On 8 February 2014 Pippa Leenstra asked Prof Noakes and Sally-Ann Creed, authors of the Real Meal Revolution, if a breastfeeding mother can ‘bant’.

Prof Noakes responded to this tweet: “Baby doesn’t eat the dairy and cauliflower. Just very healthy high fat breast milk. Key is to ween [sic] baby onto LCHF.”

Claire Julsing-Strydom, who was at the time the president of the Association for Dietitics in South Africa, reported the tweet to the HPCSA. She tweeted in response to Prof Noakes: “You have gone too far; be sure that I will be reporting this to the Health Professions Council of SA.”

Two days later she followed up with an email: “I would like to file a report against Prof Tim Noakes. He is giving incorrect medical (medical nutrition therapy) (sic) on Twitter that is not evidence based. I have attached the tweet where Prof Noakes advises a breastfeeding mother to wean her baby onto a low carbohydrate high-fat diet.”

The hearing has finally reached a conclusion – the HPCSA has declared Prof Noakes not guilty.  

The HPCSA will not impose any penalty against Prof Noakes, and this matter is regarded as finalised.