8 food studies that have completely reversed themselves
It seems as if a new study comes out every
other day that reveals which foods are now
beneficial or harmful to our health.
While it's great that science is guiding us
toward being healthier, these studies often
just cancel each other out. So, which is it,
science? Should we eat chocolate daily, or no?
Because my heart can't take it anymore
(maybe literally).
SEE ALSO: 26 Foods You've Been Eating All
Wrong
Below, we've rounded up a list of common
foods with studies that totally reversed
themselves.
1. Eggs
You can eat 'em scrambled, over easy, sunny
side-up and more — but should you even eat
them at all?
Eggs, specifically their yolks, contain
cholesterol, which, according to the American
Heart Association, can clog arteries when in
excess.
This 2012 study warned people at risk for
cardiovascular disease to stay away from
regular egg consumption. But another 2012
study defied those suggestions, saying that
eating an egg daily actually doesn't increase
any risk for cardiovascular disease or strokes.
So, is brunch still on?
2. Coffee
Chances are you know someone who's
addicted to the caffeinated beverage — it
might even be you.
Coffee is a $30 billion dollar industry in the
United States, but for those habitual drinkers
(this goes out to all you Starbucks Rewards
Gold members), the effect of coffee on type 2
diabetes is downright confusing.
A 2007 study showed that those who already
had type 2 diabetes could be doing long-term
harm to their control of glucose by continuing
to regularly drink caffeinated beverages. A
2014 study from the Harvard School of Public
Health stated otherwise: Those who increased
their coffee intake over a period of four years
instead lowered their risk for type 2 diabetes
by 11%.
3. Red wine
Put down the corkscrew. That long-lived saying
that red wine is healthy for your heart — due
to the ingredient resveratrol, an antioxidant,
which might decrease inflammation — might
just be a myth. And a 1996 study showed wine
to be the most effective alcohol in reducing
risk of coronary heart disease.
However, a 2014 study that tracked the health
of 800 residents from two small towns in Italy
(a.k.a. Red Wine Central), for nine years says
it's all false. And apparently resveratrol has
nothing to do with blood inflammation —
according to Richard Semba, one of the study's
researchers, it might just be hype.
4. Dairy milk
We've been told since our childhood that milk
helps us to grow strong bones, but study
results actually differ between men and
women. Many studies have shown calcium in
milk to prevent bone-loss and help protect
bones from fractures, like this 1990 study on
women that took place over the course of
three years.
However, a 1997 study showed that calcium
intake does not reduce bone fractures in
males.
5. Red meat
Stop the barbecue. The debate over whether
that beef hamburger should be eaten is still
up in the air. While one study at Deakin
University in Australia found that a lack of red
meat in women's diets was linked to increased
anxiety and depression, other studies, such as
this one from 2013 insist that eating red meat
will surely increase one's risk for health
problems, including type 2 diabetes.
6. Chocolate
Just like red wine, there are rumors that dark
chocolate is jam-packed with health benefits,
especially relating to antioxidants.
This 2014 studyinsists that people who
consume dark chocolate could have a lower
risk of diabetes due to better insulin
sensitivity. "The results imply that dark
chocolate might delay or prevent the onset of
diabetes and prediabetes," Grace Farhat, one
of the researchers of the study, told Scientific
American.
But others beg to differ. In the same study
that busted the red wine myth, dark chocolate
was also found to have no effect on
inflammation or cardiac disease — meaning
that chocolate square might be delicious, but
nonetheless useless.
7. Nuts
Even if you're allergic to nuts, you've still
probably heard they can help with weight loss
or management. But you've also probably
heard that they're dangerously high in
calories. So, do they make the cut into your
regular diet? We still don't know.
In this 2005 study, 90 subjects ate walnuts
every day for six months and then ate none for
the following six months, without knowledge
that weight was the factor being tracked. All
subjects gained weight while eating walnuts,
and lost weight when they stopped.
But many experts also insist that nut intake
has no effect on a higher body mass index
(BMI).
8. Potatoes
It may seem silly to debate whether a French
fry is healthy, but while potatoes are often
shunned by the health community, others
defend the vegetable.
According to the LA Times, in 2011 Harvard
University deemed the potato one of the most
dangerous foods to American waistlines after
tracking the diets of more than 120,000 health
professionals for 12 years. The results showed
that daily consumption of potatoes led to an
average of 0.8 pounds in weight gain, or 16
pounds in 20 years.
But push aside those fries and chips, and
you'll find a 2013 study that says potatoes are
actually one of the most nutritious vegetables
— based on qualities like fiber and potassium.
And this study aims to reach out to health
professionals in building nutritious school
lunches.
