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There is a lot of
incompetence in the area of nutrition and health. Even health professionals
seem to constantly contradict each other. Here are 8 ridiculous nutrition
myths, thoroughly debunked.
1. A Calorie is a Calorie
It is a common
myth that all that matters for weight loss is calories in, calories out.
Of course,
calories matter. But the types of foods we eat are also important.
Here are 3
examples of how “a calorie is NOT a calorie.”
-Fructose vs.
Glucose: Fructose is more likely to stimulate hunger, increase abdominal
obesity and insulin resistance, compared to the same amount of calories from
glucose.
-Protein: Eating
protein can raise the metabolic rate and reduce hunger compared to fat and
carbs.
-Medium vs.
long-chain fatty acids: Fatty acids that are of medium length (such as from
coconut oil) raise metabolism and reduce hunger compared to longer chain fatty
acids.
Bottom Line: A calorie is not a calorie. Different foods affect
our bodies, hunger and hormones in different ways.
2. Eating a Lot of Protein is Bad For You
Some people think
that a high-protein diet will harm your kidneys and cause osteoporosis.
It is true that
eating protein can make you excrete more calcium in the short term.
However, long-term
studies show that protein intake is associated with improved bone health and a
lower risk of fractures, not the other way around.
Studies don’t find
any association with kidney disease either.
The two most
important risk factors for kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure.
Eating adequate protein helps with both, which should reduce your risk of
kidney disease later in life.
Unless you have a
medical condition, there’s no reason to be afraid of having more protein in
your diet. It’s a good thing.
Bottom Line: Eating a high protein diet may be protective against
bone fractures and reduce the two most important risk factors for kidney
failure.
3. The Healthiest Diet is a Balanced Low-Fat
Diet
The low-fat
guidelines first came out in the year 1977, at almost the exact same time the
obesity epidemic started.
This diet was
never actually proven to work. It was merely based on observations.
The National
Institute of Health decided to test this diet and funded the Women’s Health
Initiative, which is the largest randomized controlled trial ever conducted on
diet.
In this study,
tens of thousands of women were placed on either a low-fat diet, or continued
to eat the standard western diet like before.
The study went on
for 7.5 years and the conclusions were very clear:
-The diet did NOT
prevent weight gain. The low-fat group weighed only 0.4kg less than the control
group after 7.5 years.
-The diet did NOT
prevent heart disease either. There was no difference between groups after 7.5
years.
-The low-fat diet
got tested. It didn’t work, period.
Bottom Line: There is no evidence that low-fat diets lead to
better outcomes. The largest randomized controlled trial ever conucted on diet
proves that the low-fat diet is completely ineffective.
4. Everyone Should be Cutting Back on Sodium
Sodium is a
crucial electrolyte in the body and our cells need to keep it within a very
tight range, or we’ll die.
For a long time,
sodium has been thought to elevate blood pressure and therefore raise your risk
of disease.
It is true that it
can mildly elevate blood pressure in the short term.
However, studies
do not support the idea that lowering sodium helps improve actual hard outcomes
like heart attacks.
Randomized controlled
trials on sodium restriction show that there is no effect on cardiovascular
disease or death. They also show that sodium restriction may increase
triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
Unless you have
elevated blood pressure, there is no reason to avoid adding salt to your foods
to make them more palatable.
Bottom Line: Sodium restriction has been thoroughly tested. None
of these studies have found any evidence that it actually leads to better
outcomes.
5. Saturated Fat Raises The Bad Cholesterol
and Gives You Heart Disease
The myth that
saturated fat raises cholesterol and causes heart disease is still alive today.
This ideas was
based on some flawed observational studies conducted in the 60s and 70s.
Since then, many
studies have re-examined this relationship and discovered that:
-There is
literally no association between saturated fat consumption and cardiovascular
disease.
-Saturated fat
raises HDL (the good) cholesterol and changes the LDL from small, dense (bad)
to Large LDL, which is benign.
-There is no
reason to avoid natural foods that are rich in saturated fats. Meat, coconut
oil and butter are perfectly healthy foods.
Bottom Line: Despite decades of anti-fat propaganda, saturated
fat has never been proven to cause heart disease. New studies prove that there
is literally no association.
6. Coffee is Bad For You
Coffee has gotten
a bad reputation in the past.
It is true that
caffeine, the active stimulant compound in coffee, can slightly raise blood
pressure in the short term.
Despite these mild
adverse effects, long term observational studies actually show that coffee
lowers the risk of many diseases. Coffee can:
-Improve brain
function.
-Help you burn
more fat.
-Lower your risk
of diabetes… in some studies as much as 67%.
-Lower your risk
of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
-Protect your
liver against cirrhosis and cancer.
Coffee is also
loaded with antioxidants. It is actually the biggest source of antioxidants in
the western diet and outranks both fruits and vegetables, combined.
Bottom Line: Despite coffee being able to mildly elevate blood
pressure, observational studies show a strong and consistent reduction in many
serious diseases like Alzheimer’s and type II diabetes.
7. Eggs Are Rich in Cholesterol And Can Give
You Heart Disease
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Eggs have been
unfairly demonized because they contain large amounts of cholesterol.
However, dietary
cholesterol doesn’t necessarily raise blood cholesterol and eggs have never
been proven to cause harm.
If anything, eggs
are among the most nutritious and healthiest foods you can eat.
They’re loaded
with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Studies show that
egg consumption actually improves the blood lipid profile. They raise the HDL
(good) cholesterol and change the LDL from small, dense to Large, which is
benign.
Observational
studies show no association between egg consumption and risk of heart disease.
Additionally, some
studies show that eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight… at least
compared to a breakfast of bagels.
Bottom Line: Eggs are one of the healthiest and most nutritious
foods you can eat and there is no association between egg consumption and risk
of cardiovascular disease.
8. Low-Carb Diets Are Ineffective or
Dangerous
Low-carb diets
have been considered dangerous because of their high amount of saturated fat.
For this reason,
they have been thought to raise your risk of heart disease and other chronic
illness.
However, since the
year 2002, more than 20 randomized controlled trials have been conducted and
compared low-carb against the standard of care, the low-fat diet.
In almost every
one of these studies, low-carb diets:
-Cause
significantly more weight loss than low-fat diets.
-Drastically lower
triglycerides, an important risk factors for heart disease
-Raise HDL (the
good) cholesterol.
-Improve blood
sugar and insulin levels, especially in diabetics.
-Change the LDL
cholesterol from small, dense (bad) to Large (benign) – which should lower the
risk of heart disease.
-Lower blood
pressure significantly.
Low-carb diets are
also easier to follow and have an outstanding safety profile. There is no
evidence of any adverse effects, despite the scare tactics.
They are certainly
a much better choice than a low-fat, calorie restricted diet… which many
mainstream organizations still push despite zero evidence of effectiveness.
(source:mailonline/Health)
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