Lifting the Lid on 8 Common Nutrition Myths
In an increasingly online and hyperconnected world, nutrition and health information are more widely available than ever before. In fact, it can be challenging to avoid social and other media headlines staking their claims on what, how and when you should eat. With the power to influence food choices, behaviour and often unrealistic dietary patterns in people of all ages worldwide, the reliability of online nutrition information must always be questioned.
In this article, we are uncovering some of the most common food-related myths to date. It is our hope that through lifting the lid on these claims, our contribution to the online information overload will go some way to protecting your health, hormones and your relationship with the foods you eat.
Fruit – the sweet truth
We think it’s fair to say that most people know that fruit is good for you. However, in recent years fruit has been criticised for its sugar content sparking concerns about whether fruit is truly healthy after all. Let’s shed a little light on this.
It is true that fruits are relatively high in sugars compared to other whole foods. Substantial research suggests that excessive intake of free sugars (sugars added to the cooking or manufacturing process) can be harmful (1). This includes sucrose, otherwise known as table sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, a common sweetener made from corn starch. The negative health effects associated with large amounts of these sugars (1) have led some to believe that the same applies to whole fruits, which also contain sugar derivatives like fructose. The misconception is born.
The truth is that the sugars found in fruit occur naturally within a food matrix. This matrix affects how that “sugar” is absorbed and subsequently used by the body. The packaging of fruit sugars within this matrix also makes it very difficult to obtain excessive amounts of sugars, including fructose, from fruit. The bottom line is that the volume of sugars available in fruit is safe to consume.
In fact, fruit consumption is linked to undisputed health benefits with research showing (time and time again) that higher consumption of fruits and vegetables significantly lowers the risk of a variety of chronic diseases and all-cause mortality (2). Most fresh and frozen fruits provide a variety of polyphenols, a category of plant compounds that offer many health benefits, alongside other nutrients like vitamin C, folate, potassium and tryptophan (3). It is fruit’s polyphenolic compounds in particular that are believed to be linked to improved cognitive function (4) and the association between fruit consumption and a decreased risk of developing depression (5).
2. Carbohydrates are unhealthy
Carb-phobia has an interesting history (too lengthy to dig into here), but why is it that we are continuously led to believe that we should reduce or even eliminate carbohydrates from our diet? This fear stems from the very important relationship between carbohydrates and insulin. This often-demonised little hormone is absolutely fundamental to regulating your body’s uptake, use and storage of energy substrates, particularly glucose, from food.
Carbohydrates are the primary energy source used by our body, with national guidelines recommending they contribute 40-50% of our energy intake (6). Many believe that cutting carbohydrates aids weight loss or that “carbs make you fat”. This belief is fuelled by the fact that for every gram of carbohydrate (as glycogen) our body stores in tissues like muscle, we store an additional 3 grams of water. Short-term carbohydrate restriction is associated with the loss of this water. This effect incites the fallacy of weight loss, which is rapidly regained when carbohydrates are reintroduced.
The truth is that loss of fat mass occurs due to an internal energy deficit alone. By the way, this is not necessarily a calorie deficit, as calories are notoriously difficult to count. Please don’t try! When it comes to carbohydrates, substantially reducing this important macronutrient, especially in combination with high energy expenditure, can have detrimental effects on your physiology, including your hormones.
Research has shown that low-to-no carbohydrate diets can lead to disruptions to luteinising hormone (7), a hormone which triggers ovulation in women, and an increase in cortisol (8), our main stress hormone. These hormone adaptions are associated with ovulatory dysfunction and menstrual irregularities, including functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea (FHA). When it comes to other ovulatory disorders such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), things do start to get confusing.
PCOS is a condition that also affects how a woman’s ovaries work, primarily through disruption to hormone communication and synchronisation, as opposed to their suppression at the level of the brain, as in FHA. It is usually accompanied by elevated levels of male sex hormones like testosterone and can be associated with elevated insulin and insulin resistance. It is the latter association which often drives recommendations that women reduce their carbohydrate intake.
In fact, research has shown that consuming complex carbohydrates such as oats, wholemeal bread, and brown rice improved menstrual regularity and insulin sensitivity (9). Higher consumption of refined carbohydrates may be linked to androgen excess (9) but there is certainly no evidence to validate the complete elimination of carbohydrates if you have PCOS. We suggest instead that focusing on the quality of the carbohydrate in your diet is more important than avoiding them altogether.
As a group, carbohydrates are immensely beneficial for our health and hormone function. It can be easy to forget that dietary fibre, found naturally in many whole starch-rich foods, is also a form of carbohydrate. This undigestible “carb” is crucial for our gut health and strongly influences the composition of the microbes living there. We know that low dietary fibre intake can cause changes to the microbial composition of our gut. This can, in turn, affect our hormones, including stress and sex hormones (10), and alter the risk of depression and other mental health conditions (11). Finally, many carbohydrate-rich foods such as wholegrains, provide an important source of B vitamins, crucial for energy metabolism and a healthy nervous system. For this reason and more, we hope this information may help curb the carb-phobe craze!
