Experts Explain What Food And Nutrition Myths People Still Believe Are True (40 Answers)

Bored Panda managed to get in touch with the person who sparked this conversation on 'Ask Reddit', user Rapid_falls263, who was kind enough to have a little chat with us. The Redditor said they did not expect the thread would attract so much attention: "I'm very surprised. I thought it would go unnoticed like my other questions."

The user believes that for most people, there’s nothing to be worried about as long as they eat a balanced diet and pay attention to calories. "Though how many calories you need depends on things like age, sex, whether you're trying to lose weight, gain weight, or keep your weight the same, etc. However, certain medical conditions require different diets," they mentioned the importance of personalized nutrition.

When asked if there was something that stood out to them in the thread, they immediately mentioned the ignorance some restaurant workers have toward allergies. "People with allergies can't even have food touch the things they're allergic to. I don't know if anyone brought it up, but the same is also true for people with celiac. I worked with people with celiac, and if I was having something with gluten, I had to clean everything really well. I had to be extra careful because even a tiny bit of gluten can send them to the hospital," they said.

We also reached out to Kristina Zalnieraite, a registered and licensed dietitian and Head of Nutrition & Wellness at Kilo Health, to learn how to better navigate the seemingly tricky world of nutrition. "With the growing body of knowledge supporting the connection between diet and overall health, many consumers are taking personal health and nutrition decisions into their own hands. People are becoming more reliant on nutrition information from sources such as websites, television, radio, newspapers, advertisements, friends, and family, thereby creating opportunities for nutrition misinformation and health fraud," she told Bored Panda.

According to Zalnieraite, a lot of controversial information surrounds the topic of nutrition. "This is because the information is accessible everywhere, and I have to admit that in quite a lot of cases, it is not always reliable."

One of the central issues with nutrition is that advice about food is constantly changing, with recommendations appearing from many different sources. "Accurate nutrition information is science-based, peer-reviewed, and replicable. Nutrition misinformation is not supported by science and may be misleading and incomplete. It can be challenging for consumers to tease out reputable versus fraudulent nutrition information and claims," the expert explained.

When asked about the widespread food myths that don’t actually serve our physical and mental health, three topics immediately popped into Zalnieraite’s mind. "Consulting more than 30,000 people about nutrition will make you pick up some clues on what foods can confuse a typical health-conscious person. And believe me, I have heard some peculiar things people think are healthy over my career. Some of them are funny. Others might be dangerous."

The first misconception about healthy nutrition, she said, is that foods that contain gluten are bad for you. "You might have heard that gluten-containing foods such as wheat and wheat products are inherently bad for your health. Research shows that there is no need to avoid gluten unless you have a medical reason. Gluten might lead to serious side effects in people who have an autoimmune condition called celiac disease or gluten intolerance. For these people, a gluten-free diet is the most effective medical treatment."

But if you don't have these conditions, you shouldn't restrict yourself from eating gluten, Zalnieraite argued. "Gluten-containing whole grains are rich in fiber and nutrients, including B vitamins, magnesium, and iron, all of which are essential for our optimal health. Choose unprocessed or lightly processed grains because highly processed versions contain refined sugars, higher amounts of saturated fats, and have a higher glycaemic index."

Another food myth that should be immediately tossed is that sugar in fruit is unhealthy. "Over recent years, the media has portrayed sugar in fruit as the sugar-rich enemy, which led people to avoid consuming too much fruit. While the World Health Organization recommends limiting the intake of added sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake, this advice does not apply to the sugar we get in whole fruit," Zalnieraite told us.

The licensed dietitian pointed out that manufacturers, cooks, and consumers themselves include free sugar in their food. "That includes sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit juices, too."

"However, the sugar in fruit is naturally bound within its cellular structure, making it act differently in our body than added sugars. Whole fruit is rich in nutrients and fiber and does not spike our blood sugar levels as much as sugary drinks or sweets. Regular fruit consumption has been linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and premature death."

"Therefore, everyone should have a few portions of whole fruit per day as part of a balanced diet," Zalnieraite suggested. But there’s one thing to keep in mind. "Fruit juices and smoothies contain free sugars due to the release of the natural sugars from the structure of fruit by blending and juicing. However, they still provide a great variety of vitamins and minerals and some fiber," she said and added it’s best to limit your intake to no more than 150ml of these drinks per day.

The last food misconception many people believe is that fresh produce is more nutritious than frozen produce. Well, that’s not the case. "Frozen fruit and vegetables can be more nutritious as they are picked and frozen within hours of being harvested, protecting the vitamins and minerals they contain. In contrast, fresh vegetables and fruits begin to lose some nutrients after being picked, packed, stored, and transported to the grocery stores," Zalnieraite detailed.

"A study from 2017 found that frozen produce is either as nutritious or more nutritious than fresh vegetables and fruits. Frozen fruit and vegetables are also more affordable and convenient and can help with reducing food waste."

Reading through these replies may change your perspective about commonly held (yet false!) food beliefs, as well as remind you to always fact-check questionable facts and emerging diet trends to stay well-informed. But if you still feel like nutrition is wrapped in multiple confusions, Zalnieraite highlighted several red flags for misleading information everyone should be aware of:

• Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
• Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen.
• Claims that sound too good to be true.
• Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study.
• Recommendations based on a single study.
• Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
• "Spinning" information from another product to match the producer’s claims.
• Stating that research is "currently underway," indicating that there is no current research.
• Unusual diets and eating patterns that promote short-term weight loss, with no concern for long-term weight maintenance or overall health.