Zoë Harcombe

[[File:Zoe harcombe.png|thumb|right|165px|Zoë Harcombe]]
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{{cquote|This is why I get seriously pissed off with five-a-day. It isn't evidence based, never was and we are telling people to eat foods that can never compete with genuinely nutritious foods. To add insult to injury – the most nutritious foods are the ones that we demonise. I think that justifies the words pissed off!|||Harcombe complaining about fruit and vegetables, despite eating a lot of them, "most days".<ref name="Zoe">[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2014/04/the-perfect-five-a-day/ The perfect five-a-day?]</ref>}}

'''Zoë Harcombe''' is an [[author]], [[global warming denialist]], [[nutritionist]] and [[cholesterol denialist]] from [[Wales]]. Harcombe disagrees with mainstream medical advice on dieting. She has been criticized for promoting misleading health advice that is not based on scientific [[evidence]].<ref name="WCRF">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160507012450/http://wcrf-uk.org/uk/blog/articles/2010/11/zoe-harcombe%e2%80%99s-advice-based-solid-scientific-evidence/ Is Zoe Harcombe’s advice based on solid scientific evidence?]. World Cancer Research Fund.</ref> She sells a low-carbohydrate [[fad diet]] known as the "Harcombe Diet".<ref>[https://theharcombediet.com/the-diet/ The Harcombe Diet]</ref>

Recently Harcombe has been promoting the [[carnivore diet]] and appeared on Anthony Chaffee's "Plant Free" podcast criticizing dietary fibre and fruit consumption.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2kaEEzSrIs Dispelling The Myths Of Fiber, Cholesterol, and Saturated Fats | Dr. Zoe Harcombe]</ref> Harcombe is a global warming denialist who claims that CO₂ has been demonized by the scientific community.<ref name="Global warming denialist">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWB_0NHSRbw&t=2555s Dispelling the Fiber, Cholesterol, and Saturated Fat Myth | Dr. Zoe Harcombe PhD]</ref> 

==Credentials==

In 2011, Harcombe stated she was studying for a PhD in nutrition and described herself as a "qualified nutritionist". These claims were questioned.<ref>[http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2011/08/zoe-harcombe-credentials.html Zoe Harcombe ~ Credentials?]</ref><ref name="Carbsanity">[http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2013/01/zoe-harcombe-credentials-ii.html Zoe Harcombe Credentials II]</ref> During this time she was not registered for a PhD.<ref>[https://www.badscience.net/2011/01/how-to-read-a-paper/ How to read a paper]. Bad Science.</ref> In 2013, Harcombe was pursuing a PhD at the University of West of Scotland.<ref name="Carbsanity"/> In 2016, she obtained her PhD in public health nutrition.<ref>[https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4316589/ An examination of the randomised controlled trial and epidemiological evidence for the introduction of dietary fat recommendations in 1977 and 1983: a systematic review and meta-analysis]</ref><ref>[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/about/ Biography]. Zoe Harcombe.</ref>

Her thesis can be found on her website behind a pay-wall, but the abstract and parts of each chapter are available free.<ref>[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/phd-thesis/ PhD thesis]</ref> Or you can get the whole thing free from the British Library.<ref>https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.695333 </ref>

==Papers==

Her work has appeared in [[Peer review|peer-reviewed]] [[Scientific journal|scientific and medical journals]]. Harcombe and colleagues published a systematic review in the journal ''BMJ Open Heart'' in 2015.<ref name=openheart>[https://openheart.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000196 Evidence from randomised controlled trials did not support the introduction of dietary fat guidelines in 1977 and 1983: a systematic review and meta-analysis]</ref> Their review examined the evidence of dietary fat, cholesterol and coronary heart disease published before 1983. They concluded that UK dietary recommendations which were introduced in 1983 were not supported by the evidence. The review was widely criticized by medical experts for [[cherry picking]] and omitting certain data. Simon Capewell, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology commented that "perhaps the greatest crime is embodied within the penultimate sentence in the Discussion: “''questioning the alleged relationship between saturated fat and coronary heart disease''”. Why say “alleged”? It is surely monstrous to suggest that the scientific evidence linking sat fats and coronary heart disease has not increased hugely since 1983. OMG!"<ref>[http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-looking-at-historic-uk-and-us-dietary-advice-on-fats/ Expert reaction to study looking at historic UK and US dietary advice on fats]</ref>

