Welcome back to our nutrition myths series! In case you missed the introduction and first installment of this series, you can find it here. This series explores some common nutrition myths dietitians hear from clients and media. This time we will discuss some hot topics recently: late night eating, detox diets, and the use of supplements.
Statement: Eating late at night causes weight gain.
Fiction!
While it is true that the timing of when you eat matters, it is not true that eating late at night directly causes weight gain. At the very basic core, weight loss is calories in versus calories out (notice we said basic, this isn’t the only thing related to weight loss! Ask your dietitian to explain this more 😉). What is going to matter just as much as how much you eat, is the timing of meals and snacks. This will be especially important if you struggle with controlling your blood sugars.
For most people, eating about every 3-4 hours (not including when you’re asleep!) is ideal. However, sometimes this isn’t realistic. Our schedules can change, new commitments pop up and sometimes your normal eating time won’t work out. If you have to eat close to bedtime every once in a while, it will not directly cause weight gain. What will be correlated with weight gain is a consistent intake of calories over what your body uses. This includes your resting metabolic rate (what your body uses just to function), which makes up a large portion of your calories used, and additional calories you use throughout the day by moving around. When we eat before bed, we are less active afterwards. This can lead to storing more calories than you would if you ate earlier and had the opportunity to be active afterwards. However, gain weight you still have to eat more calories than your body uses.
More likely, the result of eating before bed will lead to indigestion, not weight gain. If you struggle with heart burn (GERD), what you eat can also have an impact. Talk with one of our registered dietitians to see how you could improve your symptoms.
Statement: Detox diets cleanse your body, and you must do them to keep your body clean.
Fiction!
The words “clean” and “detox” tend to be giant red flags when it comes to nutrition. Other terms and approaches that can point to a “detox diet” are fasting, juicing/juices only, cleansing with laxatives or enemas, excessive sauna use, over-use or misuse of dietary supplements, “colonics”, and more. The studies done on these diets are usually short term and on a small population. Long-term side effects are not known. Safety issues arise often with these. If you have contemplated trying any of these diets, I urge you to discuss it with a dietitian (the nutrition professionals!). Safety concerns include harmful bacteria, toxic levels of nutrients, weight cycling, dehydration, and dangerous electrolyte imbalances.
Our bodies already have built in “detox” systems: the kidneys and the liver. Contrary to what detox cleanses are meant to do, they can actually cause harm to these built-in, natural detox organs. In some instances, this damage can be irreversible. Now that’s something I’m sure you weren’t expecting, as the “detox” promoters don’t tend to promote organ damage or warn you of the possibilities.
If you’re worried about a buildup of toxins in your body, consult with your doctor and dietitian to get a picture of your health status.
Statement: Dietary supplements can replace a healthy diet.
Fiction!
It’s right in the name, a dietary supplement is meant to supplement the food you are eating. There are some instances when supplements may be necessary. This is usually discovered through lab work and recommended by your PCP. If your dietitian notices some gaps in your diet, they may also have a supplement recommendation for you.
There are a few key items to consider when picking supplements:
- Quality and Regulation: Check out our previous blog post on supplements for more information on regulations. It is important to find a reputable brand to ensure the ingredients are trustworthy. Our supplement blog post also contains information on quality checks to look for on packaging.
- Quantity: How much of a vitamin or mineral do you need? Most supplements will have a nutrition label. This can be helpful once your doctor or dietitian tells you how much of a vitamin or mineral you need.
- Cost: Some supplements are far too expensive. More money doesn’t always mean better quality. Many fad diet brands will push the supplements they sell. These also tend to be the most expensive supplements. Most of the time, you can find what you need at the local store.
Why is “real” whole food better than supplements? You bet!
- Food has a greater nutritional value and our our body is better able to absorb nutrients from food than supplements.
- Contain the macronutrients (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates) that we need to survive.
- Nutrients that help with absorption of others are often found together in foods. (I like to think that nature had this in mind when designing these foods!)
- Food gives us extra protection with phytochemicals and antioxidants. These are important for immune health, inflammation, and repairing DNA.
How can supplements be beneficial?
- They help cover the basics. Most people can benefit from a multivitamin supplement to cover the gaps in their diet. Your PCP and dietitian can recommend a good brand and type for you.
- If your physician or dietitian finds a vitamin deficiency, a supplement if often used in conjunction with food to correct this deficiency. In some cases, you may have to stay on the supplement long term.
- Some health conditions require vitamin supplementation.
Talk with your dietitian about what supplements might benefit you!
Whew, that was a lot of nutrition quackery! I’m glad we were able to clear some of that up. The purpose of this series is to do just that, get you reliable answers to the most commonly seen false questions and statements regarding nutrition. Try to remember that not all studies are created equal, just because a brand or person is using “studies show” doesn’t mean those studies are reliable. Your dietitians at One Bite Nutrition work off evidence-based nutrition to keep you safe, happy, and healthy!
Each edition we will pick some of the questions and statements sent in by our readers. If you have a topic or question you’d like to see on this series or would like to learn more about in a blog post of its own, please send it in to nikki@onebitenutrition.com. We would love to hear what YOU would like to hear about!
If you are ready to start your nutrition journey, or perhaps jump back into a journey you’ve lost your way on, do not let the misguided advice floating around social media confuse you. Our team of registered dietitians are here to help! Check out our meet the team page to get to know your One Bite dietitians!
Resources
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know
https://news.okstate.edu/articles/agriculture/2021/gedon_dietary_supplements.html
