Mealtime myths can be a weighty problem
By Janet Helm
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Wednesday, Mar. 21 2007

Myths about nutrition seem to linger for years, just like urban legends.

You may have fallen for a few fad diets promising a quick fix. Remember the one
about grapefruit burning fat? And who can forget the cider vinegar and cabbage
soup diets?

Now desperate dieters are turning to options such as the "master cleanse" or
lemonade diet and other so-called detox diets. All too often, these extreme
weight-loss regimens are popularized in the pages of celebrity magazines.

Other food fads that come up short on true benefits include the "raw food"
movement — based on the false premise that cooking kills vital food enzymes
required for digestion — and "food combining," which is the far-fetched concept
that starches and proteins should not be eaten in the same meal because they
somehow compete with each other.

March is National Nutrition Month, and to mark the occasion, the American
Dietetic Association is encouraging us to be "100 percent Fad Free," the
association's theme for this year. That means focusing on overall health and
not the latest diet craze. It also means seeking the truth about food rather
than falling for popular myths.

With that in mind, we've put together a quiz to help you separate food fact
from fiction. See if you can spot the nutrition myths.

MYTH OR FACT?

1. Calories eaten at night are more fattening.

Myth. Total calories count, not the time of day you eat them.

That said, avoiding late-night eating may be a smart strategy to help you eat
less, said dietitian Elisa Zied of New York City. People who don't eat all day
and then come home and devour everything in sight are probably eating more than
they think. Space your meals throughout the day, and keep track of total
calories, not the clock.

2. Fasting helps rid the body of toxins.

Myth. A fast may give you the perception of "cleaning out" your body's
impurities, but there is no scientific evidence, Zied said. Our bodies are
pretty self-sufficient. We have our own "detox" system that filters out harmful
products on a daily basis. You don't need to deprive your body of food to make
that happen.

Nor will fasting keep weight off. The promise of losing pounds overnight may be
alluring, but it is water weight, not fat, and it probably will be regained
quickly. Remember: Easy off, easy on. Plus, long-term fasting could be risky.

3. Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight.

Myth. Studies show that breakfast-skippers compensate by eating more throughout
the day. People who regularly eat breakfast tend to have better luck at losing
weight and keeping it off.

Of course, you have to eat the right food. If you grab only a doughnut, you may
be ravenous before lunch because of a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar, Zied
said. She suggested a morning meal containing fiber and protein.

4. Your body can't tell the difference between honey and sugar.

Fact. Honey seems to have a more "natural" appeal, and some people claim it's
less fattening. But as far as your body is concerned, there is no difference.
Honey and sugar are both broken down into glucose and fructose.

You might use less honey because it is a bit sweeter than sugar, but that's the
only benefit. Raw sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar and evaporated cane juice
are all basically the same, too. They may be slightly less refined than white
sugar, but that only means more molasses, which is nutritionally insignificant.
(And by the way, sugar does not cause diabetes — another popular nutrition
myth.)

5. Low-fat always means low calories.

Myth. If you see the word "low" on the label, that's your clue to look a little
further, suggested dietitian Susan Moores of Minneapolis. Check for serving
size and the number of calories on the Nutrition Facts label. Low-fat foods
often contain the same amount or even more calories than regular versions.

That's particularly true for fat-free foods. If fat is taken out, something
else is put in — often sugar. Some studies suggest that snacks with low-fat
labels simply entice you to indulge, so you end up eating more calories than if
you had selected the regular version.

6. You can eat shrimp and other shellfish on a cholesterol-lowering diet.

Fact. Shrimp may be high in dietary cholesterol, but it's low in saturated fat.
Studies suggest that saturated and trans fats tend to have a greater effect on
our blood cholesterol than the cholesterol we eat, according to dietitian David
Grotto, a Chicago-based spokesman for the American Dietetic Association.

Experts still advise us to limit dietary cholesterol to 300 milligrams a day to
keep our hearts healthy, but we should be even more vigilant about saturated
and trans fat. So as long as it's not battered and fried, there may be no need
to say sayonara to shrimp.

7. Multigrain foods are always made with whole grains.

Myth. "Multigrain" means the product was made with several grains. You can't
assume that whole grains were used. The same is true for "seven-grain" or
"cracked wheat." Even breads and cereals that say "made with whole grains" may
contain few whole grains. Look for products labeled "100 percent whole grain,"
or see if "whole" is in front of every grain in the ingredient list, Moores
advised.

8. Olive oil has fewer calories than other fats.

Myth. Somehow, with all the buzz about the heart-health benefits of olive oil,
people forget that it's still a fat, said dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix of New
York. All oils are 100 percent fat and supply about 120 calories per
tablespoon.

"Light" olive oil has nothing to do with the amount of calories: The term
refers to the flavor. So even though olive oil contains the "good"
monounsaturated fats, be mindful of how much you douse or drizzle.

9. Frozen vegetables are as nutritious as fresh.

Fact. Just-picked vegetables do have more vitamins and minerals, but the
nutrient levels can drop as the produce is stored. Frozen vegetables are
flash-frozen soon after picking to lock in nutrients. You can limit the loss of
nutrients by steaming or microwaving with a little water or stir-frying in a
bit of oil.

10. Foods boasting "0 trans fat" contain "good" fats.

Myth. Sometimes the substitution was a saturated fat, which signals no
significant improvement. Check the Nutrition Facts label. Front-of-the-package
claims are marketing facts and back-of-the-package claims contain nutrition
facts, explained dietitian and American Dietetic Association president-elect
Connie Diekman of St. Louis.

Don't assume that "trans-fat free" is a healthful choice, she said. When a
product says "0g trans fat," by law it can contain up to half a gram per
serving. If you eat a jumbo portion, you may be getting more trans than you
bargained for.

11. Organic food is always more nutritious.

Myth. The word "organic" refers to the practices on the farm and not the
nutritional content of the final product.

Few studies have compared organic and conventionally grown foods, said food
toxicologist Carl Winter, director of the FoodSafe program at the University of
California at Davis. Some evidence suggests that organic produce may be higher
in certain antioxidants, but no nutritional advantage is evident in organic
milk and meat, he said.

And when it comes to the snack aisle, don't assume that "organic" gives you the
green light to load up. An organic cheese puff is still a cheese puff.


Janet Helm is a Chicago dietitian and nutrition consultant.

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