Nutrition claims online can often be misleading, making it difficult to make informed food choices. Here are three common nutrition statements that may actually harm your health.
“Lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks”
Many social media platforms and websites falsely claim that significant weight loss is possible in a short period.
While research suggests such diet plans often provide a ‘quick fix’ in the short term with an initial weight loss, in the long run, cravings for that slice of pizza or cake will kick in, and many will end up putting on more weight than they had originally lost. Then begins the vicious cycle of more diets, weight loss, and weight gain.
Such diet plans tend to promote a ‘one size fits all approach’, yet all humans are unique: we have different health needs and different energy requirements for activities and social situations. This goes to show that eating and nutrition are also very personal.
“Ultra-processed foods should be avoided”
Before diving deeper into why this claim is incorrect, let’s go through the definition of ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods (or UPFs) are foods containing ingredients added during their production that you wouldn’t normally have in your kitchen cupboard. For example, types of additives, emulsifiers, and artificial colourings.
UPFs are cheaper than whole, less processed alternatives, allowing them to dominate supermarkets, which is why it is extremely difficult to avoid them. We’re not just talking about confectionery, soft drinks, and cereals; this also includes muesli bars, cooking sauces, and flavoured yoghurts.
While many studies over the years have linked eating higher amounts of UPFs to a greater risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and stroke, research remains unclear about whether we should be completely excluding such foods from our diet. In addition, some UPFs, such as margarine, breakfast cereals, and wholegrain bread, still contain beneficial nutrients for health.
“Low-fat foods are better for health”
Since the UK is a nation of tea and coffee drinkers, it was believed a simple swap from full-fat to low-fat milk would massively lower the saturated fat intake.
However, scientific evidence continues to suggest that eating dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yoghurt has a neutral or even positive effect on health, despite their saturated fat content. They could also help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and blood pressure, reducing the chances of a heart attack or stroke.
Layla Mulji, Student Nutritionist at Sukaina Nutrition