After her paper in ''BMJ Open Heart'' that formed part of her PhD thesis, the editors required her to correct her competing interests claim from "None" to "income from writing and from The Harcombe Diet Co. and from Columbus Publishing".<ref>https://openheart.bmj.com/content/2/1/openhrt-2014-000196corr1</ref> The ''BMJ Open Heart'' journal was formerly edited by cholesterol denialist [[James DiNicolantonio]] up until 2023. DiNicolantonio has co-authored a paper in this journal with Harcombe.<ref>[https://openheart.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000196 Evidence from randomised controlled trials did not support the introduction of dietary fat guidelines in 1977 and 1983: a systematic review and meta-analysis]. openheart.bmj.com.</ref>

==Controversial claims==
{{cquote|Zoe Harcombe. Carb avoider, nutritional maverick and the sworn enemy of fibre, five-a-day and common fucking sense. The writer of a nauseating and pointless stream of ridiculous diet books, and creator of endless piles of ''[[Daily Mail]]'' [[clickbait]] fodder, Zoe Harcombe is the long standing Queen of evidence mangling nutri-bullshit, desperate to challenge the orthodoxy in order to drive book sales and website traffic.|||[[Anthony Warner]] on Zoe Harcombe.<ref>[https://angry-chef.com/blog/the-magical-adventures-of-mr-faecalbulk-part-2 The Magical Adventures of Mr Faecalbulk Part 2]</ref>}}

In her book ''The Obesity Epidemic'' (2010), Harcombe made the following dietary claims, which were advertised in a credulous article in the ''Daily Mail'':<ref>[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1325453/Everything-thought-knew-food-WRONG.html Everything you thought you knew about food is WRONG].</ref>

*Eat meat, fish, and eggs and ignore starchy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, potatoes and rice.
*To lose weight cut down not on calories but the consumption of carbohydrates.
*Avoid extra exercise because it is counterproductive and will make you hungry.
*Real fat is responsible for a healthy heart and good mental health.
*Saturated fat does not cause heart disease.
*High cholesterol levels are not a bad or dangerous for health.
*Dietary fibre should be avoided.
*Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is a marketing scheme. There is no evidence for any [[cancer]] benefit.
*Fruit should be avoided by those attempting to lose weight. Instead, meat and dairy products should be eaten. 
*All food advisory bodies give false health advice as they are sponsored by the food industry.

The World Cancer Research Funded have stated that Harcombe's views are not supported by scientific evidence.<ref name="WCRF"/> Contrary to the nonsense promoted by Harcombe; fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption lowers cancer risk.<ref>[https://progressreport.cancer.gov/prevention/fruit_vegetable Fruit and Vegetable Consumption]. progressreport.cancer.gov.</ref><ref>[https://www.wcrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Wholegrains-veg-and-fruit.pdf Wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and cancer risk]. wcrf.org.</ref><ref>[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28338764/ Fruit and vegetable intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease, total cancer and all-cause mortality-a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies]. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.</ref>

Harcombe is a [[cholesterol denialist]] and has argued against the use of statins. She promotes the unproven claims of [[Malcolm Kendrick]].<ref>[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2010/11/cholesterol-heart-disease-there-is-a-relationship-but-its-not-what-you-think/ Cholesterol & heart disease – there is a relationship, but it’s not what you think ]. "This also says to me – even though saturated fat has nothing to do with cholesterol, it doesn’t actually matter. Even if it did – cholesterol is only associated with CVD deaths in an inverse way. If fat did raise cholesterol – as public health officials like to claim – it could save lives!".</ref><ref>[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2015/03/worried-about-cholesterol-andor-statins/ Worried about cholesterol and/or statins]</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/zoeharcombe/status/892388821567983617?lang=en Zoe Harcombe on Twitter]</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/zoeharcombe/status/1072518970241138688 Zoe Harcombe on Twitter]</ref> She contributed to the [[THINCS]] book ''Fat and Cholesterol Don’t Cause Heart Attacks and Statins Are Not The Solution'' (2016). 

