by Tim Noakes
Published by Penguin Books
an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Reg. No. 1953/000441/07
The Estuaries No. 4, Oxbow Crescent, Century Avenue, Century City, 7441
PO Box 1144, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa
www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za
First published 2017
Publication © Penguin Books 2017
Text © Tim Noakes and Marika Sboros 2017
Cover image of Tim Noakes © Sofia Dadourian
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.
PUBLISHER: Marlene Fryer
MANAGING EDITOR: Ronel Richter-Herbert
EDITOR: Bronwen Maynier
PROOFREADER: Ronel Richter-Herbert
INDEXER: Tessa Botha
COVER AND TEXT DESIGNER: Ryan Africa
TYPESETTER: Monique van den Berg
Penguin Random House is committed to a sustainable future for our business, our readers and our planet.
ISBN 978 1 77609 261 1 (print)
ISBN 978 1 77609 262 8 (ePub)
Contents
Acknowledgements by Tim Noakes
Acknowledgements by Marika Sboros
Foreword by Emeritus Professor J.P. van Niekerk
Preface by Tim Noakes
Preface by Marika Sboros
Introduction
Part I: The Low-carb Revolution
1.The Low-carb Summit
2.The Most Important Experiment of My Life
3.The Backlash Begins
4.The Centenary Debate
5.The UCT Professors’ Letter
6.The Naudé Review
7.Responses of Official Bodies
8.The Banting for Babies Tweet
Part II: Nutrition on Trial
9.The Hearing: June 2015
10.The Second Session: November 2015
11.The Start of the Third Session: February 2016
12.Finally, Noakes Speaks
13.The Angels
14.Closing Arguments
15.The Verdict
Part III: The Science
16.Once We Were Healthy
17.The Worst Mistake in the History of Medicine
Closure
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Select Bibliography
Notes
Index
I dedicate this book to the sacred few who unselfishly gave of themselves – their wisdom, their humanity, their graciousness and their love – to lead me safely through the trials described herein. They are:
My wife, Marilyn Anne.
Our children, Travis Miles Noakes and Candice Amelia Noakes-Dobson.
My sister, Mandy Ruysch van Dugteren, and the memory of our parents, Reginald Austin (‘Bindy’) and Mary Wendy Noakes.
The three Archangels, Attorney Adam Pike, Advocate Dr Ravin ‘Rocky’ (brother) Ramdass and Mike van der Nest SC.
The three Angels, Nina Teicholz, Dr Zoë Harcombe PhD and Dr Caryn Zinn PhD.
– Professor Tim Noakes
I dedicate this book to Bruce Cohen, my husband, my greatest fan and critic, and a much better writer than I could ever hope to be; my darling daughter, Demi Bender, uber-organised artist, muso and ‘finance whizz’; my beloved son, Joshua Cohen, ever-energetic food-wallah, seeker and wanderer; and my precious grandchildren, Jethro and Indiana Bender Tait, who generously shared their Yiayia with the computer for so many months. You all gave me time, space and confidence to revel in the vital, riotous scientific ride that is this book.
– Marika Sboros
Acknowledgements
I survived, sanity intact, the unfathomable cruelty of the bigotry, bullying and betrayal described in this book only because a small group of gracious and tenacious heroes – ‘the righteous and the holy’ – was guiding my train.* I can never repay the debt that I owe them. My words cannot adequately convey the unreserved love, joyful thanks and eternal gratitude that I feel for each one of them.
Without the resolute courage, objective counsel and loving support of my thoughtful, strong-willed and super-intelligent wife, Marilyn Anne, I would not have made it through. The forces arrayed against us wholly underestimated the strength of the single person for whom they were no match. For the six years of our personal inquisition, she has stood resolute, refusing to succumb. She was the foundation on which we built our joint defence and on which we ultimately defeated the worst efforts of the ‘gamblers’, ‘wheeler dealers’ and ‘big shot ramblers’.
Our children, Travis and Candice, were equally resolute and unflinching in their support. They, too, refused to be bullied. Now that it is over, I can begin to repay them for their love and loyalty while I inhabited that other, distracted world.
My sister, Amanda-Louise ‘Mandy’ Ruysch van Dugteren, has been a pillar of strength. She understood exactly what the ‘trial’ would have meant to our parents, and her unqualified support was a daily reminder that my father and mother would have been in the front row cheering all of us on.
The ultimate irony is that Amanda had adopted the LCHF diet with great success after she discovered The Low Carbohydrate Diet by E.L. Fiore, published in 1965, while living in London in the swinging 60s. But she would only share her secret with me after my Damascene moment, explaining that I was the qualified medical ‘expert’ and that she was not about to tell me I had it all wrong! It would take me 36 years to begin to catch up with her advanced knowledge of practical nutrition.
Attorney Adam Pike directed what I now know as the best legal team in South Africa. Adam’s obsessive eye for detail was apparent in the 26 days of flawless presentation that he orchestrated with unbridled passion, focused intelligence, steadfast confidence and irreverent humour. Not for one instant did he falter or misstep.
