Nutritional Myths

The Top Ten nutrition myths are :

1. The problem with the food pyramid is that it makes little distinction in food quality. It tells you to minimize fats, but does not tell you which fats are best. It also emphasizes carbohydrates, which for many may be inappropriate.

2. Eggs are one of the most nutrient-rich foods known, and there is no evidence that they have any effect on cholesterol levels. They are an excellent source of important nutrients like sulfur, zinc, and choline.

3. Some actually find nuts all excellent snack to help them curb cravings and lose weight.

4. Exercise is an excellent and highly recommended adjunct to the weight loss process, but it is not necessary for healthy and permanent weight loss. Diet and nutrient intake are far more important.

5. Foods must only be eaten in certain combinations. There is no research that demonstrates that humans need to eat only certain foods at the same time. Humans are omnivores.

6. Diet and nutrient intake has no effect on arthritis. Vitamin E, EPA, and glucose amine sulfate are just some of the valuable nutritional aids that have proven effective in helping arthritics. The Lancet recently published a study showing the dramatic reduction in pain a vegetarian diet can make. When someone tells you that there is no success with nutritional therapies, check to see who funds that organization. They are often funded by drug companies that make arthritis medications.

7. Cholesterol-lowering medication will lengthen your life. Statistics show it will shorten it.

8. Diets don't work. Well-designed diets by well-educated nutritionists do, especially when optimal levels of nutrients are included.

9. There are no magic foods. Nutrition is science, not magic. If certain foods quench free radicals or protect against cancer, suggesting we eat more of those foods is not a sleight-o of hand trick. It is a well-reasoned suggestion based on solid research, and an important strategy in our fight against degenerative disease.

10. Senility is genetic and has little to do with diet. While there are certainly genetic factors at work in such ailments as Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senility, an overall program of optimal nutrition, including nutrients like niacin and herbs like ginkgo, can play a powerful role in preventing senility and enhancing brain health.