You're Not Falling For Those Dumb Nutrition Scams Are You? Love a good juice detox? Getting into gluten-free baking? Taking antioxidant dietary supplements with your meals? You're being trolled - at least according to a large team of researchers who investigated peer-reviewed studies on a variety of recent nutrition fads. In fact, the American College of Cardiology reports that many of these diet trends are not only just hype, some may be harming you - especially when it comes to heart health.
The lead author says, "There is sort of mass confusion about what foods are healthy or not healthy." Some of their findings include that juices bring in far too much sugar and not enough fiber, and that our bodies have evolved to be our best detoxers, filtering out "toxins" without freaking out our bodies with sugar spikes. While avoiding gluten isn't harmful in and of itself, "there is no evidence that avoidance of gluten by healthy individuals will result in weight loss or that gluten promotes weight gain." And if you've become a coconut oil addict, well, sorry: "Current claims of documented health benefits of the [coconut and palm] oils are unsubstantiated and use of these oils should be discouraged."
And finally, they write that fruits and veggies, and especially berries, are the healthiest source of antioxidants, but there is no compelling evidence that antioxidant supplements are helpful. Adds Popular Science: "You probably already know what a heart-healthy diet looks like: leafy greens, fresh fruits, and taking it easy when it comes to calories." (American College of Cardiology)