In terms of their brilliance, benevolence, honesty and desire to see justice prevail whatever the personal cost, senior counsel Mike van der Nest and Advocate Dr Ravin ‘Rocky’ Ramdass (who by mutual consent is now my ‘brother’) are in a league of their own. I cannot recall meeting two more remarkable men. Their compassion in recognising a fellow human (and family) in severe distress and their offer to defend me without thought of financial reward are evidence of their astonishing humanity and humility.
The author Jeffrey Archer wrote: ‘Some people stand by you in your darkest hour while others walk away; only a select few march towards you and become even closer friends.’ I had to survive the dark moments to understand Archer’s meaning, for in my darkest hour, Mike and Rocky marched towards me, becoming my superheroes. And my eternal friends.
The three Angels – Dr Zoë Harcombe PhD, Nina Teicholz and Dr Caryn Zinn PhD – who joined our glory train from Wales, the United States and New Zealand respectively, are quite simply three of the bravest and most important minds fighting the disinformation that fronts as modern global ‘heart-healthy’ dietary advice. In Chapter 13, Marika Sboros accurately captures the massive impact their assured poise, personal integrity and honest testimony had on the conduct and outcome of my trial. Their presence attested to another defining characteristic of the luminaries of the LCHF revolution: their ambition is not personal; it is to advance a cause much greater than themselves.
I met Dr Andreas Obholzer in the first week of my medical training in February 1969; he has been a constant friend and source of inspiration ever since. He and his wife, Dr Karin von Wenzel Obholzer, flew in from Windhoek for each session of the hearing to support Marilyn and me during our hours of need. Again, your best fri
ends are those who march to you to share your darkest moments.
At his own cost and in his own time, Glen Thomas filmed the trial and big-heartedly allowed The Noakes Foundation to post the material online at https://www.thenoakesfoundation.org/news/videos. Thanks Glen – your kindness and generosity ensured that the trial was recorded for posterity, as it actually happened.
Emeritus Professor J.P. van Niekerk kindly consented to contribute the foreword. As dean of the UCT Faculty of Health Sciences, and despite concerted criticisms that it is not and never will be a science – it is simply too ‘Mickey Mouse’ – J.P. had the vision (and courage) to champion the introduction of sports science into his faculty in 1981. He appointed me a sports science lecturer that same year. Neither of us would ever have believed that 36 years later we would still be on the same side, continuing the fight against witlessness masquerading as intelligence.
Marika Sboros has correctly acknowledged the brilliant editing skills of Bronwen Maynier, with which I concur absolutely. Marika herself has many kind words to say about me in her acknowledgements. The reality is that without her contribution, this book would have been a lame shadow of what it has become. Like J.P. van Niekerk, Marika represents the skills, the training, the integrity and the social conscience of a bygone era. When she turned those unique skills to reporting the hearing on Twitter (@MarikaSboros) and on Foodmed.net, she ensured that the world would know the truth about what was actually happening. Her work helped keep everyone honest.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the support of the hundreds of thousands of people all around the world who have adopted the Banting/LCHF diet and who have expressed their thanks especially through social media, such as the 800 000-plus strong Banting Seven Day Meal Plan Facebook page begun by Rita Venter.
In the end we are all fighting this cause for you, for your health and for that of your families.
Your support confirms that it is worth the discomfort.
This train is indeed bound for glory.
TIM NOAKES
*A reference to the traditional American gospel song, ‘This train is bound for glory’, with new words by Woody Guthrie. © 1958 (renewed) by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc.
‘This train is bound for glory,
Don’t carry nothing but the righteous and the holy.
This train is bound for glory, this train.
…
This train don’t carry no gamblers,
Liars, thieves, nor big shot ramblers,
This train is bound for glory, this train.
…
This train don’t carry no con men,
No wheeler dealers, here and gone men,
This train don’t carry no con men, this train.’
Acknowledgements
There’s an old saying in the East that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Appropriately enough, Professor Tim Noakes appeared on my Skype screen in early 2014. It was clear from the start that he was a natural-born teacher and slayer of nutrition’s dogma dragons. He started rocking my worldview and hasn’t stopped. Thus began the remarkable journey it is my privilege to travel with him today. He has taught me that most of what I thought was right about nutrition, medicine, disease, health, hearts and healing was wrong. As American journalist and satirist Henry Mencken once said: ‘Explanations exist; they have existed for all time; there is always a well-known solution to every human problem – neat, plausible, and wrong.’
I have learnt lots else from Tim: about the power of truth, about integrity, whistleblowing, challenging conventional ‘wisdom’, facing bullies, and that universities are not always hallowed halls of learning. They can be shark-infested waters, teeming with conflicts of interest and professional jealousies. And in early 2017, when he invited me to co-author this book, I leapt at the chance to document his fight for scientific truth.
