Healthy or unhealthy?: Four nutrition myths you should know
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What is healthy and what is unhealthy? The answer is not as simple as you might think. Nutritionist Uwe Knop dispels four well-known nutritional myths and explains why a general classification of foods into ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ is scientifically untenable.
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Nutrition myth 1: The division into healthy and unhealthy foods is scientifically proven.
A clear no. Food cannot be divided categorically into healthy and unhealthy. Because: There is no scientific evidence for this in the sense of the toughest “gold standard of research”: Causal evidence. To date, no study has been able to provide evidence that would support and allow such a black-and-white categorization.
Therefore, the seven major specialist institutions of ecotrophology (nutrition sciences) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland unanimously reject this classification (see info box here at the end “7 in one go”).
Incidentally, there is no causal evidence for healthy eating in general – this is also due to the massive limitations of this branch of research, which is almost exclusively… Correlations and is therefore subject to the credo: “Nothing has happened except hypotheses.” (More on this in detail in “Doesn’t Lauterbach know the difference between correlation and causality?”).
The “Nutri-Score” also does not allow classification into healthy or unhealthy, regardless of whether the traffic light is green or red. This is clearly stated on the BMEL (Federal Ministry of Nutrition) website.
Book recommendation (advertisement)
“Successfully lose weight and stay slim” by Uwe Knop
Nutrition myth 2: Eating fruit and vegetables five times a day keeps you healthy.
Nobody knows. The “5 a day” recommendation of the same name is nothing more than an advertising campaign to boost fruit and vegetable sales and consumption. However, it is completely unclear whether consumption promotes health because no one has checked (evaluated) it to date. The same also applies to the old and new “DGE rules”. Nobody knows whether these nutritional recommendations promote health – or whether they are even harmful. Because no evidence of benefit has ever been provided or any harmful effects (physical and/or psychological) have been scientifically ruled out.
Nutritional recommendations are and remain crystal ball readings based on a mass experiment without ever checking what they do with the “guinea pigs aka German citizens”.
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Nutrition myth 3: Drinking two liters of water a day is important so that we don’t “dry out”.
Having enough fluid flowing “in the system” is important for survival. But there is no scientifically proven concrete liter recommendation that applies to everyone. The amount you drink is as individual as your hunger and the size of the meal – because how much water you need in addition to the fluid intake with your diet is absolutely individual and entirely dependent on your personal lifestyle and current metabolism. Therefore, the recommendation for healthy people is: Drink when you feel really thirsty. For more information, see “Five Misconceptions About Drinking.”
Nutrition myth 4: Intermittent fasting and low-carb are not only healthy diets, but also the best methods for losing weight.
A double no. Even though both forms of nutrition are often hyped as “super healthy” and “the best diets”, one must clearly state that there is no scientific evidence for either intermittent fasting – which is promoted in a number of freely invented hourly variants – or for avoiding carbohydrates superior “health power” or better weight loss effect. You can read more about this in the “Big Check: This is what intermittent fasting really does” and in the background article on low carb.
Good to know: There is no evidence for any of the better eater hypes that are currently circulating as the “best diet in the world”. The recommendation is therefore: only trust in the person who knows best – listen to your body and its intuitive hunger signals. Desire, satiety and, above all, tolerance.
This text comes from an expert from the FOCUS online EXPERTS Circle. Our experts have a high level of specialist knowledge in their subject area and are not part of the editorial team. Learn more.
Frequently asked questions on this topic
What are the main reasons for the DGE to place a greater emphasis on plant-based foods in the diet?
The new recommendations are essentially: consume around three quarters of plant-based food and only a quarter of animal food. The main reasons are, on the one hand, “health”: for example, the risk of …
Uwe Knop
Evidence-focused nutritionist, journalist, speaker and author
What is the serious difference to the old 10 DGE rules on “healthy eating”?
In short: more plants, less animals. And: Both legumes – beans, peas, lentils – and nuts are no longer subsumed under “fruit and vegetables 5 times a day”, but rather with independent…
Uwe Knop
Evidence-focused nutritionist, journalist, speaker and author
What evidence is there that the old “10 rules of the DGE” actually promoted the health of citizens?
No. There is not a single scientific proof of the “health-promoting” power of the old 10 rules. This has never been investigated – because it is not possible. A nice example of this is the “Truth about the…
Uwe Knop
Evidence-focused nutritionist, journalist, speaker and author
Should you stick to the DGE’s new “eat and drink well” rules?
Everyone has to decide for themselves – and best use individual tolerance, enjoyment and conscience as a basis: Do I feel comfortable and satisfied with it, both physically and mentally? Then wonderful. If not then …
Uwe Knop
Evidence-focused nutritionist, journalist, speaker and author