It's evident that there can be some misunderstood untruths out there, concerning health and nutrition that is. What's puzzling is how these untruths arise and how they gain any validity in people's eyes. I often get worried when I hear these things because I wonder "oh no, this could be bad if this spreads or if it has spread. "
So before I go into the list of a few ridiculous nutrition rumours I have personally heard, let me just attempt to combat the spread of untruths:
If you hear any free nutrition advice (from anyone other than a nutritionist), anything at all from a friend, neighbour, your daughter's dance instructor, a friendly cashier at the supermarket, your skinny colleague who isn't in the health industry, or even radio or television; please for your own safety always consult a health professional, preferably a dietitian/nutritionist to check what you have heard. These professionals know how the body works as well as can make suggestions based on your personal health condition.
Now the list of my head-shakingly odd nutrition rumours (in no particular order):
1. If you add salt during cooking, as opposed to after, the salt dissolves and you cook off the effects of salt but just left with the taste.
Simply put...untrue. Salt, just same as sugar, dissolves in liquid. However, regardless of temperature, the fact remains that it's still intact and still there. Cooking, any heat for that matter, does not alter its properties. Therefore, just because you cannot visibly see it, does not mean it has changed form, its particles are just dispersed; and you are still consuming it, and it is still affecting your body the same. So during or after cooking, put down the salt shaker just the same. Sorry folks, there is no way around salt, we just have to limit how much we consume.
Note: Salt is actually a learned taste, so by limiting it, gradually you will get accustomed to eating/wanting less salt.
2. Burning toast decreases the amount of carbohydrates in the bread.
I heard this when I was auditing a diabetes management course. The dietitian leading the course was stunned for a moment. It's true that you must have a ratio of carbs to protein to fat, and for those with diabetes they must consider how much starch and sugars they are getting at each meal, but often crave lots of simple carbohydrates (a meal should aim to be 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch choice, 1/2 vegetables). However, if there are carbohydrates in a food...then there are carbohydrates in that food. If you love toast, why ruin it by burning it anyway? Eat the toast and couple it with an egg and fruit for a complete meal. Just avoid overdoing it and definitely do not eat 10 pieces of burnt toast!
3. Yogurt may contain whale fat.
Sigh. I had someone tell me they heard this from one of the health shows on television. I don't know if they were discussing a particular product or if there was some misunderstanding. Regardless, just elevates my point of not taking everything you hear as fact. The truth is, in Canada, by law, labels must list all ingredients in a product; else wise, there must be a phone number on the product so one can phone and find out this information. So, there should be no surprises...if its not listed, rest assure it's not in there...and no I personally have never seen yogurt containing whale fat.
4. A tablespoon of honey a day may cure asthma.
I have heard of honey helping alleviate asthma - induced coughing, helping soothe the membranes where mucous has built up. I don't argue that, often people put it in some hot tea and it surely helps...the coughing, wheezing and mucous build-up that is. However, this honey remedy for a bad cough may have been extended to asthma itself. I don't believe this is a cure for asthma, in fact consuming honey daily is the same as telling you just to consume sugar. In terms of asthma, please take your medication as needed.
5. A pound of jalebi (deep-fried syrup treat in the South Asian culture) can combat sugar issues for people with Diabetes.
I have no idea on Earth why someone would believe or pass this on. This information was actually given to someone in my family and I immediately had a meltdown...the premise was to consume sugar freely and your body will get used to it. No...no...NO! This is not how diabetes works...you do not get "used" to consuming sugar by sending it into shock, sugar will just stay in your blood and travel in your nerves and do damage to organs because your body CAN NOT uptake it. I sincerely hope no one tried this and it was just a moment of crazy talk from one person that was trying to justify eating crazy amounts of sugar, but this one haunted me.
6. Skim milk contains less calcium than full-fat milk.
Oh dear. Nothing much to it, it is skim and thin consistency because the fat is what has been stripped out, nothing else. There is just as much calcium in skim as there is in 1%, 2%, and homogenized. So, try to choose low-fat dairy, the nutrition is not compromised, do not worry.
7. Drinking milkshakes daily lowers blood pressure for people with hypertension.
Do you know what can help one manage hypertension? A healthy diet, heart healthy, low sodium, with plenty of fruits and vegetables and limiting high fat and sugar. You want to decrease sodium but get enough potassium daily. Sorry, though a milkshake is a great treat once in a while, you will do no benefit to yourself by consuming it daily...in fact you may do harm. There is rarely a quick fix to a condition such as hypertension; lifestyle changes should be made, that is the reality.
Note: If you are wanting a milkshake, there are healthy ways to make milkshakes (use bananas, low-fat dairy, ice and add fruit...skip the ice cream).
8. Honey is natural therefore better for you than sugar.
Ah the age-old honey vs. sugar debate. Honey has been touted to have antioxidant properties and contain trace minerals not found in sugar, but how much is always up for debate and to say it is "healthy" well I wouldn't go that far. The main ingredient in honey is...sugar. So if you are consuming honey in large quantities, I would argue to be extremely careful because you are essentially consuming sugar. 82% of a serving of honey is comprised of sugar. Therefore, if you are consuming honey sparingly it is likely fine in moderation. However, those trying to lose weight, diabetic or needing to limit sugar should avoid honey as well.
9. Brown eggs are healthier than white eggs.
I wouldn't say this one is necessarily super crazy of a rumour, I believe this is a common one. However, I attribute this misconception to the push for brown foods generally being healthier than white foods, i.e. brown vs. white bread, brown vs. white rice, brown pasta vs. white pasta. However, the common theme there is flour and grain products. The reason that the brown option is healthier is these cases is because the grain is much less processed, the products contain more parts of the germ and such more fibre; hence more brown in colour. However, eggs are not grains and so the same rule does not apply. The nutritional difference is none, the difference between colour is actually attributed, from what I have seen, to the colour of the hen or chicken laying the egg. Often the higher price attached to brown eggs, is often due to the actual size and not the colour; and those chickens or hens that eat more feed lay eggs that get a higher price tag. That really is all that there is to it, so whether you are eating brown or white eggs, the nutritional impact...same.
10. Fruit juice is healthier than pop, and fine to consume without concern.
We all have heard that pop is no good and to limit it...obvious, okay done. However, contrary to some opinions, fruit juice is a hidden sugar bomb and should also be avoided, definitely limited if you like to consume it. There are a lot of recent studies proving that sugar consumption from pop and juice is just the same, some fruit juices actually contain the same amount of sugar per serving as in pop. Since, these juices have the fibre stripped away from the fruit, that buffer of slowing down sugar absorption is gone, furthermore many fruit juices have sugar added as well. So what you are consuming is a watered down version of the fruit plus a lot more sugar than you may be realizing. If you are a person that enjoys fruit juice, opt for those that have no added sugar and made directly from the fruit with no additional ingredients (other than water). Your best bet though...eat fruit and limit fruit juice to just once in a while.
So there is my list, some of them I still scratch my head about. However, the main point here is that crazy and incorrect ideas get circulated some way some how, so I urge you all to question the source and find out through the proper channels if it is something you should apply to your diet.
Health is much simpler than any of us realize, we just need to ask the right people for advice.
Think about it... you wouldn't ask for car advice from a bike rider that doesn't have a license, so why not give your health the same precedence?
