Veterinary Focus

FOOD FOR THOUGHT?

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"  These words are attributed to Hippocrates, the Greek physician regarded as the founding father of modern medicine, and while he is rightly considered one of the history’s most outstanding figures, separating the facts from the fictions that surround the man and his legacy is difficult, if not impossible. This includes the above quotation, as many scholars can offer no evidence that he ever uttered these words; it is perhaps ironic that much mystery surrounds a man who advocated a disciplined and logical approach to medicine. It is also ironic that while exact science and good research is regarded as paramount these days, fake news and popular misconceptions seem to be as widespread as ever; much which is claimed to be fact is anecdotal at best and nonsense at worst, and what starts as one person’s opinion can easily become generally accepted. Reversing a fashionable theory can then be both difficult and unpopular.
Nutrition is one of these areas where fact and fiction can often intertwine, so this issue of Veterinary Focus seeks – as always – to present only confirmed wisdom and robust evidence. Hippocrates would presumably approve; another quote attributed to him – "science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance" – may or may not be his, but the sentiment is undeniably true.

Ewan McNeill – Editor-in-chief