Popular Nutritional Myths

By James Spann


As we try to make proper food choices for our daily meals, we must always be aware of nutritional myths. Their prevalence on the internet, and other types of media, makes it very difficult to discern what's true, and what not true. Eating low-fat foods because they are better for you, is one instance. A food labeled "low fat" in the supermarket is usually synonymous with "loaded with salt and useless carbohydrates." For example, consider Smucker's Reduced Fat Peanut Butter. Smucker's added a quick-digesting carbohydrate called maltodextrin to substitute for the fat it replaced. Maltodextrin contains more calories than the fat it replaced. That's not going to benefit your weight loss program.

Additional nutritional myths:

Sea salt is better than regular table salt.

Based on a study taken by the American Heart Association, many individuals agree. Nevertheless, the statement is incorrect. Sea salt is not more beneficial to your health than regular table salt. Although they have different origins and taste, both are composed of the same two elements, sodium and chlorine.

Drinking red wine is good for the cardiovascular system, including the heart.

It is true that milk chocolate - which contains a lot of sugar - is bad for you. However, dark chocolate, contains cocoa, a plant-based food replete with flavonoids that increase blood flow and release feel-good endorphins. Plus, it contains a healthy kind of saturated fat called stearic acid, which research has shown can increase your good HDL cholesterol. But, keep in mind that moderation is the key. Eating too much dark chocolate, like anything else, is not very beneficial to you.

Consuming eggs for breakfast is not beneficial for your heart.

Eggs include a significant quantity of cholesterol in their yolks. An above-average dimension egg consists of about 210 milligrams of cholesterol. We all know that cholesterol may assist in blocked arteries and cardiac arrest. Still, research has revealed that an otherwise healthy individual can eat an egg every day with no problems. Why is this so? The cholesterol we eat-in eggs does not trigger a substantial impact on raising our blood cholesterol. The main heart-disease culprits are saturated and trans fats, which have a greater effect on raising blood cholesterol. A regular egg consists of 2 grams of saturated fat and no trans fats. You need to limit your cholesterol consumption to less than 300 mg daily. When you eat a large egg, you are simply obtaining 10 % of this quantity. One huge egg a day is well as long as you don't go over 300 milligrams of cholesterol with the rest of your daily diet regimen.

Eating fatty foods, such as bacon and sausage, will make you fat.

This is a nutritional myth. Meals high in fat do have cholesterol and saturated fats which contributes to having heart attacks. Nevertheless, calories in sugars - not fatty foods - are the main offender that triggers weight gain. It is a fact that bacon and sausage contain calories, also. But they do not have the amount of calories found in carbohydrates - which are broken down to form different types of sugars. These sugars are the major sources of energy - measured in calories - for our body.

So, what is the take home point? If you want to lose or keep from gaining a lot of weight, you should reduce your consumption of high-sugary foods, such as buttermilk pancakes with layers of mocha cream topped with chocolate and whipped cream. Instead of eating high-sugary carbohydrates, eat complex carbohydrates which are high in fiber and vital nutrients, such as broccoli, beans, spinach, and fruits.

If you are uncertain as to whether a specific meal practice is a nutritional myth, research it on the internet. If you find that the behavior is a misconception, congratulate yourself on becoming a nutritional myth buster.




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