Transcript Nutrition Myths and its destruction

ScieCons
Nutrition Myths and it’s
destruction
Prof. habil. dr. Manefa Miskiniene
ScieCons meeting in Ljubljana
18th-19th May, 2011
Honey is better than white
sugar because it is natural
Many people claim that honey is better than
sugar, when in fact they are almost
chemically indistinguishable. However,
spoon for spoon, sugar actually contains
fewer calories than honey. Although honey
does contain small quantities of minerals,
they are present in such tiny amounts that
they have little nutritional significance.
Brown Sugar is better than
White Sugar
The brown sugar sold at grocery stores is
actually white granulated sugar with added
molasses. Yes, brown sugar contains minute
amounts of minerals. But unless you eat a
gigantic portion of brown sugar every day, the
mineral content difference between brown
sugar and white sugar is absolutely
insignificant. The idea that brown and white
sugar have big differences is another common
nutrition myth.
Brown Eggs are more
nutritious than White Eggs
Contrary to a widely believed nutrition myth, eggshell
color has nothing to do with the quality, flavor, nutritive
value, cooking characteristics, or shell thickness of an egg.
The eggshell color only depends upon the breed of the hen.
According to the Egg Nutrition Council, "white shelled
eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and white
ear lobes and brown shelled eggs are produced by hens
with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference
in taste or nutrition content between white and brown
colored eggs".
Eating eggs will raise your
cholesterol
This myth began because egg yolks have the most
concentrated amount of cholesterol of any food.
However, there's not enough cholesterol there to
pose health risks if eggs are eaten in moderation.
Studies suggest that eating one egg per day will
not raise cholesterol levels and that eggs are
actually a great source of nutrients.
Vitamin supplements are
necessary for everyone
If you eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole
grains, along with moderate amounts of a variety
of low-fat dairy and protein and the right quantity
of calories, you don't need to supplement.
Special vitamin supplements are recommended for
people who are pregnant or have nutritional
disorders.
Natural or herbal weight loss
products are safe and effective
A weight loss product that claims to be "natural"
or "herbal" is not necessarily safe. These products
are not usually scientifically tested to prove that
they are safe or that they work. For example,
herbal products containing ephedra have caused
serious health problems and even death. Newer
products that claim to be ephedra-free are not
necessarily danger-free, because they may contain
ingredients similar to ephedra.
Some natural or herbal weight loss products can
be harmful.
Low-fat or nonfat means no
calories
A low-fat or nonfat food is often lower in calories than the
same size portion of the full-fat product. But many
processed low-fat or nonfat foods have just as many
calories as the full-fat version of the same food or even
more calories. They may contain added sugar, flour, or
starch thickeners to improve flavor and texture after fat is
removed. These ingredients add calories.
Tip: Read the Nutrition Facts Label on a food package to
find out how many calories are in a serving. Check the
serving size too it may be less than you are used to eating.
Eating after 8 p.m. causes
weight gain
It does not matter what time of day you eat. It is
what and how much you eat and how much
physical activity you do during the whole day that
determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain
your weight. No matter when you eat, your body
will store extra calories as fat.
Tip: If you want to have a snack before bedtime,
think first about how many calories you have
eaten that day. And try to avoid snacking in front
of the TV at night it may be easier to overeat when
you are distracted by the television.
Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery,
or cabbage soup, can burn fat and
make you lose weight
No foods can burn fat. Some foods with
caffeine may speed up your metabolism (the
way your body uses energy, or calories) for
a short time, but they do not cause weight
loss.
Tip: The best way to lose weight is to cut
back on the number of calories you eat and
be more physically active.
Added sugar is always bad
for you
Use the sweet stuff to ensure that sugar calories are far
from “empty” calories.
Sugar is essential in the kitchen. Consider all that it does
for baking, creating a tender cake crumb and ensuring
crisp cookies. Then there’s its role in creating airy
meringue or soft-textured ice cream. Keep in mind that
other sweeteners like “natural” honey are basically refined
sugar anyway—and they are all metabolized by your body
the same way, as 4 calories per gram. Sugar also balances
the flavors in healthy foods that might not taste so great on
their own. Don’t go overboard, of course. Most health
experts suggest that added sugar supply no more than 10
percent of your total calories—about 200 in a 2,000calorie diet.
Eating eggs raises your
cholesterol levels
Dietary cholesterol found in eggs has little to do with the
amount of cholesterol in your body.
The confusion can be boiled down to semantics: The same
word, "cholesterol," is used to describe two different
things. Dietary cholesterol—the fat-like molecules in
animal-based foods like eggs —doesn’t greatly affect the
amount of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream.
Your body makes its own cholesterol, so it doesn’t need
much of the kind you eat. Instead, what fuels your body’s
cholesterol-making machine is certain saturated and trans
fats. Eggs contain relatively small amounts of saturated fat.
One large egg contains about 1.5 grams saturated fat, a
fraction of the amount in the tablespoon of butter many
cooks use to cook that egg in. So, cutting eggs out of your
diet is a bad idea; they're a rich source of 13 vitamins and
minerals.
All vegetarians are healthy eaters
Research shows that people who follow a vegetarian eating
plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than nonvegetarians. However vegetarians, like non-vegetarians,
can make food choices that contribute to weight gain by
eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods as well
as food with little or no nutritional value. The term
vegetarian is not synonymous with health. Healthy
nutrition comes down to choosing nutritious foods within
the recommended amounts and limiting foods high in fat,
sugar and calories. These facts hold true for those people
who choose to include animal products into their diets as
well as those who do not!
Fresh vegetables are more
nutritious than frozen
Fresh produce may not be as fresh as you think. By the
time it travels from farm to supermarket to your dinner
plate, a few weeks may have passed, during which time
nutrients are lost.
Research has shown that many frozen vegetables (and
fruits) rival or outshine fresh as a source of vitamins and
minerals. That's because processing and packaging takes
place almost immediately after harvest, locking in more
nutrients.
When fresh produce is out of season, or out of your price
range, frozen is a good alternative to have on hand. Just
stay clear of brands with added salt.