Myths Of Food Nutrition And Diet That May Be Fatal If Believed

When it comes to food, nutrition and diet, you'd think we'd know what we are doing. You'd think the health-care delivery system and the doctors would have us on the right track. You'd think the regulatory agencies would make sure we get the information we need to make informed judgments. Well, if you think all that, you are wrong, and I might say dead wrong, as that's what happens when you don't appreciate the power and importance of the right food, nutrition and diet.

We are lost in a world of mythology, not reality, and this column will explore some of those myths. I was inspired to do this column when I came across an article by Bonnie Liebman, one of America's foremost nutritionists, on 10 food myths that may surprise you, which appeared in the newsletter Nutrition Action (Jan./Feb. 2008). Nutrition Action is an excellent and important publication of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition consumer advocacy group.

Myth: This is one I'd like to throw into the list, because I think it is the most dangerous myth. We just don't appreciate and act on the overweening importance of diet to our health. If we did, most of the American people would not be on a diet that dooms us to suffer from the chronic disease killers of our time - heart disease, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and cancer.

Nutrition science has demonstrated that if we were on the right diet and coupled that with reasonable exercise and stress-control programs, we could practically eliminate our chronic diseases. Yet both as individuals and together -i.e., through our government - we fail to act on this miraculous approach to greatly increase the chance of good health and long life and to dramatically decrease the bankrupting cost of our health-care delivery system.

My favorite source on the miracle of good nutrition is the classic book The China Study, involving the most comprehensive study of the diet/health connection in history. It shows how we can virtually eliminate chronic disease, but until we wake up, until our government wakes up, until our doctors wake up, we will continue to sicken and die needlessly. The book recommends a plant-based diet, minimizing processed foods, fat, sugar and sodium.

We are hopelessly behind in overcoming the present mythology that dooms us. I used to quote figures from the American Medical Association asserting that medical practice lags about 10 years behind the best practices. But then it occurred to me we are many centuries behind the best practices. The great Jewish physician Maimonides centuries ago promulgated that most of us kill ourselves by the wrong lifestyle. It's as true then as it is now. Until we change our diet and other aspects of our lifestyle to the more healthful track that science has demonstrated is to the road to good health and long life, we will be spinning our wheels, creating and revising a health delivery system that will never deliver health. We know what we need to do to deliver health to the American people, and we have to start doing it.

Myth: Another fundamentally dangerous myth not included in the list by Ms. Liebman is this: We feel as nutrition science reaches new conclusions all the time, and as scientists often disagree on what is the right approach to diet and exercise, we can just about ignore it altogether and do what we feel like doing. I've heard dozens of times, "One day it's good for you, then it's bad for you, and then it's good for you again. I can't swallow any of that and will eat what I want." That is usually, I regret to say, a fatal mistake.

It is true that there are new findings all the time. It is true that scientists disagree on many aspects of diet and nutrition. But that doesn't mean you should ignore it all or that you don't have to take the science of nutrition and diet seriously. What's true of diet and nutrition and the scientists that study them is true of all fields. We live in a world of rapid scientific progress, and the world has always had ample scientific disagreement. But that doesn't mean we can start ignoring the law of gravity and jump off a 50-story building because there are new findings in physics all the time and scientists often disagree about some of those findings.

By like token, there is a clear path on which there is ample agreement pointing out what is a healthy diet and what kind of diet is likely to assure good health and long life and minimize the chances of killer chronic diseases. That path has been clearly marked for us in books such as The China Study and most of the rest of the consensus of science today on diet and nutrition.

Now let's take a look at some of "The Myths That Can Trip You Up" (and may surprise you), as formulated by Ms. Liebman.

Myth: It's okay for older people to be overweight. This myth is based on a study that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It found that those who were overweight (not obese) had a lower risk of dying of diseases like emphysema, pneumonia, tuberculosis and Alzheimer's disease than those who were normal weight. What's more, they had the same risk of dying of cancer and heart disease.

That gave cause for fatties to celebrate. As Ms. Liebman points out, it made good headlines but bad science and bad advice. What it showed is that as people get certain chronic diseases, such as cancer or heart and respiratory disease, the course of the disease may cause them to go from overweight to normal weight. Researchers, of course, try to adjust for such phenomena, but it is hard to do, and it may mean that studies such as the one in question come out with misleading conclusions.

