Zoë Harcombe

One of the World’s Top Nutritional Researchers

What are the best and worst foods for humans to consume?

Zoë Harcombe is a researcher, author, blogger and public speaker in the field of diet and health. Her particular areas of interest/expertise are public health dietary guidelines (especially dietary fat), nutrition and obesity.

In a study in the 70s, she found no evidence dietary fat is harmful. 

Found more health incidents and mortality when PUFAs were substituted for saturated fats.

Found that dietary interventions had no positive influence and quite likely evidence of harm.  They are not evidence-based.

With protein norm at 15%. a maximum of 30% dietary fat means carbohydrates will be 55%.

Harder now to uncover author and sponsorship conflict of interests.

Relentless campaigns now against meat and dairy.  But no evidence there.  Do they want us sick?

Eat Real Food.

Potato is a real food but not a high nutrient food.  Will the starch mess you up?  Not if you’re metabolically healthy.  Could cause oxalate issues. 

Real food doesn’t put fat and carbohydrate together in one package, except for nuts.  But people find the combo irresistible, and food manufacturers take advantage.

If you’re feeling well, don’t go near a doctor and don’t test.

Don’t have overwhelming evidence that processed foods are bad.

Difference between sugar in fruit and packaged sugar?  None.  Body doesn’t know where the glucose/fructose/sucrose molecule came from.

Five A Day Fruits and Vegetables is a complete fairy tale.

What does sugar do in the body?  We have 4 grams of glucose in our bloodstream at all times.  After consuming sugar, insulin gets released to get glucose out of the blood, fructose goes to the liver.

Too much fructose causes NAFLD, too much glucose causes diabetes.

Hyperinsulinemia – high insulin state as a response to habitually too much sugar.  Too much sugar smashes body’s delicate mechanism for glucose control. 

Need a new paradigm on cholesterol.  Statins are not the answer.

Dairy – Zoë personally eats a lot of it. 

We don’t need fiber.  Carbohydrates are not an essential need.  Fiber is a subset of carbohydrates and therefore not needed.  Can it be a benefit?  No trial evidence that says it’s any good.  Population studies show people who eat fiber tend to be healthier, but they don’t prove it’s the fiber that is causing the health benefit.

Cereal companies want you to think fiber is needed.

Eggs are really good.  The yolk has the nutrients.

Main sugar in rice is glucose.  Average serving has 100 grams carbohydrate.

Overeating high carb sources can cause blood glucose to drop below 4 gm because of insulin response, causing hypoglycemia.  Want blood glucose to be even.

With a habitual keto or carnivore diet, the body runs on fats.  Fat is the fuel we don’t run out of.

If eating high meat, do you need extra fat?  No, eat the food as it comes.  Eat the fat on the meat, don’t add more.  Don’t add butter to the steak if trying to lose weight.  Burn the body’s fat, not dietary fat.

Mixing fat and carbs is the best way to add weight.

Studies showing association between red meat and heart disease are population studies showing association between heart disease and affluence.

Why don’t dairy and meat industries defend themselves?

Is honey a good food?  It’s just sugar with water.  Good for wounds.

Berries are the best fruit. 

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