Institute for Optimum Nutrition
The Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION) was founded by British nutritionist and author Patrick Holford in 1984.[1][2] It was originally in London in the United Kingdom, but moved to Richmond, Surrey in November 2005. The Institute for Optimum Nutrition is a UK registered charity number 1013084. Patrick Holford no longer has any involvement in the direction or running of the ION.
According to its website, ION is an "independent, not-for-profit educational charity whose principal activity is to further the knowledge and practice of optimum nutrition."[3]
ION promotes the practice of functional medicine, which focuses on the patient rather than the disease and on underlying causes rather than symptoms.
The ION runs courses and workshops in nutrition. They publish the Optimum Nutrition Magazine four times a year.[4] They provide lists of Nutritional Therapists in the UK. The professional body representing Nutritional Therapists is BANT - the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy. Nutritional Therapists can also register with the Complementary and Natural Health Council (CNHC) which is supported by the Department of Health.
ION offers a Home Study Course, and a three-year Diploma in Nutritional Therapy (DipION).[3] The DipION course is accredited by the Nutritional Therapy Council, which sets professional standards for nutritional therapy. The Institute is not an accredited Higher Education Institution, the University of Bedfordshire previously validated its DipION as a foundation degree, but withdrew validation in 2010[citation needed].
[edit] Criticisms
The British Dietetic Association has accused the ION of basing its nutritional recommendations on weak evidence drawn from low quality research.[5] Moreover, Prof David Colquhoun has criticised the ION's Diploma in Nutritional Therapy, arguing that:
The give-away is the term Nutritional Therapy. They are the folks who claim, with next to no evidence, that changing your diet, and buying from them a lot of expensive ’supplements’, will cure almost any disease (even AIDS and cancer)...The IoN was founded by Patrick Holford, whose only qualification in nutrition is a diploma awarded to himself by his own Institute. His advocacy of vitamin C as better than conventional drugs to treat AIDS is truly scary.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ "Answer to our ills could be on the plate". Yorkshire Post. 29 September 2006. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/Answer-to-our-ills-could.1796426.jp. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
- ^ Simon Crompton (30 October 2004). "Interview: Prophet of pill popping". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/features/article500203.ece. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
- ^ a b "About The Institute for Optimum Nutrition". Institute for Optimum Nutrition. http://www.ion.ac.uk/about_ION.htm. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
- ^ "Optimum Nutrition I-Mag - our digital magazine". Institute for Optimum Nutrition. http://www.ion.ac.uk/journal.htm. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
- ^ Quality, not Quantity: British Dietetic Association’s response to the Optimum Nutrition UK survey
- ^ David Colquhoun (15 August 2007). "The age of endarkenment". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/aug/15/endarkenment. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
[edit] External links
- The Institute for Optimum Nutrition
- University of Bedfordshire website
- David Colquhoun - Response to a threatening letter from Mr Holford
 |
This article about an organisation in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
