The times ‘Paleo Pete’ has given inaccurate advice on health and diet

“PALEO Pete” has done it again. He’s taken off his chef’s hat and is back behind the keyboard — giving his Facebook followers unsubstantiated advice.

Chef Pete Evans is regularly criticised for his extreme nutrition advice.

CELEBRITY chef and Paleo pusher Pete Evans has done it again.

He’s taken off his chef’s hat and apron and is back behind the keyboard — giving his 1.5 million Facebook followers some advice on a range of treatments.

On Sunday, “Paleo Pete” made the claim that “calcium from dairy can remove the calcium from your bones”.

The My Kitchen Rules judge told a woman with osteoporosis to remove dairy from her diet and eat “the Paleo way”, after she asked for help managing her condition during a Facebook Q&A, stressing that “doctors don’t know the truth” about the mineral.

AD CON Celebrity Selfies. Pete Evans - @chefpeteevans “Mwah!”

But as many have pointed out, his suggestion goes against standard medical advice, which recommends people with the condition ensure they have enough calcium in their diet through foods such as dairy.

The medical director of Osteoporosis Australia, Professor Peter Ebeling, told the Daily Telegraph that Evans “shouldn’t be saying these things” because they are “just not true”.

While most of us recognise we should be taking Evans’ advice with a grain of salt (because — let’s face it, he’s a chef and not an expert), some people can mistake his confidence for competence.

Pete Evans is in hot water again, this time for his advice on calcium. Picture: Steve Brown

We checked out what accredited medical experts thought about Pete’s controversial comments on sunscreen, calcium and baby diets — and here’s what they had to say:

Pete says: “Calcium from dairy can remove the calcium from your bones.”

Science says: A spokesman for Osteoporosis Australia says, “That is just not true. The keystone to preventing osteoporosis is adequate calcium intake and this is achieved by three (daily) serves of calcium-rich foods like dairy. Dairy is the most easily available source and has the highest calcium content in it.”

Pete Evans and his wife Nicola Robinson. Picture: Instagram.

Pete says: The Paleo diet (which involves cutting out carbohydrates, grains, legumes and dairy while eating large quantities of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, fruit and vegetables) “could help shrink tumours, lead to cancer remissions, assist in treating autism and stop asthma”. He also says it may ease the risk or symptoms of “mental illness, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease”.

Science says: Last year researchers at Sydney University actually found that people who follow the Paleo diet are set to die young. Mice on a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, similar to the Paleo diet, had high insulin levels and a shorter lifespan. Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulo was asked whether going on the Paleo diet was advisable. “You need to speak to proper health professionals,” he said. “Speak to your GP, seek advice from a registered dietitian, get exercise advice — rather than listening to Pete Evans who says this is great.”

Pete says: In March 2015, Pete had the release date of his Paleo kids cookbook (Bubba Yum Yum: The Paleo Way kids cookbook) pushed back after health experts warned of the serious health dangers the book contained. Pete claimed his book was “a treasure trove of nutritional information and nourishing Paleo recipes that are guaranteed to put you and your little one on the path to optimum health”. Evans showed parents how to make a DIY bone broth baby formula, which included ingredients like chicken liver, oils and a probiotic supplement.

Book cover of Bubba Yum Yum — Pete Evans' cooking book.

Pete described the book as “a wealth of information on everything from where to source the best and freshest ingredients to how to make your own natural health remedies and how to rid your home of toxins.”

Science says: Professor Heather Yeatman from the Public Health Association of Australia said at the time “there’s a very real possibility that a baby may die if this book goes ahead”. Publishers decided to hold back after health officials intervened, but it still went online as an e-book.

Experts were particularly concerned by the bone broth which “contains more than 10 times the safe maximum daily intake of vitamin A for babies and inadequate levels of other nutrients”.

The broth, which “could potentially cause a vitamin A overdose in infants” was revised by Evans — but still contained dangerous components, according to the Dietitians Association of Australia.

“This is just another example of the serious dangers of following the health and medical advice of unqualified people,” a DAA spokeswoman said.

Earlier this year, Pete Evans stirred controversy after claiming sunscreen was full of poisonous chemicals. Picture: Steve Brown

Pete says: During a Q&A on Facebook in July, Evans stirred controversy on social media by saying sunscreen was full of poisonous chemicals just last month.

He told his 1.5 million followers that he generally doesn’t use sun protection, despite experts recommending people wear protection every day of the year.

“The silly thing is people put on normal chemical sunscreen then lay out in the sun for hours on end and think that they are safe because they have covered themselves in poisonous chemicals, which is a recipe for disaster as we are witnessing these days,” he wrote.

“We need to respect the sun but not hide from it either as it is so beneficial for us, but use common sense. The goal is always never to burn yourself.”

Science says: The Cancer Council’s director of education Terry Slevin expressed concern over Evans’ remarks at the time, telling news.com.au “the science is clear, increased ­exposure to UV radiation equals an increased risk of skin cancer and this is from people who have been researching this for decades.

“Sunscreen use, including UV absorbers, which he refers to as chemical sunscreen, has been proven to reduce skin cancer risk”.

No sunscreen on that skin. Picture: Instagram.

While Evans’ comments about sunscreen products were incorrect, experts acknowledge that a lot of people do have concerns about sun protection and the use of “nanoparticles”.

In sunscreen, these particles have been used since the ’90s because they offer broad spectrum protection from the sun.

The concern from some people is that these particles may penetrate the skin and cause a toxic effect.

In 2013, the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA), which regulates sunscreens sold in Australia, conducted a review to debunk these fears.

The conclusion was that people shouldn’t worry, and that these particles do not penetrate the underlying skin layers or cause harm to the wearer.

Pete Evans came under fire after throwing his support behind controversial group Fluoride Free.

Pete says: Throws his support behind controversial group Fluoride Free, who claim water fluoridation leads to disease

Science says: “Does he have nice teeth? He can thank fluoride,” says the AMA West Australian President Dr Michael Gannon.