The Macrobiotic Diet: Long-Life Diet or Risky PseudoScience?

In examining the many fad diets that are out there with various levels of fleeting popularity, I occasionally come across one that actually makes some sense. At first glance, the Macrobiotic Diet looks like one of these. The word macrobiotic comes from the Greek The Macrobiotic Diet: Long-Life Diet or Risky PseudoScience? words for long life and is supposedly based on the traditional diets of some of the world's longest lived peoples. Now don't get me wrong, Macrobiotics pioneer, George Ohsawa, makes some claims that are wrong-headed. He suggests that smoking tobacco is good for the lungs, for example. I certainly don't believe that or recommend that anyone smoke anything. Clean air is good for the lungs without a doubt, and there is no need to take chances beyond that.

Health Risks of the Macrobiotic Diet

The Macrobiotic Diet does have some serious shortcomings for the average person. Without careful planning of your diet, it is possible, even likely that you may become seriously deficient in some important and life-sustaining nutrients. Earlier forms of the Macrobiotic Diet, especially the version proposed by Ohsawa in his book Zen Macrobiotics, had several stages that ultimately led one to a diet consisting entirely of grains. It is virtually impossible to get proper nutrition on a grain only diet, and there were reports of practitioners contracting diseases such as scurvy (since the diet eschewed fruits), and even dying of malnutrition.

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