Every day, it seems that there's a new "superfood" on the block promoting unique weight loss and health benefits. And many times every day, a new nutrition article is published regurgitating food myths that have long since been proven false by science. It's a sad truth that nutrition news is filled with blatantly false information despite scientific consensus. So we went in search of the most repeated food myths that still persist today in spite of evidence proving the opposite. Our research uncovered 32 food myths that appear time and time again. We still believed many of these myths until we learned the data-supported positions of scientists around the world. We learned that it's incredibly important to approach nutrition news with an attitude of suspending beliefs until data can back them up (or refute them). So look for the data we did... This list of food and nutrition myths is far from comprehensive, but I'm sure many of them will surprise you. We're hoping that you'll consider the myths here, do your own research, and come to your own, data-driven conclusions. After all, that's what knowledge is all about. Let's get to the food myths.

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Despite good science being done…
food mythsare
all around us.

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And they
persist…
…despite data proving them false.

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So let’s get to the
32food myths
that science says should be retired.

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Food Myth #1
Natural Sweeteners are Way
Healthier than Regular Sugar

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Whether we’re talking about…
• Agave syrup
• Palm sugar
• Evaporated cane juice
• Coconut sugar
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
… “natural sweeteners” all
behave similarly in your
body as sugar…

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More information on the “natural”
sweetener food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#natural

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Food Myth #2
Microwaving is Inherently
Unhealthy

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Does radiationfrom
microwaves really destroy the enzymes
and nutrients in your food?
It turns out that ALL cooking destroys
enzymes and nutrients. Microwaves have
been proven safe for decades.

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More information on the “microwave”
food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#microwave

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Food Myth #3
Frozen and Canned Vegetables
are Less Nutritious Than Fresh

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Eating fruits and veggies
the moment they are picked gives
you the most nutrients…
“But who does that?”
Canned and frozen can actually
contain more nutrients than
the so-called “fresh” produce at
your grocery store!

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More information on the
“canned vegetable” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#canned

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Food Myth #4
You Need to Consume Dairy
(for calcium)

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The majority of the
world (65-75%)
is lactose intolerant
to some degree…
…and you can get your calcium
from other foods
(like leafy greens)

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More information on the
“dairy / calcium” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#dairy

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Food Myth #5
You Need to Periodically Cleanse
and Detoxify Your Body

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Your body already has a detox
system. It’s called your liver,
kidneys, colon, lungs, and skin.
“Cleanses” and
detoxing are bogus
(though you may want to
juice for different reasons)

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More information on the
“cleanse / detox” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#cleanse

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Food Myth #6
Cravings are a Sign of Nutrients
Missing From Your Diet

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Cravings are much more
influenced by emotions
than physiological needs.
Otherwise we’d all crave
vegetables instead of sweets!

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More information on the
“cravings” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#cravings

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Food Myth #7
“Grazing” On 6+ Meals Per Day
Will Boost Your Metabolism and
Help You to Lose Weight

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Snacking every
2-3 hours to
“stoke your
metabolism” has
been thoroughly
debunked
6 meals of 400 calories
has the exact same metabolic
response in your body as
3 meals of 800 calories and so on…

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More information on the
“grazing” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#grazing

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Food Myth #8
High Fructose Corn Syrup is
Worse Than Sugar

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HFCS isn’t good
for you, but it’s
no different
than “regular”
sugar…
They influence your
body in exactly the
same way.

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More information on the
“high fructose corn syrup” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#hfcs

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Food Myth #9
All Raw Foods are Much
Healthier Than Cooked Foods

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It’s true that cooking destroys
enzymes in plants…
…but the plant’s enzymes
were created for the plant’s
benefit. We have our own
enzymes that allows us to
digest food without a problem.
Cooking can
even make food
more nutritious
(not less)

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More information on the
“raw” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#raw

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Food Myth #10
It’s Proven That You Must Eat
Breakfast in Order to Lose Weight

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Breakfast isn’t magical
It isn’t scientifically proven that eating
breakfast will help you to lose weight.
So eat a healthy breakfast or
don’t eat breakfast at all.
You’ll be fine.

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More information on the
“breakfast” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#breakfast

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Food Myth #11
Your Brain Needs Carbohydrates
to Survive

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Contrary to popular belief…
Your brain isn’t ONLY powered by carbs.
With ketones your brain can thrive

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More information on the
“brain / carb” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#brain

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Food Myth #12
Eating Fat Uniquely Makes You
Fat

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Not only is fat
not inherently fattening…
It’s absolutely
essential
to the body.
Eat your fat. There’s little evidence that
fat uniquely makes you fat.

