| Walk With the Doc Nutrition Myths A healthy diet is important for general health and wellness. Unfortunately we live in a world bombarded with dietary myths and poorly supported ‘scientific evidence’ masquerading as dietary information with the news cycle offering up dietary myths daily. Myths abound about micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), non- nutrients (components of food of no proven value), and calories. A common theme in many dietary myths is an emphasis on selected foods or selected food constituents (protein, fat, fiber, etc.) In contrast, our best evidence supports recommendations to limit processed foods and to eat whole or minimally processed foods, in a form that is close to what occurs in nature. Because fat is the macronutrient with the highest number of calories per gram, it’s often demonized as the culprit in weight gain. However, some high-fat foods have beneficial effects, such as greater satiety and can lead to lower calorie intake overall. Studies have demonstrated that consuming higher-calorie fatty foods and higher-fat diets can produce and sustain weight loss better than lower-fat diets. For weight reduction, portion control is more important than which fats we eat. Still the best choices avoid ultra-processed foods high in saturated fats which have been associated with significant increases in cadiovascular problems and shorter life spans. In contrast, consuming whole foods high in saturated fats (e.g., dairy products) has been associated with having fewer cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Fiber, is another source of confusion. The problem is that not all kinds of fiber are equally beneficial. Dietary fibers are a natural part of whole plant foods. These fibers have soluble and insoluble forms, both of which may help prevent cardiovascular disease, diabetes, constipation, and gastrointestinal and breast cancers. Often, artificial fiber is used in place of natural fiber. This is often the case with ultra-processed foods. While evidence is lacking to show that artificial fibers are beneficial, there is evidence that consuming artificial fibers can lead to gastrointestinal distress and malabsorption of nutrients Myths about calories are in no short supply. A favorite is the claim that reducing intake by 500 calories a day for seven days (3,500 calories) will reduce weight by one pound. Unfortunately this claim is an over simplifications that doesn’t take into account the response of to sustained reduction in calories. The ‘3,500 calorie rule’ would predict that by under consuming 100 calories per day you would lose more than 50 lb over five years. In contrast, real world experience suggests that about ten pounds of weight loss is more likely. As a rule of thumb, a sustained reduction of 100 calories per day without any other changes can be expected to lead to an eventual weight loss of about 10 lb. It’s more usual to achieve about 5 pounds of the weight loss in the first year reach 9.5 pounds by the 3rd year. To get a better idea of lifestyle changes needed to meet your personal objectives try the National Institutes of Health's body weight loss simulator. To learn more watch the short video called The Body Weight Planner and then watch a simulation of what your selected lifestyle changes can lead to. Care to dig deeper into the science of nutrition and the myths that distract us? A good starting point is the article, Nutrition Myths and Healthy Dietary Advice in Clinical Practice. Nancy Neighbors, MD Quotes to Eat By "There is no diet that will do what eating healthy does. "You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. "If you keep good food in your fridge you will eat good food. "Eat less sugar. You’re sweet enough already. "The food we eat can be the safest form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. "A short term diet isn’t the answer - it’s a long term lifestyle change. "Health is like marriage. You can’t cheat on it and expect it to work. "We live in a world where lemonade is made from artificial ingredients and furniture polish contains real lemons." |