Know what you eat

As a nutrition consultant, I’ve come to realise there is no shortage of surprises and superstitions in the world of nutrition. Here are reasons to enjoy some of your favourites. Gluten and wheat Decades of studies have found that gluten-containing foods, such as whole wheat, rye and barley, are not just vital for good health, they’ve shown to reduce risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and excess weight. Joanne Slavin, nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota, adds it’s a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. One reason wheat-free or gluten-free diets are popular is that people who don’t eat wheat often end up bypassing excess calories in sweets and snack foods. They lose weight and mistakenly attribute their success to gluten or wheat avoidance. Eggs Their high cholesterol content has been thought to increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and heart disease risk but no studies confirm this. Cholesterol in food is a minor factor contributing to high blood cholesterol for most people. “Elevations in LDL (bad) cholesterol of this small magnitude [184mg in the yolk] could easily be countered by other healthy aspects of eggs,” says Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health. Interestingly, some of the biggest egg eaters in the world, the Japanese, have low cholesterol and heart disease rates, partly because they eat a diet low in saturated fat. Potatoes Potatoes have been blamed for increasing blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, excess weight and Type 2 diabetes. One Harvard study linked potato eating with being overweight, due to the blood glucose rise. But foods, including whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereals, cause similar spikes in blood glucose. The study lumped all potato products together, including potato chips and french fries – very fattening versions eaten with hamburgers, hot dogs and sodas. “Other epidemiological studies have not verified a connection between potatoes and weight gain or any diseases, and no clinical studies have shown a connection,” said David Baer, a research leader at the Agricultural Research Service of the Department of Agriculture. Potatoes are a great source of potassium, Vitamin C and fibre. Fruits People often ask me if fruit is too high in sugar, especially for diabetics. This fear of fruit, I believe, is from the Atkins craze, which discouraged eating some fruits because they are high in carbohydrates. Avoiding fruit could actually damage your health. Studies have shown eating fruit reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease, blood pressure and diabetes. It is high in water and fibre, which help you feel full with fewer calories, one reason why eating it is linked to lower body weight. Even though they contain simple sugars, most fruits have a relatively low glycemic index. Soy Soy is sometimes seen as dangerous after studies found elevated rates of breast cancer among rats when they were fed a concentrated soy derivative. But studies looking at whole soy foods in humans have not found a connection. Soy, “when consumed in childhood or adolescence may make breast tissue less vulnerable to cancer development later in life and probably has no effect on breast cancer risk when consumption begins in adulthood,” said Karen Collins, registered dietitian and nutrition adviser with the American Institute for Cancer Research. Actually, Collins said, the evidence is so strong for protection against heart disease that the FDA allowed a health claim for labels on soy food products. Fried Foods While it’s true that frying food usually increases its caloric content, that doesn’t necessarily make it unhealthful. As long as food is not fried in butter, shortening, or trans fat, and is eaten in moderation, it isn’t less healthy. In fact, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and heart-healthy, cancer-preventive carotenoids such as beta-carotene (carrots, sweet potatoes), lycopene (tomatoes) and lutein/zeaxanthin (deep-green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale), need fat in order to be absorbed by the body. From gulfnews