Inaccurate information. Old wives’ tales. Plum stupid.

Here are five myths about the health benefits [or not] of foods.

What better way to start the day than with a glass of freshly poured orange juice? There are many. Fruit juices are loaded with calories and are totally high glycemic. The high fructose content sends insulin, the fat storage hormone, flooding into your blood stream to lower your fast-rising blood sugar level. But Minute Maid [owned by Coca Cola, btw] would have you believe it’s a wholesome drink.

Myths About Food

Egg whites are a great source of many nutrients, but don’t eat the yolk unless you want to get intimate with your cardiologist. Balderdash! Egg yolks are a terrific source of vitamins A, B12, and D, calcium, folate, and omega-3s. And ingesting cholesterol isn’t a problem. It’s a critical part of your metabolic process — but that’s a whole other article!

Drink Diet Pepsi and you too can be bikini-clad in a TV commercial. While sodas of all stripes should be avoided, diet sodas are particularly dangerous. The neurotoxicity of the zero calorie artificial sweeteners is reason enough to avoid this poison. Here is conclusion of one study:

“This study suggests that diet soda is not an optimal substitute for sugar-sweetened beverages, and may be associated with a greater risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, or vascular death than regular soda.”

Three glasses a day will increase bone density and help you avoid osteoporosis. Milk is an OK source of calcium, although the pasteurisation process may render much of it insoluble. There are many better sources of calcium, especially when factoring in caloric content. Many of the green leafy veggies [collards, kale, etc.] are terrific sources of calcium. Besides, our bones aren’t that simple. It takes much more than calcium for strong bones. Too much milk can cause on imbalance of calcium to other bone building nutrients.

Cut out the fats and the weight will melt away. Believe it or not, fats — the healthy kind — are critical to your health. They are also essential to healthy weight management. Too often, products with ‘low fat’ alternatives are loaded with sugar to enhance taste. Look for foods rich in omega-3 and low in omega-6, like eggs and fish like salmon.