Nutrition myths exposed

MYTH: Zero trans fat means zero.
Despite the unmistakable "0 trans fat" label on many food products, zero may not actually mean zero.

MYTH: Margarine is healthier than butter.
Butter won that debate a long time ago, but a great deal of misinformation still exists. Both have the same amount of calories (about 100 calories per teaspoon); both taste great on toast. As far as health goes, butter is better.

MYTH: Nuts contain cholesterol.
Plant foods do not contain cholesterol. Cholesterol is found only in animal foods. A number of studies have shown that regular intake of nuts, walnuts in particular, can result in a seven-fold improvement of arterial function thanks to omega-3 oils.

MYTH: Whole wheat is the healthiest grain.
"Whole grain" means that all three parts of a grain - the bran, germ, and endosperm are included. While whole wheat is a whole grain, it is only one of many available whole grains and is not necessarily the best.

MYTH: All yogurt is healthy.
While many of these bacteria are "friendly" and protective, combating digestive problems, yeast infections, and boosting immunity, some can have negative influences on human health. The balance of microbial strains should favor the beneficial bacteria over the potentially harmful ones. The healthiest yogurt is a plain, naturally-made yogurt.

MYTH: Iceberg lettuce is just as healthy as other greens.
Compared to other leafy greens, its nutrient make-up is extremely low, containing 95 percent water, a trace of fiber, and only one-twentieth the vitamins and minerals provided by other leafy greens.

MYTH: Sodium is only found in salt.
A teaspoon of salt provides over 2,300 mg of sodium - a far cry from the recommended 1,200 mg - but salt is not the only offender.

MYTH: Brown sugar is healthier than white.
Brown sugar is refined white sugar (sucrose) with some molasses mixed in. While the molasses contain a small amount of minerals, differences in the nutritional make-up of brown and white sugar are negligible.

MYTH: Low-fat diets are ideal.
Not necessarily. Fat should not exceed 25 percent of your total calories and most (if not all) of those fats should derive from omega-3 (fish, fish oil supplements, and nuts).