Right this moment’s weblog is a follow-up to Diet Details which might be Mistaken Half One from earlier this yr.

Dietary science is a dynamic area and we’re continually studying extra and making discoveries.  As a dietitian, it’s my job to remain on high of the latest proof and apply primarily based on that. Over time, our understanding evolves and typically what we as soon as believed to be true, is not. 

Except for analysis altering, there’s additionally the problem of influencers on social media spouting opinion as if it’s truth. Simply because somebody has a number of followers, or they are saying one thing with what appears like authority, doesn’t make what they’re saying true. Trace: podcasts are the newest vector for diet fantasy spreading.

‘FACT’: white rice is unhealthy for us 

Rice is a cultural staple for folks all around the world, but we’ve been informed for years to keep away from ‘white meals,’ together with white rice. Embarrassingly, I even informed folks to keep away from white rice in my early years as a dietitian.

Whereas brown rice does have some slight dietary benefits over white rice (it’s a bit increased in fibre and a few minerals corresponding to magnesium), a number of the unfavorable speak about white rice is deeply rooted in the truth that folks have a tendency to make use of Western tradition’s concept of ‘wholesome meals’ because the gold-standard.  This has traditionally appeared like brown rice, combined greens and a chunk of fish or rooster breast.

This may increasingly work for some folks, nevertheless it isn’t consultant of the range of our inhabitants.

There are a number of methods to eat healthily, and our cultural meals needs to be part of that.

Meals, tradition, and identification are deeply rooted, and saying that cultural staples are ‘unhealthy’ is a approach of devaluing that tradition, which is fallacious on so many ranges. Folks ought to be capable of eat and benefit from the meals they grew up with, with out being made to really feel like these meals are ‘unhealthy’ or ‘fallacious.’

From a sensible standpoint, white rice cooks a lot quicker than brown rice. Rice itself is the right automobile for greens and proteins, and it’s cheap and may be prepped prematurely.

‘FACT’: we don’t want carbs to stay 

Carbohydrates have gotten a nasty status for a very long time, however the considering that carbs are pointless is a standard diet fantasy largely perpetuated by followers of low carb and Carnivore diets, particularly on social media. Individuals who observe these diets usually declare that they’ve improved their well being, misplaced weight, improved their pores and skin, and gained extra power all by avoiding carbs. I’ve written concerning the carnivore eating regimen right here.

Though technically we can stay with out carbohydrate, that doesn’t imply that it’s a good suggestion. Ideally, we are attempting to optimize our well being versus simply making an attempt to outlive.

Our mind depends on glucose as its principal supply of power. Our our bodies could make glucose from different substrates in a course of referred to as gluconeogenesis, however that not as environment friendly a course of as simply utilizing carbs for glucose.

Once more: simply because we can, doesn’t imply we ought to.

There’s nothing fallacious with consuming a lower-carb eating regimen, however fearing carbs and closely proscribing or avoiding them altogether isn’t well being selling, each bodily and emotionally. I’m going so as to add that fibre is a carb as effectively, and anybody who claims that fibre is pointless and even dangerous is just not somebody who you ought to be getting your diet info from.

Fruit, greens, entire grains, beans, and legumes are all nutrient-rich sources of carbohydrates, together with fibre. That is necessary for our gut-health, holding our levels of cholesterol wholesome, and may also help to stabilize blood sugar in folks with diabetes. Analysis reveals us that the healthiest eating regimen is one which incorporates a number of vegetation.

Conversely, there is no such thing as a analysis that proves that avoiding vegetation – or that dramatically restricts carbs – promotes higher well being. There are all the time exceptions, however typically, the overwhelming majority of us profit from together with carbohydrates in our diets.

Carb high quality issues, too. Whereas there’s a position for refined carbohydrates in our diets, the vast majority of our carb consumption ought to come from entire or minimally processed selections.

‘FACT’: saturated fats is just not linked with coronary heart illness 

Pointers for the reason that 1970’s have been to cut back saturated fats consumption to lower cardiovascular threat, however with evolving science, we’re studying extra about how some meals wealthy in saturated fats could not have a unfavorable affect on coronary heart well being in any case. Nonetheless, to say that saturated fats is just not linked with coronary heart illness is just not true. 

Saturated fats is present in many alternative meals. Most come from animal sources corresponding to meat, poultry, and dairy merchandise, however tropical fat corresponding to coconut and palm oils even have saturated fats. It’s necessary to know that every one fat comprise a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fat in several quantities.

Learn my put up about seed oils right here.

Present tips counsel that not more than 10% of our energy per day needs to be from saturated fats. If there was proof to counsel that saturated fats was not linked coronary heart illness, these tips would have been adjusted by now.

Dairy merchandise have been a preferred meals group to analysis about saturated fats and coronary heart well being. Cheese has been discovered to have helpful results on our blood fat in comparison with butter (which, FYI, is just round 63% saturated fats).

