Debunking Nutrition Myths Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD Twitter: @mariespano
Nutrition Observations 1. We/media boil down nutrition into “sound bites” that don’t always accurately convey the message nor are they applicable for the masses 1. There’s more to nutrition than calories & macronutrients. Help your clients understand how what they are eating affects their bodies and thus their ability to train.
Top Nutrition Myths 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Detox Diets Work Gluten Makes You Fat and Tired Soy De‐Masculinizes a Man We Don’t Need Dairy for Calcium Artificial Sweeteners are Poison We Can Get all of Our Nutrients from Food
We are exposed to environmental toxins, pesticides, allergens, waste & inflammatory substances through foods on a daily basis. These build up in our bodies and make us sick, fat and tired.
Detox Diets Detox Diets and Cleanses Supposedly: • Get rid of harmful toxins • Cleanse organs • Help you lose weight • Give you Energy • Decrease inflammation • Decrease disease risk
Typical Detox/Cleanse Rules • NO: – Alcohol – Caffeine – Highly processed and refined foods – Foods grown with herbicides/pesticides – Simple sugars
• Yes: – Regimented supplements/detox drinks – (maple syrup, lemon juice, diuretics, laxatives)
Specific Cleanses • • • •
Master Cleanse Raw Food Diet BluePrint Cleanse Colon Cleanse
Detox Diets/Cleanses • The Good: – Cuts out low quality food – Cuts excess calories – Might eliminate some food sensitivities – Raw Food Diet: • Possibly fewer carcinogenic compounds consumed • Fewer nutrients lost in processing
Heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Pick 2: What do these two have in common?
• Acrylamides – – – –
High temperature Frying, roasting, baking Sugars + an amino acid Mainly plant foods
– Produced on purpose for: • Grouts, water treatment products, plastics, cosmetics
– Cancer in animals at very high doses – Nerve damage in people exposed to high levels at work
Raw Food Diet Research Summary • Cross sectional study: – Over 200 raw foodies of at least 2 years with > 70% diet raw food – 1500 – 1800 grams raw food daily – 38% B12 deficient – None had high triglycerides – 46% low serum HDL J Nutr. 2005 Oct;135(10):2372‐8
Raw Food Diet Research Cross sectional study, 216 men, 297 women Examining body weight and amenorrhea Average 3.7 years on the diet Divided into 5 groups based on amount of raw food in their diet: 70‐79%, 80‐89%, 90‐94%, 95‐99%, 100% • BMI below normal:
• • • •
– 14.7% of males – 25% of females
• 30% of women 5,000 people, 7‐8 yr follow‐up All soda drinkers gained weight but… Diet soda drinkers gained more weight The more diet soda, the greater the weight gain
• Framingham Heart Study – > 9,000 people – 4 year follow‐up – Those who drank sugar sweetened and zero cal soft drinks more likely to gain weight
* Observational Studies
Is Natural Better? • • • •
Stevia Sugar alcohols Lao Han Go Fibers – Inulin
We Can Get all of Our Nutrients From Food
We Can Get all Nutrients from Food • • • •
True, sort of Nutrients of Concern Specific Disease States/Conditions Too much of a good thing? – Yes, antioxidants
Nutrient Deficiencies • Prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency (NHANES 2005 ‐ 2006) – 4495 adults – serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentrations