The Magic Pill - Netflix Doc
ellie7187
Posts: 83 Member
Has anyone watched the Netflix doc “The Magic Pill”?
It’s a doc about the Keto diet and it’s anecdotal (it even uses the term anecdotal in the opening) health benefits. A very interesting and compelling documentary for sure. Albeit, I’m not jumping on the Keto train because of it haha.
Made me wonder who here has seen it (and what did you think)? And for those that follow a Keto diet do you do it for weight loss or for other supposed health benefits?
It’s a doc about the Keto diet and it’s anecdotal (it even uses the term anecdotal in the opening) health benefits. A very interesting and compelling documentary for sure. Albeit, I’m not jumping on the Keto train because of it haha.
Made me wonder who here has seen it (and what did you think)? And for those that follow a Keto diet do you do it for weight loss or for other supposed health benefits?
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Replies
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"Netflix Doc" = the Oxymoron for the ages.22
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Interesting for those with conditions that may be improved by keto, but not for the general population as a panacea.9
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i thought this was the one about adderall. I watched that one, and it kind of made me want to try adderall. lol.10
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I have watched it!! What an eye opener15
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You have to take any documentary with a huge grain of salt...documentaries of any kind are typically very biased. Watch a documentary on veganism and it will give you the exact opposite information that this documentary is giving you...and it will be very compelling because that's why people make documentaries.24
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Netflix documentaries are entertainment. They bear no responsibility to give both sides of the story or be even vaguely accurate. It would be foolish to give one any serious consideration when trying to determine what to eat or how to be healthy or how to cure something. They are the "Aliens Abducted my Talking Dog" tabloids in the Netflix checkout line. Fine to kill the time and maybe get a chuckle, but not worth investing anything else in.
If you're curious what people here think about keto, you can use the search function (or just skim down the Recent posts list or the Debate forum) to see hundreds if not thousands of threads, and there is also a Low Carbers group that I'm sure has many more. I personally don't do keto because I thrive on carbs and would be miserable, and have yet to see any personally convincing data that it is worth working through that :drinker:15 -
Not everybody thinks so highly of it: https://synapses.co.za/the-magic-pill-pete-evans-does-documentary/
Netflix "documentaries" are nothing but one-sided hack job propaganda pieces full of hype, fearmongering and pseudoscience. And this one is no exception.12 -
It really annoyed me that the documentary acted like the little girl with reduced seizures on the keto diet was some kind of medical miracle recovery. The keto diet was invented to control seizures in children!
It’s a bad movie. I recommend a Magic Pill/What the Health double feature if you want to know how easy it is to manipulate information.29 -
I too like carbs WAY too much to give them up for a diet. Only “diet” that’s ever worked for me is CICO. This “doc” was just the first I’d heard of Keto for anything other than weight loss. Admittedly, I had no idea what it was about and started watching thinking it would be a doc about the weight loss pill market and propaganda therein, etc.
But given how polarizing the topic of Keto is on these message boards I was curious to see if anyone here following Keto is doing it for non-weight loss issues (as I’ve only seen weight loss discussed before).
For the record, I didn’t say I bought in to the doc. Just that it was interesting. Wanted to clear that up after all those woo’s haha.3 -
most documentaries are propoganda. a film maker sees something and says well that's a story. sort of like doing an experiment with a solution already in mind. it's not just netflix.0
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I too like carbs WAY too much to give them up for a diet. Only “diet” that’s ever worked for me is CICO. This “doc” was just the first I’d heard of Keto for anything other than weight loss. Admittedly, I had no idea what it was about and started watching thinking it would be a doc about the weight loss pill market and propaganda therein, etc.
But given how polarizing the topic of Keto is on these message boards I was curious to see if anyone here following Keto is doing it for non-weight loss issues (as I’ve only seen weight loss discussed before).
For the record, I didn’t say I bought in to the doc. Just that it was interesting. Wanted to clear that up after all those woo’s haha.
IMHO (and I'm not a doctor or any kind of scientist) the health benefits people attribute to keto are actually the result of losing weight, eating a more controlled diet, and/or becoming more active.
