The death of his owner revives the controversy.. What does science say about the “Al-Tayyibat” diet? | Lifestyle

On April 19, 2026, about 40 days after the Egyptian General Syndicate of Physicians decided to “drop his membership as an anesthesia and intensive care consultant, and remove him from the profession’s records,” Diaa El-Din Al-Awadi died at the age of 47 as a result of a “heart attack,” according to a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thus ending a wave of speculation about the reason for his sudden departure that swept social media platforms.

However, the death statement did not end the controversy, but rather opened a wider door for discussion about the “Al-Tayyibat” diet, which was designed by Al-Awadhi, and spread widely across social networking sites, before the Doctors Syndicate issued a sharp statement in which it confirmed that this system “is not based on scientific evidence or approved clinical trials,” and took disciplinary measures that included “preventing Al-Awadhi from practicing the medical profession and closing his clinic.”

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This controversy raises a fundamental question: What does science say about the “Tayyibat” system? What is it for and what is wrong with it if we look at it from a purely nutritional angle.

The “Al-Tayyibat” system…the idea and basic rules

At its core, the “Al-Tayebat” system divides foods into two categories:

• “Malignant and toxic” foods – according to Al-Awadhi’s description – are considered to cause inflammation and must be excluded.
• He considers “good” foods to be “healthy” because, according to his proposal, they are easy to digest and are close in consistency to a liquid state, which reduces confusion, bloating, and “waste that is burdensome to the digestive system.”

Al-Awadhi summarized this philosophy into basic rules, the most prominent of which are:

• Choose foods that are “more filling and leave less waste,” preferring cooked foods and vegetables over raw and leafy ones.
• Eat when you feel “real hunger,” and eat “until you are full” without restricting calories or fixed meal times.
• Drink water only when you feel thirsty.
• Adopting periods of intermittent fasting to allow “time for maintenance and internal regeneration” of the body.

What is Al-Tayybat allowed to eat?

According to what Al-Awadhi reports about his regime, the list of “permissible things” is extensive, and includes:

• Starches: Whole wheat bread, corn, all kinds of rice, and potatoes, fried, boiled, or cooked.
• Fat: Preferably olive oil, then butter, ghee and cream, in addition to corn oil and sunflower oil.
• Cheeses: Such as Parmesan, Roquefort, Cheddar, Flemish, Gouda, Mozzarella, and processed cheese.
• Cooked vegetables: Such as potatoes, eggplant, peppers, taro, and cauliflower.
• Meat: Such as lamb, pigeon, rabbit, other red meat, and grilled or fried fish.
• Fruits: These include apples, pears, mangoes, guava, pomegranates, strawberries, dates, figs, grapes, and bananas, provided that they eat “one variety only” and at long intervals.
• Juices and drinks: Most fruit juices – seedless – and canned juices, as well as Turkish coffee, green tea and herbal drinks.
• Desserts: Basbousa, chocolate, Nutella, jam, honey, sugar, halva and dried fruits.
• Nuts: All types of nuts are allowed except hazelnuts, almonds and peanuts.
• Pickles: Only olives are among the pickles.

List of prohibited things.. What should you remove from your diet?

On the other hand, the “prohibited” list includes a large number of commonly used foods:

• Processed grain products: White flour bread, oat and corn bread, all kinds of pasta – including whole wheat – lasagna, cannelloni, pizza, croissants, oat biscuits, couscous and samosas.
• Milk and dairy products: Such as white cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, yoghurt, almond and coconut milk.
• Eggs: In all cooking methods.
• Poultry: Chicken, turkey, ostrich, duck and geese.
• Legumes: It includes most legumes, such as beans, lentils, cowpeas, chickpeas, and all kinds of beans.
• Some seafood: Such as shrimp and roe.
• Most vegetables -Except potatoes and some specified ones mentioned above- including: avocado, cucumber, lettuce, arugula, parsley, celery, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, peas, molokhiya, cabbage, and grape leaves.
• Some fruits: At the forefront of which are watermelon – completely prohibited – cantaloupe, oranges, tangerines, kiwi, persimmons and papaya.
• drinks: Soft drinks, energy drinks and dark chocolate.
• Medicines: Such as aspirin and medications for cholesterol, acidity, and depression.

This list practically means omitting entire food groups, which raises scientific questions about the balance of this diet in the long term.