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More information on the
“eating fat makes you fat” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#fat

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Food Myth #13
Eating Carbohydrates Uniquely
Makes You Fat

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This is the same as the
fat myth
Carbs are not inherently fattening
(though some, like sugar, should probably be limited)

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More information on the
“eating carbs makes you fat” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#carbs

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Food Myth #14
Eating Lots of Protein Will Harm
Your Kidneys and Bones

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Not only does science
not support this myth…
Protein has
been shown
to be
hugely
beneficial
to bone
health,
weight loss,
and gaining
lean muscle
mass

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More information on the
“protein is harmful” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#protein

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Food Myth #15
Red Meat & Saturated Fat Will
Kill You

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Despite red meat and saturated fat
being demonized
during the low fat craze of the
‘70s…
All these claims have
been proven false. Red
meat (not processed red
meat, mind you) and
saturated fat have no
correlation with heart
disease or diabetes

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More information on the
“red meat / saturated fat” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#saturated

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Food Myth #16
Eating Cholesterol Leads to Heart
Disease

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Nope.
Cholesterol you eat has very little influence on
total body cholesterol levels. Eat your eggs, folks.

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More information on the
“cholesterol” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#cholesterol

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Food Myth #17
Low Fat is the Healthiest Way to
Eat

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Fat isn’t
the
problem.
You caneat low fat and be healthy. But eating low
fat is often synonymous with high sugar and tons of
processed foods.
Do low fat right or don’t do it at all.

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More information on the
“low fat” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#low-fat

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Food Myth #18
Dark Chocolate Will Help You
Lose Weight

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Dark chocolate is
great
(in moderation).
But no significant study exists that
proves it contains a unique weight
loss mechanism.
Sorry!

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More information on the
“dark chocolate / weight loss”
food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#chocolate

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Food Myth #19
Coffee is Unhealthy

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Sure, your frappa / mocha sugar
filled monstrosity is unhealthy
But large scientific
studies show that
drinking 3-4 8oz
cups of black coffee
per day is associated
with tons of
health benefits
Drink up!

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More information on the
“coffee is unhealthy” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#coffee

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Food Myth #20
Highly Processed Vegetable Oils
are Healthy

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Whether it’s…
• Soy
• Corn
• Cottonseed
• Sunflower
• Margarine
They all contain extremely high amounts
of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fats.
Stay away from them.

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More information on the
“vegetable oil” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#veg-oils

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Food Myth #21
All Trans Fats are the Same

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Artificial trans fats are horrible
But naturally
occurring trans
fats from
healthy sources
(because they’re
consumed in such
small amounts)
are nothing to
worry about.

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More information on the
“trans fat” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#trans

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Food Myth #22
Butter is Bad for You

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This myth started during
the low fat craze of the ‘70s
But butter is MUCH healthier than
processed vegetable oils and contains
essential fat-soluble vitamins

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More information on the
“butter is bad for you” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#butter

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Food Myth #23
Eliminating Salt from Home
Cooked Meals is the Best Way to
Reduce Sodium Intake

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You need salt
in order to
survive
Add it to your
food to taste.
Most of the salt
you consume is
stuffed into
processed foods.
Avoid these
as much as
possible.

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More information on the
“salt is bad for you” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#salt

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Food Myth #24
You Can’t Cook with Olive Oil

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Actually…
olive oil is a
stable fat with
a higher
smoke point
than you
probably
think.
Cook with olive oil
as much as you want
(except perhaps for deep
frying, which you probably
shouldn’t be doing anyways)

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More information on the
“you can’t cook with olive oil”
food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#olive-oil

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Food Myth #25
You Need to Drink 8 Glasses of
Water Per Day

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There is no set amount of
water you need to drink per day.
Follow
your
thirst.
That’s it.

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More information on the
“8 glasses of water per day”
food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#water

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Food Myth #26
Fruit Juice is Healthy

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Fruit juice does contain vitamins
and minerals…
But it also contains
as much (or more)
sugar than a soft
drink.

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More information on the
“fruit juice is healthy” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#fruit-juice

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Food Myth #27
Meat Rots in Your Colon

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Meat is fully processed
by your body.
It’s actually fibrous plant matter
that rots in your colon.

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More information on the
“meat rots in your colon” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#rot

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Food Myth #28
GMO’s are Universally Bad

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In thousands
of studies,
GMO’s have
been deemed
safe for animal
and human
consumption.
It’s a complex subject.
But one that isn’t as clear cut as you may think.

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More information on the
“GMO’s are bad” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#gmo

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Food Myth #29
All Calories are the Same

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Here’s the thing:
different foods
affect the body
in vastly
different ways.
What you eat matters, not
just how much you eat.

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More information on the
“all calories are the same” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#calorie-same

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Food Myth #30
Artificial Sweeteners Will Give
You Cancer

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Decades of studies have
confirmed that aspartame is
safe to consume

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More information on the
“artificial sweetener” food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#artificial

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Food Myth #31
Organics are Always Healthier

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Organichas become a buzzword.
Are organics all they’re cracked up to be?
Studies
show that
it’s not as
clear cut
as you may
think.

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More information on the
“organics are always healthier”
food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#organic

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Food Myth #32
There is Only One Diet That’s Best

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Humanshave thrived on
vastly different diets.
All healthy diets
have more in
common than
they differ.
Stop diet
bashing.

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More information on the
“one diet to rule them all
food myth
(and what to do about it)
can be found here:
http://mealime.com/nutrition/food-
myths/#one-diet

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And that’s it!
Bye bye
food myths.

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Get the full article that inspired
this SlideShare …
… plus a free PDF of this guide at
http://mealime.com/nutrition/
food-myths/

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