10 Lies about Nutrition and Exercise

In nutrition and sport, "guesswork" is common but has no scientific validity. We don't want you to be influenced by lies and that's why we want to debunk some myths.

1. Eating eggs increases the risk of heart disease.

At one time, the association between eggs and heart disease was almost unquestionable. If egg yolks contain cholesterol and bad cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease, the option was to skip the egg altogether. However, today we know that the cholesterol in our bodies doesn't exactly come from the cholesterol in the food we eat.

Our body's cholesterol is produced by the liver, due to the saturated and trans fats we eat. And the egg has little saturated fat but lots of important nutrients. As well as being one of the best sources of protein among foods, it contains vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A contributes to good eyesight and choline helps liver function. There is a meta-analysis (set of studies) that destroys this myth. In the United States, where cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death, more than 80,000 women were analyzed over more than 30 years. The results, published in the British Medical Journal, revealed that moderate egg consumption (one a day) is not associated with cardiovascular disease.

2. Milk is the most complete food in our diet.

Another lie. Milk is not an essential food in our diet. For many people, it's a relatively cheap and easy way to get calcium, vitamin D and protein for the proper functioning of the muscles, bones and heart. But for some reason, two years ago a group of American experts expressed their disagreement with current recommendations on daily milk consumption.

In the New England Journal of Medicine in 2020, the professor of epidemiology and nutrition clarified: countries with higher milk consumption have higher rates of hip fractures. So the idea that milk is excellent for bone strength falls apart. It does help children grow, but for adults, the researchers recommend other sources of calcium, such as leafy greens, tofu and fortified orange juice.

The same researchers also observed that high consumption of dairy products may be associated with a higher risk of prostate and endometrial cancer. Oatmeal or almond drinks can also be a solution, as they are nutritious and have no added sugar.

3 - Bread is a very important food for our health.

Bread is one of the oldest foods in the world. It's almost always on the Portuguese table. It even has a place on the Food Wheel. But beware, bread is not only made from flour, water and salt. Refined bread is made up of starch and gluten, as well as salt and leavening agents.

Starch is a fast-absorbing sugar, which means it's unhealthy. It raises blood glucose levels. And these glycemic spikes are no friend of diabetes or weight control programs, for example.

As for the gluten in bread, it's out of the question for people with celiac disease and/or hypersensitivity to this type of protein found in cereals such as wheat and rye. But that's not all. Those suffering from inflammatory bowel disease should also avoid gluten. And whenever there is a situation of intestinal dysbiosis (an imbalance in the intestinal flora that can lead to inflammation or even irritable bowel syndrome), yeasts can be among the culprits.

Bread: have you learned how to make it at home? That way you can control the ingredients!

4 - It's not true that margarine is better than butter because it's vegetable-based.

Margarine, made with vegetable oils, appears to be healthier for the heart. But appearances can be deceiving. Many of these vegetable oils are unhealthy and are only present to solidify the margarine. Margarine is a source of trans fat, which increases bad cholesterol. It is therefore highly atherogenic. The formation of atheromas in the artery walls can lead to a stroke. And other cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, avoid margarines with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils. Between margarine and butter, there's no question: olive oil!

5 - Vegetable protein is not good for maintaining or gaining muscle mass.

Who said that? Certainly someone who believes in lies and hasn't read the conclusions of the study published in Sports Medicine. Researchers decided to analyze the impact of sources of exclusively vegetable protein versus a mixture of vegetable and animal protein on training. And they found that a high-protein diet (entirely plant-based + soy protein supplementation) is on an equal footing. This diet also contributes to muscle strength and increased muscle mass.

6 - To maintain good levels of vitamins and minerals, all you need to do is eat a balanced diet.

It would be nice if it were true, but it's a lie. The most obvious example is vitamin D. Essential for bone health (vitamin deficiency increases the risk of osteoporosis), vitamin D is also associated with reducing the risk of certain diseases (diabetes) and types of cancer. A lack of vitamin D can affect our health. But it's not always easy to get the right amounts of vitamin D.

It is estimated that 75% of Portuguese people are deficient in this important vitamin. There are few foods with vitamin D. It's called the sunshine vitamin precisely because the sun is the best source of this nutrient. The body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. But sunscreen (which is essential) and the winter months don't help production.

Supplementation is therefore the alternative. The same happens when, due to food preparation processes, storage time or soil depletion, we are unable to obtain nutrients from food. So we resort to nutritional supplementation.

We also need to bear in mind that our nutrient needs depend on several factors: age, profession, physical and emotional stress. At certain stages of life, we need to boost specific nutrients. And always keep your diet balanced.

7 - Grilling food is a healthy method of cooking.

Not always. Cooking methods should be healthy and reduce nutrient loss. But when meats are grilled at high temperatures over charcoal, the substances that result from the combustion itself are mostly toxic.

These include heterocyclic amines. These are mutagenic and carcinogenic chemicals. In addition, the fat that is released over the heat often gives rise to a flame that chars the food. Food that chars forms carcinogenic substances such as benzo(a)pyrene.

In short, it's not true that grilling is the healthiest cooking method.

8 - It is unthinkable to eat carbohydrates in order to lose weight.

That's a lie. It's true that if you want to lose weight and have insulin resistance, it may be a good option to eliminate carbohydrates for a period of time. But in most cases, the key is to know how to choose quality and quantity. Because not all carbohydrates are the same. Refined carbohydrates (cakes, processed foods), no thanks. But why not rice or a piece of fruit?

Carbohydrates are our fuel, they're our energy, and they're not directly related to weight gain.

9 - I don't need to diet because I train regularly.

Dieting, i.e. planning a diet, is essential. The diet must be personalized, adjusted to each person's needs and different particularities (illnesses and goals). There are diets to lose weight or to gain weight. And there's the diet we should all try to follow: the diet to prevent chronic diseases, known as the diseases of modern civilization. We're talking about metabolic diseases, depression, diabetes, among others.

10 - It's a lie that all fat is bad for your health.

It's a lie. Trans fats are indeed harmful and you should limit their consumption. These fats are often produced when oils and fats are industrially modified. You can identify them on food labels:

"fully or partially hydrogenated fat" or "fully or partially hydrogenated oils".

In addition to the trans fats found naturally in foods (food products derived from ruminant animals - sheep, goats, etc.), they are also found in cakes, potato chips and other industrialized products.

However, not all fat should be put aside. Because the body also needs fat for cholesterol synthesis, hormones, anti-inflammatory substances, etc. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, found in olive oil, fish, seeds and oilseeds, are essential for our health. Saturated fat - also a little!

It's not all lies

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