The Campus Voice

Issue date: 5/4/10 Section: Health

Myth 1

Myth 2

Myth 3

Myth 4

Many of us have heard about food myths and rumors about the different things we eat. We are here to decipher a few of the more interesting food myths to help you learn the truth.

MYTH 1: All fat is the same.

This myth is not true. According to the American Heart Association, there are numerous types of fats. They range from saturated fat, hydrogenated fat, Trans fat, polyunsaturated and monosatuarated fats. Trans fat, saturated fat, and hydrogenated fat are the worst types of fats to intake at a mass consumption. These types of fats raise your cholesterol and have adverse health affects such as increasing risk of heart disease or obesity. However polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats, which help lower bad cholesterol, are healthy for you. They can be found in fish, nuts, seeds and other sources.

MYTH 2: Is high fructose corn syrup really bad for you?

There is conflicting evidence in support or in disagreement with this myth. According to Mayo Clinic, regular use of products with high fructose corn syrup (sodas, sugary foods) has great potential to promote obesity which could then lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or coronary heart disease. However, it is worthy of note that the studies produced that show that high fructose corn syrup isn't bad for you were funded by beverage companies, the main producers of products with high fructose corn syrup, so a conflict of interest maybe involved.

MYTH 3: Multi-grain foods are just as healthy and similar to whole grain foods.

This myth is not true. Whole grain foods such as oatmeal, brown rice, or wheat have a numerous health benefits and are great to include in any diet. Multi-grain foods however are a bit of a rip off and are not very nutritional. According to nutritionist Monica Reinagel, for a food to be labeled "multi-grain", it can contain as little whole milled into the flour as possible and still fall under the label of "multi-grain". It doesn't make it any easier that food manufacturers often go out of their way to make their products look and sound healthy, even when they aren't. They often use molasses or food coloring to mimic the darker color of whole-grains They use nice-sounding words like "stone-ground," "100% wheat," or "multi-grain" to trick consumers. None of these things are reliable indicators of whole grains. It is important when checking labels to look for the word "whole" in front of grains or names like "whole wheat" and "whole oats" to be safe.


MYTH 4: Eating breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

The myth is true. Eating a healthy breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism and gives you energy for the upcoming day. It is very important if one wishes to lose excess weight or even gain weight to eat a healthy breakfast. This will reduces hunger later in the day, making it easier to avoid overeating. A breakfast with a good carbohydrate source like oatmeal and protein source will illicit great results for you. Skipping breakfast in reality increases your risk of obesity and staying overweight if you already are. It is the most important meal of the day.

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