The truth about nutrition is always in flux. One day coffee is a carcinogen, the next it’s a potent antioxidant. Carbs used to be the devil, now (the right kinds) are the staple of a well-balanced diet.
What’s healthy seems to change regularly, so we’re looking back at the biggest nutrition discoveries.
It’s confirmed: saturated fat really is bad
Butter lovers went bananas when science said saturated fats are healthier than they’ve been made out to be. Update: They aren’t. A second study confirmed that we were actually right all along—and saturated fats are definitely not a superfood. The research found that a reduced intake of saturated fats can lower one’s risk of coronary heart disease, while swapping in unsaturated fats (from good-for-you sources like vegetable-based oils, nuts, seeds, avocados, and seafood) actually works to boost heart health. Luckily, topping your toast with avocado instead of butter isn’t the worst sacrifice.
Fats (some) keep you slim
Research found that eating the right type of fat could help keep you at a healthy weight. So go ahead and eat (good) fat to get skinny.
A Japanese diet is advised
That all-you-can eat sushi buffet sounds like a pretty good idea right now. A study found that Japanese people who closely followed their national food guidelines—lots of rice, veggies, fish, meat, and soybean products—had a 15% lower mortality rate than their peers who didn’t adhere as strictly to the classic Japanese diet.
Pulses keep weight off
Without making any other efforts to slim down, people who added three-quarters of a cup of pulses (dal, peas, lentils, chickpeas or beans) to their diet every day for lost weight. Eat dal, lentils, beans, lose weight, repeat.
Carbs could be linked to some cancers
You don’t have to go cold turkey on carbs, but do know this: A recent study found that a diet high on the glycemic index—that is, one that’s full of refined carbohydrates that cause blood sugar levels to spike—may be associated with a greater risk of lung cancer, even among non-smokers. The good news is that you’d need to eat a lot of the stuff to put yourself in danger. The reality is that no, eating one bagel isn’t as bad for you, however, having one for breakfast several days a week is not a great idea for a number of nutritional reasons. To protect yourself against lung cancer and other chronic diseases linked to dietary choices better opting for healthier carb sources, like pulses, starchy veggies, and whole grains instead.
You should watch what you eat–literally
What you see is what you eat. The women who kept packaged foods and sugary drinks on their kitchen counters weighed more than those who didn’t. What’s more, women who had a bowl of fruit out were shown to weigh less than those who didn’t. Expert tip: Keep health-boosting bites within reach and stash splurges far out of sight if you’re trying to stick to a slim-down plan.
If you’re nuts about your health, eat them
Well this is nutty. People who ate a handful of nuts (kanamadhu, cashew, pecans, almonds, peanuts) every day had a lower likelihood of having heart disease than their peers whose diets were nut-free. And that’s not all. Those who regularly noshed on nuts had a lower risk of cancer, as well as a lower risk of premature death.
Be even more sparing with salt
Here’s one more reason to skip the chips: your salt intake even the tiniest bit (i.e. by less than a half teaspoon each day) could increase your risk of premature death by 12%. Nix these surprisingly salty foods from your diet, and add flavor to your food with herbs and spices instead.
Eat more plant protein to live longer
Those who consumed a large quantity of animal protein—especially if they ate more processed red meat than fish or poultry—had a higher risk of premature death than the average person. If that isn’t enough to convince you to pick salmon over sausage, get this: people who ate more plant-based proteins (from foods like breads, cereals, whole grain pastas, beans, nuts, and legumes) had a lower risk of premature death than the average person. To be fair, the link between meat-eating and early death was bolstered by other unhealthy habits, like inadequate physical activity. Still, a diet high in processed meats isn’t advised for anyone. Ditch the sausages and load up on beans instead.
