3 Out of 5 Doctors – Leaves 2

Every once in awhile it’s good to be reminded that yesterday’s nutritional advice can be wrong.  We need to beware of simplistic approaches to health.  For instance, the cliches “If a little is good, more is better” or “it worked for me” can be deadly.  TV commercials are filled with glowing promises for this or that pill, followed by rapid-talking disclaimers.  Live Science warned of two principles that contradict conventional wisdom: (1) Some antioxidant supplements may increase the risk of death (see also Science Daily about overdosing on vitamins A and E).  (2) Iron can make you strong or kill you (ironic, isn’t it?).  But then there is a third announcement from Nottingham University that most people will be glad to learn: chocolate is healthy.  We hope the bad news is not another cliche: “less is more.”
    Incidentally, speaking of health and human physiology, PNAS reported earlier in the month that your forearm skin is literally a zoo crawling with bacteria, many kinds unknown to science (see also Science Daily).  If you’re feeling OK, though, just don’t think about it and everything will be fine.

Human physiology is so very complex, we cannot know for sure the truisms in which we trust will not be overturned by tomorrow’s findings.  Complicating the picture are the influences of genetics, age, sex, geography, weather, time of day, time of year, ecology and psychosomatic effects.  Even prayer can render all the above irrelevant.  If medical science struggles with understanding these things, don’t expect the salesperson with supplements at your door to have the pill to cure all ills.  Moderation is usually good advice (except when it comes to wisdom).