5 nutrition myths

culled from:pulse.ng

Most people get their nutrition beliefs from the news and it seems that reporters change their minds on almost every topic.

However, these are some long ignored nutrients that you may have deprived yourself of,that may actually be good for you.

These below listed nutrition myths have been exposed for what they are: Myths!

1). Saturated fat causes heart disease

Over the past 40 years, butter has become the poster child for saturated fat and has gained reputation as a deadly food.

However, a meta-analysis of 21 unique studies, including almost 350,000 people, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that there is no relationship between intake of saturated fat and the incidence of heart disease or stroke.

This study was published by some of the top lipid (fats) researchers in this country, whom at one time themselves also thought saturated fat was to blame for our high heart disease rates.

Butter is not the heart killer that we once thought.

2). Diet soda is healthier than regular soda

The reason for the increased popularity of diet beverages, including soda and juice drinks, is the association of sugar with the development of obesity, diabetes and many other chronic conditions, which is true.

In recent years, scientists have found that the artificially-sweetened beverages we drink to lose weight and reduce our risk of diabetes are actually associated with weight gain and an increased incidence of diabetes and insulin-resistance.

Several large epidemiological studies in humans have indicated a direct correlation between frequent diet beverage consumption to double the risk of diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.

Other human data indicate that substitution of sugar with artificial sweeteners doesn’t actually reduce appetite, but stimulates it even more!

3). Coffee is bad for your health

One of the reasons for coffee’s ability to improve risks of disease is its high content of antioxidants, namely polyphenols.

These compounds protect body cells from free radical ions and reactive atoms that can disrupt normal function and lead to diseases like cancer and diabetes.

In several human investigations, individuals who consumed 2 or more cups of coffee a day had half the risk and rate of liver disease and cancer as those who consumed no coffee at all.

In a January 2010 publication, Harvard epidemiologists found that consumption of 5 or more cups of coffee or tea daily compared to no consumption was associated with a decreased risk of glioma (brain cancer) (6).

For reduction of diabetes, Australian researchers combined data from 18 studies including over 457 000 participants and found that for every additional cup of coffee consumed each day, there was a 7% reduction in risk in this widespread disease.

4). High protein diets are “bad to the bone”

In a recent meta-analysis of 61 studies from late 2009, researchers found little to no evidence that dietary protein had a negative effect on bone health – whether it be from animal or vegetable sources.

In fact, there was a slight positive effect of increased protein intakes on bone strength which accounted for 1-2% of total bone mineral density.

Despite slight decreases in body pH levels from increased protein intake, there is apparently no detrimental effect on bone strength and density.

Other benefits of high protein diets include improved satiety during weight loss regimes, and retention of lean body mass (muscle).

5). Low-carb diets are neither practical nor healthy

The higher protein content of these low-carb plans enhances their success for weight loss because protein has the ability to improve satiety and promote fullness faster than many high-carb foods.

In 2009, at the University of Connecticut, Jeff Volek, PhD and I conducted one of the first controlled feeding studies of a low-carbohydrate diet. In this investigation, we studied 8 men and fed them everything they needed for two 6-week periods.

What we found in this feeding study was that both the high saturated fat and a low-saturated fat low-carb plan reduced systemic inflammation, decreased or did not elevate the saturated fat content of the blood, and did not have any negative effects on markers of oxidative stress measured in the urine.

Also, despite a lack of weight loss, a few of the participants actually lost body fat while retaining or gaining muscle mass just due to removing carbohydrates from their normal intake.