Is nutrition research getting the support it needs to inform public health policy?

Despite the rise in chronic diseases related to lifestyle factors like diet, nutrition research only receives $2.2 billion of the $30 billion NIH budget.

At first glance, this may seem like a lot of money, but its utilization is spread thin, and, as Dr. David Ludwig and Gary Taubes highlight in this interview, it’s primarily used to fund misleading short term trials that confirm existing nutrition biases.

However, if we want to actually address the chronic disease epidemic, we must increase the resources allocated to nutrition research AND the quality of that research.

In this video, journalist Gary Taubes and Harvard endocrinologist Dr. David Ludwig expose the core problems in today’s most cited nutrition studies and offer a bold new path forward.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why short-term feeding studies can’t tell us much about chronic disease
• How confirmation bias shapes which nutrition studies get funded, published, and accepted by the medical community and policy makers
• The major flaws in NIH-funded research comparing low-carb vs. low-fat diets
• Why the focus on ultra-processed foods is only part of the solution
• How we could design better long-term studies that actually help people get healthier

It’s time to question the status quo and demand better utilization of research funds to inform public health policy in a way that can impactfully improve the health of our population.

We encourage you to share this interview so more people can understand the flaws in existing nutrition science and what we can do to fix it.

Expert Featured:

Gary Taubes

• http://x.com/garytaubes?lang=en
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-taubes-942a6459/

Dr. David Ludwig, MD

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidludwigmd/
• https://x.com/davidludwigmd

Resources Mentioned:Studies

• https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-082963
• https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.10.03.23296501
• https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2673150
• https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1212914
• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008

Short-term diet trials are designed to fail

• https://www.statnews.com/2025/04/22/nutrition-precision-health-short-term-diet-trials-chronic-disease-food/

Gary's Substack Article

• https://uncertaintyprinciples.substack.com/p/nih-has-a-nutrition-problem-part

CMEs Mentioned:Managing Major Mental Illness with Dietary Change: The New Science of Hope

• https://www.mycme.com/courses/managing-major-mental-illness-with-dietary-change-9616

Brain Energy: The Metabolic Theory of Mental Illness

• https://www.mycme.com/courses/brain-energy-the-metabolic-theory-of-mental-illness-9615

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About us:Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

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