The 5 most common myths about nutrition

Nutrition is a very controversial field. There is no science where one day you can read about a subject claiming something and the next day another article will claim exactly the opposite!

This is because it is all about Bio-individuality. Every"body" is different ! We come from different origins, the food of our ancestors all the way up to what we ate as kids, depending on location, climate, time, social status, family and our personal history is shaping our body functions and the way we eat and process food.

But beyond this grey zone there are some common rules to guide you on your path to your personal healthy way of eating.

And there is still a lot to do in this field. Obesity rates are climbing globally, so called "lifestyle" diseases are the top killers of the Western world, factory farming and mass production have made cheap but often very unhealthy food available to the wide public, destroying the environment as a by-product.

A lot of confusion has also been spread by controversial researches, partly financed by the powerful food industry itself in order to maintain sales : for example the sugar, the meat industry..

Here some of the most common myths about nutrition:

1. FAT IS BAD

In the 80's and 90's, after some decades of mass production of processed food being available at cheap prices to the wide public, one of the number one killers in the States were cardiovascular diseases.

As a result, fat has been diabollised. It is true that excessive consumption of saturated fats (meat, poultry, dairy, coconut, palm oil) raise cholesterol levels, which is detrimental to our health. Fat has also been made responsible of the obesity wave. It seemed so logic: Fat makes you fat !

This is how low fat products have become popular and are still today, 30 years later, seen as "healthy" or the more "healthier option" to the full fat version of a product, helping us to lose weight. 0% fat yoghurts, low-fat margarine, low fat spreads and desserts are still "in" and widely seen in supermarket fridges throughout the world.

But most of the time they are highly processed and to compensate the loss of flavour by removing the fat, they are loaded with sugar and other unhealthy ingredients! In fact, the current US obesity problem is by many sources directly linked to the excessive amounts of added sugar used in processed foods, and low fat options are part of it ! Because sugar is transformed to glucose in our body and the glucose we cannot use immediately is stored as: Fat . So actually low fat can make you fat !

Also some of the nutritious qualities are lost in the skimmed food or the food we combine with it.

In fact we need fat to absorb the vitamins A, K, E and D. In addition, fat helps you absorb antioxidants from foods such as leafy greens, carrots and tomatoes.

Monounsaturated fats, the "healthy fats" (found in olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds) are showing many health benefits:

-they can actually help you lose weight (yes that sounds awkward but it is true!)

-lower cholesterol

-improve insulin sensitivity

-lower cancer risk

-reduce inflammation (the beginning of any disease!)

In addition, polyunsaturated fats (found in salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, trout, fresh tuna, flax seed, walnuts, flax seed oil, soybean oil) contain high amounts of omega fatty acids considered anti-inflammatory and are associated with a lower risk of death.

Bottom of the line: sure we should limit the intake of saturated fats but don't miss out on the wonderful benefits of the monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats!

2. FRUIT JUICE IS HEALTHY

A glass of orange juice is still considered as a healthy part of a breakfast.

Sure orange and citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, folate, potassium and high in antioxidants. But only if:

-it's a natural juice without any additives

-freshly squeezed and consumed in the minutes after as vitamin C is highly volatile

-consumed moderately (to limit sugar spike in the blood)

That means the orange juice found in the commerce is not as healthy as we could think. No or very few nutrient content, without the fiber, there is only sugar left!

In general we should be careful with fruit juices and especially with nectars (yes the ones they sell to the kids everywhere in Spain's restaurant) as they contain, in addition to the high amount of natural sugars already present, added sugars!

Fruit is meant to be consumed as a whole. The fibers present help to absorb the sugar slowly into the body, preventing spike in blood sugar levels leading to insulin resistance, imbalances in the gut microbiome and other health risks.

Always prefer smoothies (the whole fruits and veggies are blended together with liquids) to fruit juice alone! Be careful with the fruit juice intake of your kids. A glass of apple juice contains the same amount of sugar than a glass of Coca Cola!

3. VEGETARIAN LACK PROTEIN - ATHLETES NEED ANIMAL PROTEIN

"Where do you get your proteins of?" is a common question heard by vegetarians/vegans insinuating that a plant or mainly plant based diet is not suitable for humans.

Also there is a common belief in the fitness world that you need to eat lots of animal protein to build muscles.

The reality is different. All food is composed of protein, carbohydrates and fat with various amounts of each of it. There is lots of protein rich plant based food out there: nuts, seeds, grains, beans of any kinds, lentils, green peas...! The list is long. There are many researches confirming that a plant based diet can provide all the nutrients your body needs. On the contrary: a plant based diet shows a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and inflammation.

The Netflix documentary "The Gamer Changer" makes it clear: it is not necessary to eat meat to be a high class athletes. In fact, more and more olympic athletes, boxers, fitness adepts change to an entirely plant based diet and have seen their performances improve!

Did you know that Venus Williams, Louis Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger are vegan?

Here bio-individuality is important: some people thrive on a vegan or plant-based diet, whereas other just seem to need animal proteins (in small amounts) to be at their best.

4. KIDS NEED MILK TO BUILD STRONG BONES

A glass of milk per day has long been recommended for children and adults. Dairy as a part of a healthy diet is still in the dietary recommendations of many countries, France, Spain and the US included.

This is because the Calcium found in dairy is said to help with bone growth.

If it is true that dairy is nutritious, at least good quality dairy, it is a very controversial food. Intolerances to lactose (the main carbohydrate present) are very common these days and about 3/4 of the planet's population is not able to digest lactose. In addition to bloating and digestive discomfort some people report joint pain, skin problems. Some even claim links to osteoporosis (so the contrary of strong bones!), breast and prostate cancer. Also as a saturated fat source the excessive consumption might cause cardiovascular diseases.

The treatment of milk cows in farm factories is controversial and some people turn away from dairy for moral reasons. Another common argument against dairy products is that it is unnatural to consume them. Not only are humans the only species that consumes milk in adulthood, but they are also the only one to drink the milk of other animals. Biologically, cow's milk is meant to feed a rapidly growing calf. Humans aren't calves — and adults usually don't need to grow.

Here is where bio-individuality comes to play: some people may thrive on diet including dairy and others may develop disease. But one thing is sure: we don't need milk for strong bones!

5. "NO ADDED SUGAR" MEANS IT'S HEALTHY

Be careful with labels claiming "no added sugar", especially here in Spain. It means in 99% of the cases that the added sugar has been replaced by chemical sweeteners. The industry is very inventful with these products and it is difficult to know what they really contain and if their glycemic index is really lower than the one of sugar.

Also sometimes a product has a label "sweetened with Stevia", when in fact only 0,1% of Stevia is used and other sweeteners are used in a much higher proportion.

Be especially careful with Aspartame. Aspartame is linked to:

• cancer.

• seizures.

• headaches.

• depression.

• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• dizziness.

• weight gain.

• birth defects.

So hands off !

Always make sure you read the ingredients list and nutrition label and don’t believe the “fake healthy” marketing claimings on the packages itself.