Misconceptions about nutrition can affect what and how you eat and can also lead to misinformed food choices. Therefore, separating fact from fiction is important when it comes to food. To help you know the facts and make informed food choices, this article will take a look at five of the most common misconceptions about nutrition:
Eggs Are Unhealthy
Until fairly recently, eggs were considered to increase the risk of heart diseases owing to their cholesterol content. However, recent research suggests eggs do not raise the level of bad cholesterol in the body and, therefore, do not increase the risk of heart diseases. Moreover, it also suggests that eggs raise the level of good cholesterol in the body and are not unhealthy. Eggs, owing to their rich nutritional and antioxidant content, offer a range of health benefits, including safeguarding eye health. Research further suggests that eating eggs for breakfast can help you lose weight by making you feel fuller for long and reducing the number of calories you eat at lunch.
You Must Drink 8 Glasses of Water
Health practitioners do not seem to agree with this and maintain that many foods also contribute to the fluid needs of the body. Foods like certain vegetables and fruits fulfill the body’s need for fluids, and so do beverages like tea, coffee, and juices. Though water is essential for health, the belief that you should consume at least eight glasses of water a day seems exaggerated. Moreover, the need for water may vary person to person.
Brown Sugar, Honey, and Agave Are Better Than Regular Sugar
This is also among the most common misconceptions about nutrition. Health practitioners don’t seem to agree and suggest that you can’t increase your intake of honey, brown sugar, and agave in the hope that these are healthier options as compared to regular sugar. Experts suggest that all of these are similar and contain the same number of calories. Moreover, our bodies process these in a similar manner.
You Should Completely Eliminate Fat from Your Diet
While reducing and minimizing your fat intake can help you, eliminating fat from your diet will not. Health practitioners suggest our bodies need fat and, therefore, elimination is not a good idea. They believe that fat gives taste to food and also promotes a feeling of satiety. Therefore, a little fat in your diet is not harmful, and you can opt for healthy fat sources.
Gluten-Free Diets Are a Healthier Option
Though gluten-free diets are being promoted as a healthy option to lose weight, health practitioners don’t seem to agree much. They believe that gluten-free diets are indeed a good idea for those who are at risk of celiac disease as well as those who are gluten intolerant. It can’t in itself help people lose weight. Those who have experienced weight loss from gluten-free diets owe this to the reduction of processed foods and addition of fresh foods to their diet.
These are five of the most common misconceptions about nutrition that can lead you to making inadequate, unhealthy, and poor food choices. Therefore, the next time you hear something about nutrition, make sure you check the background and find out if it is fact or fiction.
