We’ve all had enough with fad diets and false nutrition claims. We want everyone to get their nutrition facts right! In this post, we’ve rounded up 16 health and nutrition claims. Some are true, some are false. Want to know which statement about nutrition is false? Scroll down to find out!
Which of These Nutrition Statements Are True or False?
Let me give you a hint – 6 statements are true and 10 are false. Count how many you guess right!
1) Skipping breakfast is bad for you
This statement is false. Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, but recent studies show that it’s NOT more special than lunch or dinner. In fact, skipping breakfast (and thereby extending your overnight fast) can even be good for you. Why? Because it initiates lipolysis, a process that breaks down the fat stored in your body (1).
2) Carbs can make you fat
False. Contrary to popular belief, carbs won’t actually make you fat. It’s eating too many calories that will lead to weight gain. If your “calories in” are greater than your “calories out”, then expect to pack on some excess pounds! As much as possible, avoid processed foods rich in simple carbs and focus on fruits and veggies loaded with complex carbs. Complex carbs have higher fiber content and are more nutritious than simple carbs.
3) Detox diets help cleanse the body
Detox diets are short-term diets that involve some type of fasting, with some requiring you to drink nothing but “detox juice” for days to “eliminate” toxins from the body. The truth is that these types of diets are totally unnecessary! We have several organs that effectively eliminate toxins, such as our liver, lungs, and kidneys. So, to sum up, this statement about nutrition is false.
4) Gluten is super bad for you
False. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat and oat. It’s not inherently bad UNLESS you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Gluten gives bread its unique texture and dough its elastic, stretchy quality.
5) Diet soda is great for people on a diet
False. Drinking diet soda is, in fact, bad for your health. A 2015 study found that metabolic syndrome was more prevalent amongst people who drank diet soda than those who didn’t. Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke (2).
6) Fat is not the enemy
True. Fat is one of the main macronutrients the body needs for energy and growth. It provides insulation for our organs and keeps us warm. But not all kinds of fat are okay. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the good kind, so consume more of this type of fat. On the other hand, steer clear of trans-fat and limit your intake of saturated fat.
7) Animal liver is one of the healthiest foods there is
True! Liking liver is an acquired taste, but there’s no denying the fact that it is a healthy superfood! It packs more vitamins and minerals than many fruits and veggies, plus it’s super cheap to get at the supermarket, too!
8) Full fat milk is far healthier than low fat milk
We’re now halfway through this article on which statement about nutrition is false. Hopefully, you get this right!
So, this statement is…. true. Fat’s gotten a bad rap in the last few decades, but it’s not really the villain it’s been made out to be. Full fat milk does have a higher saturated fat content (the “bad” type of fat as opposed to unsaturated fat). However, scientific studies show that you also get more nutrients, including more vitamins D and K, in full fat milk. Even with higher fat content, it surprisingly does not increase the risk for cardiovascular disease (3).
9) A high fat, low carb diet is healthy
Ever heard of the keto diet? It’s when your body goes into ketosis and uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. But keto isn’t a fad diet, in fact, it’s been around since the 1920s to treat epilepsy in children. Weight loss is just one of the desirable ‘side effects’ of keto. Its main benefits include a reduction in blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity (4), so this statement is true!
Just a word of caution though: keto is a restrictive diet and it’s not meant for everyone. We recommend seeking a registered dietician’s help before going on any new diet.
10) Most supplements are a waste of money
Unfortunately, this is true. High-quality supplements can help. But there are many fly-by-night companies who use questionable ingredients on their products, which as you can imagine, does not bode well for their customers. So, before buying anything, make sure the company is legit. And don’t forget to speak with your doctor before you take anything.
11) You can eat as much healthy food as you like and still lose weight
False. Quality matters, yes, but so does quantity. Unlike water which has zero calories, food contains calories. The more you eat, the more the calories add up. If you want to lose weight, you need to have a calorie deficit, that is, “calories in” must be less than “calories out”.
12) Non-organic food is just as nutritious as organic food
True. Nutrient-wise, there’s NOT a lot of difference between organic and non-organic food. Sure, you avoid all the harmful chemicals from pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and other chemicals used in non-organic farming, but it doesn’t lead to a significant increase in nutrients (5).
13) All fruit juices are healthy
False. All fruits contain natural sugar, such as fructose and sucrose. However, commercial fruit juice – even those with giant labels saying it’s healthy – are loaded with sugar. Sugar that occurs naturally in fruit is healthy, but anything that’s added is not. For healthier juice, use a blender to combine the juice along with the edible parts of the fruit. This way you also get to enjoy the fiber and all the other nutrients found in the fruit.
14) All yogurts are healthy
This statement is false. Yogurts are traditionally healthy, but if you look closely at the nutritional info boxes on yogurt products, you’ll notice that most have a LOT of sugar in them! If you’re consuming yogurt for its probiotics, check out our Adult Probiotics supplement instead.
15) Eggs are bad because of their high cholesterol content
False. Eggs are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals. It’s also an excellent source of healthy fats, proteins, antioxidants, omega-3, and “good” cholesterol which helps reduce the risk of heart disease (6)!
16) The weighing scale dictates the state of your health
False. Your weight is not the only metric for determining your health. If you’re muscular or you have a naturally large body frame, then the scale may say you’re overweight. But if your blood work says you’re healthy and your muscle and body fat percentages fall in the normal range, then you most likely have nothing to worry about (of course, only your doctor can confirm this)!
Final words
So, how many correct answers did you get? And did you make any new discoveries regarding which statement about nutrition is false? Let us know in the comments section below!
References
(1) Zilberter, Tanya, and Eugene Yuri Zilberter. “Breakfast: to skip or not to skip?.” Frontiers in public health vol. 2 59. 3 Jun. 2014, doi:10.3389/fpubh.2014.00059
(2) Crichton, Georgina et al. “Diet Soft Drink Consumption is Associated with the Metabolic Syndrome: A Two Sample Comparison.” Nutrients vol. 7,5 3569-86. 13 May. 2015, doi:10.3390/nu7053569
(3) Lordan, Ronan et al. “Dairy Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: Do We Really Need to be Concerned?.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 7,3 29. 1 Mar. 2018, doi:10.3390/foods7030029
(4) Yancy, William S Jr et al. “A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to treat type 2 diabetes.” Nutrition & metabolism vol. 2 34. 1 Dec. 2005, doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-34
(5) Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE): Quality-assessed Reviews [Internet]. York (UK): Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (UK); 1995-. Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives? A systematic review. 2012. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK100554/
(6) Magriplis, Emmanuella et al. “Frequency and Quantity of Egg Intake Is Not Associated with Dyslipidemia: The Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS).” Nutrients vol. 11,5 1105. 17 May. 2019, doi:10.3390/nu11051105