Despite this study, most experts agree with this conclusion of JoAnn Manson of the Harvard Medical School: "We know that both overweight and obesity increase the risk of many diseases that effect health and quality of life and that markedly increase medical costs."

For more proof of this, I'd point you to the life insurance companies. Apply to a life insurance company and tell them that being overweight is really healthy and you want a discount on your life insurance (or at least insurance at standard rates). The people who put their money on the line on such matters know what most scientists agree on - that being overweight is unhealthy.

Myth: The myth is that high fructose corn syrup is worse for you then ordinary sugar. Here a study showing that obesity has increased along with a tenfold increase in the use of high fructose corn syrup caused this myth to come to life. This form of sugar is added to soft drinks (soda pop) and about everything else that is sweetened.

But scientists don't think that high fructose corn syrup is any more of a culprit than ordinary table sugar, which is also called sucrose. That's because ordinary table sugar is quickly broken down into roughly half fructose and half glucose. And high fructose corn syrup is roughly the same - half fructose and half glucose. In fact, the acids in a can of soft drinks start breaking down sucrose (into fructose and glucose) right in the can.

There are also recent studies showing that high fructose corn syrup has the same impact as sugar on blood sugar, insulin, ghrelin (a hormone that stimulates appetite) and leptin (a hormone that curbs appetite).

All that doesn't mean that high fructose corn syrup is good for you. It just means it's like other sugars. And to fight overweight and obesity we ought to cut down consumption of soft drinks, whether sweetened with one kind of sugar or another.

Myth: Many think if your "bad" cholesterol (LDL) is low, then your risk of a heart attack is low. It's good to have low "bad" cholesterol, but that doesn't mean you're home free. Other blood factors impact risk such as low HDL (good cholesterol) and high triglycerides, a blood fat.

What's more, your levels may rise. Another joy of aging: As you get older your "bad" cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure tend to go up.

To keep triglycerides from rising as you age, lose weight. The rise has a lot to do with overweight, which sometimes develops, as you get older. If your weight is normal and you still have high triglycerides and low HDL, that may suggest you are eating too many carbohydrates.

Myth: Butter is better for you than margarine. Like many of the myths, many love this one. It gives them an excuse to eat butter.

The myth came about perhaps when margarine contained trans fats, which may be worse than the saturated fat of butter. But the trans fats are gone from margarine, but the saturated fats, which contribute to heart disease, are still sky high in butter.

Ms. Liebman recommends that if you still want butter, go to one like Land O' Lakes whipped butter, Whipped Light Butter or Light Butter with Canola Oil. They all have less saturated fat than butter, but they're still not as low as margarine.

Myth: Here's a myth especially dangerous for older people: You needn't worry about getting enough protein. As people get older they tend to eat the same foods but less of them. That may mean they are not getting enough protein, because the need for protein doesn't drop as you age.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is 46 grams a day for women and 56 grams for men. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show 15 percent of people in their 60s aren't getting enough protein. By age 75, the number goes to 40 percent.

If you don't get enough protein, that leads to muscle loss, which leads to weakness, which may lead to confinement in a nursing home. Of course, you still need exercise to maintain muscle mass and strength.

Finally, if you have normal kidney function, you don't have to worry about getting too much protein. It's another myth that you do have to worry about too much protein, even if you have normal kidney function.

Myth: Caffeinated beverages make you dehydrated. This is a myth based on a study that wasn't scientifically conducted. Later studies show that it is not dehydrating, and the U.S. Institute of Medicine agrees.

Myth: Calcium is the only key to strong bones. There are other key nutrients including vitamin D and vitamin K. Exercise is also a key to maintaining bone health.

Myth: Echinacea prevents colds. Experts conclude Echinacea doesn't work to prevent colds, according to the best studies. There are a lot of studies out there and depending on how they were designed, they may pick up a slight positive effect for Echinacea. Does anything else work? Vitamin C (1,000 mg) taken both before and after people get sick with colds makes them slightly milder and shorter (by about half a day). There's a product called Airborne that studies show doesn't work. Finally, a Canadian product called Cold-fx (an extract of the carbohydrates from the root of the American ginseng plant) if taken every day (at a cost of $30 a month) shortened or cut the odds of getting a flu or cold. Another study is underway on this product.