My understanding is that the keto WOE was initially developed to control epilepsy in children and there is some data to support that, but as I don't know anyone who suffers from that I haven't really looked into it.13 -
I too like carbs WAY too much to give them up for a diet. Only “diet” that’s ever worked for me is CICO. This “doc” was just the first I’d heard of Keto for anything other than weight loss. Admittedly, I had no idea what it was about and started watching thinking it would be a doc about the weight loss pill market and propaganda therein, etc.
But given how polarizing the topic of Keto is on these message boards I was curious to see if anyone here following Keto is doing it for non-weight loss issues (as I’ve only seen weight loss discussed before).
For the record, I didn’t say I bought in to the doc. Just that it was interesting. Wanted to clear that up after all those woo’s haha.
Most of the purported benefits of doing keto are the same benefits that most people have when they move away from the SAD, lose weight, and maintain a healthy weight.
ETA: the only reason keto is polarizing is because you have ketoevangelist making all kinds of claims and that basically keto will cure everything under the sun, and if you're not keto, you mus be a sugar junky eating the SAD...that's really the only time it gets contentious.13 -
What ever happened to eating a balanced diet? Lol I won't lie, 2 years ago I would have fell for the horse kitten.0
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As stated by the OP, it's an anecdotal film about people's positive experiences using a ketogenic diet. It's pro keto. The main reason to watch it would be to see the positives of a ketogenic diet - mainly the positive health effects, which are common enough in some cases to be accepted by the medical community:
There was an epileptic girl with autism. We know keto helps epilepsy and has shown therapeutic effects to some brain issues.
There was the T2D's. That's a no brainer. Cut carbs, insulin falls and so does BG - often within days.
There was a couple of women who used it to lose weight. One had a tonne of nutritional low convenience foods to get rid of and the other was liberated by being "allowed" to eat fat again.
And then there was the woman who reversed her cancer with diet alone... I wish they hadn't included her story. I don't doubt it was true but the majority of cancers will NOT be cured by a dietary change. That was a poor message to send, IMO.
The title refers to the fact that there is no magic pill. Change your diet from poor to healthier (in this case keto) and put in the work and you'll get healthier.
IDK. It was a keto film on the benefits of keto. It delivered exactly what I expected. It was interesting. Factual. It did not get into the negatives some experience, but bad breath doesn't make for exciting tv either.
It can be seen here:
http://u123movies.com/watch/bdr33QvN-the-magic-pill.html
After that I watched What the Health. It was exactly what I expected too. LOL13 -
I too like carbs WAY too much to give them up for a diet. Only “diet” that’s ever worked for me is CICO. This “doc” was just the first I’d heard of Keto for anything other than weight loss. Admittedly, I had no idea what it was about and started watching thinking it would be a doc about the weight loss pill market and propaganda therein, etc.
But given how polarizing the topic of Keto is on these message boards I was curious to see if anyone here following Keto is doing it for non-weight loss issues (as I’ve only seen weight loss discussed before).
For the record, I didn’t say I bought in to the doc. Just that it was interesting. Wanted to clear that up after all those woo’s haha.
TBH, I think most people who stick with keto do so for the health benefits they experience. I know it's partially why I continue with it. That and the appetite reducing effect that I experience Eating everything in moderation is simpler, more socially acceptable and tasty. I'd do again it if it worked for me.4 -
Not everybody thinks so highly of it: https://synapses.co.za/the-magic-pill-pete-evans-does-documentary/
Netflix "documentaries" are nothing but one-sided hack job propaganda pieces full of hype, fearmongering and pseudoscience. And this one is no exception.
I saw Pete Evens and immediately put it on my do not watch list.
I avoid anything by/promoted by the same "quack" who publishes recipes for paleo baby formula (which is actually harmful due to high levels of vitamin A in bone broth) and discourages the use of suncreen in a country with one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
Okay rant over, feeling much better now
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tropicalchicy wrote: »Not everybody thinks so highly of it: https://synapses.co.za/the-magic-pill-pete-evans-does-documentary/
Netflix "documentaries" are nothing but one-sided hack job propaganda pieces full of hype, fearmongering and pseudoscience. And this one is no exception.
