Top 5 myths about eating healthy
Think you know everything about eating healthy? Think again. With so much conflicting information out there, it can be difficult to know the truth about…
VOXXI unveils 5 myths about healthy eating. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Think you know everything about eating healthy? Think again.
With so much conflicting information out there, it can be difficult to know the truth about what you’re putting in your body.
SEE ALSO: Is organic food better? Study questions it
To help clear up some of the confusion out there about what’s good for you and what’s not, Saludify has compiled the top 5 myths about healthy eating.
Myths, myths and more myths
1. Organic produce is more nutritious than regular produce
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We’ve all been told how important it is to eat organic, but how many people pay attention to why.
It’s not that regular produce is less nutritious; according to a research project done in 2010 in the journal Critical Reviews in Food Science, no evidence was found that organic produce is more nutritious than it’s commercial counterpart.
The reason people should consider eating organic is because it means there is a much lower risk of exposure to pesticides and chemicals used in commercial farming.
It is these chemicals that have been linked to a number of health consequences, including cancer.
2. Chocolate causes acne
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Live Science reports that we knew chocolate didn’t cause acne as early as 1969, but the myth has persisted in households across the country.
A study published in JAMA found diets high in carbs or fat do not influence the production of oil within the skin, and therefore do not likely affect the frequency of acne.
It should be noted, however, that a diet high in chocolate could be indicative of an unhealthy lifestyle in general–something that can affect skin clarity.
3. All foods lose nutrients when cooked
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Raw vegetables are great, but if you’re avoiding the stove because you think you’re hurting your nutrient intake, think again.
While it is true that many foods lose certain nutrients due to heat exposure, other foods, like carrots, become more nutritious when cooked.
How does this happen? In the case of carrots, exposure to heat and cooking helps break down the tough cellular walls of the vegetable and allows the body better access to beta-carotene.
4. Eggs are bad for cholesterol
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This myth has been circulating for quite some time even though current research has dis-proven it.
A report from Reader’s Digest indicates that not only do eggs not affect cholesterol levels, they are inexpensive source of many nutrients, including zinc and iron, antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin D, and choline.
It’s true that eggs do contain a significant amount of cholesterol in the yolk, but most people don’t realize that dietary cholesterol has little bearing on the body’s levels.
Whatever the body takes in, it will simply cut back its own production to balance out.
5. Too many carbohydrates will make you fat
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The Atkins Diet gave carbohydrates a bad reputation, but according to experts there is nothing about a carbohydrate that will inherently make someone overweight.
The danger is that carbohydrates are usually associated with higher calories and processing–two things that the average dieter wants to avoid.
The reason the Atkins Diet worked so well indicate experts from Eating Well, is because any diet that restricts a food group will generally result in weight loss while the body learns to adjust.
