LA Times Op-Ed: The latest flip-flop on red meat uses best science in place of best guesses

Some key quotes from this LA Times article make us feel a certain kinda way:

• Unfortunately, our nutrition guidelines are primarily based on epidemiological studies, which generally follow a large group of people over time, asking them to self-report what they’ve eaten and then observing eventual health outcomes. These studies can demonstrate association — which has its uses — but they rarely establish causation.

• In properly prioritizing clinical trials over observational research, GRADE necessarily pushed epidemiology off its pedestal, and this caused the GRADE team of 40-plus researchers from more than 10 countries to conclude that reducing your intake of meat is very unlikely to make you healthier.

• Evaluating nutrition findings using the highest possible scientific standard is clearly a painful process, but it’s essential.

Read the op-ed in its entirety here.