How do we evaluate any diet? A “ruler” of 6 scientific questions

For careful scientific reading, a simplified 6-point “ruler” can be used, which many nutrition experts agree on, not for the purpose of evaluating “Al-Tayebat” alone, but also any similar diet:

• Between prevention and moderation… How do scientists view strict diets?

Dr. Robert Shmerling, of Harvard Medical School, points out that scientists are not leaning toward a “culture of total prevention,” but rather toward moderation, explaining that experts themselves do not always agree on the “ideal amount” of many healthy dietary behaviors, or even know it precisely.

He adds: “Everything that is good for your health is better when consumed in moderation. Even the healthiest habits, if consumed in excess, may become harmful.”

In this sense, diets that are based on long lists of strict “don’ts” are usually subject to scientific doubt, especially if they are not based on strong clinical studies.

• Saturated fats and calories.. Why do scientific societies warn?

According to the American Heart Association – which does not issue its recommendations until after an extensive review of the evidence – studies have shown that saturated fats found in animal foods, full-fat dairy products – such as butter and cream – and some baked goods and fried foods, may raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Therefore, the Association recommends that:

• The percentage of calories from saturated fat does not exceed 6% of the total daily calories.
• For someone who eats about 2,000 calories per day, this means that saturated fats should not exceed approximately 120 calories, or about 13 grams per day.

This makes systems that allow great freedom in the consumption of fatty foods – without regard to calories or type of fat – in clear conflict with these recommendations.

• The full picture.. What does “healthy eating pattern” mean?

The American Heart Association points out that the complete picture of the diet is most important, not a single judgment on a particular food.

Its general guidelines are summarized as:

• Balancing calories consumed with the body’s needs to maintain a healthy weight.
• Choose whole grains, plant proteins and a variety of fruits and vegetables, while reducing salt, sugar, animal fats and processed foods.
• Introduce legumes, nuts, fish, low-fat meat, and skinless poultry into a diet considered “heart-healthy.”

In this sense, omitting legumes, most vegetables, and poultry – as the “Tayebat” diet does – contradicts the structure of a dietary pattern that scientists consider “balanced.”

• Fiber and the gut microbiome.. What do we lose by omitting legumes and grains?

Recent research confirms the importance of foods rich in fiber in nourishing the beneficial bacteria in the intestine (microbiome), which in turn is linked to intestinal health, a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer, and even a longer lifespan.

Reports published in the New York Times recommend making sure to include: beans, lentils, chickpeas, brown rice, whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables in daily meals as essential sources of fiber.

From this perspective, omitting legumes and most vegetables and grains – as in “Al-Tayebat” – may mean losing an important pillar of intestinal and heart health, unless it is compensated with other studied sources.

• Water and thirst…the dangers of being satisfied with the signal of drought

The Taybat diet suggests drinking water only when you feel thirsty. But hydration experts believe that relying on “thirst” alone may be too late.

• Cindy Nelson, from Utah State University, confirms that the “8 glasses of water a day” rule is still a simple practical reference for most people.
• While Dr. Gina Morgan, from Ohio University, warns that the feeling of thirst is like an “alarm bell” alerting to the beginning of a mild dehydration state, explaining that thirst usually does not appear until after losing more than 1.5 liters of water through breathing, urination, and sweating.

This means that the “drink only when thirsty” recommendation may not be safe for all individuals, especially in hot climates or in those with chronic diseases.

• Intermittent fasting and skipping meals…reading about the risks of premature death

Al-Taybat believes that intermittent fasting gives the body “time for internal maintenance,” but recent research raises question marks about some of its patterns.

• A systematic review published in 2019, which included studies in Japan and the United States, found that people who regularly skipped breakfast were 21% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and 32% more likely to die early.
• An American Heart Association study in 2024 indicated that restricting eating to only 8 hours a day may be associated with a 91% increased risk of death from heart disease.

However, this does not mean that all forms of food restriction are unacceptable, but it does clarify that intermittent fasting is not “automatically safe” for everyone, and that generalizing it as general advice requires extreme caution and medical advice.

In the end, “Al-Tayebat” remains one of the diets that arise outside official research frameworks. It is based mainly on personal experience that attracted many people, but it omits entire food groups and contradicts in fundamental points the recommendations of prestigious scientific bodies. Therefore, its widespread adoption – especially for long periods – remains an unadvisable decision without a medical and nutritional evaluation based on the available scientific evidence and not on individual experiences alone.