WHY THE WORLD IS MORE SICK AND FAT THAN EVER

Nutrition is full of all kinds of nonsense. The worst examples are listed here, but unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are the top 13 nutrition lies that have made the world both sick and fat.

1. Eggs Are Bad For Your Health

Eggs are incredibly nutritious. They’re often called “nature’s multivitamin.” The nutrients in eggs are enough to turn a single cell into an entire baby chicken. However, eggs have been demonized in the past due to their cholesterol content, which was believed to increase heart disease risk.

The truth is that despite being high in cholesterol, eggs don’t raise bad cholesterol levels in the blood. In fact, they primarily raise “good” cholesterol. Studies show that eggs are NOT associated with heart disease. If anything, they are a perfect food for humans. They’re loaded with protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and unique antioxidants that protect the eyes.

Additionally, eggs are an excellent source of choline, a nutrient vital for brain health that about 90% of people aren’t getting enough of. Despite being a “high fat” food, eating eggs for breakfast is proven to cause significant weight loss compared to a breakfast of bagels.

2. A Calorie is a Calorie

It is often said that the only thing that matters for weight loss is “calories in, calories out.” The truth is that while calories matter, the types of foods we eat are just as important. Different foods go through different metabolic pathways in the body.

Additionally, the foods we eat can directly impact the hormones that regulate when and how much we eat, as well as the calories we burn. Here are two examples of why a calorie is NOT a calorie:

• Protein: Eating protein can boost the metabolic rate and reduce appetite compared to the same amount of calories from fat and carbs. It can also increase muscle mass, which burns calories around the clock.

• Fructose vs. Glucose: Fructose can stimulate appetite compared to the same number of calories from glucose.

  
  

Even though calories are important, saying that they are all that matters when it comes to weight (or health) is completely wrong.

3. Saturated Fat is Unhealthy

For many decades, people believed that eating saturated fat could increase the risk of heart disease. This idea has been the cornerstone of mainstream nutrition recommendations. However, studies published in recent decades prove that saturated fat is completely harmless.

A massive study published in 2010 analyzed data from 21 studies involving 347,747 individuals. They found absolutely no association between saturated fat consumption and the risk of heart disease. Multiple other studies confirm these findings. The “war” on fat was based on an unproven theory that somehow became common knowledge.

Saturated fat raises HDL (the “good”) cholesterol. It also changes LDL cholesterol from small, dense LDL (very bad) to large LDL, which is benign. There is literally no reason to fear butter, meat, or coconut oil. These foods are perfectly healthy!

4. Eating a Lot of Protein is Bad For Your Health

Many people believe that consuming a lot of protein can damage your bones. While it is true that increased protein can increase calcium excretion from the bones in the short term, long-term studies show the opposite effect. In fact, eating more protein is consistently associated with improved bone density and a lower risk of fractures in old age.

This is one example of where blindly following conventional nutrition advice leads to the exact opposite result. Another myth is that protein increases strain on the kidneys and contributes to kidney failure. The reality is more complicated. Although it is true that people with established kidney disease should reduce protein intake, studies in healthy individuals show that protein is perfectly safe.

In healthy individuals, protein actually reduces two main risk factors for kidney disease: diabetes and high blood pressure. Eating a high-protein diet has many other benefits, including increased muscle mass, reduced body fat, and a lower risk of diseases like cardiovascular disease.

5. Everyone Should be Eating “Heart-Healthy” Whole Wheat

Commonly mistaken as a health food, evidence is mounting that wheat can contribute to various health problems. Yes, this includes “heart-healthy” whole wheat. Wheat is the biggest source of gluten in the diet. New studies show that a significant percentage of the population may be sensitive to it.

In sensitive individuals, gluten can contribute to various symptoms like digestive issues, pain, bloating, stool inconsistency, fatigue, and may damage the lining of the intestine. There are also controlled trials associating wheat gluten with various brain disorders, including schizophrenia, autism, and cerebellar ataxia.

