Should you cook with butter or olive oil? Does this red wine drink protect your heart? Pink Himalayan salt is healthy, right? There are a lot of food myths disguised as facts on the Internet that are discussed at dinner parties and in magazines.
It can be confusing and contradictory. Let's dive into nine common myths about food and health and the facts behind them.
Myth #1: Butter is healthy for your heart
Butter Facts:
Butter is not a healthy food and should be limited in a heart healthy diet.
Evidence suggests that there is a relatively small or neutral risk between butter and mortality and heart disease.
The problem is that butter raises both good and bad cholesterol levels, with higher bad cholesterol outweighing the benefits of higher good cholesterol.
If you already have high cholesterol, butter can raise your bad cholesterol levels even more.
Is butter part of a heart healthy diet?
Butter should only be eaten occasionally and in small amounts.
Replace butter with foods that reduce heart disease risk
- such as avocados, olive oil, nut butters, and spreads made with canola or olive oil.
Myth 2: Coconut Oil
is a Super Health Food Coconut oil has been the focus of heated debate in the past few years.
Some have called it a superfood, so does it deserve that title?
Coconut oil facts:
Coconut oil also contains 92% saturated fat. Although this type of saturated fat is slightly different from what is found in animal products, it doesn't make it a healthy choice.
Coconut oil raises both good and bad cholesterol, with the rise in bad cholesterol outweighing the rise in good cholesterol.
Is coconut oil part of a heart healthy diet?
Like butter, coconut oil is not a healthy food.
Coconut oil is something that should only be taken occasionally and in small quantities.
Use healthy cooking oils instead, such as olive oil.
Myth 3: Sugar is toxic to heart health.
Sugar in foods or drinks can occur naturally or added during processing.
In recent years, sugar has come under attack, with some people aiming to eliminate it entirely from their diets.
Sugar facts:
There is no scientific consensus that sugar as a nutrient causes heart disease.
However, a high intake of added sugars and refined carbohydrates is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
Excessive sugar intake can increase the amount of energy (kilojoules) people consume and may lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
Is sugar part of a heart healthy diet? Your whole diet is important, not a single nutrient like sugar.
The bulk of the added sugars in Australian diets come from fast foods
- especially sugary drinks.
Limit or avoid these foods and drinks as part of your heart-healthy diet.
Myth 4: Omega-6 fats
can cause inflammation Food sources of omega-6 include nuts, seeds and their oils (including sunflower, safflower, sesame, canola, and to a lesser extent olive oil).
There are some claims that omega-6 fats promote inflammation and increase the risk of heart disease.
Facts about omega-6 fats:
Omega-6 is an essential fatty acid that the human body cannot make naturally.
Research has not found evidence of a relationship between inflammation and omega-6.
You can include these omega-
6-rich foods as part of your heart
-healthy eating pattern.
Is omega-6 part of a heart healthy diet?
Overall, scientific evidence strongly supports the benefits of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), including omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, in a heart-healthy diet.
Myth 5: Saturated fats are healthy Now
saturated fats come from many different sources, including meat, chicken, dairy, palm oil, and coconut. It's also in discretionary or processed foods such as biscuits, pastries, and prepared foods.
Facts about saturated fats:
Saturated fats are more unhealthy than unsaturated fats, but they are preferable to trans fats.
Evidence supports that reducing saturated fats in your diet and replacing them with unsaturated fats reduces the risk of heart disease.
Replacing saturated fats with whole grains also reduces the risk of heart disease, but not to the same extent as trans fats.
Replacing saturated fats with refined carbohydrates does not reduce the risk of heart disease.
Is saturated fat part of a heart healthy diet?
Junk foods and drinks are major contributors to saturated fat intake.
Limit these foods by replacing them with heart-healthy foods.
Get more healthy fats in your diet from sources such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils, and oily fish.
Myth 6: Pink Himalayan salt is healthier
Salt now comes in a variety.
As more options became available, myths about salt and health began to grow.
So, is pink Himalayan salt actually healthier?
Facts About Pink Himalayan Salt It is true that some gourmet salts contain trace minerals not found in table salt, but only in trace amounts.
These minerals can be found in greater amounts in healthy foods such as vegetables.
Sodium and chloride are found in types of salt (table salt, pink salt, rock salt, black salt, etc.)
- sodium that can be harmful to health.
Excessive intake of any type of salt can lead to high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for infection.
heart disease; Salt in a heart-healthy diet The maximum daily amount of salt you should eat is about 1 teaspoon (5 grams). One way to reduce salt is to use herbs and spices in cooking or seasoning your meals.
Myth 7: You shouldn't cook with olive oil
People are often interested in cooking with olive oil because of its smoke point.
Facts about olive oil:
Olive oil is a healthy and versatile oil that you can use with a variety of cooking methods.
Olive oil is a great option for medium
-heat frying (ie, stir-frying or heating food in a frying pan).
Oils suitable for high temperature frying (such as deep frying) include extra virgin olive oil, high oleic canola oil, and high oleic peanut oil, as they are more stable at high temperatures.
Myth 8: Dark chocolate and red wine are good for my heart
You might hear this myth over a glass of red at a dinner party with a vague reference to antioxidants and polyphenols.
Unfortunately, it's a classic case of it being too good to be true.
Facts About Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Antioxidants Let's take a first look at antioxidants.
These are naturally occurring agents or compounds in foods that may protect your cells from free radicals.
There is no consistent evidence that the antioxidants in red wine can prevent heart disease or be beneficial after a heart attack.
The amount of alcohol drunk is more important than the type of alcohol.
While red wine contains a variety of polyphenols (the amount varies greatly between each bottle), red wine is not a good source of antioxidants to prevent heart disease.
Polyphenols: Next, we move on to polyphenols — a group of chemicals found in some plant foods. They are the most abundant antioxidant in our diet.
The good news is that a high cocoa/chocolate polyphenol intake can reduce risk factors for heart disease.
However, most processed chocolate has a low content of these substances.
Dark chocolate doesn't necessarily mean high amounts of polyphenols.
Manufacturers also aren't obligated to put it on their nutrition information panels, so reading labels doesn't help. Raw cocoa powder contains high levels of polyphenols, and we recommend raw cocoa powder for beverages and cooking.
Myth 9: Low-fat milk is healthier:
You have a lot of choices when it comes to milk. But is lower fat actually healthier for your heart?
Low-fat milk facts:
Milk can be included in a heart-healthy diet, but there is conflicting evidence about whether full-fat or low-fat products are the healthiest choice.
Some studies show that one is better than the other, while others say there is no difference.
There is not enough conclusive evidence to recommend one over the other. It's up to you whether you choose to have low-fat or full-fat milk - as long as it's unflavored. The fats in dairy products raise cholesterol, which is not a problem for most healthy people. However, if you suffer from heart disease or high bad cholesterol, it is better to choose low-fat dairy products.
Regardless of whether you choose low-fat or full-fat milk, a heart-healthy diet is about the combination of foods you eat over the course of days and weeks.
Know the facts:
Myths start for all kinds of reasons, and there may be some element of truth in some of them.
To separate fact from fiction, trust trusted sources, such as government or peer-reviewed scientific publications, for reliable information.
And remember that living a healthier life is all about balance.
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