The most shocking diet myths slideshow

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  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
    Thank you! Great slideshow....I get soooo tired of hearing the same old myths trotted out day after day around here. I've learned so much since I found Alan Aragon's and Lyle McDonald's sites. Good stuff here!
  • CaptainMFP
    CaptainMFP Posts: 440 Member
    Interesting and generally very right, but I see two real problems with this slideshow.

    (1) As someone with moderately high BP and who teaches physiology, the risk in this presentation -- while overstated in the popular media -- is understated in this presentation based on the primary source literature I've read.
    (2) On an early slide they equate "protein synthesis" in muscles with the "breakdown of protein." Um...these two are opposites.

    While I think this is generally very accurate, point number two above is a particular problem because if they can't tell the difference between the synthesis and breakdown of protein, it calls into question their credibility on all the other points. (Unfortunate because it does get a lot right!)
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Loved it. The only one they left out was 8 glasses of water!
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Agreed.

    However, they will still not believe it, and continue to spout the myths.

    FSM could come down in a golden flaming chariot, curing all the world's ailments in one flick of his noodley appendage, wearing a t-shirt that says "I am FSM", and some people would still say "I don't buy it"...
  • cheddle
    cheddle Posts: 102 Member
    It feels gimmicky and really only cites once source however the slides are bang on the money...

    great, and informative link.

    kudos
  • Merlsy
    Merlsy Posts: 10
    If we listened to every myth, there'd be nothing left to eat!!
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
    It feels gimmicky and really only cites once source however the slides are bang on the money...

    great, and informative link.

    kudos

    This!
  • Tisha247
    Tisha247 Posts: 849 Member
    If people read this, I think the forum traffic will be at least halved.

    http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/546558-the-most-shocking-diet-myths/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fanpage&utm_campaign=dietmyths111011#slide-1

    Yes this is common sense, I agree. :smile:
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    It's a slideshow in point form so that people will actually read it as opposed to a regular article/blog with many cited references. If you were to add multiple sources for each article, I don't think you'd be able to read it in a few minutes :tongue:

    scschenk: re 2, it's written in laymans terms. MPS is not the breakdown of protein and I'm sure Alan Aragon knows this.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Wait... Fat doesn't make you fat? :wink: Bring on the B&J!
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    th_thasis18.gif
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    bump must read
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    as I said, if people read this, the forum traffic would drop a LOT!
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
    Thanks! Good link to have - though I bet a lot of people will ignore it. Fads are easier to grasp and more emotionally satisfying than the idea that weight loss is a simply issue of calories in, calories out (provided you don't have hormonal or chemical issues holding you back.)


    Personally, I'm sick and tired of people hounding me about splenda. I've done the literature review and talked to several nutritionists with PhDs, and the science has only managed to suggest, but not prove, a potential psychological link between using artificial sweeteners and tricking yourself into eating more sugar elsewhere. There's no metabolism effect at all. NONE. Splenda has the same metabolic effects as water. But that doesn't stop people from telling me I'm killing myself by using a minimal amount a day in my iced tea. *eye roll*
  • amberrrogers
    amberrrogers Posts: 98
    I loved that! most of it I knew already. But it is nice to have the link to share with the 'know it all' people who have offered the expertise since I started this journey
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    glad to see people reading it.

    I get the same thing with splenda all the time as well. Craziness.
  • judkinsjenny
    judkinsjenny Posts: 220
    Thankyou. i had a sneaking suspicion that some of this stuff is weird. like sodium. sure, dont add it to everything you eat but dont crap about it either. lol
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
    I generally liked this slideshow but I think there were some bits that definitely could have been worded better as they seemed a bit misleading. For example - they claimed that eating regularly didn't help with weight loss but then their example from the research of not eating regularly was 3 meals per day - I would still count that as eating regularly.

    I don't believe that calorie for calorie, clean foods make any difference to 'dirty' foods but while I do believe it is very healthy to include some treats, I think in general clean foods are overestimated on calories and 'dirty' foods are underestimated (mostly due to vague labeling laws that rely on averages) so I think more veg for example tends to = more weight loss.

    I'm not sold on the excess protein is not dangerous for your kidneys post, it really depends what you call 'excess' they are talking 1g/pound, vaguely 2g/kg which I agree is a lot but some people are eating far more than this. We don't really have any reliable long term studies so it is difficult to say whether or not it is detrimental to healthy kidneys. It is one of the lead accelerators of kidney disease (once they are already damaged) though, hence the 0.75-1g/kg limit for patients with kidney disease. While it could be true, I just don't think with the evidence that we have that I would be quite ready to promise anyone that it is safe.

    Definitely a lot of good stuff in there though!
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
    If people read this, I think the forum traffic will be at least halved.

    http://www.livestrong.com/slideshow/546558-the-most-shocking-diet-myths/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fanpage&utm_campaign=dietmyths111011#slide-1
    Thank you. I've bookmarked for future reference.