3. Eating soy increases your cancer risk
The soy or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia where it has been consumed as a staple for centuries. It is only in more recent times that soy has been adopted in the Western diet with the increasing popularity of soy foods and products like edamame, tofu, tempeh, natto, miso and soy milk. So where did the idea that soy increases your cancer risk come from? The answer lies in soy’s phytoestrogen compounds.
Phytoestrogens, such as soy isoflavones and lignans, are naturally occurring plant-based adaptogens structurally similar to oestrogen. When consumed in the diet and under the right internal conditions, these compounds may exert a weak oestrogenic effect. When consumed regularly, they are thought to gently influence the hormone profile, including reducing exposure to excess oestrogen or mimicking effects in the absence of "internal" oestrogen.
These hormone-related effects have led to scepticism over the safety of consuming soy foods, with claims that soy-derived phytoestrogens increase the risk of breast cancer and decrease male fertility. The bottom line is that there is no evidence to support these claims. In fact, recent research and evidence syntheses suggest a significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of soy isoflavones, which may decrease cancer risk from soy consumption (12,13).
Soy can be a very nutritious addition to any diet. It can be a rich source of complete protein, fibre, minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and iron. These minerals are crucial to normal menstrual cycle function and regularity and may help optimise health throughout menopause. One study found that consuming soy products in post-menopausal women resulted in improved bone density and muscle maintenance (14), which often deteriorate after menopause. If you don’t enjoy soy foods then there is no need to consume them, but we hope the information supplied here adds some nuance to the great soy debate.
4. Low fat foods are always healthier
Low-fat diets were once endorsed by government and medical bodies, alongside the food industry, for their ability to reduce cholesterol levels and promote weight loss. Despite the lack of solid evidence, this led to an era of consumers subscribing to the ideology that fat should be avoided at all costs.
More recent research has shown that fats, especially unsaturated fats, are critical to our health. Fats assist in the absorption of essential fat-soluble vitamins (A, K, D and E), regulate appetite, hormone function and protect vital organs. Fats also play a key role in maintaining normal immune, nervous system and menstrual cycle health. In fact, cholesterol forms the main building block of steroid hormones like oestrogen and testosterone. Some research suggests low dietary fat intake may reduce cholesterol and interfere with reproductive function resulting in a cascade of menstrual cycle-related effects (15). Interestingly, the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids has also been correlated with lower levels of menstrual pain (16, 17).
When it comes to dietary fat avoidance, as with most forms of food restriction, this is often in the pursuit of body “leanness” and reducing body fat. But the hard truth is that a low body fat percentage or body fat reduction can place a woman at an increased risk of menstrual dysfunction, including the absence of periods and infertility. The important thing to remember is that fat is not as scary as it may sound, and dietary fat intake does not translate to excess fat on your body. Opting for foods high in polyunsaturated fat such as oily fish, nuts, flaxseeds, flaxseed oil and cold pressed vegetable oils, is preferred for their ability to help modulate menstrual pain, lower LDL (“unhealthy”) cholesterol and increase HDL (“healthy”) cholesterol.
5. A “detox” is needed to cleanse toxins from the body
Social media influencers may have found a way to convince people that detox teas, juice diets, water fasts and cleansers are a vital way to purify your body of toxins… but we are far from convinced! We are here to remind you that your body already has intricate systems in place for this very purpose. In fact, your liver alone is busy filtering 1.4 litres of your blood this very minute! And simply getting a good night’s sleep naturally aids removal of potentially neurotoxic waste metabolites from your brain. How incredible is that?
We know that women and increasingly all gender identities feel extreme pressure to attain the unrealistic standards of health, “purity” and thinness perpetuated in society. Detox teas or pills are seemingly very handy tools to achieve this, yet they provide false hope to individuals that there is a ‘quick fix’ and can exacerbate poor body image. The truth is that most detox products contain laxative compounds such as senna which can create the illusion of an effect. In reality, overuse of laxative products can irritate the digestive system and may cause dehydration and loss of nutrients in both the short and long term (18).
This is your gentle reminder that the most effective way to cleanse your body is to let your body work the way it knows how to! Getting enough sleep, rest and recovery, eating a balanced, energy sufficient and nutrient dense diet, whilst (yes, of course) staying hydrated will support your body in allowing it to work the best way possible for you. No detox, cleanses, juice diets or fasting necessary!
