Busting Some Common Nutrition Myths

I need to get a few things off my chest! There is a lot of good nutrition information available, but also LOTS of misinformation. I'd like to bust some of the more popular nutrition myths around. That's the topic of my Steemit Blog.

Do you have more myths to bust? I'd love to know!

MYTH: "High fructose corn syrup causes obesity."

MYTH BUSTER: Fructose is naturally found in the food supply as the “sugar” in fruits. Normally, that’s the way our body sees fructose–in moderate amounts a few times a day. Fructose is combined with another sugar called glucose to form “sucrose”–what we know as white sugar (table sugar). The mix of these two sugars is 50-50. Half of table sugar is glucose and half is fructose. So, what is high fructose corn syrup? It is a slight change in the mix: 55% fructose and 45% glucose (used in liquid beverages), so it is similar, but not the same as table sugar. There is also another mix of high fructose corn syrup that is 90% fructose; 10% glucose–mostly used in baked goods.

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So, why is this in so many foods, now replacing sugar–which used to be in sodas, juice drinks, packaged sweet goods? It’s cheaper, and helps prolong shelf life. The problem: We are ingesting much more fructose that we would just as fruit–particularly in soda. So, the problem here is that we are consuming lots of extra calories, empty ones, without nutritional benefit, that we often don’t account for. The abundance of high fructose corn syrup occurs in soda, juice drinks, and packaged baked goods–all products we have trouble limiting. The culprit in obesity is not the high fructose corn syrup, it’s the sweetener used, but it’s the overconsumption of calories contributing to the weight gain.

The reported effects of high fructose corn syrup on cardiovascular health? Studies are underway. Since the body doesn’t normally see much fructose (handled differently, metabolically in the body), is has been shown to have some effects of blood lipids. Again, this is a sense of amount consumed. An occasional soda? Baked good? No worries. It’s a steady diet of foods containing this and other sugars that packs on the pounds.

MYTH: "Dark chocolate is a health food."

MYTH BUSTER: Like other foods in nature, dark chocolate is a product rich in an antioxidant group called flavonoids. These antioxidant compounds have been shown to be health promoting, and contribute to heart health, as part of a healthy diet. Alone, chocolate is not health promoting. First, other foods, like purple/red fruits (grapes, red wine, apples) also are naturally rich in flavonoids, as is tea. This “chocolate is good for you” claim is a relative comparison of the alternatives.

Sometimes food is just food, and a dessert is just a dessert. The claims of chocolate for heart health have some merit, but this requires at least one regular size candy bar a day, every day. Now, a square or two of dark chocolate is a positive for those with a sweet tooth who like chocolate. But, ever morsel you eat doesn’t have to be health promoting. This is a dessert item. Is it better than a hot fudge sundae or a gooey brownie a la mode or a few sticks of licorice? Only if you like it and can consume a small portion. Don’t kid yourself. Chocolate is not a health food and should not be viewed as such, giving ourselves permission to indulge because it’s "good for our health" and then overconsuming. Plus, it does have a small amount of saturated fat. Milk chocolate doesn’t have the flavonoids, either.

There are many sources of the flavonoids in foods. This is only one. So if you like chocolate, the best choice is a small serving (around 150 calories) of pure dark chocolate, high cocoa content (like 70%). Don’t start eating dark chocolate for the “health benefits” as there are many other sources of the health-promoting flavonoids. And, for any health effects, it has to be consumed regularly (like every day, or several weeks. Like licorice? Gummy bears? Watch the portions. It’s a simple as that.

MYTH: "Eating 'white' products (bread, rice, pasta, white potatoes) is unhealthy."

MYTH BUSTER: A medium size white potato is about 100 calories, and packed with vitamins and fiber. Only loading it with butter and sour cream make it an artery clogging choice, packed with extra calories--up to five times more! While whole wheat bread is the "gold standard" for the extra fiber, most white breads are vitamin fortified, and contain several grams of fiber per serving. Plus, some brands (Sara Lee and Pepperidge Farm) look and taste like white bread, but are a variant of whole wheat. Use these “white” breads as a canvas for nutrient dense foods, like peanut butter and banana sandwiches, or turkey with lettuce and tomato, hummus on a small white tortilla (like Mission low-carb, white with fiber.)

