Another day, another health trend. With new fads popping up faster than you can say "kale," it's hard to separate fact from fiction. Should you give up bread completely? Stop snacking? Eat your biggest meal at breakfast or dinner? Stand on your head for thirty seconds a day? (OK, we made the last one up.) It's time to stop wasting energy on trends that don't hold up. Here are the facts behind three of them.
Are foods labeled "natural" healthier?
"Natural" has become practically interchangeable with "healthy." But the word on a label means less than you might think. The FDA has never formally defined it. Its longstanding policy is that "natural" means nothing artificial or synthetic, including any added color, has been included in a food that wouldn't normally be expected there. That policy doesn't address how the food was grown, whether pesticides were used or how it was processed, and it says nothing about health benefits.
So a "natural" product can still be high in sugar, salt or refined flour. Read the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient list instead of the front of the box. If farming methods matter to you, look for the USDA Organic seal, which is regulated: a product labeled "organic" must contain at least 95% organic ingredients. For more on label language, read what are natural flavors?
Are wraps healthier than sandwiches?
There's nothing more classic than sliced bread, but somewhere along the way the wrap became the "healthy" option at the lunch counter. Because wraps look thin and delicate, it's easy to assume they're lighter.
Never judge a book by its cover. A large flour tortilla is a lot of flour rolled flat, and many store-bought wraps include added oils to keep them soft and pliable. Depending on the size and recipe, a wrap can carry as many calories and carbohydrates as two slices of bread, or more. The only way to know is to compare the labels. What goes inside matters more anyway: vegetables, beans and lean protein make a better lunch in either format.
Is high fructose corn syrup worse for you than sugar?
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn starch that became widespread in the US food supply in the 1970s and 1980s. Because it's an industrial product, many people assume table sugar must be the healthier choice.
Chemically, the two are closer than you'd think. Table sugar (sucrose) is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, and the HFCS most used in soft drinks is about 55% fructose, so the two deliver similar amounts of fructose and are handled by the body in similar ways. The concern is less about which one you choose and more about how much: reviews of the evidence suggest that beverages sweetened with either sugar or HFCS can pose a health risk when consumed in excess.
Our suggestion: treat both as added sugar to keep to a minimum, and put the cupcake down slowly. If sugar cravings are a struggle, read the science behind your sugar addiction. And for three more fads, see part II.
