Many misperceptions exist within the field of nutrition.  Become an educated consumer and learn about some of common nutritional myths.

Myth One: Vitamins supplements provide everything you need to maintain good health.
Vitamins alone cannot keep you healthy. They can’t neutralize the negative effects of a diet high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. It’s not a bad idea to take a daily multivitamin and mineral pill to supplement your healthy diet. High doses of vitamins and minerals can cause toxic effects, including liver, kidney and nerve damage, ski disorders and even death. Many vitamin companies have started labeling supplements as “natural” or “organic”, but in most cases it makes little difference to your body.

Myth Two: When you see “95% fat free” it means only 5% of the calories come from fat.
When you see a product advertised as 5% fat, this means that 5% of the total weight of the product is from fat.  The calories from fat actually can range from 30%-60%. 

Myth Three: Items bought in health food stores are better.
Products that are sold in health food stores do not mean that they are healthier for you.  Health food products are generally more expensive and off no greater nutritional value than their supermarket counterparts. Also, terms such as “all natural” have no legal meaning.  These products can contain preservatives, additives, cholesterol and high amounts of saturated fat.

Myth Four: Honey is better than white sugar because it’s natural.
Many people claim that honey is better than sugar, when in fact they are almost chemically indistinguishable.  However, spoon for spoon, sugar actually contains fewer calories than honey.  Although honey does contain small quantities of minerals, there is such a tiny amount that they have little nutritional significance.

Myth Five: “Cholesterol-Free” means a product is heart healthy.
With all the concern about cholesterol and heart disease, numerous companies are promoting their products as cholesterol-free. Blood cholesterol is a contributor to heart disease, but saturated and trans fat increase blood cholesterol levels more than dietary cholesterol.  Therefore, read labels carefully to see if “cholesterol-free” products contain any saturated or trans fat.  Look for labels that list the grams of fat and type of fat sued.  Don’t be persuaded by misleading advertising.