Zoe Harcombe didn’t set out to become a controversial figure in nutrition science. With a background working inside both Mars candy company and pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, she witnessed firsthand how corporate interests shape public health messages. But when she decided to pursue her PhD, what she discovered about the origins of our dietary guidelines shocked even her.
In this revealing conversation with Dr. Philip Ovadia, Harcombe breaks down her groundbreaking research showing that America’s low-fat dietary guidelines – the foundation for nutritional advice affecting hundreds of millions of people – were based on just six randomized controlled trials involving fewer than 2,500 exclusively sick men. No women. No healthy people. Yet these became the blueprint for what we’re told to eat.
Harcombe traces how Senator George McGovern’s 1977 committee, influenced by his recent experience at a Pritikin bootcamp, essentially ignored the available scientific evidence and pushed through recommendations that had no solid research foundation. The ripple effects created our modern processed food epidemic and contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction.
But this isn’t just about diet. Harcombe also shares her five-year legal battle against a major UK newspaper that attempted to silence her criticisms of statin research through personal attacks rather than scientific debate. Her victory in court has implications for free speech in scientific discourse and establishes important precedents for researchers challenging medical orthodoxy.
From her unique insider perspective having worked at the highest levels of both big food and big pharma, Harcombe offers an unflinching look at how corporate interests have hijacked public health policy. She explains why the Mediterranean diet isn’t what Harvard researchers claim it is, why an apple affects your body similarly to a candy bar, and why real change has to come from individuals taking control of their own health rather than waiting for institutions to reform themselves.
This conversation cuts through decades of nutritional mythology to reveal the uncomfortable truths about how we got to our current health crisis – and what it will take to find our way out.
BIG IDEA
“We had never studied women, we had never studied healthy people, we had really not studied that many people – and when I went to look at the dietary guidelines document, which is nearly 900 pages long, he didn’t even refer to those dietary trials.”
Follow:
Zoe Harcombe, PhD Contact Info
Website:
https://www.zoeharcombe.com/
Other Interviews
https://www.lowcarbneurologist.com/resources/experts/harcombe
https://www.fionalawsonnutrition.com/health-hero-dr-zoe-harcombe/
https://www.foodjunkiespodcast.com/episodes/episode-54-dr-zoe-harcombe
Articles
https://openheart.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000196
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/tre.436
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4985840/
PhD Thesis
https://www.zoeharcombe.com/phd-thesis/
Dr. Ovadia:
Twitter: @iFixHearts
Website: OvadiaHeartHealth.com
Metabolic Health Quiz: iFixHearts.com
#dietaryguidelines #nutritionscience #metabolichealth #foodindustry #StatinControversy #publichealth #dietmyths #corporateinfluence
41 Comments
All that low fat advice just led to a massive increase in Weightwatchers and the like 🤷♀️
Wonderful interview!!! Ty!
After decades of eating low fat foods and being chronically ill and struggling with weight gains I landed in the ER 22 months ago with outrageously high blood pressure. Now I have a cardiologist and 3 blood pressure meds per day. One was a statin.
This year (1 year after starting the statin ) my labs show that I am now pre-diabetic.
After some online research I came across insulin resistance which I had NEVER heard of before from any doctor, nurse or nurse practitioner. I had so many symptoms for years.
I then cut the statin immediately and went keto which facilitated quickly losing weight for me.
Now almost completely off bp meds.
That food pyramid and low fat mantra are lethal!!
TY for this great video!!!
Love this interview, so informative!
Thank you, LORD o/
When everything became low fat it created a need to eat more frequently… that's the most important point. In what world would 3 meals plus 3 snacks per day be expected or perceived as healthy? Answer: in this current world where so many are metabolically deranged… welcome- meds to the rescue- billion$$$ industry. Definitely a set up.
What!! Never heard of Zoe Harcombe😮 where have you been?.. she an absolute warrior for health 💪
Jack Heald mentioned that George McGovern, and his 1977 committee "were responsible for MILLIONS of deaths that didn't have to occur." But don't cardiologists have to ALSO take some of the blame for all the cardiovascular deaths that have occurred in the United States over the last 45 years?
PLEASE CLIP HER AT 46:12. amazing.
Zoe is a real hero
Admire Dr. Harcombe for putting herself on the forefront 🙏
Zoe Harcome OG
Go RFK Jr!
I was tracking with this video until she went full keto and claimed that natural God-given plants are as harmful as ultra processed junk. No way.
Her keto / carnivore bias is extreme and obvious. Sad.
But I agree that ultra processed foods are full of added sugars and terrible other industrialized ingredients. Plus they contain no fiber.
Tim Noakes and Gary Fetke also went through years of court battles, but they won against big food and big pharma
Excuse me, but that should be, Dr. Ovadia and Dr. Harcombe!
What a wonderful interview and conversation. Thank you for providing this information!
Of course they only studied sick men, if they hadn't done that they wouldn't have got the results they wanted.
I’m in healthcare, and ‘Healing Beyond The System’ by David Collins shook me. It’s bold, accurate, and finally tells the truth about why so many people stay unwell.
I subscribe to her site and get her weekly newsletter. I am such a fan of this incredible woman who is such a thorough researcher. She has great humor too.
It was people in Brazil who started the study of ultra-processed foods.
