Today’s weblog is a follow-up to Nutrition Facts which are Wrong Part One from earlier this 12 months.
Nutritional science is a dynamic subject and we’re continually studying extra and making discoveries. As a dietitian, it’s my job to remain on high of the latest proof and apply based mostly on that. Over time, our understanding evolves and generally what we as soon as believed to be true, is now not.
Aside from analysis altering, there’s additionally the problem of influencers on social media spouting opinion as if it’s reality. Just as a result of somebody has a whole lot of followers, or they are saying one thing with what appears like authority, doesn’t make what they’re saying true. Hint: podcasts are the newest vector for diet fable spreading.
‘FACT’: white rice is unhealthy for us
Rice is a cultural staple for folks all around the world, but we’ve been instructed for years to keep away from ‘white foods,’ together with white rice. Embarrassingly, I even instructed folks to keep away from white rice in my early years as a dietitian.
While brown rice does have some slight dietary benefits over white rice (it’s a bit greater in fibre and a few minerals corresponding to magnesium), a whole lot of the destructive speak about white rice is deeply rooted in the truth that folks have a tendency to make use of Western tradition’s concept of ‘healthy food’ because the gold-standard. This has traditionally seemed like brown rice, combined greens and a bit of fish or hen breast.
This may match for some folks, but it surely isn’t consultant of the variety of our inhabitants.
There are a whole lot of methods to eat healthily, and our cultural meals must be part of that.
Food, tradition, and identification are deeply rooted, and saying that cultural staples are ‘unhealthy’ is a means of devaluing that tradition, which is mistaken on so many ranges. People ought to be capable of eat and benefit from the meals they grew up with, with out being made to really feel like these meals are ‘bad’ or ‘wrong.’
From a sensible standpoint, white rice cooks a lot sooner than brown rice. Rice itself is the proper automobile for greens and proteins, and it’s cheap and will be prepped prematurely.
‘FACT’: we don’t want carbs to dwell
Carbohydrates have gotten a nasty popularity for a very long time, however the considering that carbs are pointless is a typical diet fable largely perpetuated by followers of low carb and Carnivore diets, particularly on social media. People who comply with these diets typically declare that they’ve improved their well being, misplaced weight, improved their pores and skin, and gained extra power all by avoiding carbs. I’ve written in regards to the carnivore food plan right here.
Although technically we can dwell with out carbohydrate, that doesn’t imply that it’s a good suggestion. Ideally, we try to optimize our well being versus simply attempting to outlive.
Our mind depends on glucose as its most important supply of power. Our our bodies could make glucose from different substrates in a course of referred to as gluconeogenesis, however that not as environment friendly a course of as simply utilizing carbs for glucose.
Again: simply because we can, doesn’t imply we ought to.
There’s nothing mistaken with consuming a lower-carb food plan, however fearing carbs and closely limiting or avoiding them altogether isn’t well being selling, each bodily and emotionally. I’m going so as to add that fibre is a carb as properly, and anybody who claims that fibre is pointless and even dangerous shouldn’t be somebody who you have to be getting your diet info from.
Fruit, greens, complete grains, beans, and legumes are all nutrient-rich sources of carbohydrates, together with fibre. This is vital for our gut-health, preserving our levels of cholesterol wholesome, and will help to stabilize blood sugar in folks with diabetes. Research exhibits us that the healthiest food plan is one which comprises a whole lot of crops.
Conversely, there isn’t any analysis that proves that avoiding crops – or that dramatically restricts carbs – promotes higher well being. There are all the time exceptions, however generally, the overwhelming majority of us profit from together with carbohydrates in our diets.
Carb high quality issues, too. While there’s a position for refined carbohydrates in our diets, nearly all of our carb consumption ought to come from complete or minimally processed selections.
‘FACT’: saturated fats shouldn’t be linked with coronary heart illness
Guidelines for the reason that 1970’s have been to cut back saturated fats consumption to lower cardiovascular threat, however with evolving science, we’re studying extra about how some meals wealthy in saturated fats could not have a destructive impression on coronary heart well being in any case. However, to say that saturated fats shouldn’t be linked with coronary heart illness shouldn’t be true.
Saturated fats is present in many various meals. Most come from animal sources corresponding to meat, poultry, and dairy merchandise, however tropical fat corresponding to coconut and palm oils even have saturated fats. It’s vital to grasp that every one fat include a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fat in numerous quantities.
Read my submit about seed oils right here.
Current tips counsel that not more than 10% of our energy per day must be from saturated fats. If there was proof to counsel that saturated fats was not linked coronary heart illness, these tips would have been adjusted by now.
Dairy merchandise have been a well-liked meals group to analysis about saturated fats and coronary heart well being. Cheese has been discovered to have useful results on our blood fat in comparison with butter (which, FYI, is simply round 63% saturated fats).
