11 Nutritionists Debunk Popular Health Myths

There is so much misinformation swirling in the world of nutrition, it can be difficult to know what’s true and what’s fake news. So we asked Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) armed with the latest research to set the record straight on the most common dietary myths.

"There is no doubt that a variety of fruit can be refreshing, delicious and nutritious. But for some people when taken alone, fruit can spike blood sugar levels with a surge of sweetness, albeit natural," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of Better Than Dieting and author of Read it Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table. Taub-Dix explains that this is especially true at breakfast time when "it’s best to combine the carbs in fruit along with protein and/or fat to help provide long-lasting energy while keeping blood sugar levels balanced." She recommends combining a banana with some crunchy almond butter or adding chopped mango to cottage cheese.

"While it is true that every time you eat your metabolic rate bumps up slightly as it digests, absorbs and assimilates nutrients, it is not true that eating frequently boosts your 24-hour metabolic rate," explains Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide. "That bump in metabolic rate, called the thermic effect of food, is related to what you eat. It is not related to how often you eat," Weisenberger clarifies. In other words, if you ate the exact same food amounting to 1600 calories in 3 meals or in 3 meals and 3 snacks, the thermic effect of food will be the same at the end of the day. Your 24-hour metabolic rate will be the same. "Researchers have looked for the ideal eating frequency for weight loss, and no one has found it yet," claims Weisenberger. Instead of letting some out-of-date diet myth dictate how often you eat in a day, she recommends letting hunger guide you. And when you do snack, pick foods that fill in nutritional gaps. You’ll rarely go wrong with fruits and vegetables.

"First off, it’s important to know that fat can’t melt. Fat cells simply shrink in size" explains Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD author of Flat Belly 365. Villacorta adds that the research behind coconut oil is flawed. The claim is that coconut oil medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) have a fat-burning effect on the body. While there is some research that suggests that MCTs could help with fat loss, the amount of MCTs in coconut oil is too small in reasonable portions to have the same effect. One tablespoon of coconut oil has 120 calories and, at the end of the day, calories matter.