Fact and Fiction Search

From protein and oil to carbohydrates and dairy, clear up the confusion surrounding nutrition, health myths, and medical misconceptions. Sorting out fact from fiction is key to achieving success. Read on for a few of these truths revealed and then stay tuned as we continue to separate fact from fiction with our Facts on the Go.

Protein

Fiction: Plants do not have protein so we must eat meat to get it.

Fact: Per calorie, broccoli has more protein than beef.

Fiction: “Carbs” and vegetables do not contain protein or fat.

Fact: Foods categorized as carbohydrates are those that are high in carbohydrate, but they also contain fat and protein. Mushrooms are 50% protein and in 2000 calories of rice there is about 50 grams of protein.

Fiction: Humans need a lot of protein and need to work hard to make sure they get enough.

Fact: The average person needs less than 5% of calories from protein, which is 25 grams on a 2000 calorie-per-day diet. If you consume 2000 calories of whole plant foods, it is impossible to design a diet deficient in protein.

Fiction: Plant foods do not contain complete proteins so we need to mix and match foods to make them complete.

Fact: All starches have more than enough of each of the 8 essential amino acids. The only food that does not contain all 8 essential amino acids is an animal product: Gelatin.

Oil

Fiction: The Mediterranean diet is healthy because of the olive oil.

Fact: Studies show that the Mediterranean diet is healthy because of the high amount of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits consumed. This is despite the olive oil, not because of it.

Fiction: We need to add oil to our diet to get our essential fats.

Fact: All plants contain fat in small amounts, most of which is essential fat. Furthermore, eating a varied plant based diet will provide more than enough essential fats to our diet.

Fiction: Fish like salmon make essential fats like Omega 3 fatty acids.

Fact: Fish get essential fats from plants either directly or by eating other fish that eat plants with Omega 3 fatty acids.

Fiction: It is easy to meet daily Omega 3 essential fat requirements using olive oil.

Fact: To get enough Omega 3 from olive oil you would have to drink 8 oz of it, which is 1900 calories and 42 grams of saturated fat.

Carbohydrates

Fiction: Carbohydrates make you fat.

Fact: It is very hard to turn glucose (a carbohydrate) into fat. Rather it is the fat mixed in with the carbohydrates that causes problems. As Dr. John McDougall says, "The fat you eat is the fat you wear."

Fiction: Carbohydrates have no protein.

Fact: Carbohydrates encompass a wide range of foods (including corn, beans, vegetables, and fruits) all of which, when consumed to meet caloric need, are abundant in proteins and provide ALL of the essential amino acids.

Fiction: Carbohydrates are not the preferred source of fuel.

Fact: Our most important organ (the brain) will only run on glucose (a carbohydrate). Most organs in our body prefer glucose for fuel, as it is the cleanest fuel with only water and carbon dioxide as breakdown products.

Fiction: We don’t need to eat starches if we consume fruits and vegetables.

Fact: Fruits and vegetables do not contain enough carbohydrate to provide the calories required to meet daily energy needs. Fruits are primarily a simple sugar, fructose, and not a good source of sustained energy.

Dairy

Fiction: We need to eat dairy to get enough calcium.

Fact: Calcium is a mineral found in the ground and absorbed by plants. Cows don’t make calcium. In fact, adult cows do not drink milk and yet they are able to maintain a much larger skeletal system than humans.

Fiction: Vegetables are low in calcium.

Fact: Dairy has 25 mg of calcium per 15 calories, whereas collards have 75 mg of calcium per 15 calories.

Fiction: Dairy is necessary to build strong bones.

Fact: Studies show that populations that consume the most calcium and dairy products have the most hip fractures and osteoporosis.

Fiction: Milk is necessary for vitamin D.

Fact: 90% of vitamin D is produced by sunlight on our skin.

Miscellaneous

Fiction: Supplements (other than B12*) are important for health.

Fact: Not only are supplements unnecessary for most people, but they can also be dangerous. They cause metabolic imbalances that increase morbidity and mortality in an otherwise healthy person. On the few occasions that supplements must be used, they should be treated like medications and their risk/benefits should be thoroughly assessed.

*For people who do not eat animal products, Vitamin B12 should be supplemented at a dose of at least 10 micrograms a day.

Fiction: Treating risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure is important.

Fact: Treating risk factors (like high blood pressure and high cholesterol) is essentially just treating the symptoms of the problem rather than the problem itself (blood vessel system poisoned with fat and cholesterol from our diets). It does not work any more than would solely treating a fever with tylenol if one has pneumonia.

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