Tim Noakes

Timothy David Noakes is a South African exercise physiologist, antivaxxer, conspiracy theorist, anti-sugar campaigner, low-carb high-fat advocate and cholesterol denialist, best known for his opposition to mainstream dieting advice. Noakes has been accused of promoting dangerous and false information about vaccines and "outrageous, unproven claims about disease prevention."UCT doctors slam Noakes. Independent Online.Tim Noakes and the responsibility of experts. Nathan Geffen.McAlpine: Noakes spread dangerous and untrue information about vaccines. Medical Brief. In 2023, Noakes came out in support of the carnivore diet and is giving misleading health advice by claiming fruit, vegetable oils and wheat is killing people.Professor Tim Noakes improves health on the carnivore diet Noakes has controversially argued that vegetables are not needed in the human diet.Episode 10: Professor Tim Noakes 
Noakes endorses a low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet, often referred to as the "Banting" or "Noakes" diet. Medical experts have criticized the diet as being "not based on good science"."Too much, too soon, Tim Noakes!". "Our medical community, health authorities and academics (even Noakes' own colleagues at the University of Cape Town, who formally distanced themselves from his theories) are very concerned that the Banting Diet is simply not based on good science." The Noakes diet forbids all grains, most kinds of fruit and refined sugars.Fitzgerald, Matt. (2014). Diet Cults: The Surprising Fallacy at the Core of Nutrition Fads and Guide to Healthy Eating for the Rest of Us. Pegasus Books. ISBN 978-1-60598-560-2
His book Lore of Nutrition was described by paediatrician Alastair McAlpine as "an extraordinarily heady mix of conspiracy theory, bad science, bad writing, and persecution complex".Less lore and more science, please, Prof Noakes. Medical Brief.
==Cholesterol denialism==
Noakes is a cholesterol denialist. According to Noakes:
These controversial opinions are unsupported by scientific evidence and have been criticized as "dangerous and potentially very harmful to good patient care."
==Anti-vaccination== 
Noakes has been criticized for making anti-vaccination comments. Noakes and vaccination: if it quacks like a duck. Jacques Rousseau. In 2014, Noakes sent a tweet to his 46,000 Twitter followers: "Dishonest science. Proven link between autism and early immunisation covered up?". The tweet included a link to a video from the discredited anti-vaccine activist Andrew Wakefield which alleged the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is covering up a link between autism and immunisation. Medical experts challenged Noakes and he responded by claiming that he has "no opinion" about the matter. Nathan Geffen has commented that "after recommending that his followers watch videos that cast suspicion on the MMR vaccine, it is disingenuous for Noakes to say he has no opinion."
In a 2017 interview on the Gareth Cliff Show, Noakes stated that he supports vaccinations only if they are "proven to be safe and effective", he also stated incorrectly that there is evidence that vaccines cause autism. Regarding the interview, Jacques Rousseau has noted:
In 2018, Noakes denied being "anti-vax" and stated the term was being used against him to try and destroy his scientific credibility.Noakes: I am not anti-vax and McAlpine knows it
==Opposition to science-based medicine==
Public health scientist Sheila Kealey‏ has commented:
==Carnivore diet==
In 2018, Noakes said that his diet is "almost carnivorous" and argued without providing any evidence that vegetables are not needed in the human diet.Prof Tim Noakes Says We Don’t Need Carbs Or Even Veggies, Ep 10 However, Noakes does consume a minority of vegetables. 
As of 2023, Noakes supports the carnivore diet and says his own diet is "predominately carnivore". His diet contains a high amount of red meat and eggs with some green leafy vegetables and nuts. Noakes has appeared on Shawn Baker's podcast.
==Publications==
*Lore of Running (1986)
*Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports (2012)
*The Real Meal Revolution: Changing the World, One Meal at a Time (2014)
*Lore of Nutrition: Challenging Conventional Dietary Beliefs (2018, with Marika Sboros)
==References==
Category:Anti-vaccination movement
Category:Authors
Category:Carnivore diet promoters
Category:Cholesterol and statin denialists
Category:Food woo promoters
Category:Living people
Category:Low-carb fanatics
Category:Physicians