Not only that, but a controlled trial in humans showed that whole wheat increased various risk factors for cardiovascular disease in as little as 12 weeks. Even though whole wheat is “less unhealthy” than refined wheat, the best choice would be to skip the wheat altogether.

6. Coffee is Bad For You

Coffee has gotten a bad reputation in the past. It is true that coffee can mildly elevate blood pressure in the short term. However, long-term studies show that coffee may actually reduce your risk of some serious diseases.

Coffee drinkers:

• Have up to a 67% lower risk of Type II diabetes.

• Are at a much lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

• Have up to an 80% lower risk of liver diseases like cirrhosis.

  
  

Caffeine also helps to mobilize fatty acids from fat tissues, boost metabolism, and increase exercise performance by an average of 11-12%. Many studies have examined the effects of caffeine on the brain, showing that it can improve mood, memory, reaction time, vigilance, and overall brain function.

You may be surprised to hear that coffee is also loaded with antioxidants. In fact, it is the biggest source of antioxidants in the modern diet, outranking both fruits and vegetables combined. If you’re sensitive to caffeine or it disrupts your sleep, green tea has many of the same health benefits but with a smaller amount of caffeine.

7. Meat is Bad For You

Blaming new health problems on old foods has never made sense. One example is meat, which humans have been eating throughout evolution for millions of years. For some strange reason, many people are now blaming meat for diseases like heart disease and type II diabetes, which are relatively new. This doesn’t make much sense, and the studies don’t support it.

While it is true that processed meat is associated with various diseases, the same is not true for unprocessed red meat. A massive review from 2010 analyzed data from 20 studies with a total of 1,218,380 individuals. It revealed that unprocessed red meat had no significant association with cardiovascular disease or type II diabetes.

Other studies involving hundreds of thousands of people agree: processed meat is bad, but unprocessed red meat is harmless. Even though some observational studies have found a link between meat consumption and cancer, review studies that look at the data as a whole show that the effect is weak and inconsistent.

If there is an association between red meat and cancer (which has NOT been proven), it is most likely caused by excessive cooking, not the meat itself. For this reason, it may be important to avoid burning your meat. Also, let’s not forget that meat is incredibly nutritious. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, quality proteins, healthy fats, and various lesser-known nutrients that are important for the body and brain.

8. The Healthiest Diet is a Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet

Since 1977, health authorities have advised everyone to eat a low-fat, high-carb diet. This was based on political decisions and low-quality studies that have since been thoroughly debunked. Interestingly, the obesity epidemic started almost simultaneously with the introduction of low-fat guidelines.

Since then, several massive studies have examined the health effects of the low-fat diet. In the Women's Health Initiative, the largest diet study ever conducted, 48,835 women were randomized to either a low-fat diet or continued with the standard western diet. After 7.5 years, the low-fat group weighed only 0.4 kg (1 lb) less, with no decrease in cardiovascular disease or cancer.

Other studies agree with these findings: this diet is notoriously ineffective. While it may work for healthy and active individuals, for people with obesity, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes, the low-fat diet can be downright harmful.

9. Refined Seed- and Vegetable Oils Are Healthy

Some studies show that polyunsaturated fats lower your risk of heart disease. For this reason, many have recommended increasing our consumption of vegetable oils like soybean oil, sunflower oil, and corn oil. However, it is important to realize that there are different types of polyunsaturated fats, mainly Omega-3s and Omega-6s.

While we get Omega-3s from fish and grass-fed animals, the main sources of Omega-6 fatty acids are processed seed- and vegetable oils. We need to maintain a certain balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s. Most people consume too little Omega-3 and way too much Omega-6.

Excess Omega-6 fatty acids can increase inflammation in the body, which is known to play a causal role in many serious diseases. Most importantly, seed- and vegetable oils are associated with a significantly increased risk of heart disease, the biggest killer in the world.

If you want to lower your risk of disease, eat your Omega-3s but avoid refined seed- and vegetable oils. This does NOT apply to other plant oils like coconut oil and olive oil, which are low in Omega-6 and extremely healthy.