6. Certain foods can burn fat
In the quest for weight loss and improved fitness, we often come across various claims about “fat-burning foods” that promise to help us to increase our metabolism and lose weight. First things first, where does the idea of “fat-burning” foods come from? The answer lies in the notion that some foods have a greater “thermic” effect than others. The thermic effect of food refers to the energy required to digest, absorb and metabolise the food we consume. In other words, it is the number of calories our body burns in the process of digestion. The thermic effect of a food varies according to its macronutrient composition, with protein having the highest thermic effect of all macronutrients and fats having the lowest (19). This essentially means you will burn more calories by eating and digesting protein compared to fat or carbohydrates.
Alternatively, foods such as chilli, ginger, cinnamon, and grapefruit have also been touted for their ‘fat-burning’ or thermogenic effect, but is there any evidence to support these claims? One study reported that people who consumed grapefruit three times per day for six weeks did not lose any more weight than those who didn't consume the grapefruit (20). Similarly, studies on cayenne pepper have shown some benefits in animals, but the authors did not find the same effect in humans (21). To add to this, more recent research has shown that dietary supplements with a thermic effect (coined weight loss supplements) were not as effective as diet and exercise in inducing weight loss (22).
So, whilst there are many thermogenic foods and much more research to be done to elucidate their potential effects, it’s important to acknowledge that claims surrounding “fat-burning” foods are often subject to exaggeration and misinformation. The truth is that the relationship between food intake, thermogenicity, energy metabolism and weight is highly complex. Nor can one food single-handedly melt fat from your body. Even if it could, perhaps it’s time to switch the narrative and start appreciating foods and all the fascinating compounds they contain, for their ability to influence and shape our health in wonderful ways. Ways that have absolutely nothing to do with the number on a scale.
7. The timing of your meals affects your weight
Chances are you have been exposed to claims suggesting that skipping meals or avoiding eating at night will help you lose weight or even impact your metabolism. This idea stems from the notion that our bodies use the energy we get from food differently, depending on the time of day according to our circadian rhythm (or internal body clock). This belief has led to claims that evening eaters are more likely to gain weight, and so many have resorted to skipping meals to avoid worsening their metabolism. A study recently reported that those who consumed most of their calories at breakfast were more likely to lose weight compared to those who consumed more in the evening (23). This stimulated the assumption that your meal timings effect your metabolism and thus allow you to burn more calories and ultimately lose more weight. In reality, the researchers found that those who ate most of their calories during the day reported lower levels of hunger, resulting in lower energy intake and thus a change in body weight. What we are trying to say here is, the change in body weight is determined by energy balance, not by changes to your metabolism.
In fact, research has found that skipping meals regularly may decrease your metabolism (24). Skipping meals can also make you more tired, more irritable and far more likely to snack on foods with lower nutrient quality, potentially impacting your nutrient status. Even the underlying desire to lose weight may harm your health with studies showing that even moderate reductions in weight, which may stem from a ‘drive for thinness’ results in significant reductions to thyroid hormones (25, 26). For this reason, focusing on adding (rather than removing) an abundance of nutrients to your diet through regular meal patterns will enhance your metabolism, your hormones, stress resistance and improve your gut microbiome!
8. You need to lose weight to be healthy
Diet culture has made us believe that the thinner you are, the healthier you are. However, as a healthcare practitioner, I can tell you that the more time I spend working with clients in my clinic, the more I see the opposite to be true.
It must be acknowledged that the health data I am privileged to review in my clinic is subject to several biases. Firstly, I represent an independent clinic and my evaluation does not equate to a systematic review of the wider evidence-base. Secondly, the clients I am privileged to work with are not representative of the population at large. I work with a cross section of individuals experiencing a range of hormone issues, amenorrhoea, menstrual irregularities, weight, fertility and other concerns. Inevitably, I work with a sub-section of the population.
Nonetheless, the more work I do in my field, the more I appreciate just how valuable it is, especially within a world and health institution dominated by weight bias. So, I wanted to finish this article with some (mostly) anecdotal evidence and a health claim of my own: Being thin does not make you healthy.
The truth is, your overall health behaviours play the most significant role in your health, not your body weight. Research in chronic disease prevention has shown that participants significantly improved their blood glucose and liver fat content by changing their dietary behaviours without losing weight (27). This research reiterates that weight loss is not necessary for improved health.
In fact, the psychological and physical stress we put on our bodies in the pursuit of weight loss can have health consequences, including hormone and metabolic changes associated with energy restriction and malnutrition. Some examples we see in my clinic include menstrual dysfunction and subfertility, reduced bone density, unfavourable changes to blood lipid levels linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, changes to insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, poor sleep and a range of mood and mental health issues (to name a few)! I share this list to empower you to know that you do not need to lose weight. You are good enough as you are already.
All things considered, pursuing health does not automatically equate to weight loss; instead, focus on adding new foods, experiences and habits into your life, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, improving your sleep and reducing your stress. These will play the most significant role in shaping your overall health.
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This article was researched and written with the help of Noor Wadi, MSc GHP & HCPC Registered Diabetes Dietitian, and wonderful intern at Holly Dunn Nutrition.
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