- Coconut oil is a recent health food fad, but coconut is naturally loaded with unhealthy saturated fats, Freeman and Lichtenstein said. People would do better to use olive and vegetable oils in their cooking since they contain healthy unsaturated fats. “Everybody is buying tubs and tubs of coconut oil, and the data behind it just doesn’t exist,” Freeman said.
- A gluten-free diet can help people with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease but does no good for healthy people who can digest grains without any side effects. Whole grains can actually be healthier for people than gluten-free alternatives that are higher in processed carbohydrates, Freeman noted.
- Eggs can increase a person’s cholesterol levels, although not as much as previously thought, Lichtenstein said. One or two eggs per day likely would have a small effect in most people, not at high risk for heart problems or high cholesterol. “When you start going above that, particularly in high-risk individuals, it may be problematic,” she said. The saturated fats found in meat and dairy products pose a larger hazard to cholesterol levels, Lichtenstein noted.
Overall, people would be better off with a predominantly plant-based diet that emphasizes eating whole unprocessed foods, Freeman concluded.
“I would argue all brightly colored vegetables and fruits are antioxidant-rich nutrient powerhouses,” Freeman said.
The new paper was published Feb. 27 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
