Help me think of a nurtrition myth to debunk for my class.

[*********]

My nutrition prof. gave us an extra credit paper. We have to identify a nutrition 'myth', such as a book, product, or quote. Then, we have to use a credible source or sources to debunk it. She told us that pretty much only .gov, .edu, or .org sites would be accepted as 'credible'. Or, we can get quotes from a 'professional'.

 

The paper only has to be one page.

 

So, any have any interesting suggestions? I'm open to pretty much anything.

 

We haven't received any grades in class yet, but I *have* to get an A. This is a prereq. for the nursing program, which has HIGHLY competitve admissions; you really, really want to apply with a 4.0. So, I figure a one page paper is a good way to stack the odds in my favor. :tongue_smilie:

[Rosie_0801]

Dairy products being necessary for calcium?

 

Rosie

[Tap]

One that I heard was debunked:

 

 

A child who eats peanuts, milk, etc before 1yo, is more likely to be allergic to that food.

 

I don't know if the debunking was credible or not, but it may be interesting to figure out.

[Parrothead]

That eggs cause cholesterol problems.

[Crissy]

You might start here (the site is in connection with the US Dept. of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health). If you look around both sites, you might find more supporting information.

[*********]

That eggs cause cholesterol problems.

 

Can't do this one, she already covered it in class. Her explanation was that you need saturated fat with cholesterol in order for the cholesterol to be absorbed. So as long as the eggs are prepared without adding saturated fat, you're not going to absorb the cholesterol.

 

Otherwise, this would be perfect; I'm afraid it'd seem like 'cheating' if I did this one. :)

[cara]

I like the milk one

 

what about "carbs are bad for you"

[*********]

I like the milk one

 

what about "carbs are bad for you"

 

This might be a good one. She's already mentioned numerous times that the Atkins/high protien/low carb diets aren't the best of ideas; that one needs a good balance of carbs, protien, and fat in their diet.

[justasque]

High fructose corn syrup is no big deal. As the ads from the Corn Refiners Association say:

"High-fructose corn syrup is made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is okay to eat in moderation."

 

Easy to debunk.

Enjoy the wide variety of parody videos on YouTube.

[*********]

High fructose corn syrup is no big deal. As the ads from the Corn Refiners Association say:

"High-fructose corn syrup is made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is okay to eat in moderation."

 

Easy to debunk.

Enjoy the wide variety of parody videos on YouTube.

 

Oh yes, I had forgotten about this one! Also a good idea...

[Snickerdoodle]

NM

Edited September 16, 2010 by Snickerdoodle
I'm just cynical. :)

[Chrystal]

Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

Brown eggs are better than white ones.

Skipping meals will help you lose weight.

 

These are all that I have heard in my 14 years of practice as a nurse, with number 1 and number 3 being the most likely.

HTH

[Old Dominion Heather]

Another web site to start with. Not useful as a primary source but has many, many links to the type of articles you are looking for:

http://quackwatch.com/

[Melissa in FL]

High fructose corn syrup is no big deal. As the ads from the Corn Refiners Association say:

"High-fructose corn syrup is made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is okay to eat in moderation."

 

Easy to debunk.

Enjoy the wide variety of parody videos on YouTube.

 

Although because you need to use a government site to "debunk" it you may have to go with "Corn syrup is bad for you and regular sugar is better" The government thinks corn syrup is a fine substitute for sugar.

 

You could "debunk" artificial colors cause behavior problems in children. Although I believe this to be true and so does Great Britain, the US government does not.

Melissa

[Jen in PA]

 

Here's a link on the Princeton study on HFCS -- and it's a .edu URL.

[jplain]

The myth that saturated fat causes cardiovascular disease. :D

 

Here's an abstract for you:

 

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease

 

Intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke, or CVD.

A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.

[Rosie_0801]

What about the myth that spinach is a wonderful sort of iron?

 

I'm not sure that's a strong enough myth. Not that I'm a biochemist, but I think this is one that depends very much on a persons specific body chemistry?

 

Rosie

[DarlaS]

The myth that saturated fat causes cardiovascular disease. :D

 

Here's an abstract for you:

 

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease

 

:iagree:

 

 

Good one!

[Rivka]

Everyone should drink eight glasses of water a day.

[LauraGB]

Low fat/no fat is better than full fat? There is a whole bunch of stuff to write about with that one.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

The myth that saturated fat causes cardiovascular disease. :D

 

Here's an abstract for you:

 

Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease

 

 

:w00t:

 

...off to grill a ribeye...

