Myths about nutrition are all over the Internet. Let’s debunk these three

Interest in nutrition and healthier eating keeps growing. And along with the great advice available online comes some true nonsense nutrition — I mean crazy content that confuses the public and leaves dietitians clenching their teeth.

Here are 3 nuggets of nonsense I hope never to hear again.

“I’m taking statins, my cholesterol is low, and so what I eat doesn’t matter as much.”

Great to have lowered blood cholesterol, but there is so much more to being in your best health. What about cancer, the second leading cause of death? To combat cancer, boost immunity and reduce inflammation, you want to load up with vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

Research from a few years ago reported that people on statins gained more weight over time than the nonusers. Why? Because they didn’t think what they ate mattered anymore. But it does.

“I want to lose 10 or more pounds in one month.”

I understand why so many people think this is easy. I stopped counting the hundreds of TikToks I saw after searching rapid weight loss. This thinking is a strategy for failure. Would losing eight pounds be a disappointment? Focus less on a number and more on the behavior or activity. Devise healthier living strategies you can measure. Numbers are good when coupled with a goal like “I will eat 4 servings of vegetables a day, or I will walk 10,000 steps today.”

“If you don’t recognize an ingredient, your body won’t either.”

Anyone who has taken chemistry will tell you this is the most insane statement ever. This morning, included in my breakfast was serine, octanoic acid, E160c, phenylacetaldehyde, hepta-2-enal and lots of other chemicals. What did I eat? An egg.

Every “natural” food eaten is made up of chemicals that most people have not heard of. Luckily, our bodies know what to do with the chemicals even if our heads don’t.

Sheah Rarback, MS, is a dietitian nutritionist in private practice in Miami.