===Harcombe Diet===
The Harcombe Diet has been criticized for making unsupported health claims. Complaints about the Harcombe Diet have been investigated by the [[Advertising Standards Authority]]. The Council ruled that she should not "make claims that the Harcombe diet could treat medical conditions in the absence of robust evidence, or to make claims that it could treat conditions which required medical supervision."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190103013441/https://www.asa.org.uk/rulings/zo-harcombe-a14-274813.html ASA Adjudication on Zoë Harcombe]</ref>

===Contradictory dieting advice===
{{cquote|This woman thinks fruit is pointless, hates running, and enjoys her vegetables with lashings of butter.|||A journalist describing Harcombe.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190102235642/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/healthy-eating-according-zoe-harcombe-1889339 Healthy eating according to Zoe Harcombe]</ref>}}

Harcombe has criticized fruits and other high-fibre foods but actually admits to eating a lot of them. According to her website:

{{quotebox|I eat fruit most days, but not too much and because I like it, not because I think it is good for me. I eat a lot of vegetables/salads – locally grown/in season wherever possible. I eat very dark chocolate pretty much every day and quite a lot of it! It's a great source of minerals and saturated fat ;-). I do eat starchy carbs – just not daily. I enjoy porridge (plain oats and whole milk) – especially in the winter. I like brown rice and (veggie) curries/chilli. Sometimes, there’s nothing like a crispy baked potato and melted cheese.<ref>[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/about-2/ Zoë Harcombe]</ref>}}

This is despite the fact, she considers all fruit and vegetables as "pretty useless nutritionally" and "not the healthiest foods available".<ref name="Zoe"/><ref name="Daily Mail">[https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1349960/5-day-fruit-vegetables-myth-claims-nutrition-expert.html This cynical five-a-day myth: Nutrition expert claims we've all been duped]</ref> She describes fruit as "unhelpful" and blames it on causing [[obesity]].<ref>[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/the-knowledge/fruit-is-fuelling-the-obesity-epidemic/ Fruit is fuelling the obesity epidemic]</ref> She claims fibre has no requirement in a human diet and recommends her readers to stay away from high-fibre foods but eats fruit "most days" and enjoys brown rice and oats.<ref name="Daily Mail"/><ref>[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/2018/10/fiber-an-umbrella-review/ Fiber: An umbrella review]</ref>

Harcombe endorses [[Konstantin Monastyrsky]]'s pseudoscientific book ''Fiber Menace''.<ref>[https://twitter.com/zoeharcombe/status/451351362064760832 Zoe Harcombe on twitter]</ref>

==Global warming denialism==

Harcombe is also a [[global warming denialist]] claiming that CO₂ is not causing climate change stating that "I don't buy the whole CO₂ is bad" and has also commented that if there is any relationship between CO₂ and global warming it is far more likely to be "the other way round" as the warming proceeds the rise in CO₂.<ref name="Global warming denialist"/>

==Selected publications==

*''The Harcombe Diet: Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight'' (2011)
*''Why Do You Overeat? When All You Want is to be Slim'' (2012)
*''The Obesity Epidemic: What caused it? How can we stop it?'' (2015)
*''The Diet Fix: How to lose weight and keep it off... one last time'' (2018)

==See also==
{{collist|2|
*[[Malcolm Kendrick]] 
*[[Aseem Malhotra]]
*[[Marika Sboros]]
*[[Gary Taubes]]}}

==External links==
*[http://www.zoeharcombe.com/ Zoë Harcombe]
*[http://carbsanity.blogspot.com/2015/03/zoe-harcombe-and-adele-hites-hyper.html Zoe Harcombe and Adele Hite's Hyper-System(at)ic Meta-Statistical Bovine Fecalemia]
*Zoe Harcombe vs The Advertising Standards Authority: [https://slippdigby.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/zoe-harcombe-vs-the-advertising-standards-authority-introduction-part-1/ Part 1], [https://slippdigby.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/zoe-harcombe-vs-the-advertising-standards-authority-weight-loss-part-2/ Part 2], [https://slippdigby.wordpress.com/2015/01/02/zoe-harcombe-vs-the-advertising-standards-authority-candida-part-3/ Part 3]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harcombe, Zoe}}

[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Carnivore diet promoters]]
[[Category:Cholesterol and statin denialists]]
[[Category:Food woo promoters]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Authors, Carnivore diet promoters, Cholesterol and statin denialists, Food woo promoters, Global warming denialists, Living people