Through Tim, I have gained many new friends and guiding lights in nutrition and medical science. Among them are Tim’s Angels, Dr Zoë Harcombe, Nina Teicholz and Dr Caryn Zinn, all formidable intellects, women of integrity and courage, beautiful from the inside out. They flew from far-flung lands to testify for him. My guides have also included Tim’s legal brothers in arms, the Archangels, as we call them: Michael van der Nest SC, Dr Ravin ‘Rocky’ Ramdass and Adam Pike. They came well equipped with weaponry to temper the ferocity of the forces trying to silence him for his views on butter, eggs, bacon and broccoli. Watching the brothers at work, I was relieved not to be on the receiving end of their sharpened, shining legal swords. It helped, of course, that Tim has right and robust science on his side.
Watching over us all throughout this never-ending journey has been Tim’s wife, Marilyn Anne. Another beautiful spirit from the inside and as brilliantly fierce a Guardian Angel as he could wish to have on the hard road the trial forced him to travel. I am proud to call this remarkable couple my friends.
My thanks also to Penguin Random House’s wonderwomen publishing team: Marlene Fryer, Ronel Richter-Herbert and Bronwen Maynier. Your guidance, input and perceptive corrections are gratefully accepted.
Last but not least, I give thanks to my first guiding lights, my beloved parents: my mother Nora Sboros and my late father Demetrius ‘Jimmy’ Sboros, and to Dr Ann Childers in the wings.
MARIKA SBOROS
Foreword
Humans seek happiness, health and longevity. Food is an important item on the road to achieving these aims and was at the forefront of the professional conduct inquiry of Professor Tim Noakes. The marathon trial was spread over three years and 25 days of hearings. Most were mystified why it took place at all, but once started, it snowballed into a fascinating drama of its own.
From the lodging of the initial complaint by Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA) president Claire Julsing Strydom to the inquiry itself, hostile attitudes and actions towards Noakes and his views on diets were clearly evident.
The entire process was incredibly demanding emotionally and financially on Noakes and his family. His personal, professional and scientific standing were under threat. He could simply have taken himself off the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s medical register (he has not practiced as a doctor for many years) and avoided the anguish, as the HPCSA cannot investigate anyone who is not registered with them. However, Noakes felt that there were important matters of principle to be addressed for the benefit of wider society, and he was prepared to take on the costs, challenges and potential consequences. He was fortunate in obtaining the pro bono services of Dr Ravin ‘Rocky’ Ramdass and Michael van der Nest SC, who were prepared to stand by him whatever it took.
Because of the considerable public interest in the inquiry, the media provided regular reports that focused largely on aspects that were perceived as more dramatic. An exception was Marika Sboros, one of South Africa’s most well-known and respected health journalists, who followed and reported on the entire proceedings. She elicited material beyond the trial in a quest for scientific truth and to provide context for her reports. From the start, she saw through the attacks to the man and his scientific mission. With her experienced reporter’s eye, she helps readers to do the same in this book.
The inquiry was part of a long-standing battle against the views on diet propagated by Noakes. As a mechanism to demolish his views and to silence him, it backfired spectacularly. The HPCSA, medical and dietetic professionals, and ADSA, who opposed him, have been embarrassed and have lost face and standing. Instead of silencing him, the inquiry provided Noakes with a platform to publicly and convincingly put his case. The publicity during and after the inquiry has been overwhelmingly positive in his favour.
Worldwide major moral and socio-economic battles have raged over the past centuries. Among these, slavery was abolished in the 19th century; the 20th century saw the resolution of women’s rights, and the end of prohibition in the United States and apartheid in South Africa; and, more recently, gay rights have largely been addressed in mature democra
cies. These all took decades to resolve, during which intimidation, violence, prejudice and demonising on all sides were features. The two big worldwide battles being waged at present are the war on drugs and nutrition, both of which are showing significant movement away from previous beliefs.
Change is invariably accompanied by resistance. In 1983, the economist Bruce Yandle coined the term ‘Bootleggers and Baptists’ relating to the prohibition days in the US – groups with differing moral positions opposed the abolition of prohibition: preachers demanded prohibition to make alcohol illegal, while the criminal bootlegger wanted alcohol to remain illegal to stay in business. This is a model of politics in which the opposite moral positions lead to the same vote. In the Noakes case, professionals opposed to his views wish to protect their beliefs about what is good for their patients, while the beverage, food and pharmaceutical industries don’t want to lose business. For ADSA and its members there is the additional consideration of turf wars and of the potential erosion of their profession, unless they are prepared to change their beliefs.
Changing beliefs is incredibly hard, as they are fixed firmly in our limbic system and are not readily amenable to our thinking brain. Confirmation bias protects our beliefs from any opposing and uncomfortable facts. But a fundamental characteristic of science is to constantly challenge beliefs. Noakes bravely confessed the errors of his previous beliefs about carbohydrates when he started studying evidence that was new to him.
While Noakes has celebrity (or demonic) status in South Africa, his views detailed in this book are a reflection of a worldwide re-examination of the basis of the beliefs in ‘conventional’ nutrition. Findings have included the faulty science of Ancel Keys, who demonised fats; the political opportunism of US President Richard Nixon in supporting the corn industry; the malevolent influence of the beverage and processed (junk) food industries on policy, practice and beliefs; and the rogue role of Big Pharma influencing doctors (think cholesterol and statins, and antibiotics with their effects on the gut organisms).