10. Low-Carb Diets Are Ineffective and Downright Harmful

Low-carb diets have been popular for several decades.

Because they are high in fat, they have been demonized by nutritionists and the media. They repeatedly claim that such diets are “unproven” or downright dangerous. However, since 2002, over 20 randomized controlled trials have examined the effects of low-carb diets on various aspects of health.

Almost every one of those studies agrees that:

1. Low-carb diets lead to significant decreases in blood pressure.

2. Low-carb diets where people can eat as much as they want cause more weight loss than low-fat diets that are calorie-restricted.

3. Low-carb diets increase HDL (the good) cholesterol and decrease triglycerides much more than low-fat diets.

4. Low-carb diets change the pattern of LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol from small, dense LDL (very bad) to large LDL, which is benign.

5. Low-carb diets have powerful positive effects on type II diabetes, significantly lowering blood sugar and reducing the need for medication.

6. Low-carb diets appear to be easier to stick to than low-fat diets, likely because people don’t have to restrict calories and be hungry all the time.

   
   

Even though low-carb diets are unnecessary for healthy and active individuals, studies show they are extremely useful against obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type II diabetes—some of the biggest health problems in the world. Despite these powerful results, many “experts” who are supposed to have our best interests in mind call low-carb diets dangerous and continue to promote the failed low-fat diet that harms more people than it helps.

11. Everyone Should be Cutting Back on Sodium

Health authorities constantly tell us to reduce sodium in our diets to lower blood pressure. While most people consume about 3,400 mg of sodium per day, we are usually advised to cut back to 1,500-2,300 mg per day (about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of salt).

It is true that reducing sodium can cause mild reductions in blood pressure, especially in individuals with elevated blood pressure. However, elevated blood pressure itself doesn’t kill anyone directly. It is a risk factor, not necessarily a cause of disease.

Interestingly, many studies have examined whether sodium restriction affects cardiovascular disease or the risk of death. These studies consistently found no effect, even in individuals with high blood pressure. Other studies show that too little sodium can also be harmful, leading to adverse effects such as insulin resistance, elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and an increased risk of death in type II diabetics.

Overall, there is no evidence that healthy people need to cut back on sodium.

12. Sugar is Bad Because it Contains “Empty” Calories

Many believe that sugar is unhealthy just because it contains “empty” calories. This is true—sugar contains a lot of calories with no essential nutrients. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sugar, mainly due to its high fructose content, can have severe adverse effects on metabolism and lead to rapid weight gain and metabolic disease.

When we consume large amounts of fructose, it gets converted into fat in the liver. This fat is either shipped out as VLDL particles or lodges in the liver, causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Studies show that excess fructose can lead to insulin resistance, elevated blood sugars, elevated triglycerides, increased small, dense LDL, and increased abdominal obesity in as little as 10 weeks.

Fructose also doesn’t lower the hunger hormone ghrelin and doesn’t affect satiety in the brain in the same way as glucose. This causes a biochemical drive in the brain to eat more and gain weight. This applies to fructose from added sugars, NOT the natural sugars found in fruits. When consumed in excess, added sugar is associated with multiple diseases, including obesity, heart disease, type II diabetes, and even cancer. Sugar is probably the single worst ingredient in the modern diet.

13. Fat Makes You Fat

It seems logical that eating fat would make you fat.

After all, the stuff that is making people soft and puffy is fat. For this reason, eating more fat should give us more of it. However, it turns out that it isn’t that simple. Despite fat having more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, high-fat diets do not make people fat.

This depends entirely on the context. A diet high in both carbs AND fat will make you fat, but it’s NOT because of the fat. In fact, studies consistently show that high-fat (but low-carb) diets lead to much more weight loss than low-fat diets.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the misconceptions surrounding nutrition are numerous and often misleading. Understanding the truth about these common myths can empower individuals to make better dietary choices. By debunking these myths, we can pave the way for healthier lifestyles and combat the rising rates of illness and obesity in the world.

The journey towards better health begins with knowledge. Embrace the facts, make informed choices, and prioritize your well-being.