Nutrition is the key to optimal health, but it’s not always easy to get the correct information on what to eat and what to avoid. The internet is abuzz with plenty of rumors regarding nutrition. Let’s take a look at the top 3 myths about nutrition that you might still believe.

Low-Fat and Fat-Free Products Are Healthy

A couple decades ago, dietary fat had a bad reputation. It was mistakenly associated with a few big-name cardiovascular diseases. You might remember that eggs were going back and forth between healthy and unhealthy. Years later, doctors said, “whoops, our mistake.” Healthy fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to promote cardiovascular health.

In response to the bad press on fat, many companies began making low-fat and fat-free products. These products might be absent in fat, but they are packed with sugar to ensure they’re tasty. Diets high in sugar have been linked to weight gain and disease.

Avoid fat-free and low-fat products. More importantly, don’t be afraid of healthy dietary fats, especially mono-unsaturated fat. Natural saturated fat such as coconut oil is also good for you in small doses.

“Green” Juices Are Good for You

If it’s “green” then it must be good for you, right? Not so fast. Those green and natural juices you see in the store are far from a healthy addition to your diet. Just like with many fat-free products, so-called green juices are loaded with sugar and preservatives. Think about it: When is the last time broccoli and kale tasted that sweet?

In order to avoid more sugar in your diet, it’s best to make your own smoothies and juices at home. You can throw in numerous super foods such as maca, cocoa, and chia seeds. They will be fresh and nutritious with no added sugars. Best of all, you’ll save plenty of money.

Supplements Are Useless

Supplements are concentrated extracts of nutrients that you can quickly add in to your diet in the form of a pill or powder. There’s no doubt that the majority of your diet should be made up of whole foods that are natural and organic. With that said, supplement technology has advanced so much over the last 20 years that it would be foolish to omit supplements from your diet. After all, can you imagine how much wheat grass it takes to get the same nutrient profile as a simple teaspoon of the concentrated extract?

Vitamin and mineral supplements can help to fill in nutritional gaps in your daily diet. What’s more, supplements can be a complement for weight loss, muscle building, and cognitive enhancement.

Which Nutrition Myth Were You Most Surprised About?

Have you been purchasing fat-free and low-fat products? Did you think that supplements were harmful and unnecessary? Let us know what myth you were surprised about in the comments below.

Written by David Sautter

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.