copying their diets.

This is just so wrong. Pro athletes can get away with so much, because they exercise. An average sedentary person will not have the same allowances.

Most pro athletes get fat and sick once they retire, because old food habits stay.

I had a friend who was in a soccer team for the uni. He was a really good and dedicated athlete. He ate a bucket of KFC and 1.5L of Coke (sugar version) almost every day. He was shredded with six pack abs. Because he had 2x training sessions per day.

Needless to say, now he’s 30-something with a belly. Your average couch potato looking person.

nradov suggested to look at athletes who were still fit at 60, not your friend with a belly at 35.

Somebody said that retired pro linemen tend to be slim, because they got really tired of having to carry 300+ pounds, and that retired pro wide receivers are the ones that run to fat, now that they don't have to stay fit for speed and agility.

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