Myth: If you stop strength training, the muscles you built will turn to fat. The muscles don't turn to fat, but if you don't exercise, you start losing muscle. One expert explained, "Starting in your 40s, you lose a quarter pound of muscle each year unless you're doing vigorous exercise." So do some vigorous exercise unless you want to lose muscle mass, start getting weak and eventually run the risk of losing your independence.

Myth: Cutting back on salt is the only way to lower blood pressure. Eating less salt can help lower blood pressure and can also keep it from rising. There are other ways to lower blood pressure:

* Lose excess weight to drop systolic pressure (higher number in reading) by five to 20 points.

* Follow a diet that is lower in fat and rich in vegetables, fruits and low-fat dairy food (the DASH diet) to drop systolic by eight to 14 points.

* Exercise daily, by walking briskly 30 minutes a day to drop systolic pressure by four to nine points.

* Limit sodium to no more than 2,400 mg a day (or better yet, 1,500 mg) to drop systolic pressure by two to eight points.

* Limit alcohol to two drinks a day for men and one for women to drop systolic by two to four points.

Herb Denenberg, a former Pennsylvania insurance commissioner and professor at the Wharton School, is a longtime Philadelphia journalist and consumer advocate. He is also a member of the National?Academy of Arts and Sciences. His column appears daily in The Bulletin. You can reach him at advocate@thebulletin.us.

Bodybuilding nutrition of the recent controversy surrounding the low-carbon diet and beef to replace chicken, fish these two topics. Beef muscle growth in the title of another diet plan the most important part. Frank Arnold Schwarzenegger and Columbus heard about this so-called latest developments will find simmer with laughter, because the couple from the early 1970s had begun to steak as a main meal - and this is back in scientific experiments confirmed on the following experience: in order to best effect, five daily diet of at least one or two beef.

The following are included in the beef daily diet of 10 fitness benefits:

1. Beef rich Sarcosinate

Beef in the creatinine concentration than any other food products, which makes it the muscle growth, empowerment particularly effective. Training in the first few seconds, sarcosine muscle is the source of fuel, it can effectively add adenosine triphosphate, so that training can adhere to the road.

2. Beef containing vitamin B6

Greater demand for protein diet should be increased by the greater of vitamin B6. Beef containing adequate vitamin B6 can help you to enhance immunity and promote the metabolism and protein synthesis, thereby contributing to tension in the body after the resumption of training.

3. Beef containing carnitine

Chicken, fish in the carnitine and low levels of creatinine, beef has a high content. Carnitine mainly used to support fat metabolism, a branched-chain amino acids, the muscle growth Aerobics athletes play an important role in an amino acid.

4. Beef protein and potassium content

Potassium in the diet of the majority of athletes compared lack of minerals. Low levels of potassium inhibit protein synthesis and the formation of growth hormone, thereby affecting the growth of muscle. Beef protein-rich: 4 ounces lean tenderloin steak can have 22 grams of protein class.

5. Beef is a low-fat source of linoleic acid

Beef fat content low, but rich combination of linoleic acid, the antioxidant potential of these can be effective against sports such as weightlifting caused tissue damage. In addition, linoleic acid also can be used as antioxidants to maintain muscle block.

6. Beef zinc, magnesium

Zinc is another kind of help protein synthesis, and promote the growth of muscle antioxidants. Zinc and salt of glutamic acid and vitamin B6 common, can enhance the immune system. Magnesium supports protein synthesis, enhance muscle strength, more importantly, can improve the efficiency of metabolism of insulin.

7. Beef iron

Iron is necessary for hematopoietic minerals. With chicken, fish, turkey pathetic in contrast to the iron content is rich in iron beef.

8. Beef containing alanine

Alanine the role of dietary protein is produced sugar. If you inadequate intake of carbohydrates, alanine muscles can supply the necessary energy to alleviate the shortage, so that you can continue to carry out training. This amino acid greatest benefit is that it will be able to supply energy from the muscles to liberate this burden.

9. Beef containing vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for the formation of cells, red blood cells and the role of oxygen is brought to muscle tissue. Vitamin B12 can promote branched-chain amino acid metabolism, which supply high-intensity physical training requirements of energy.

10. Beef consumption diversification

If day after day for weeks or even months to consumption, Jixiong is a nuisance. Beef is different, after the leg, Zefu meat, and the lumbar meat in the meat and fine texture and taste, are different, the chicken breast and tedious indeed quite different.

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