Something I hear often, and you may have even said it: nutritionists are constantly changing their minds!

If people are allowed to change their minds, and dietitians are human, aren’t they given the same freedom as other humans?

The field of nutrition, a science, is supposed to have the answers and never be allowed to deviate from the original recommendation or supposed solutions from the start.

But, as I said, nutrition is a science. It is part of STEM programs. It has biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry components.

So, like many science fields, there is still a lot to learn and understand.

I often bring up the fact that people used to believe that the EARTH was the center of the universe.

But then, it was realized it wasn’t. The SUN was the center of the universe.

And, now we know that not only are the earth and sun NOT the center of the universe but were are just a speck of dust in this universe.

What changed? Not the position of the earth. Not the position of the sun in the universe. What changed is human understanding of the position of the planet and the sun based on science and increased knowledge and experience.

Automobiles have changed a LOT since their first iteration in the late 1800s. They have changed significantly in the last 50 years, not just in look but in safety features with seatbelts and airbags, comfort with radios and air conditioners, and moving from ashtrays to cupholders. So why do they keep changing their mind about cars? Improvement, consumer demands, emissions, and safety.

Medicine and surgery methods continue to change.

The field of medicine changes all the time too. Thank goodness. Rather than having two major scars down my abdomen, I have tiny, barely visible incision marks in which a camera entered my body. I know so many people who are cancer survivors (and never had any chemo or radiation) because of advances in screenings and testing. Medicine is changing all the time. Thank goodness some things are left far in the past. And there are better treatments (or known treatments) for health issues, such as the use of insulin first started in 1921.

So, why is the science of nutrition not allowed to improve and change recommendations?

Eggs are not a problem, and yes, they do have cholesterol. So do most animal foods. But you know what? We now know that dietary cholesterol is not the most significant contributor to high cholesterol in humans. And we’ve understood that for a while. Let it go.

And, get real: what has really changed when you look at it? We still recommend plenty of fruits and vegetables. I guarantee you that won’t change.

We still recommend more whole grains over refined and highly processed grains.

Added sugars need to come down significantly. Does anyone think regular soda is just fine?

And, yes, recommendations for fat have changed. Because we now know that there are different types of fat, and some a better than others. The understanding of that is what changed.

So before blaming the dietitians/nutritionists for changing their minds, allow that science evolves and our understanding of how human nutrition is what changes.

And don’t even get me started on how difficult it is to study humans and their eating habits in the wild. Can you even grasp the challenges?