Many nutrition myths are evergreen and still present in the health and fitness community, even when science debunked them years ago. But thanks to social media and so-called fitness gurus, people are made to believe in these myths. Following are the top 5 myths about nutrition that are commonly heard even in 2024:
You probably heard a personal trainer or dietician saying this: you should eat many small meals in a day if you are trying to lose weight because it will boost your metabolism and help you control your appetite. It is true that t when we eat something, our metabolism speeds up as our body starts digesting the food. So if we eat every 2-3 hours, our metabolism will stay elevated all the time, right? This may seem plausible, but it doesn’t pan out in research studies.
Meal frequency has no significant impact on weight loss. If you are on a calorie deficit, eating smaller meals frequently will not help you lose more weight than fewer larger meals. If your goal is weight loss, then it does not matter how many times you eat in a day but what matters is how many calories you are taking during those 24 hours. Regarding satiety or hunger, some people eat three meals a day, while others like 4-5 meals daily. There is no o e size fits regarding how many times a person should eat to lose weight. If you like t eat 2-3 times a day, stick to it and ignore those stupid trainers who advise you to eat every 2-3 hours.
This is the most discussed topic regarding losing or gaining weight. I have come across many people who believe we should eliminate foods, especially carbs or limit their intake before bed in our diet if our goal is to lose weight. Are carbs evil for us, or is it just a new marketing trend? should we eat carbs at night or not?
It is ultimately a myth because it does not matter when you eat; what matters is how much you eat in a full day. A research study on 78 police officers in 2011 has proven that eating carbs at night has no negative impact on fat loss. The only concern with late-night eating could be overeating because it is challenging to resist tasty and high-calorie foods after a long workday. Eating late won’t make you gain make unless it forces you to eat more. Evidence on this topic is mixed; 1 study supports late-night eaters, whereas two studies showed that early-time eaters lost more weight than people who ate late at night. While other studies showed no difference in weight loss.
A recent study investigated whether the timing of daily calorie intake affects fat loss, hunger, and energy metabolism. Participants with obesity followed a calorie-restricted diet and were split into two groups: one consumed most of their calories in the morning. At the same time, the other ate later in the day. Regardless of meal timing, both groups lost a similar amount of weight and body fat, showing that total calorie intake is the primary driver of fat loss. However, those who ate earlier experienced significantly less hunger throughout the day. No differences were observed between the groups regarding energy intake or total daily energy expenditure. This study supports previous research, like the 2013 Garaulet et al. study, which found that circadian rhythms influence how our bodies process food, with late eaters often experiencing less effective weight loss than early eaters despite consuming similar calories. Don’t worry about the timing; focus on the quantity and quality of your overall food.
Concerns have been raised regarding the adverse effect of creatine on kidney damage. Why has Kidney damage been linked to creatine use? As we know, o r liver produces creatine, so to ingest that creatine, our muscles and brain need to transform this creatine into phosphocreatine. And when we u e these stores to regenerate ATP, one of the end products is creatinine.
Long-term creatine use is entirely safe if your kidneys are functioning well. All the research studies have proven that, yes, creatine supplementation increases the creatinine level in your body, but this does not indicate kidney damage. Both long and short-term studies have found no adverse effect of creatine supplements on kidney function. A healthy adult can easily take up to 10 grams of creatine/per day without worrying about adverse effects. Even 20 grams per day causes a slight increase in creatinine levels. So it is completely safe to take creatine if you are a healthy individual with healthy kidneys.
However, All these studies were short-term, so we can not conclude that creatine supplement is completely safe for people with kidney issues. If you suffer from kidney damage or have diabetes, you might need to forgo a creatine supplement or take a low amount of creatine, not more than 3 grams daily.
If you are worried about taking creatine, my advice would be to check your creatinine level before buying a creatine supplement.
When it comes to protein intake, you probably hear people saying that we need protein right after the workout; otherwise, we won’t benefit from the workout we just performed. Most people are advised to take protein within 30-45 minutes after a workout. This 30-45 mi ute period after a workout is known as the “anabolic window.” Whether this anabolic window does exist or not is still a controversy.
Post-workout nutrition is essential, but current evidence does not support the claim that immediate (1 hour) protein intake pre or post-workout does not provide extra benefits in muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. If your overall protein intake is low, then there is no harm in taking a protein supplement after a workout, but you should not be compelled to take it within half an hour; you can easily have it even after 2-3 hours of your training.
People who want to lose weight probably heard of these so-called detox diets during the early phase of his/her weight loss journey. Some people claim that these diets will help you lose a few pounds of weight and treat all types of diseases ranging from obesity to cancer and other life-threatening ailments, and it does so by removing all the harmful toxins from our bodies and organs.
In simple words, detox diets(cleansing) do not work. Most of their benefits are linked to quick weight loss, and even that happens due to overall calorie restriction, not because of detoxification. Focus on eating more whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and other nutritional foods to support the liver and kidneys’ natural detoxification process. Do not be fooled by companies who try to sell you detox diet plans, tea, detox pads, etc.
Makkapati S, D’Agati VD, Balsam L. “Green Smoothi Cleanse” Causing Acute Oxalate Nephropathy. Am J Kidney Di . 2018 Feb;71(2) 281-286. DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2017.08.002. Epub 2017 Dec 6. PMID: 29203127
Sports Med. (2000)^ Farquhar WB, Zambraski EJ. Effects of cre tine use on the athlete’s kidney. Curr Sports Me Rep. (2002)
Schoenfeld, B.J., Aragon, A.A. & Krieger, J.W. The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 10, 53 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-10-53
Cameron JD, Cyr MJ, Doucet E. Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet. Br J Nutr. 201 Apr;103(8):1098-101. DOI: 10.1017/S0007114509992984. Epub 2009 Nov 0. PMID: 19943985
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