When U.S. president George Bush (H.W., not W) made his now infamous 1992 declaration about disliking broccoli, his stature rose in the estimation of those who dislike that cruciferous vegetable.
But over the past 15 years, broccoli has attained the stature of a miracle food. Research has gradually uncovered more of its healthful properties. However, that hasn’t made it taste any better. Efforts to eat more broccoli for health reasons won’t last long for those who don’t like its taste.
As Dr. Joe told those gathered at the recent Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference last week, “people talk health, but they eat taste.”
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Dr. Joe is Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He got his more casual moniker from appearances on television shows in Canada and the United States that are designed to demystify science for the public.
Last week Schwarcz was surrounded by scientists, for whom he was trying to demystify public reaction to food.
Through biotechnology, scientists have the ability to create crop varieties from which food can be grown containing health benefits even beyond what foods have in their original state. But while scientists can create it and farmers can grow it, the purpose is lost if people don’t or won’t eat it.
The problem is this, Schwarcz told the eggheads in the room. The human body is complex. Food is complex. “You can’t expect to put one into the other and come out with something simple, unless you are simple-minded.”
And though not individually simple-minded, the public collectively seeks a simple solution nevertheless.
That’s why we jump on almost every health bandwagon that comes along: oat bran; flax seed; tomatoes; blueberries.
They all have health benefits, said the doctor, but human health and nutrition have nuances that science has yet to fully understand. One food with healthy attributes does not make a person healthy, even though it can help.
Schwarcz cited a study involving rats and blueberries. According to him, you can tell the age of a rat by its ability to walk a narrow ledge. Young rats do it well, but their ability deteriorates as they age.
However, if older rats are fed blueberries, their ledge-walking ability improves markedly. The high antioxidant content of blueberries is thought to be the key.
Biotechnology and agriculture hold potential for higher levels of health and wellness, said Schwarcz. The public doesn’t need to step out on a ledge to reap the benefits, but it does need to realize the complexity of the food and health structure.
