Dietary dilemma

Original post:  May 5, 2015

Food is critical to life. Understanding which foods to eat and which to avoid can be maddeningly contradictory. On the one hand, the headlines are filled with the latest findings of studies claiming some benefit or another from the latest wonder food. On the other, there are equally powerful voices clamoring for the public to stop "poisoning" themselves with some other demon of the day. Given some undeniable trends in our society (like the proliferation of the population with issues on either end of the weight spectrum), it must be tempting to throw our hands up in the air and discount all of it.

With that as background, it is important for us to keep challenging the status quo and the received wisdom. When I was growing up, everyone knew that cholesterol was bad for you. Fat was a major enemy and entire lines of foods sprang up from nowhere (Snackwells, anyone?) to save us from this evil. We also thought that butter, which is loaded with fat, should be replaced in a healthy diet by margarine. We didn't know it at the time, but the enormous amounts of sugar in the fat-free foods combined with the trans-fats in the margarine were probably causing far more issues than what they were replacing!

The truth is that science is messy. But changing current behavior based on counter-intuitive ideas backed by scientific evidence is likely our best bet. While it may not mean that we will all live to 100 if we follow these new guidelines, it may mean that we can eat with a little less guilt and fear.

Here is an article from the Washington Post that attempts to bring the latest update to the debate:  7 of the biggest ‘facts’ about unhealthy food that actually aren’t true - The Washington Post

It discusses Chipotle's recent announcement discontinuing the use of GMO foods at its restaurants. The article goes on to say:

But Chipotle's feat is also remarkable because it relies on a misconception we have about foods, and, often nutrition science more generally. We assume that there is always an established, actionable consensus understanding of whether certain foods and ingredients should or shouldn't be eaten. But when it comes to many of the most popular "facts" spread vigorously today, the truth is actually a good deal less clear.

I'll list the seven facts. You'll have to read the article from the link to find out why they are all considered myths now.

1. Genetically modified organisms are not safe to eat, and we should avoid them.
2. Aspartame causes cancer or, at the very least, is definitely bad for us.
3. We eat too much salt.
4. Cholesterol is bad for you.
5. MSG is a "silent killer lurking in your cabinets".
6. Gluten is something we should stop eating.
7. High fructose corn syrup is worse than sugar.