    It just seems to be the common sense approach to food and nutrition which is how I have been successful in losing weight this time round!
  • GrammyWhammy
    GrammyWhammy Posts: 484 Member
    I agree with practically everything mentioned in the slideshow except the supposed "sodium myth." Most people in developed countries, especially the U.S., consume way too much sodium. Of course we all need sodium in our diet, but not 2 or 3 times the RDA. Healthy individuals should try to keep sodium levels below 2200 mg. Those with underlying medical conditions, such as HBP or heart disease, should keep their levels at about 1500 mg. During my pregnancies I had trouble with swollen legs, feet, hands and fingers, and this year, due to A-fib and Sick Sinus Syndrome (heart arrhythmias), I once again had problems with edema. For the last 7 weeks I've been monitoring my sodium levels on this site, trying to keep them in or near the recommended range. The results are incredible! Literally no more swelling and my BP has dropped from high-normal (pre-hypertensive) to low normal. Another benefit is that weight loss is more visible. Note I didn't say faster, I said visible. Of course this makes any weight loss almost immediately noticable/measurable which is encouraging, especially when one has such a long road to attaining a healthy weight. Several healthcare professionals, including my two cardiologists, confirmed that keeping sodium within healthy boundaries was the key. Exceeding the limits once in a while probably won't kill anyone who is healthy, but if you eat mainly processed foods, and I mean frozen entrees or sides, restaurant meals, bakery products, canned soups and sauces, and so forth, you ARE harming yourself in one way or another.

    I hate disagreeing with LIVESTRONG on this issue, especially since their headquarters is located so near and their cause admirable, but their myth-busting re sodium didn't include all the facts.
  • GrammyWhammy
    GrammyWhammy Posts: 484 Member
    This was in my mailbox this morning. The source is a popular diet program I'm not sure I'm allowed to write on this site (the initials are WW), but the footnotes below list the names of researchers and studies that support this thinking.

    "More than saturated fat, obesity and dietary cholesterol, high blood pressure is the most critical risk factor for heart disease.1 The evidence is clear that the higher the intake of salt and other sodium-containing foods, the higher the blood pressure.

    Current health recommendations generally call for a reduction to about half of today’s average intake, which is still several times higher than the amount needed for human health.2

    If you already have high blood pressure
    In a meta-analysis published in 2002, the authors showed that lowering salt intake in people with hypertension produced significant improvements in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In addition, the greater the reduction, the greater the improvement.3

    If your blood pressure is normal
    While the reduction in blood pressure for those without existing hypertension who cut back on salt is only about half of those seen among those with the disease, the result is still significant.4

    Cutting back
    Leaving the salt shaker in the cupboard is an obvious strategy but is a relatively small help because more than 75% of the salt that is consumed comes from processed foods. Focusing food choices on more wholesome, less processed food can help. In addition, food manufacturers are increasing being asked to progressively reduce the salt used in their products. There is evidence that preferred levels of salt for taste are reduced following a sustained reduction in intake.5

    In addition to eating less salt, blood pressure can be lowered by losing excess weight, increasing the intake of potassium (sources include fruits, vegetables and dairy products) and consuming alcohol in moderation (if at all).6

    Exercise also has a positive effect. A 2002 meta-analysis of studies done this area found that aerobic exercise was linked to a significant lowering of mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This held true for both those with high blood pressure and normal blood pressure. It also was consistently found for both overweight and normal-weight participants.7"

    FOOTNOTES

    1 He FJ, MacGregor, GA How far should salt intake be reduced? Hypertension 42: 1093, 2003.

    2 Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes: Water, Potassium, Sodium Chloride, and Sulfate. 1st ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2004.

    3 He FJ, MacGregor GA. Effect of modest salt reduction on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized trials: implications for public health. J Hum Hypertens 16: 761 2002.

    4 Mattes RD, Donnelly D. Relative contributions of dietary sodium sources. J Am Coll Nutr 10:383, 1991.

    5 Bertino M, Beaucamp GK and Engelman K. Long-term reduction in dietary sodium alters the taste of salt . Am J Clin Nutr 36: 1134, 1982.

    6 Appel LJ et al. Dietary approaches to prevent and treat hypertension. Hypertension 47: 296, 2006.

    7 Whelton SP et al. Effect of aerobic exercise on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials . Ann Int Med 136: 493, 2002.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    GrammyWhammy: are you saying you had blood pressure issues during your pregnancy? I don't think the article is saying that you should aim to exceed the RDA sodium intake on purpose just that unless you actually have a blood pressure issue it isn't something you need to focus on. It seems a lot of people get really stuck up on it around here.

    Another take on it.
    http://www.t-nation.com/strength-training-topics/469

    Sedentary people require less sodium than those who exercise hard reguarly.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    bimp
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
    I do agree that there is reasonable evidence that suggests lowering sodium intake is beneficial for people with normal blood pressure rather than just those with high blood pressure. I think the difficulty there is always going to be in the debate for this is that it is only certain people that are 'salt sensitive' ie there are some people whose blood pressure will never be effected by their sodium and nobody really has any idea as to why except that some people really do seem to be exempt.

    The second thing 'against' the reduced sodium diet is the recommendations that have been set vs the research. Most of the actual clinical studies use ridiculously low sodium counts (less than 1000mg per day) to show that sodium makes a difference, it has been shown to have no difference at all when cut to 2300mg (100mmol) - so why are our recommendations more than twice the amount that is shown to have benefit? It's generally to do with sustainability but it does make you wonder what the point is.

    Just for fun - the low sodium research began after someone did a study on a rice only diet and found that it lowered blood pressure! Not something you would get away with these days :)
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