In a current systematic evaluation and meta-analysis, researchers discovered that in comparison with butter, dairy fats eaten within the type of cheese diminished fasting circulating complete ldl cholesterol, LDL and HDL. This is smart provided that butter is a totally completely different meals than cheese – cheese is a fermented meals and has protein, calcium and plenty of extra extra vitamins that you simply don’t discover in butter, which is basically pure fats.

Extra analysis is required to verify these findings, and there may be variations between several types of cheese, corresponding to onerous and semi-soft cheeses.

One other newer space of analysis has been to have a look at the chain size of the fatty acids which may be grouped into brief, medium, and lengthy chains. Quick chain fatty acids are largely produced within the colon as a biproduct of fibre being fermented. Medium chain fatty acids are present in palm kernel, coconut oil and dairy merchandise. Lengthy chain fatty acids are present in dairy, beef, palm oil, and lard. 

In a systemic evaluation, it was discovered that lengthy chain fatty acids elevated the danger for coronary heart illness, whereas brief and medium chain fat have been extra impartial. Nonetheless, since most meals have several types of fatty acids, it turns into onerous to make conclusions. 

When seeking to scale back saturated fats to enhance coronary heart well being, what we exchange it with can also be necessary. It’s typically accepted that changing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fat is helpful for our coronary heart well being. These fat are present in fatty fish corresponding to salmon and sardines in addition to nuts and seeds, tofu and soy beans. Vegetable oils corresponding to canola are additionally excessive in polyunsaturated fat. 

Analysis suggests that changing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates has a unfavorable impact on coronary heart well being. 

‘truth’: all of us want calcium dietary supplements for bone well being 

It might sound like a no brainer to complement a mineral you don’t get sufficient of out of your eating regimen. However in terms of the analysis, there are some issues to pay attention to in terms of calcium in complement kind.

There have been loads of research over time calcium dietary supplements and bone well being, however there isn’t a number of scientific consensus as a result of the research have combined outcomes. 

Most of those research have been completed with post-menopausal ladies, as this can be a time when age-related bone loss tends to speed up with lowering estrogen ranges. 

Info from the Girls’s Well being Initiative (WHI) research counsel that calcium mixed with vitamin D is related to small enhancements in bone mineral density, however is just not related to a threat for bone fracture in postmenopausal ladies.

The US Preventive Companies Job Pressure (USPSTF) had related findings, and each entities suggest towards every day calcium supplementation for the prevention of fractures in postmenopausal ladies.

There are some dangers with calcium dietary supplements. This 2021 meta evaluation checked out associations between calcium dietary supplements and coronary heart well being. It discovered that calcium dietary supplements appeared to extend the danger for heart problems and coronary coronary heart illness, however not cerebrovascular illness. 

Age-related bone loss is a giant challenge, particularly amongst ladies. I like to recommend a life-style method to assist bone well being that features consuming calcium-rich meals, weight-bearing train corresponding to strolling and resistance coaching, and quitting smoking. Get a baseline bone density scan, and observe up as really useful.

‘truth’: everybody needs to be on a low sodium eating regimen

Sodium is an important nutrient with roles that embody regulating fluid quantity and holding our muscle tissues and nerves working correctly.

Blood strain tips and a few well being professionals have traditionally really useful a low sodium eating regimen (outlined as lower than 2300mg of sodium or about 1 tsp of salt) primarily based on the assumption that this may scale back blood strain and in flip, scale back cardiovascular occasions.

Nonetheless, these suggestions have lately been challenged as a result of lack of strong proof to suggest such a low consumption. Common sodium intakes all over the world vary from 2.3-4.6g (1-2 tsp of salt) per day and a few researchers counsel that there is no such thing as a elevated threat of heart problems by having this quantity. The chance will increase when sodium consumption is over 5g per day. 

Additional, there is no such thing as a analysis to counsel that low sodium (within the vary at present really useful) in comparison with the typical consumption is related to a decrease threat of cardiovascular occasions and mortality. It might even be related to elevated threat. 

Graphic is from: Sodium and well being: one other problem to the present dogma | European Coronary heart Journal | Oxford Tutorial (oup.com) 

The PURE research, which adopted 102 000 people for 9 years discovered {that a} average consumption (3–5 g/day) of sodium gave the impression to be optimum for well being, with decrease and better intakes being related to increased mortality and heart problems.

Isolating one single nutrient in a research is difficult. The consequences of sodium are additionally impacted by how a lot potassium somebody will get which provides to the problem. That’s okay – most wholesome folks don’t have to fret about getting an excessive amount of sodium in the event that they give attention to consuming quite a lot of entire meals and limiting ultra-processed meals. 

Diet analysis is evolving. In flip, we should always all the time problem our beliefs and be open to any progress . Be sure to get your info from credible sources.

There are lots of people couching their opinions as diet info. Be skeptical of something that appears excessive or too good to be true, as a result of it in all probability is.