Nutritionists rate 6 “healthy eating concepts” as true or false

When it comes to healthy eating ideas, there are all kinds of rules, trends, and advice about what works for you and what doesn’t.

Some of the guidelines may be legitimate, but some should be taken with a grain of salt.

Several experts and researchers at Boston Mass. General Brigham examined some common nutritional concepts and separated the fact from the fiction.

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Here are six popular concepts and, according to experts, a clear explanation of whether or not they hold water.

True or false?

1. “Women should follow the Mediterranean diet to live longer”

True. Recent studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet is beneficial for overall health.

Researchers at General Hospital evaluated six myths about healthy eating, including plant-based diets and peanut butter for children. (iStock)

Mass General backs up this theory, citing its own research that found women who followed the diet plan for more than 25 years had up to a 23% lower risk of death, reducing cardiovascular and cancer-related deaths.

The study also found that introducing one component of the diet reduced the long-term risk of dying from certain diseases by 5%.

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The Mediterranean diet includes healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, nuts and fish, while avoiding sugar and processed or red meat.

According to Samia Mora, MD, director of the Center for Lipid Metabolism at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, most people don’t understand the impact of diet on health and longevity.

The Mediterranean diet includes foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, nuts and fish, while avoiding sugar and processed or red meat. (iStock)

“What we eat today has a significant impact on living a long and healthy life,” he wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“A benefit [of the Mediterranean diet] were observed in both cancer and cardiovascular mortality—the two leading causes of death in women and men—and are linked to several biological mechanisms, notably reductions in inflammation and insulin resistance and improvements in metabolism.

2. “Eliminating trigger foods is always the best treatment for digestive problems”

Wrong. While some people suffer from food allergies or autoimmune diseases, experts at Mass General found that this diet concept is generally wrong — as many gastrointestinal symptoms are known to have “more complex causes.”

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According to Kyle Staller, director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital, when patients react badly to certain foods, it’s not the food itself that causes the problem, but the gastrointestinal response to eating in general.

Indigestion may not just be caused by the food you eat, the doctor said. (iStock)

“While some people have true allergies to certain foods (such as an allergy to gluten in celiac disease) or are unable to digest certain foods (such as dairy in lactose intolerance), many of the symptoms attributed to a particular food are actually due to your body’s response to eating it,” she told Fox. to News Digital.

According to Staller, eating triggers a “cascade of neural activity in the gut,” regardless of the food eaten.

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People with sensitive gut nerves may experience gastrointestinal discomfort in the form of gas, bloating, and an abnormal feeling of fullness.

“These are what we call gut-brain interaction disorders—feeling abnormal sensations even when digestion appears to be functioning normally,” Staller said.

Eating triggers a cascade of neural activity in your gut, regardless of the food you eat, the doctor said. (iStock)

“Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most classic example.”

According to Staller, the best way to alleviate these symptoms is to target the abnormal nervous system responses while eliminating only the “most troublesome” foods.

3. “Eating blueberries may reduce the risk of certain eye diseases”

True. Scientists have found this claim to be true: blueberries may actually be good for your eyes.

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A mass study of nearly 40,000 middle-aged and older US women found that one or more servings of blueberries per week was associated with a 28% lower risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease that can cause significant vision loss.

One or more servings of blueberries per week was associated with a 28% lower risk of conditions causing vision loss. (iStock)

Dr. Howard D. Sesso, director of nutrition and supplement research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, confirmed that blueberries can optimize eye health.

“Blueberries contain anthocyanins, a bioactive polyphenol that gives them their blue color, and this has been linked to a possible reduction in eye disease,” he told Fox News Digital.

4. Following a plant-based diet always improves health outcomes.

False, with caveats. Experts at Mass General say a plant-based diet isn’t always the best way to go, even though it may seem super healthy.

According to Dr. Qi Sun, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, plant-based eating plans have “diverse and sometimes conflicting effects on health.”

“Diet is not a magic bullet by itself.”

She noted that a plant-based diet that includes highly refined grains, sugary drinks and candy is very different from a diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, coffee, tea and more.

According to the expert, a plant-based diet should be versatile to include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. (iStock)

According to the researchers, the first diet is associated with “numerous adverse health effects”.

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The second diet is considered a “healthy version of a plant-based diet,” which Sun says is “strongly associated with better health outcomes, including a lower risk of diseases like diabetes, obesity, and gout.”

A “healthy version” of a plant-based diet has been proven to reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and gout, experts say. (iStock)

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sun encouraged people to focus on high-quality ingredients — such as fresh fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and olive oil and other vegetable oils — and limit sugary and salty foods. .

“Don’t forget regular activity and other healthy lifestyle choices,” he advised. “At the end of the day, diet by itself is not a magic bullet.”

5. “The location of the food in the grocery store does not affect purchases”

False. Mass General dismissed the concept as completely “wrong” because the grocery store’s “choice architecture” “strongly influences what we buy.”

According to researchers, storing healthy items in visible or convenient places increases the likelihood of making healthier choices.

“Healthy choice architecture” refers to having healthy items in a visible or convenient location in the warehouse, Mass General said. (iStock)

In the cafeteria of the General Hospital, food and drinks are marked in red, yellow and green – red is the healthiest and green is the healthiest.

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The researchers found that when the healthiest items were conveniently located or at eye level, workers were more likely to make healthier choices.

Anne Thorndike, MD, a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, shared with Fox News Digital that the opposite is also true.

According to researchers, people are more likely to choose groceries that are convenient and visible. (iStock)

“This is well known by the food industry, which has placed sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, candies and baked goods in checkout lanes, in aisle end caps and at the front of the store,” he said.

6. “Early introduction to foods like peanut butter can prevent allergies”

True. Introducing foods that cause allergic reactions to a young child can be scary for parents, but Mass General confirmed that it can be beneficial in the long run.

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According to the LEAP Trial (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy), introducing “developmentally appropriate” forms of peanut to children aged 4 to 6 months can lead to an 80% reduction in peanut allergy in high-risk individuals.

Introducing “developmentally appropriate” forms of peanut to children between 4 and 6 months of age can lead to an 80% reduction in peanut allergy in high-risk individuals. (iStock)

Michael Pistiner, MD, director of food allergy advocacy, education and prevention at Mass General Hospital for Children, emphasized that these findings show that “timing matters.”

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“By the time a child reaches a pediatric allergist, it may be too late to prevent some food allergies that could have been avoided with early exposure to the allergen and family education,” she told Fox News Digital.

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Pistiner added, “With limited access to allergy providers and long wait times that can exceed three months, primary care physicians play a critical role in supporting families through infant feeding, early allergen exposure, eczema treatment, and food allergy diagnosis and referral.”