Healthy Eating Myths Many People Still Think are True

Amy Taylor July 03, 2013

With the plethora of health information available on and offline, it can be difficult to formulate a nutritious and balanced diet plan. You’ll hear some people saying fats are bad, carbohydrate is something to avoid, or eggs raise cholesterol levels, and so on. So which ones are true and which ones are simply overrated?

Here are some of the most common healthy eating myths that could be preventing you and your family from getting optimal nutrition.

Eggs are bad for your heart.

Eggs are perhaps the most popular breakfast addition in many countries, including the UK. It’s true that eggs are packed with cholesterol, and yes, cholesterol is the fatty stuff that increases your risk of high blood pressure and heart attack. But saying that ‘eggs are bad for your heart’ is an exaggeration. The cholesterol we eat from eggs and other foods does not greatly impact our heart health. The real culprits are trans fats and saturated fats. Because of this prevailing myth, many people only eat egg white. But to maximise the health benefits of eggs, it should be eaten in its complete form.

All red meat is unhealthy.

Red meat is a very good source of protein. As long as you eat only the lean cuts in moderation, red meat is actually good for your health. There are claims saying that grass-fed, pasture-raised cattle are as healthy as, if not better than wild-caught salmon. Basically, it’s all about how the animals are fed and raised that determines their nutritional profile. So the next time you buy meat, you might want to choose the product from local, naturally-raised sources.

High fructose corn syrup is worse than sugar.

Just because a fizzy drink has ‘NO HFCS’ label doesn’t mean it’s a good choice. High-fructose corn syrup is created to mimic table sugar or sucrose so its composition is almost identical to common sugar. This means both of them have an effect to your insulin levels, blood pressure, and satiety levels. A large body of research suggests that regular consumption of sweetened beverages like fizzy drinks increases the risk of developing insulin resistance, diabetes, heart problem and fatty liver disease.

You crave for certain foods because you lack the nutrients they provide.

Not really, unless you are a moose or a dear (in the spring, these animals are attracted to salt licks to supply their nutrient needs). Food cravings experienced by humans are more about satisfying their emotional needs. If it’s about our nutritional deficiencies, most if not all of us should be craving for apples, broccoli and other fruits and vegetables than fast foods like burger, fries, and greasy steaks.

Replacing sugar with honey is a healthy idea.

Unless you choose raw and unprocessed honey, expect to gain no health benefits. A lot of honey products available in the market are refined and unhealthy as regular sugar. So always check the label. Make sure it’s pure and locally sourced. The best way to lower the health risk of sugar is to reduce your intake of it.

Carbohydrates make you fat.

The word ‘carbohydrates’ doesn’t sound so good for most dieters. Many people believe foods high in carbs could make them fat. But according to Dr Jean Harvey-Berino of the University of Vermont, there’s no inherently fattening about carbohydrates. It’s eating too many calories that make people fat. As long as you are able to burn more calories than what you consume, you will not gain weight even though your diet is rich in carbohydrates. But health wise, you want to choose complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, bran, oats, wheat bread, and the like. These foods are fully packed with fibre that aids in weight loss.

Low-fat diet is good for you. One of the greatest food myths today is that fats are bad for our health. But the truth is our body needs fats to survive. It’s just that there are certain kinds of fat that we don’t need, such as saturated fats. On the other hand, monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, avocado, and other plant-based sources are good for your body, especially your heart. Although most dairy products are high in saturated fats, there are healthier versions that you can add to your diet, such as low-fat, grass-fed butter.

Calories eaten at night are more fattening than those eaten during the day.

The efficacy of the ‘after 6 diet’ is still debatable. Well, that’s most probably because calories are calories. It doesn’t matter when you eat them. The most important thing is how much you consume. Nevertheless, it is advisable to eat dinner at an earlier time to allow your stomach to fully digest the food.

Microwaving food is an unhealthy practice.

Microwaving is no different than any other cooking method that applies heat on the food. Whilst ‘radiation’ itself poses health risks, the radiation levels used in microwaves are many, many times lower than those used in X-rays and gamma rays. Any changes that may occur whilst the food is cooked inside the machine are from the heat generated inside the food, not from the microwave itself. Nevertheless, microwaving food using some types of plastic containers may cause toxic compounds to leach and contaminate the food. So use only the appropriate containers. Another myth about microwaving is that it zaps out the nutrients in food. But according to Byrd-Bredbenner, professor of nutrition at Rutgers University, it’s the heat and the amount of time placed on cooking the food that affects its nutritional profile. The longer and hotter you cook the food, the more heat-sensitive nutrients you will lose.

Fasting or consuming only juice clears your body from toxins.

More research is needed to support the claim that calorie restriction or consuming juice only promotes detoxification. The thing is that the human body has its own way to eliminate unwanted chemicals through the liver, kidneys and spleen. Nevertheless, fasting and juicing have known health benefits, particularly in weight loss.