Who is this other guy? He derailed a great discussion
I hate to say this but, the more I learn, the more I feel we really don’t know much of anything. Everything is based off of an unhealthy population and mostly if not all men. Where does that leave us MENOPAUSAL WOMEN??? Completely forgotten and in the dark… I will eat what God made, not what man made, which for me is meat, vegetables, natural fats, a little fruit and nuts and leave it at that. No boxes, labels or ingredient list, like Ben Bikman says👍❤️
We get it. The guidelines are bad. 🤷🏻♀️
Screw the narrator saying worst President in 2024. He must have been in a coma the prior 4 years. Total dumbass.
I used the Whole Food Plant Based no Sugar no Oil low Salt (WFPB-SOS) to reverse type II diabetes and high blood pressure. About 15% fat coming from whole or lightly processed seeds, nuts, avocados and olives. Fiber in whole foods slows down the absorption of natural sugars and complex carbohydrates. It is worth noting that a person will drink juice from more pieces of fruit than they would eat. Same with dried fruit. Juice note only give you a high amount of sugar, it will absorb faster too. Fiber in the juice might slow down the absorption some but not as much as have to chew which leaves bigger bit to digest as well. Oil has other nutrients and fiber stripped out, so we cook with a small amount of water instead of frying in oil. Skip the protein shakes, vegetables, beans, grains, seeds and nuts have enough protein.
When I reduced the amount of fat in my diet, I did not reduce my statins fast enough and ended up with stiff joints and difficulty thinking. My brother and mother had similar problems. I was on 8 prescriptions from attrial flutter, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, edema, etc. at 61 1/2 years old. Cardioversion and Cardiac Ablation allowed me to get off one or two (one for heart rhythm and another to slow it down). Walking 30 a day reversed the congestive heart failure and edema. Cutting my meat and eggs by 1/3 got me off statins and lowered doses for metformin and blood pressure. When I went WFPB-SOS (Whole Food Plant Based no Sugar no Oil low Salt) I was able to get off metformin and blood pressure medications. Now I take a baby aspirin if I haven't had a palmful of flax seed (chewed well or flax meal) or chia seed. I did lose 50 pounds with help of healthy eating, time restricted eating and exercise over 10 months. I do avoid some of the higher glycemic foods but it still leaves me no prescriptions. My internist says I am his only patient that has done this.
So 70 years old eating sweet potatoes and squash instead of potatoes, old fashioned or steel cut oats instead of quick oats or cheerios. Sorghum, barley and buckwheat instead of bread and rice. Berries, limes and lemons are my preferred fruits unless I have been for a long walk or other exercise that helped clear out some glycogen and glucose from my system. I don't drink alcohol or soft drinks anymore either.
What is important is how much does your insulin spike! Insulin will store fat from carbohydrates, protein or fat. Excess protein gets converted to glucose (gluconeogenesis) and the glycerol from fat. We are all familiar with the blood sugar spike from carbohydrates, but protein does a little bit latter (2 to 4 hours?). Insulin resistance is a result of to much fat inside the muscle (intramyocellular lipids) and liver. So really, most people just need to lay off the beer, soft drinks, fruit juice, table sugar, honey, maple syrup, white flour products, milk (high in lactose, a simple sugar). Fat plus carbohydrates (i.e donuts) is one of the worse groups of food. Maltodextrin while a polysaccharide, is short chain and high glycemic. Starches are either straight or branched which affects how quickly they are digested. Long grain rice takes longer to digest than short grain rice. Red Potatoes (waxy) take longer to digest than Russets. Sweet Potatoes have more fiber than potatoes so the sugars are released slower. Really get off the candy, soft drinks and highly processed foods.
Sorry the body does react differently to types of starches. Stop spreading false information. Apples raise blood sugar much slower because of the fiber.
Take a look a Neal Barnard, M.D.of PCRM, Cryus Khambatta PhD Nutritional Biochemistry and Robbie Barbaro of Mastering Diabetes, many healthy vegan athletes and doctors. Look at President Bill Clinton who went WFPB-SOS under the supervision of Dean Ornish M.D. to reverse his heart problems. Micheal Klapper M. D., Kim Williams M.D., and other vegan Cardiologist keeping their patients from needing more stents and dying young.
I have yet to read one book on reversing diabetes that says avoid carbohydrates. The say avoid meat and oil and highly processed foods, get some exercise, relax.
This is been so interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Zoé harcome is a legend
❤❤
South Park had it right. The food pyramid is upside down.
Where has she been living? You can't say anything in the UK without getting arrested.
Well, I went to a new doctor today…and he told me carnivore diet will make my body acidic and it will kill me if I don't start eating veggies🤦♂ Looks Like I'll be calling Dr Ovadia…again…LOL! :O)
I've followed Zoe for years now. She has some great videos out there.
I love Zoe!!!! The best thing about Zoe is her common sense and brilliance!!! When I could not figure out what I had to eat & why…she made it so simple. She even explains why she can eat things, I can't (She is super healthy, I am fighting disease.) But she chooses to eat as healthy as a baseline, which means meat & animal products w/ animal fats.
Pretty astonishing how resistant humans are to changing habits/opinions,etc.,etc… "It's easier to fool someone than get them to admit they've been fooled"! Mark Twain.
One of the very few – I could count on one hand – who called lockdowns ridiculous right from the off.
Based on following the Early Learning Centre modellers at Imperial like Neil Ferguson.
Love Zoe!!
Zoe is a legend. Thank you for this interview.
She's great!