Spoon-Fed

New gene chip technology has revealed the full complexity of our genes, and showed that what we call a ‘gene region’ often contains 200–1,000 completely different genes we couldn’t previously detect. So the idea that a single gene could be discovered for any common disease or health condition was shown to be a myth.

calories are themselves a flawed and hopelessly unreliable measure of anything).

Other substantial trials have now shown that fish oils fail to prevent blindness, Alzheimer’s or prostate cancer.

the ten biggest food companies control 80 per cent of store-bought products globally, each generating an average of over $40 billion in annual revenue in 20175 and combined profits of over $100 billion in 2018.

the first proper clinical trial of the harms of junk food versus unprocessed food was only performed in 2019.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet, one that includes lots of brightly coloured fruits and vegetables along with some fish and small amounts of dairy and high-quality meat, plus daily exposure to the sun, should provide enough vitamins and minerals for 99 per cent of us.

vitamins are just chemicals under a different name.

We also discovered that identical twins shared just 37 per cent of their gut microbe species. This is only slightly higher than the percentages shared between two unrelated people, underscoring the modest effect of genes.

Microbe communities, like us, may also need to rest and recuperate as part of a daily circadian rhythm – which could be important for our gut health.