WARNING: THE WRONG NUTRITIONIST CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH

• Published in: The New York times
• Main Authors: Brody, Jane E, Jane E. Brody is the personal health columnist and a science writer for The New York Times
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, N.Y New York Times Company 17.04.1988
• Edition: Late Edition (East Coast)
• Subjects: BRODY, JANE E; CONSUMER PROTECTION; DIET AND NUTRITION; FOOD; Haas, Robert; Herbert, Victor
• ISSN: 0362-4331

SASSAFRAS [Victor Herbert]'S WALL sports a handsome certificate, complete with gold seal and red ribbon, declaring her to be a ''professional member'' of the American Association of Nutrition and Dietary Consultants, which calls itself ''a professional association dedicated to maintaining ethical standards in nutritional and dietary consulting.'' Having met all the requirements for membership, Ms. Herbert can be listed in a national directory that the association describes as ''a Who's Who in the world of modern nutrition.'' Two graduates of unaccredited correspondence schools, ''Dr.'' Robert Haas and Harvey Diamond, are best-selling ''nutritionist'' authors. They offer a mixture of truth and poetry that has won converts even among the intellectually sophisticated. Haas, author of ''Eat to Win,'' was awarded his Ph.D. by Columbia Pacific University in San Rafael, Calif., where, according to material sent to applicants, many students earn their degrees in one year or less. Although most of Haas's advice is sound, there is no scientific evidence to substantiate his claims that certain nutrients and supplements, such as ginseng and phenylalanine, help athletes achieve ''peak performance.'' Diamond, author of ''Fit for Life,'' is a graduate of the American College of Health Science in Austin, Tex., which recently changed its name to the Life Sciences Institute and stopped awarding degrees because the state said it was not qualified to operate as a college. According to the registered dietitians who edit the newsletter Environmental Nutrition, Diamond's book is filled with inaccuracies. For example, contrary to his assertions, steak and potatoes, when eaten together, do not rot in the digestive tract; foods that are not absorbed by the body do not make you fat; digestion does not use more calories than running; fruits and vegetables can't supply all the nutrients you need, and fruit is not a good source of calcium.