I saw Pete Evens and immediately put it on my do not watch list.
I avoid anything by/promoted by the same "quack" who publishes recipes for paleo baby formula (which is actually harmful due to high levels of vitamin A in bone broth) and discourages the use of suncreen in a country with one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
Okay rant over, feeling much better now
Yeah, i think most Aussies can't stand Pete Evans, myself included
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There is not just "some" data to support a ketogenic diet reducing or eliminating seizures in people with epilepsy. Prior to the intro of anti-seizure meds it was *the* protocol for epilepsy. It is still used today for those who do not respond to meds. It does not work for all but is far beyond a trial stage. Visit the Johns Hopkins sight or an Epilepsy site for additional info. Or the NIH sight, of course.
@ellie7187, I am a 64 year old female who was diagnosed with a neurological movement disorder 18 years ago. Cervical Dystonia aka Spasmodic Torticollis. Having learned (and researched) the effectiveness of ketogenic diets for epilepsy and knowing the preferred med (I no longer take it) for my dystonia is an anti seizure med, I trialed keto for 52 weeks in 2015-2016.
I gave it the good ol' college try but alas it was ineffective.
I also did not experience any of the other health benefits often reported but I tend to be in really great health @ 64 
except for the CD/ST.
I did definitely find high fat is quite satiating for me so have remained LCHF with no emphasis on being in a ketogenic state. I really struggled with hunger my 1st year or so of maintenance. My "keto trial" was beneficial in helping me determine a better macro split (for me) but nothing more really. No longer being hungry all the time is pleasing though.
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Documentaries in general, not just those on Netflix, are created because someone wants to look into a subject. Often what happens is they end up bringing in their own bias and the information is all skewed to a specific view point. Documentaries should not be the end all be all of information. They are not bad per say, but they should be taking with a grain of salt and the viewer should do additional research to find out the WHOLE story, not just the story they want you to see.4
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I watched the magic pill last night after seeing this thread. I happen to agree with a few of the suggestions, such as getting rid of oils, dairy and sugar, and getting back to more of what we would find in nature. They also seem to draw a bunch of funky conclusions from the info. They spoke about flying over the US and seeing field upon field of commodity crops being grown and claimed the bad part of that is all the carbohydrates being produced. A large portion of that grain goes to feeding livestock! We could easily much of that space to grow food that is better for humans, such as fruit and vegetables.
I was happy to see them mention Joel Salatin. I don't eat meat, but i respect his sustainable way of producing it for those who still choose to eat it.
Oh, and everytime i hear Lierre Keith speak, i want to pull my hair out.15 -
Has anyone watched the Netflix doc “The Magic Pill”?
It’s a doc about the Keto diet and it’s anecdotal (it even uses the term anecdotal in the opening) health benefits. A very interesting and compelling documentary for sure. Albeit, I’m not jumping on the Keto train because of it haha.
Made me wonder who here has seen it (and what did you think)? And for those that follow a Keto diet do you do it for weight loss or for other supposed health benefits?
And the "Dr's" quoted aren't actual medical Dr's, they're authors who wrote books on how to keto. Conflict of interest much? You'll have to pry carbs out of my cold dead hands (since I'm too strong because of all the carbs I eat to be able to take them from me while I'm alive).15 -
joemac1988 wrote: »Has anyone watched the Netflix doc “The Magic Pill”?
It’s a doc about the Keto diet and it’s anecdotal (it even uses the term anecdotal in the opening) health benefits. A very interesting and compelling documentary for sure. Albeit, I’m not jumping on the Keto train because of it haha.
Made me wonder who here has seen it (and what did you think)? And for those that follow a Keto diet do you do it for weight loss or for other supposed health benefits?
And the "Dr's" quoted aren't actual medical Dr's, they're authors who wrote books on how to keto. Conflict of interest much? You'll have to pry carbs out of my cold dead hands (since I'm too strong because of all the carbs I eat to be able to take them from me while I'm alive).
