Paleo? Gluten free? Juice cleanse? Want some kale chips with that chia seed burger? Perhaps only in America are food choices so often based on trends. The latest obsession: getting the correct amount of bacteria in our microbiomes. But despite it all, Americans’ diets have never been less nutritious. Which of these trends is based on solid science, and which on pseudoscience and marketing? This program, part of our Scientific Kitchen series, looked to science to help separate the facts from the hype. Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Moss (Salt Sugar Fat), author Catherine Price (Vitamania), and leading medical experts added a generous helping of reality to how we think about our diets.
This program was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation as part of its Public Understanding of Science and Technology Initiative.