As the years have passed, the science of what food is healthy spans the spectrum. Red meat, white meat, fake meat, no meat and then back to red. Mark Twain once wrote, “Don’t take advice from a health book. You could die from a misprint!”

I like science as much as the next guy. But historically, it hasn’t been very consistent when it comes to diet recommendations. Every year the theories change. Wine saves you; wine kills you. Coconut oil is the new miracle drug; coconut oil is the worst saturated fat you can ingest.

• Drink a glass of red wine a day. Studies show it helps build better bones, prevents blood sugar problems, boosts your body’s defenses, can increase your memory power and may increase life expectancy.

• Alcohol consumption can kill you. Studies show it raises overall death rates, causes cirrhosis of the liver, causes cancer, migraines and increases the risk of heart disease.

• Coconut oil has many health benefits. Studies show it is a natural prevention for Alzheimer’s. It prevents high blood pressure and heart diseases. It cures UTIs and kidney infections and also shows promise in preventing cancer.

• Coconut oil can harm your health. Studies show it will raise your bad cholesterol as much or more than animal fats. It will increase your chances of heart disease and will lower your overall health.

Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, promoted wine as part of a healthy diet as well as preventing diarrhea. Then Prohibition outlawed any beverage with an alcoholic content of over 1.28 percent, citing morals as well as health. In the ’80s, the New York Times said wine was linked to migraines, as well as causing acid-reflux. In the ’90s, 60 Minutes said that red wine drinkers had lower cholesterol than their counterparts. Later, it was said to stop macular degeneration and prevent prostate cancer. Then in the early 2000s, studies showed it may increase the likelihood of getting breast cancer.

Summer barbecues bring out the ever-worsening discussions on food.

“We only eat organic.”

“We don’t eat any artificial colors or dyes.”

“We stopped eating dairy after we watched a documentary.”

“No gluten for us.”

Barbecuing has now become an art — not just the actual cooking, but on how to keep peace between the carnivores and the vegans.

Inevitably, someone will start in on the latest studies showing a particular food that is now a super-food (or super-villain, depending on the year). My husband will laugh and say, “I don’t know, my mom ate it (or didn’t eat it), and she died from cancer — of course it could have been because she drank water too!”

This usually provides enough levity to change the conversation.

It’s funny, though, how animated people can get over food. Especially when science over the years can’t even agree with itself. Is wine good for you or bad? Is coconut oil helpful or harmful? If you don’t like the results of the studies this year, just wait. It’s like the weather in Pacific Northwest; it’ll change tomorrow.

Basically, I’d say this leaves us free to forget the “food science,” as no one really seems to know or agree on what causes or prevents aging and cancer.

I would suggest eating and drinking what makes you happy. After all, studies show that happy people live longer — oh, wait, new studies say pessimists… Oh mercy!

Studies on preservatives, carbs, calories, organics — it’s just too much for me. I just hope I don’t get the soggy Cheeto that my baby stuck back in the chip bag after sucking off the cheese!

Brianna Walker occasionally writes about the Farmer’s Fate for the Blue Mountain Eagle.