[lvbnhome]

I do not agree with all their stuff..but if you need hard data to validate myths regarding what you are talking about, then that's where I would go. :)

My nutrition prof. gave us an extra credit paper. We have to identify a nutrition 'myth', such as a book, product, or quote. Then, we have to use a credible source or sources to debunk it. She told us that pretty much only .gov, .edu, or .org sites would be accepted as 'credible'. Or, we can get quotes from a 'professional'.

 

The paper only has to be one page.

 

So, any have any interesting suggestions? I'm open to pretty much anything.

 

We haven't received any grades in class yet, but I *have* to get an A. This is a prereq. for the nursing program, which has HIGHLY competitve admissions; you really, really want to apply with a 4.0. So, I figure a one page paper is a good way to stack the odds in my favor. :tongue_smilie:

[Quad Shot Academy]

Everyone should drink eight glasses of water a day.

 

This is what I was going to say. This myth has been traced back to a magazine article, but there had never been a study done at that time and I have not heard of one recently.

[plansrme]

That using artificial sweeteners is a good way to lose weight.

 

Or there's always the one under discussion a few days ago, re. Mythbusters and the mice. What, you don't think your professor will accept Mythbusters as a credible source? :confused:

 

Terri

[Dawn in OH]

Low fat/no fat is better than full fat? There is a whole bunch of stuff to write about with that one.

 

 

That's a good one.

[RhondaJK]

Low fat or no fat = low calorie. Most low fat or no fat dairy items have sugar added to make them creamier.

[Greta]

The myth that saturated fat causes cardiovascular disease. :D

 

 

Yup, love this one. Also, the correlating myth that cholesterol causes heart disease (http://www.thincs.org). And the myth that weight gain is a result of a surplus of calories in versus calories out (Gary Taubes). But these are BIG topics. These are the kind of topics that people write entire books and PhD theses about - that people devote their entire careers to! As dear as they are to my heart, I think they might be a lot to take on for this kind of paper.

 

What you might consider instead is something a little smaller in scope, that you can give more focus and attention to, to bring more depth to your paper. What comes to my mind is the myths revolving around Vitamin A: that it is "toxic" and dangerous, that beta carotene is Vitamin A, that sort of thing.

 

Here is an article that would give you a great start. And it is extensively referenced: http://www.westonaprice.org/abcs-of-nutrition/167-vitamin-a-saga.html

 

Just a thought. :001_smile:

[Greta]

That using artificial sweeteners is a good way to lose weight.

 

This is a great idea!

[greensummervillian]

How about the myth that vegetarians need to carefully combine their foods to get all the amino acids they need?

[easygoer]

I was going to say the water thing. That downing glass after glass in succession "flushes your system" or does anything other than make you pee.

 

Also 'colon cleansing' being a good idea.

[Laura Corin]

That spinach is massively more full of iron than other green leafy vegetables. Supposedly the myth was caused by a calculation mistake.

 

Laura

[Skadi]

The myth that raw food is better than cooked food.

[naturegirl7]

That dairy products are good for you and a great source of calcium.

 

Dairy has a lot of calcium in it, but it is not a type that is readily absorbed by our bodies. Plus it has a TON of fat in it. And hormones, etc if it is not organic. Most people have an intolerance to lactose or to the proteins in dairy - causing chronic stomach issues, chronic ear infections in kiddos, etc.

 

But ignoring at and only looking at the calcium content and the amount of calcium you actually absorb per serving - Salmon and broccoli are actually the best sources of calcium! HIGH in calcium, and it is a nice super absorbable form of calcium too!!

[naturegirl7]

One that I heard was debunked:

 

 

A child who eats peanuts, milk, etc before 1yo, is more likely to be allergic to that food.

 

I don't know if the debunking was credible or not, but it may be interesting to figure out.

 

 

This is not a myth, but is quite true. Due to the nature of an infant/toddler's immune system and the natural permiability of the gut, large molecules such as proteins can pass thru the gut and into the blood stream where they are then percieved as invaders and antibodies are created - causing allergies to specific foods. And it is before the age of 2-3 yo actually.

Is it also very true that breastfeeding dramatically decreasing the risk of food allergies and other allergies - cuz it allows the gut to mature naturally and supports a healthy gut and healthy immune system. And the proteins in BM are "pre-digested" compared to formula or table foods.

[Negin]

Dairy products being necessary for calcium?

Rosie

Totally agree. I have lots of info on this.

[Annabel Lee]

I don't suppose the Gerson Therapy which has cured people from what are dubbed incurable cancers would be considered credible since our gov't won't acknowledge it? (For the same reason they won't acknowledge that HFCS is bad - money.) You should watch the documentary The Beautiful Truth; it's on Netflix. There's another Gerson Therapy movie on there as well.