Download Food Myths - Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of

Food Myths:
What do
YOU Need to
Know?
Holly Herrington, RD,
LDN, CDE
Center for Lifestyle
Medicine
Top Food and Health Trends of 2013
• Which Ones Have You Heard?
Food Myth 1: Gluten Free is the Way to Be!
• What IS Gluten?
Dietary Protein found in rye, wheat, and barley.
Why Avoid Gluten?
• Celiac Disease
– Autoimmune disorder
– Affects 1 in 130 people
– Inability to break down this
protein
– Diagnosed with blood draws
and small bowel biopsy
• Gluten intolerance, on the other
hand, may be diagnosed
when abdominal distress, and
sometimes fatigue, regularly
occurs after consuming gluten
(and celiac disease has been
ruled out.)
SYMPTOMS
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Weight loss
• Abdominal distention
• Flatulence
• Ostoepenia
• Abnormal Liver
Function
•
•
•
•
Vomiting
Iron Deficient Anemia
Constipation
Nausea
Unless you have Celiac Disease or
Gluten Intolerance, there is no reason
to go Gluten Free
• NOT lower calorie
– Processed GF foods usually
have higher calories
– Will NOT promote weight
loss
• Not anti-inflammatory
– Does not reduce arthritis,
knee pain
– Does not reduce blood
pressure
– Does not improve heart
health
Consequences of Going
Gluten Free:
•Less intake of essential
vitamins and minerals
•Constipation
•Food deprivation
Foods that are naturally
Gluten Free?
•Fruits, veggies, low fat dairy
•Grains including oats, rice,
quinoa
•Beans and legumes
•Nuts and seeds
•Lean proteins
Shelley Case, B.Sc., RD NUTRITION ISSUES IN GASTROENTEROLOGY,
Food Myth 2: Organic is Optimal
• Personal Choice
• $$$
– Sustainable farming may support the health of
the soil, supports local farmers, well being of
livestock, tastes better, etc.
• LESS pesticides, Not “NO pesticides”
– over 20 chemicals are commonly used in the
growing and processing of organic crops that
are approved by the US Organic Standards.
» Pesticides used are not synthetic
• Organic food is not “healthier” than non-organic
– No significant nutritional difference exists between
conventional and organic crops and livestock.
National Center for Food and Agriculture
Where to Start?
• Clean 15: the lowest amount of pesticide residue and “safest to
buy conventionally”
• Dirty Dozen: highest pesticide load and “safest to buy
organic”
Clean 15:
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Cabbage
Sweet peas
(frozen)
Onions
Asparagus
Mangoes
Papayas
Kiwi
Eggplant
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
(domestic)
Cauliflower
Sweet potatoes
Dirty Dozen:
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Sweet bell peppers
Nectarines
Cucumbers
Cherry tomatoes
Snap peas
Potatoes
Myth 3: Juicing cleanses your body of built up toxins
• NO reason you need to “cleanse or detox”
• FACT: Your body detoxes itself!
– Your Kidneys, liver and Spleen are always
cleansing and detoxing your body. You are
always producing metabolic waste.
• Putting your body at nutritional risk
– No protein, no fiber
• Feel irritable, tired or fatigued
• Not sustainable
– Are you going to return to unhealthy eating?
• No truth that you are retaining waste in your
colon
• NO evidence in science that juice is
absorbed better than whole fruits and
veggies
• NO FIBER
– When put through a juicer cell walls
are crushed, therefore losing all fiber
• EXPENSIVE
– Can spend over $20 per day in fruits
and veggies to make a small amount
of juice
• HIGH CALORIE 8 oz glass of juice:
3-4 oranges
– (fruit juice)
6-8 tomatoes
1 whole pineapples
5 apples
1 bunch of carrots
By extracting the
maximum amount of
nutrients from juicing,
your body can absorb
these nutrients better.
This gives your digestive
system a rest from
working on fiber.
juicing can reduce your
risk of cancer, boost your
immune system, help you
remove toxins from your
body, aid digestion, and
help you control your
weight.