Sometimes that whole wheat taste is overpowering (and avoided) particularly to kids and the whole meal is rejected. Also, for rice and pasta, if the portions are modest, and you use it as a base for a lean protein sauce (a meat sauce), or stir fry, it’s a winner. “Starchy” carbohydrates can add up quickly in calories, which is why fiber rich, whole grain items are helpful. They keep you fuller on smaller portion and slows stomach emptying to prevent big excursions in blood sugar. If you consume modest amounts of these products as “carriers” for nutrient dense foods containing lean protein, and some heart-healthy fat, it is a healthful choice. Of course, in the perfect world, we’d all eat whole grains for all starch choices, but give the “fortified” white breads a try, and bring back the potato (size of your fist!) without all the “trimmings."

MYTH: "Consuming fish is not worth the risk of mercury poisoning."

MYTH BUSTER: The health benefits of fish are well known. A good source of omega-three fatty acids (heart healthy fat) and lean protein. The risks of mercury consumption is now a real possibility. Mercury is toxic to the human body, and accumulates with increased consumption. Until a few weeks ago, pregnant women were advised to avoid fish to avoid the risk of mercury ingestion. The new advice is two servings a week, six ounces each serving (one serving = the palm of your hand) of fish. For non-pregnant, several times a week is fine. But, choose low-mercury fish. There are lots of good data about this.

Everyone should avoid regular consumption of shark, swordfish, and tilefish. Enjoy the health benefits of salmon, tuna, and all kinds of other fish and seafood. If you choose a lower omega 3 fat fish (i.e., salmon is about the highest, halibut) like flounder or sole, you can always supplement with a handful of walnuts for a great source of essential fatty acids (the omega-threes). The health benefits of fish outweigh the health risk from mercury, if you choose wisely.

MYTH: "Red wine prevents heart disease."

MYTH BUSTER: The concept that moderate alcohol consumption can reduce death rate due to heart disease has been around for several decades. Further research suggests that this effect may be related specifically to red wine. Red wine is rich in flavonoids, and other antioxidants, important factors in examing heart disease risk. Grapes and grape juice also contain flavanoids.

Other studies suggest that it is really the alcohol that is contributing to this effect on incidence of heart disease. Most of the research is related to associations of alcohol consumption and incidence of heart disease. There is no firm association, and other lifestyle factors are also important to sort out. This positive association is only found in MODERATE consumption of alcohol. For men, this is up to two servings per day, and for women, one serving per day. A serving is: One 12-ounce beer; four ounces of wine; 1.5 ounce of spirits (80 proof). If you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start. There is no magic association of red wine and heart disease. Most up to date information suggests it is the alcohol. Monitoring the amount is key to avoid the negative effects of alcohol intake and to prevent weight gain.

MYTH: "Eating sugary foods cause diabetes."

MYTH BUSTER: More confusion about high calorie foods and diabetes. We’re talking about Type 2, which used to be called “adult onset diabetes”, but there are so many obese adolescents, it’s now back to being called Type 2, meaning the body makes insulin to control blood sugar, but either it’s not enough or it’s not working right. This is in contrast to Type 1 diabetes, where the body does not make insulin. You don’t have any control over that one, and insulin is injected daily.

For Type 2 diabetes, almost all cases are associated with overweight and obesity. For almost every obese person with Type 2 diabetes, modest weight loss, even 10% of the starting weight (i.e. 200 pound person losing 20 pounds) lowers blood sugar. The link between type two diabetes and obesity is absolute.

So, what about the sugary foods? There is not connection between sugar consumption. Either sucrose (table sugar), brown sugar, molasses, honey, and even fruit (fructose, fruit sugar) and the onset of type two diabetes. However, the foods people often seek as pleasant ones are loaded with sugar and fat–anything from candy to cakes to cookies, to ice creams. Consumption of high sugar (thus, high calorie) and high sugar/high fat foods (even higher calories) produce weight gain…just 100 calories a day extra produces 10 extra pounds in a year!

BOTTOM LINE: Weight gain is strongly connected to diabetes, which comes from overeating. Sugary foods alone do not cause diabetes! Avoiding significant numbers of empty calories with extra sugary or sugary/fat foods is important to avoid weight gain and to make sure you meet your daily nutritional needs.