Common Health Myths and Facts

Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, August 5, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Myth: Many people are overweight because we absorb too much nutrients from our food.

Fact: We eat a lot of ‘empty calories’ foods which are deficient in nutrients.

Myth: I eat a balanced diet every day, so I get enough nutrients from food.

Fact: Due to massive production, soil depletion, and overuse of chemical fertilizers, the nutrients of our food have been significantly reduced. Nutrients are lost due to transportation, refrigeration, and cooking. Lots of foods are being processed.

Myth: My body detoxifies well daily since I have bowel movement everyday!

Fact: We inhale, ingest and absorb tons of toxins such as household cleaning agents, food colorings and artificial flavors (e.g. tartrazine, MSG) and pesticides from fruits and vegetables in our daily lives. Our liver is overloaded with all these toxins. It is impossible to get rid of all the toxins with regular bowel movement.

Myth: Don’t waste food. Save leftover green veggie to eat for the following day.

Fact: Dark green leafy vegetables contain lot of nitrates. If they have been cooked and left overnight, bacteria will decompose and the nitrate will change into nitrite which may increase cancer risk. There has been animal study documented to support the above.  

Myth: Nutritional supplements are medicine.

Fact: Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are nutrients that our body needs to protect and repair itself. They are the tools our body needs, and are not medicine. Due to the lack of regulation, lots of inferior products are on the market. This confuses lots of consumers.

Myth: It is safe to eat GMO food.

Fact: The safety of genetically modified food is still a controversial topic. There is no clinical trial for use in human. However, safety concerns provoked with the results in animals studies. Studies show harmful effects to liver, kidney, pancreas, reproductive system, endocrine hormone system and more. Long term effect in human is still unknown. What will be your food choices?

Myth: I should not be taking any supplements as I am taking prescription drug.

Fact: Let’s check out some of the side effects of prescription medication. Metformin (diabetic medication) can potentiate deficiency of vitamin B12 and folic acid. Statin, cholesterol lowering drug, can reduce the coenzyme Q10 level in our body.