Nezam El-Tayebat Fact CheckA scientific assessment of the “نظام الطيبات” nutrition system
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Fact check: the “Nezam El-Tayebat” nutrition system

The nutrition system “نظام الطيبات” (Nezam El-Tayebat, “the system of good things”) of the Egyptian physician Dr. Diaa Elawady circulates through videos and websites, including in Germany and Europe. This site examines its statements scientifically: fairly, with verifiable sources and with clearly marked uncertainties.

Important safety note: in his videos, Dr. Elawady advises, among other things, stopping insulin, and he denies that type 1 diabetes exists. He proposes treating diabetic ketoacidosis with cortisone and fasting instead of insulin. These statements contradict established evidence and can be life-threatening. Never stop insulin, other medication or cancer treatment without consulting your doctor. In an emergency call your local emergency number (e.g. 112 in the EU, 123 in Egypt, 911 in North America).

311claims assessed
701studies registered
339 / 339study identifiers verified in PubMed/Crossref

What is نظام الطيبات?

The system divides foods into “good” (طيبات) and “bad” (خبائث). According to the archive eltayebat.com, it rests on two pillars: avoiding harmful “inputs” and fasting. The body was created healthy and can heal itself if it is not burdened.

Dr. Elawady (د. ضياء العوضي) was a consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care. He died in April 2026. His work continues to be spread by the archive eltayebat.com and by unofficial fan sites, among others. More context under About the project.

Why a scientific fact check?

The system's archive cites 339 scientific studies. That looks convincing. But a study is not automatically proof of the conclusion it is cited for. We therefore checked each of these studies: does it really exist? What did it examine? What did it find? And does that support the statement it is cited for?

We also examined what Dr. Elawady himself said in his videos. This sometimes differs markedly from the archive's texts. And because many warnings concern “industrial” foods, we checked which rules and monitoring data apply in different countries – in depth for the EU/Germany and Egypt, in less depth for further countries.

Key findings

  1. Some things are right – and we say so clearly. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and weight gain. Ultra-processed foods led to overeating in a randomised trial. Raw kidney beans are toxic. Fava beans can trigger dangerous anaemia in G6PD deficiency – a common problem in Egypt. Beta-carotene supplements increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. Many dietary supplements do not benefit well-nourished adults. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have serious, well-documented late effects. Acid blockers are often prescribed without a clear reason.
  2. The archive's studies really exist. All 339 can be found in PubMed or Crossref, and none has been retracted. The figures are mostly quoted correctly. For 8 studies, however, the PMID given was wrong.
  3. The problem usually lies in the conclusion. Associations from observational studies are often presented as proven causes. Measurements from contamination incidents, mining areas or other countries are generalised. Studies that contradict the system – some from its own bibliography – are not mentioned. In some cases, the cited study says something different from the archive.
  4. The blanket bans are mostly not supported. We found no sound evidence for avoiding all legumes, almost all vegetables, all eggs, or yogurt while allowing cream and ghee. For fibre, legumes and vegetables, the overall evidence rather points to a benefit.
  5. The most dangerous statements come from the videos. They include stopping insulin, denying type 1 diabetes, treating ketoacidosis without insulin, avoiding antibiotics and cancer treatment, and banning all acid blockers. We rate these statements as false and add safety notes.
  6. No restriction to Egypt. Dr. Elawady did not limit his warnings to Egyptian production conditions. He said explicitly that village chicken and broiler chicken are “no different”. Production arguments such as antibiotics, feed and hormones are additional arguments, not the reason for the bans.

All assessments are provisional and have not yet been reviewed by external experts.

Distribution of provisional verdicts

Particularly relevant claims

Go to the claims database

Food safety worldwide

Do the warnings about “industrial” food apply equally everywhere? No: rules on pesticides, veterinary drugs, hormones or drinking water differ from country to country, and how much of this is checked and published differs even more. You can choose the country where you buy your food, independently of the language. Every claim page then shows which rules and checked data apply there. All countries can be selected, but evaluated profiles exist for only some of them so far. Where we found no robust sources, we say so explicitly instead of inventing an assessment.

The case study EU/Germany – Egypt has been evaluated in depth. It shows that methodologically comparable data exist almost only for fruit and vegetables exported from Egypt to the EU; for the animal foods Dr. Elawady warned about, they are missing. The EU also has problems, for example with dioxins and PFAS.

Go to countries & regions Compare countries Go to “Food safety worldwide”

Transparent method

Go to the method Go to the study register