From the perpetual junk science machine of the Nurses Health Study.
“New research suggests that increased consumption of foods containing colorful carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene and lutein, may prevent or delay the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, published by Wiley in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, found that diets high in lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and vitamin C did not reduce ALS risk.” [EurekAlert]
A lady colleague at work needed an ambulance ride and a blood transfusion after she collapsed on the floor in our office. She had been feeding exclusively on carrots and carrot juice for a couple weeks. When she returned back to work, she showed signs of brain damage: eye convergence problems, delayed reaction, and she talked funny. That’s the kind of stuff that associates well with “magic food”.
ALS is so rare (thank God) that it’s hard to know what may associate with it. The “magic food” headline is about right. I remember a commercial about lycopene that mentioned “emerging science” — and the science submerged again. I remember anti-oxidants, fiber and colorful fruits and vegetables all being described as panaceas, basically.
There’s also the “devil’s chow” version in which everything tasty must be lethal.
I’ve learned to take all of it with a gram of salt. Tastier that way.