Plant Based Diet
• Cancer risk can be reduced when plant
foods are emphasized in the diet
• Based on research, fruits and vegetables
have the potential to reduce the risk of
many types of cancers including mouth,
pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach,
lung, pancreas, and prostate cancer
– Contain vitamins, minerals, and
phytochemicals
2.5 cups (5 servings) of fruits/ veggies
each day
• Fruit
– 1 medium-sized piece of
fruit
• Vegetables
– 1 cup of raw vegetables
– ¼ cup of dried fruit
– 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of 100%
vegetable juice
– 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of
100% fruit juice
– ½ cup of canned or cooked
vegetables
– ½ cup of canned or fresh
fruit
Phytochemicals
• Biologically active substances that can protect
cells from being damaged
• Give plant foods their color, odor, and flavor
• The best way to get phytochemicals in your diet
is to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, and legumes
– Try to get at least 5 servings of fruits and
vegetables per day
Phytochemical(s)
Plant Source
Possible Benefits
Carotenoids (such as betacarotene, lycopene, lutein,
zeaxanthin)
Red, orange, and green
fruits and vegetables
including broccoli, carrots,
cooked tomatoes, leafy
greens, sweet potatoes,
winter squash, apricots,
cantaloupe, oranges, and
watermelon
May inhibit cancer cell
growth, work as
antioxidants and improve
immune response
Flavenoids (such as
anthocyanins and
quercetin)
Apples, citrus fruits, onions,
soybeans and soy products,
coffee and tea
May inhibit inflammation
and tumor growth; may aid
immunity and boost
production of detoxifying
enzymes in the body
Phytochemical(s)
Plant Source
Possible Benefits
Inositol (phytic acid)
Bran from corn, oats, rice,
rye and wheat, nuts,
soybeans and soy products
May retard cell growth and
work as an antioxidant
Polyphenols (such as
ellagic acid and resveratrol)
Green tea, grapes, wine,
berries, cirtus fruits,
apples, whole grains and
peanuts
May prevent cancer
formation, prevent
inflammation and work as
antioxidants
Public Enemy No. 1
Sugar, like anything, can be harmful in
EXCESS
• Added Sugars Add to Your Risk of Developing Health
Risks
– Added sugar (20% diet) doubled risk of mortality from
heart disease
– Even if you are not overweight
• Added sugar increase risk and contribute to:
– Obesity
• Increased risk of developing many cancers including
breast, colon, rectum, endometrium, kidney, esophagus and
pancreas*
–
–
–
–
Type 2 Diabetes
High Cholesterol
NAFLD (fatty liver)
High blood pressure
JAMA January 2014
*ACS Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention 2011
Sugar is NOT the Enemy!
American Heart Association
Recommends:
Women: 100 calories per day
from added sugars (6
teaspoons or 24 g)
Men: 150 calories per day from
added sugars (9 teaspoons or
36 g)
1 g sugar = 4 calories
1 tsp = 4 g sugar or 16 calories
12 oz soda = 40g sugar or 160
calories
•
Naturally occurring sugars
are found naturally in foods
such as fruit (fructose) and
milk (lactose).
•
Any sugars or caloric
sweeteners that are added to
foods or beverages during
processing or preparation
– Sugar in your coffee
– Cereal
– Added sugars (or added
sweeteners) can include
natural sugars such as
white sugar, brown sugar
and honey
How to Spot a Diet Myth
New diet myths can crop up at any time; fads come and go. Step
back, check out the evidence, and be a bit skeptical.
• Look for red flags, such as promises that sound too good to
be true or dramatic statements refuted by reputable health
organizations.
• Think critically. Consider the "facts" touted in diet myths.
Are they from biased or preliminary research?
– One study doesn't make a fact The messages need to be
evidence-based, which means multiple studies conducted
in large groups of people and reviewed by independent
scientists.
• Ask an expert. A registered dietitian or other health
professional can help you tell nutritional fact from fiction.
• Remember, there are no magic bullets. The true approach to
good health includes an overall healthy eating pattern, enjoyed
and followed over time
Take Away Tips:
There are no quick fixes, no short cuts!
Eat a balanced diet with plenty of plant foods like
vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes
Include lean protein sources like egg whites, fish,
nuts and seeds
Limit crappy sugars!
juices, regular sodas, refined
carbohydrates
Resources
• American Institute for
Cancer Research
– www.aicr.org
• American Cancer Society
– www.cancer.org
• American Dietetic
Association
– www.eatright.org
• United States Department of
Agriculture
– www.usda.gov
• National Cancer Institute
– www.cancer.org
• MyPyramid.gov
– www.mypyramid.gov
• American Heart Association
– www.heart.org
• National Heart Lung and
Blood Institute
– http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
QUESTIONS?
THANK YOU!
Holly Herrington
Center for Lifestyle Medicine
312-695-2300
[email protected]