Yesterday’s post was on the topic of white versus brown rice. In an attempt to present a broad overview and represent both sides of the issue, I sourced butterbeliever.com, a site that posted this:

Many people eat way, way too much fiber, which can lead to serious digestive disorders, and even colon cancer…So, everyone choking down their Fiber-One cereals and psyllium husks really aren’t doing themselves any favors at all…Healthy people don’t need tons of fiber, and they generally don’t need to go out of their way looking for it.

This claim, in part, stems from the declarations of Konstantin Monastyrsy, a self-proclaimed “expert in forensic nutrition” and author of the book, Fiber Menace. He believes and emphatically asserts that overconsumption of fiber leads to all sorts of serious health issues.

Keith Law chimed in on twitter:

@gabekapler There’s no link between fiber intake and colon cancer in either direction: http://t.co/dmlTel8Gmz

— keithlaw (@keithlaw) July 26, 2014

When Keith talks, I’m immediately interested. I consistently read his work.

We had better illuminate the fact that he’s not always right. He can be quite unscientific, in fact. We are talking about a man who produced and publicly posted his top 100 old-school hip-hop songs without a single mention of Biggie. Sacrilegious indeed.

I’m kidding, of course. It goes without saying that independent of his rap whiff, I have the highest possible level of respect for Keith’s wisdom. Sharp cat indeed.

In an effort to uncover more information, I linked Keith to Monastyrsky’s work. Keith was unimpressed.

@gabekapler He’s a crank. Fiber doesn’t cause Crohn’s or UC or diverticulitis or IBS (which isn’t even a single disorder).

— keithlaw (@keithlaw) July 26, 2014

I love the word crank. For those of you unfamiliar, a crank, courtesy of a Wikipedia, ironically, is

a pejorative term used for a person who holds an unshakable belief that most of his or her contemporaries consider to be false. A crank belief is so wildly at variance with those commonly held as to be ludicrous. Cranks characteristically dismiss all evidence or arguments which contradict their own unconventional beliefs, making rational debate a futile task, and rendering them impervious to facts, evidence, and rational inference.

Remember that dude who thought the world was round? What a crank.

I hit up (not really, the following is fictitious) Monastyrsky and he replied immediately.

“Keith is crazy,” he said. “He doesn’t even have a degree in forensic nutrition.”

Before we have too much fun, let’s discuss the obvious. Not everything posted online is true, even if it sounds scientific. Not everything that sounds crazy is false. Sometimes, just doing a survey of a topic isn’t enough, and some research into the research is necessary. In an attempt to make sense of what we read, motive should be examined. That whole personal responsibility thing rears its head.

In Monastyrsky’s case, the dude is selling two things, his book and his supplements. Of course, these particular supplements will heal you of all the damage done from the problems he’s describing in his book. He’s making a lot of scientific claims without actual science to back them up.

Particularly when I’m giving a general overview on a specific issue, sometimes I have just enough time to present pieces to a puzzle instead of the entire thing. I will lead with some degree of research, but this is a good reminder to always take a critical look at what people say, regardless of their claimed credentials.

I used to tell folks that Major League Baseball batters are their own best hitting coaches. They are in the most advantageous position because they can often feel what works best for their swings and bodies. This is especially true for the men who are willing to try new techniques with an open mind and be bold enough to work with teachers of hitting, yet still make their own decisions about what to keep and what to discard.

Likewise, you are your own best life coach. Trial and error coupled with tailored, open-minded digging will undoubtedly net your best results.

I’ll always be here to throw stuff atcha.

Kap