As people are becoming conscious of being healthy, it is inevitable that some people tend to instantly fall for countless nutrition misconceptions and myths or tips on a clickbait over the internet that says healthy living. As easy as how we can get valuable nutrition information, but the same thing goes with erroneous or fake nutrition information. All people wanted to live healthily or at least educate themselves whether the food that they indulged is beneficial for the body, especially during this time of pandemic.

Unfortunately, the plethora of nutrition information found over the internet is hard to distinguish from right or wrong. These all could lead to more confusion than veil the real context of nutrition and health principles.

Here are some nutrition myths and its evidence-based facts:

Myth: Dietary supplements are necessary every day and can give you a longer life.

Fact: Taking dietary supplements like multivitamins, or food supplements does not increase one’s life expectancy. Besides, it may cause overdose and may end up harming your health if taken daily. Though food supplements may help in some ways for certain conditions as long as prescribed by your physician, still it is best to consume your vitamins and minerals. Eat your body’s nutrient needs from the diet, not from a pill.

Myth: Going "vegetarian” is the best way to be healthy.

Fact: Sticking to a certain diet regimen is not the best way to be healthy, but should be a combination of lifestyle change, healthy diet, and physical activity. This type of diet likely leads to suboptimal amounts of nutrients like vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acid, iron, and zinc. Since its known good food sources are from meat or animal-based foods. Therefore, it is best recommended to have a moderate, balanced, and varied diet as easy as following the Pinggang Pinoy food guide.

Myth: Egg yolks are bad for your health.

Fact: Eggs are considered as high biological value protein food meaning that it is a good source of proteins, fats, and other essential nutrients. Egg yolk does have cholesterol content however, its association with cardiovascular diseases has been overly exaggerated. However, it is recommended for the general population to have an intake of 300 mg cholesterol per day. Remember, an egg a day is okay!

Myth: Eating spicy foods can cause ulcer and hemorrhoids.

Fact: The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is the causative agent for ulcers. In the case of hemorrhoids, eating a low-fiber diet is the main reason an individual develops this disease. Spicy foods can be irritants if consumed by individuals with existing ulcers and hemorrhoid, and it does not link in the development of both diseases.

Myth: Drinking water can make you fat.

Fact: Water has zero calories (0 kcal), therefore it cannot be stored in the body as fat. However, drinking water can induce edema or water retention due to organ dysfunction in conditions like congestive heart failure and end-stage kidney disease. Anyhow, if you are not suffering from such a condition then you must drink your water to keep you hydrated. Check your water level and drink 8-12 glasses a day as necessary.

Myth: A low-carb diet is the best way to lose weight.

Fact: Choosing the right carb is better for a healthy diet than taking a low-carb diet. The “right carbs” are vegetables, fruits, legumes, root crops and whole grains like oats, brown rice, and whole-grain bread. These foods provide high fiber and vitamins which are beneficial for your gut. The recommended dietary intake of carbohydrates among Filipinos is an average of 60% of total daily calories. (Read: Carbohydrates: Is it yea or nay?)

In this new normal, we should start anew by aiming to correct baseless nutrition misconceptions that we acquired by word of mouth or through the internet, and unveil the truth behind these. How can we do it? By thoroughly understanding nutrition researches from reliable and verified nutrition experts or consulting your registered nutritionist-dietitians for your nutrition concerns. We can all achieve a healthy lifestyle by following our 10 Kumainments. Also, it is essential to remember and use Pinggang Pinoy to maintain balance, variety, and a moderate diet. By doing such, we all become smarter without compromising our health. Thus, we call ourselves as health-conscious when we take responsibility to know if this consciousness that we have is the truth. (CMU BSND OJT Belle Castuya and ND II Angelique Jean Maggay).

Reference:

Rosenbloom, C. 2020. Nutrition myths- busted. Heart and stroke foundation of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.hearandstroke.ca/articles/nutrition-myths-bsuted. 17 September 2020.