In a current systematic assessment and meta-analysis, researchers discovered that in comparison with butter, dairy fats eaten within the type of cheese diminished fasting circulating whole ldl cholesterol, LDL and HDL. This is sensible on condition that butter is a totally totally different meals than cheese – cheese is a fermented meals and has protein, calcium and lots of extra further vitamins that you simply don’t discover in butter, which is actually pure fats.
More analysis is required to substantiate these findings, and there may be variations between various kinds of cheese, corresponding to laborious and semi-soft cheeses.
Another newer space of analysis has been to have a look at the chain size of the fatty acids which will be grouped into brief, medium, and lengthy chains. Short chain fatty acids are largely produced within the colon as a biproduct of fibre being fermented. Medium chain fatty acids are present in palm kernel, coconut oil and dairy merchandise. Long chain fatty acids are present in dairy, beef, palm oil, and lard.
In a systemic assessment, it was discovered that lengthy chain fatty acids elevated the chance for coronary heart illness, whereas brief and medium chain fat had been extra impartial. However, since most meals have various kinds of fatty acids, it turns into laborious to make conclusions.
When trying to cut back saturated fats to enhance coronary heart well being, what we change it with can be vital. It is usually accepted that changing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fat is useful for our coronary heart well being. These fat are present in fatty fish corresponding to salmon and sardines in addition to nuts and seeds, tofu and soy beans. Vegetable oils corresponding to canola are additionally excessive in polyunsaturated fat.
Research suggests that changing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates has a destructive impact on coronary heart well being.
‘fact’: all of us want calcium dietary supplements for bone well being
It could sound like a no brainer to complement a mineral you don’t get sufficient of out of your food plan. But with regards to the analysis, there are some issues to pay attention to with regards to calcium in complement kind.
There have been loads of research over time taking a look at calcium dietary supplements and bone well being, however there isn’t a whole lot of scientific consensus as a result of the research have combined outcomes.
Most of those research have been carried out with post-menopausal girls, as this can be a time when age-related bone loss tends to speed up with reducing estrogen ranges.
Information from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) research counsel that calcium mixed with vitamin D is related to small enhancements in bone mineral density, however shouldn’t be related to a threat for bone fracture in postmenopausal girls.
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) had comparable findings, and each entities suggest towards day by day calcium supplementation for the prevention of fractures in postmenopausal girls.
There are some dangers with calcium dietary supplements. This 2021 meta evaluation checked out associations between calcium dietary supplements and coronary heart well being. It discovered that calcium dietary supplements appeared to extend the chance for heart problems and coronary coronary heart illness, however not cerebrovascular illness.
Age-related bone loss is an enormous situation, particularly amongst girls. I like to recommend a life-style strategy to help bone well being that features consuming calcium-rich meals, weight-bearing train corresponding to strolling and resistance coaching, and quitting smoking. Get a baseline bone density scan, and comply with up as beneficial.
‘fact’: everybody must be on a low sodium food plan
Sodium is a necessary nutrient with roles that embrace regulating fluid quantity and preserving our muscle groups and nerves working correctly.
Blood stress tips and a few well being professionals have traditionally beneficial a low sodium food plan (outlined as lower than 2300mg of sodium or about 1 tsp of salt) based mostly on the idea that it will cut back blood stress and in flip, cut back cardiovascular occasions.
However, these suggestions have just lately been challenged as a result of lack of sturdy proof to suggest such a low consumption. Average sodium intakes world wide vary from 2.3-4.6g (1-2 tsp of salt) per day and a few researchers counsel that there isn’t any elevated threat of heart problems by having this quantity. The threat will increase when sodium consumption is over 5g per day.
Further, there isn’t any analysis to counsel that low sodium (within the vary at present beneficial) in comparison with the common consumption is related to a decrease threat of cardiovascular occasions and mortality. It could even be related to elevated threat.
Graphic is from: Sodium and well being: one other problem to the present dogma | European Heart Journal | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
The PURE examine, which adopted 102 000 people for 9 years discovered {that a} reasonable consumption (3–5 g/day) of sodium gave the impression to be optimum for well being, with decrease and better intakes being related to greater mortality and heart problems.
Isolating one single nutrient in a examine is difficult. The results of sodium are additionally impacted by how a lot potassium somebody will get which provides to the problem. That’s okay – most wholesome folks don’t have to fret about getting an excessive amount of sodium in the event that they deal with consuming a wide range of complete meals and limiting ultra-processed meals.
Nutrition analysis is evolving. In flip, we must always all the time problem our beliefs and be open to any progress . Make positive you get your info from credible sources.
There are lots of people couching their opinions as diet info. Be skeptical of something that appears excessive or too good to be true, as a result of it in all probability is.