We all want to live long and healthy lives and to also have a nice and healthy body. The food we eat is one of the major determining factors to achieve this dream life and body. So this makes us obsessed with the concepts of diet and nutrition. We go online and everywhere we can source information on the kinds of food we should eat to make us live longer, get that dream body, and lose weight. But the taking in most of this information is like taking in junk food because most of these information are false.
So in this post we are going to write about 15 diets and nutrition myths that have been debunked by facts and science.




1. TOO MUCH SALT CAN CAUSE HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES.
This is one of the most popular nutrition myths and we should all remember that why you are feeling this myth your mom probably told you when you are growing up is true, salt contains iodine and lack of iodine in your body can also lead to you getting a thyroidectomy. Although lowering your salt intake can reduce your blood pressure by 1-5mm/hg on average it doesn’t have any effect on heart attacks, strokes or death, and this myth is not based upon any solid evidence.




2. EATING FAT MAKES YOU FAT.
This is another very popular nutrition myth. Most people avoid fats like i did till they actually found out this fact was just a lie and fat is actually good for your body and skin. The only thing you need to worry about when taking a diet rich in fats is if it is also high in carbs. Diets rich in fats and high in carbs are the only ones that can make you gain weight and they are really few. Your skin even needs more fats to make it look healthier and glow.




3. SUGAR IS BAD FOR YOU.
Refined sugar is actually pretty bad for you when consumed in excess and this is not because it supplies empty calories but it can also cause severe metabolic problems. But when it is consumed in small amounts it is actually good for your body mostly for those who are physically active and metabolically healthy. Natural sugars found in fruits are actually good for your body even when taken in large amounts because your body processes them slowly.




4. VEGETABLE OIL IS GOOD FOR YOU.
Truth be told, vegetable oil doesn’t have anything to do with vegetables. Vegetable oil is actually made from soy and canola and are refined so well that at the end of their processing it becomes void of any nutrients. They also contain some fatty acids which when consumed in disappropriate ratios can lead to various heart diseases. For oils that are actually good for your health, there are alternatives that don’t come with the risks of Trans fats such as coconut oil, avocado and olive oil.




5. ITS BEST TO EAT MANY SMALL MEALS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
Food experts will often tell you that eating small meals 5-6 times during the day is good for your body metabolism. But research has shown that eating 2-3 meals during the day has the same effect on calories burned as eating 5-6 meals during the day. Eating frequently only helps people that get hungrier easily, and frequently eating food high I calories can increase abdominal and liver fat.




6. GRAIN PRODUCTS LIKE BREAD, PASTA AND RICE CAN MAKE YOU FAT.
Grains are not necessarily fattening, neither is consuming them unhealthy but taking whole grains instead of the refined ones will help you become healthier and get fuller. Examples of whole grain products are brown rice, wheat bread, cereals and pastas. They contain iron, fibre, and other essential ingredients.




7. COFFEE IS BAD FOR YOU.
Now you are really paying attention to this particular myth because a lot of us can’t do without our coffee-our early morning kick starter. Studies have shown that when black coffee is consumed in moderate amounts (2-4 cups daily) it can be pretty healthy, offering benefits like antioxidant protection and defense against certain types of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. It even boosts your cognitive functions, but it is harmful to pregnant women and it can also disrupt hormonal balance in menopausal women or women battling with hormonal disruption.





8. TO GAIN WEIGHT AND BULK, YOU NEED MORE PROTEIN.
For slim people trying to add more weight, eating more proteins won’t make you gain weight. Instead you have to eat enough calories and proteins throughout the day. If your body doesn’t have enough calories, it will convert your proteins for energy.




9. MEAT IS BAD FOR YOU.
The fact that this is just a myth is actually good news for the meat lovers like me. Pork, beef, and lamb are the most complete sources of protein. Studies have also shown that dieting with 25 percent of calories from protein can help you lose as much weight as dieting with just 12 percent. Meat also contains vitamins B12 which is essential to your body’s ability to decode DNA and build RED BLOOD CELLS. Studies have also shown that adequate intake of meat protects your brain against age related shrinkage. Also the only meat that links to heart diseases are those that have been smoked, cured, or chemically preserved. E.g. Bacon and sausage.




10. EGGS ARE HIGH IN CHOLESTEROL.
Studies and research has shown that eggs don’t actually contribute to high cholesterol. In fact eggs are inexpensive source of many nutrients like zinc, iron, antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, Vitamin-D and the brain boosting chemical Choline. You can keep your cholesterol in check by monitoring the type of oil you use in frying your eggs.




11. USING MARAGRINE INSTEAD OF BUTTER WILL SAVE CALORIES.
You may think this is one of those not so common myths. But the rates at which families are leaving margarine for butter is really alarming. And one crazy thing is that butter actually has the same amount of calories as margarine, margarine were just created as a healthier alternative to butter and it is made with vegetable oil. But some margarines are still unhealthier because they contain Transfat that can lead to heart diseases.




12. ALCOHOL MAKES YOU SLEEP BETTER.
Now this myth isn’t entirely true. In most case drinking alcohol before going to bed may disrupt your sleep and increase wakefulness even in healthy adults.




13. DIABETES PATIENTS MUST AVOID SWEETS.
As far as they are taken moderately, they are OK for your body. They can also balance glucose levels if they are balanced with meals to provide a mixture of carbs, fats and proteins.




14. EATING PEANUTS CAUSES PIMPLES.
This is probably another myth your parents, relations, friends and all your well-wishers told you when you were growing up. The truth is, this nutrition myth is the KING OF ALL LIES because of the popularity it has gained for centuries. People think this myth is true because of the oily stuff that comes out of pimples in relation to peanuts being oily in nature. But peanuts don’t cause pimples, pimples are caused by the blockage of skin pores which swell when the natural oil in our body does not find an exit path.




15. EATING CARROT IMPROVES YOUR EYESIGHT.
This is the king of all nutritional myths. This myth has been around since World War II when they were rumors that pilots ate lots of vegetables to keep their vision in good shape. This myth has been flourishing since then. Unless you are way deficient in Vitamin A, more carrots won’t make your eyesight better.

Geneith Blog
http://www.geneith.com/2017/12/15-diet-and-nutrition-myths-that-are.html



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