When it comes to ideas about healthy eating, there are all kinds of rules, trends and advice about what is good for you and what is not.
Some of these guidelines may be legitimate, but others should be viewed with caution.
Several experts and researchers from Mass General Brigham in Boston have examined some popular diet concepts in circulation – and separated fact from fiction.
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Here are six popular concepts – and a clear explanation of whether or not they hold water from an expert perspective.
Right or wrong?
1. “To live longer, women should follow the Mediterranean diet”
TRUE. Recent studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet has a positive effect on overall health.
Researchers at Mass General Hospital examined six myths about healthy eating, including plant-based diets and peanut butter for children. (iStock)
Mass General supports this theory and points to its own study which found that women who followed the diet plan for 25 years had up to a 23 percent lower risk of death and also had fewer deaths from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The study also found that introducing a single dietary ingredient resulted in a 5 percent reduction in the long-term risk of death from certain diseases.
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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.
Most people are unaware of the impact of diet on health and life expectancy, says Dr. Samia Mora, director of the Center for Lipid Metabolomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
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 major impact on whether we live long and healthy lives,” she wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The benefits (of the Mediterranean diet) were seen on both cancer and cardiovascular mortality – the two leading causes of death in women and men – and were associated with several biological mechanisms, particularly reductions in inflammation and insulin resistance and improved metabolism.”
2. “The best treatment for digestive problems is always to avoid trigger foods.”
INCORRECT. Although some people do indeed suffer from food allergies or autoimmune diseases, the experts at Mass General concluded that this diet concept is wrong overall, as many digestive complaints are known to have “more complex causes.”
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When patients react badly to certain foods, the cause of the discomfort is not the food itself but the digestive tract’s reaction to food “in general,” says Dr. Kyle Staller, director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Poor digestion may not necessarily be due to the food you eat, a doctor said. (iStock)
“While some people are truly allergic to certain foods (such as gluten allergy in celiac disease) or cannot digest certain foods (such as dairy in lactose intolerance), many symptoms attributed to certain foods are actually due to the body’s reaction to the food,” he told Fox News Digital.
According to Staller, eating triggers a “cascade of nerve activity in the intestine,” regardless of the type of food consumed.
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People with sensitive intestinal nerves may experience gastrointestinal discomfort in the form of flatulence, bloating, and an abnormal feeling of fullness.
“These are the so-called ‘disorders of the gut-brain interaction’ – you have abnormal sensations, even if your digestion appears to be functioning normally,” said Staller.
One doctor said that eating triggers a “cascade of neural activity in the intestine,” regardless of the type of food consumed. (iStock)
“Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most classic example.”
The best way to alleviate these symptoms, according to Staller, is to specifically address the abnormal reactions of the nervous system and eliminate only the “most problematic” foods.
3. “Eating blueberries may reduce the risk of some eye diseases”
TRUE. The researchers found that this claim is true: blueberries can actually be good for your eyes.
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A Mass General College study of nearly 40,000 middle-aged and older U.S. women found that eating 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 were associated with a 28% lower risk of diseases that cause vision loss. (iStock)
Dr. Howard D. Sesso, director of nutrition and dietary 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 has been linked to a possible reduction in eye disease,” he told Fox News Digital.
4. “A plant-based diet always improves health”
False, with reservations. Experts at Mass General say that a plant-based diet, even though it may seem very healthy, is not always the best way to go.
According to Dr. Qi Sun, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, plant-based diets have “diverse and sometimes conflicting health effects.”
“Diet alone is not a panacea.”
A plant-based diet high in refined grains, sugary drinks and sweets is very different from a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, coffee, tea and more, he noted.
A plant-based diet should be balanced and include fruits, vegetables and whole grains, says one expert. (iStock)
According to the researchers, the first diet is associated with “many negative health consequences.”
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The second diet is considered a “healthy version of a plant-based diet” which, according to Sun, “is associated with significantly better health outcomes, including a lower risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, obesity and gout.”
The “healthy option” 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 sent to Fox News Digital, Sun urged people to focus on high-quality ingredients – such as fresh fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, as well as olive oil and other vegetable oils – and to limit foods high in sugar and salt.
“Don’t forget to exercise regularly and choose a healthy lifestyle,” he advised. “After all, diet alone is not a panacea.”
5. “The location of the food in the supermarket has no influence on the purchase”
INCORRECT. Mass General believes this concept is simply “wrong” because the “choice architecture” of the grocery store “strongly influences what we buy.”
According to researchers, storing healthy foods in visible or easily accessible places increases the likelihood of choosing a healthier diet.
“Healthy Choice Architecture” refers to storing healthy foods in visible or easily accessible locations, Mass General reported. (iStock)
In the cafeteria at Mass General Hospital, foods and beverages are labeled red, yellow, and green—with red being the unhealthiest and green being the healthiest.
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The researchers found that employees were more likely to make healthier choices when the healthiest items were in convenient locations or at eye level.
Anne Thorndike, MD, a family physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Fox News Digital that the opposite is also true.
According to researchers, people are more likely to choose foods that are convenient and easily visible. (iStock)
“This is well known in the food industry, which places sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, candy and baked goods at checkouts, at the ends of shelves and in the front of the store,” she said.
6. “Early introduction of foods such as peanut butter can prevent allergies”
TRUE. Introducing a young child to foods known to cause allergic reactions can be scary for parents, but Mass General confirmed that it can be beneficial in the long run.
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Introducing “developmentally appropriate” peanuts in age-appropriate forms to children between four and six months of age can lead to an 80 percent reduction in peanut allergy in high-risk patients, according to the LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study.
Introducing “developmentally appropriate” peanuts in forms appropriate for children between four and six months of age can lead to an 80 percent reduction in peanut allergy in children at high risk. (iStock)
Michael Pistiner, MD, director of the Division of Food Allergy Education and Prevention at Mass General Hospital for Children, stressed that these results show that “timing is important.”
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“By the time a child visits a pediatric allergist, it may already be too late to prevent some food allergies that could have been prevented by introducing the allergens early and educating the family,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Pistiner added: “Given limited access to allergists and long wait times that can exceed three months, primary care physicians play a critical role in supporting families with infant feeding, early allergen introduction, eczema management, and diagnosis and referral for food allergies.”