No. They seem to be ph.d scientists or medical doctors. There is Nina Teicholz (spelling?) who is an author, and then there is another journalist talking about the Dr Tim Noakes trial... I may have forgotten someone. Who called themselves a doctor but wasn't?
Really, the carbs they are talking about in the film were highly processed and refined carbs. People were still eating veggies and some fruits. No one advocated removing those from a diet.5 -
joemac1988 wrote: »Has anyone watched the Netflix doc “The Magic Pill”?
It’s a doc about the Keto diet and it’s anecdotal (it even uses the term anecdotal in the opening) health benefits. A very interesting and compelling documentary for sure. Albeit, I’m not jumping on the Keto train because of it haha.
Made me wonder who here has seen it (and what did you think)? And for those that follow a Keto diet do you do it for weight loss or for other supposed health benefits?
And the "Dr's" quoted aren't actual medical Dr's, they're authors who wrote books on how to keto. Conflict of interest much? You'll have to pry carbs out of my cold dead hands (since I'm too strong because of all the carbs I eat to be able to take them from me while I'm alive).
No. They seem to be ph.d scientists or medical doctors. There is Nina Teicholz (spelling?) who is an author, and then there is another journalist talking about the Dr Tim Noakes trial... I may have forgotten someone. Who called themselves a doctor but wasn't?
Really, the carbs they are talking about in the film were highly processed and refined carbs. People were still eating veggies and some fruits. No one advocated removing those from a diet.
Nina Teicholz is a journalist with no medical training what so ever...her educational background is undergrad in American Studies and a masters in Latin American studies....5 -
joemac1988 wrote: »Has anyone watched the Netflix doc “The Magic Pill”?
It’s a doc about the Keto diet and it’s anecdotal (it even uses the term anecdotal in the opening) health benefits. A very interesting and compelling documentary for sure. Albeit, I’m not jumping on the Keto train because of it haha.
Made me wonder who here has seen it (and what did you think)? And for those that follow a Keto diet do you do it for weight loss or for other supposed health benefits?
And the "Dr's" quoted aren't actual medical Dr's, they're authors who wrote books on how to keto. Conflict of interest much? You'll have to pry carbs out of my cold dead hands (since I'm too strong because of all the carbs I eat to be able to take them from me while I'm alive).
No. They seem to be ph.d scientists or medical doctors. There is Nina Teicholz (spelling?) who is an author, and then there is another journalist talking about the Dr Tim Noakes trial... I may have forgotten someone. Who called themselves a doctor but wasn't?
Really, the carbs they are talking about in the film were highly processed and refined carbs. People were still eating veggies and some fruits. No one advocated removing those from a diet.
People on keto typically have to limit their consumption of vegetables and fruits though and they're often avoiding or limiting even non-processed and refined carbohydrates like whole grains and beans. So if eating a higher level of carbohydrates is something that one finds useful or pleasant for satiety, reaching specific fitness goals, or enjoying how they taste, keto might not be the best fit.
That you can have some fruits and vegetables on keto doesn't change the fact that it's way too low for some of us to find pleasant, sustainable, or useful for fitness.9 -
I'm into facts; that's why i like them.25 -
joemac1988 wrote: »Has anyone watched the Netflix doc “The Magic Pill”?
It’s a doc about the Keto diet and it’s anecdotal (it even uses the term anecdotal in the opening) health benefits. A very interesting and compelling documentary for sure. Albeit, I’m not jumping on the Keto train because of it haha.
Made me wonder who here has seen it (and what did you think)? And for those that follow a Keto diet do you do it for weight loss or for other supposed health benefits?
And the "Dr's" quoted aren't actual medical Dr's, they're authors who wrote books on how to keto. Conflict of interest much? You'll have to pry carbs out of my cold dead hands (since I'm too strong because of all the carbs I eat to be able to take them from me while I'm alive).
and dairy. you can't have my dairy
or meat.
you can't have my food, period2 -
I'm into facts; that's why i like them.
So you mean "facts" like in What The Health, where they compare cooking meat to frying a pan full of cigarettes. Got it.13
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