{"id":27746,"date":"2025-08-10T10:40:04","date_gmt":"2025-08-10T08:40:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/?p=27746"},"modified":"2026-01-07T10:51:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T09:51:52","slug":"15-nutrition-fake-news-stories-debunked-by-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/15-fake-news-sulla-nutrizione-smontate-dalla-scienza\/","title":{"rendered":"15 FAKE NEWS about nutrition debunked by science"},"content":{"rendered":"

15 FAKE NEWS about nutrition debunked by science<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Over the years, I have often found myself having to answer the same questions<\/strong>, debunking the same beliefs<\/strong>, correct the same information.<\/p>\n

And no, it is not (only) the fault of the Web.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many nutrition fake news<\/strong> have been circulating for decades, fueled by advertisements<\/strong>, food fashions, old guidelines<\/strong> never updated and advice handed down \"by hearsay.\"<\/p>\n

The problem is. much of this misinformation still conditions the choices of those who want to take care of their health<\/strong>, but it does so from wrong assumptions.<\/p>\n

In this article I have collected 15 of the most common nutrition-related hoaxes<\/strong> - the ones I hear repeated most often in the studio, in online comments, or at events.<\/p>\n

I analyzed them one by one, explaining. because they are false<\/strong> (or misinterpreted), what science says<\/strong> in this regard and what we can do concretely<\/strong> To make more informed choices.<\/p>\n

Ready(s) to change perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\n


Here are the 15 fake news stories that it would be time to file away forever:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. \"Meat is bad for you because it is high in saturated fat.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u274c False. Meat contains more unsaturated fats<\/strong> than saturated and, most importantly, is composed of the 71% of water<\/strong> and to the 21% of protein<\/strong>. Saturated fats are only a small part and still present in all foods<\/strong>, even in lettuce.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \"Saturated fats cause cardiovascular disease.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u274c The most up-to-date analyses, including. meta-analysis and RCTs<\/strong>, show no causal link between saturated fat and heart attack. Countries with the highest consumption of saturated fat (France, Switzerland) have the lowest incidence of heart disease.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \"Cholesterol is dangerous.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        \u274c Cholesterol is essential to life<\/strong>. Not only does the body produce it, but Higher levels of total cholesterol are associated with lower mortality<\/strong> For all causes.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \"Red meat causes cancer.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \u274c There are no randomized clinical trials<\/strong> demonstrating a causal link between red meat and cancer. Observational studies often do not distinguish between processed meat and fresh meat.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \"Whole grains are essential for health.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            \u274c Whole grains. are no longer nutritious<\/strong> of foods such as liver, eggs, fatty fish or meat. In a comparison per 100 g, cereals do not win out over no essential nutrient<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \"Fiber is good for the gut.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              \u274c Fiber is a undigestible waste material<\/strong>. In a study of patients with an irritable colon, removal of the fiber made the symptoms disappear<\/strong>. There are no RCTs proving direct benefits of fiber on longevity or gut health.<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

                \n
              1. \"You need to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                \u274c The famous \"5 a day\" was born in A marketing meeting in California in 1991<\/strong>, without any scientific basis. It is an arbitrary number, promoted by companies in the agribusiness industry.<\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. \"Eat less, move more.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  \u274c The human body is not a calculator<\/strong>. If you eat less, it activates compensations: it slows down metabolism, reduces energy, and prompts you to eat more. The \"fewer calories = more health\" model Is simplistic and bankrupt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. \"Nutritional guidelines are based on science.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    \u274c No. Early guidelines (US 1977, UK 1983) were based on. Only 6 studies on men already sick<\/strong>, without evidence of effectiveness and with explicit warnings<\/strong> Against the use of the low fat diet. Today they are heavily influenced by food industry interests.<\/p>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. \"Fat must be limited to lose weight.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      \u274c Our body needs the following. healthy fats<\/strong> to function. Low-fat diets have paradoxically led to an increase in obesity and metabolic disorders.<\/p>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. \"Whole grain breakfast = healthy start\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                        \u274c It is the result of decades of industrial marketing<\/strong>, not science. Breakfast cereals are ultraprocessed<\/strong>, low in nutrients and often high in sugar.<\/p>\n

                         <\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. \"Fruit = always healthy\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                          \u274c Some fruits (such as dates, grapes, mangoes) are more sugary than candy<\/strong>. The fruit is natural, but Is not always beneficial in unlimited quantities<\/strong>, especially in insulin-resistant individuals.<\/p>\n

                           <\/p>\n

                            \n
                          1. \"Dietary cholesterol is dangerous.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                            \u274c The cholesterol present in foods. does not directly affect<\/strong> On blood cholesterol. Even Ancel Keys, father of the \"diet-heart hypothesis,\" had admitted this.<\/p>\n

                             <\/p>\n

                              \n
                            1. \"The guidelines are neutral.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                              \u274c Many scientific committees are Funded by food and pharmaceutical companies<\/strong>. Public choices do not always reflect the interest of the citizen, but the economic interest of large groups.<\/p>\n

                               <\/p>\n

                                \n
                              1. \"A healthy diet must be low in meat, eggs and animal fats.\"<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                \u274c The most nutrient dense foods are. meat, fatty fish, eggs and whole dairy products<\/strong>. Longer-lived populations regularly consume these foods.<\/p>\n

                                 <\/p>\n

                                Nutrition is one of the few areas in which everyone feels entitled to have their say<\/strong>, often without having the background to do so.<\/p>\n

                                The problem is, when it comes to health, Half-truths are not enough. And lies do damage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                                If you believed some of these statements, don't feel guilty<\/strong>: We have all been exposed to wrong messages for years, often supported by those who should have informed us better.<\/p>\n

                                But today, With the tools and evidence we have<\/strong>, we can (and must) make more informed choices.<\/p>\n

                                Science is an ally, not an opinion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

                                And learning how to see with new eyes is the first step to taking care of oneself(s) and Become a protagonist of your own health!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                15 FAKE NEWS sulla nutrizione, smontate dalla scienza Negli anni, mi sono trovata spesso a dover rispondere alle stesse domande, sfatare le stesse credenze, correggere le stesse informazioni. E no, non \u00e8 (solo) colpa del web. Molte fake news sulla nutrizione circolano da decenni, alimentate da pubblicit\u00e0, mode alimentari, vecchie linee guida mai aggiornate e […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":28069,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[148,173,172],"class_list":["post-27746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alimentazione","tag-alimentazione-consapevole","tag-carne-rossa","tag-colesterolo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cristinatomasi.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}