These Fad Diets Sound Awesome, but They Aren’t Helping Your Health At All
A scientific review provides the solid evidence on why you should skip them
Most of us know by now that one simple food doesn’t hold the key to weight loss success. Still, there are a lot of claims out there that “superfoods” or certain diets are the cure-all for those extra pounds—and the answer to any health woes you may have.
Thankfully, science has jumped in to give us the real information. And the conclusions may be sobering: Most fad diets are pretty much useless, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Here’s what the researchers have to say about the trendiest foods, supplements, and eating regimens.
Fad Diet: Juicing
Proponents claim that liquefying fruits and vegetables helps you get more nutrients out of them. What it’s actually doing, though, is concentrating calories—making it easier to take in an excess amount of calories that can contribute to heart-unhealthy weight gain.
Plus, juicing gets rid of the fiber, making you feel less full than you’d be if you consumed the fruits and vegetables whole.
So juicing will still give you the vitamins and minerals, but additional calories and less satiety.Fad Diet: Antioxidant Supplements
Antioxidants can help fight off cancer and other diseases, but that’s equally true if you get them from food. In fact, you might be better off that way.
"Every time we extract things from plants, we usually don't get the same benefit, or sometimes we get a non-benefit, a danger," lead author Andrew Freeman, M.D., told HealthDay. "If you eat a well-balanced diet, vitamin supplementation is usually not required."
In fact, results from randomized control trials have failed to support evidence in favor of supplementation.
Fad Diet: Gluten-Free
In some cases, like with people have diagnosed celiac disease or gluten intolerance, gluten-free diets are necessary. But these people are actually in the minority.
For the rest of us, going gluten-free doesn’t have health benefits or typically lead to weight loss. It can even lead people to gain weight, since some gluten-free alternatives are higher in processed carbs, Dr. Freeman told HealthDay. If you feel better when you cut out gluten, that could just be because you’re eating fewer processed carbs, which you can also accomplish by subbing in whole grains for the refined stuff.
Fad Diet: Coconut Oil
If you suspected that the delicious taste and alleged health benefits of coconut oil were too good to be true, they probably are. Coconut oil wasn’t found to improve health at all, and in fact, it could actually increase cholesterol levels. The authors recommend olive oil and vegetable oil instead. But if you’re addicted to coconut oil, virgin coconut oil may be the way to go.
So, as common sense might tell you, there are really no shortcuts when it comes to eating healthy. The best you can do is eat a balanced diet and load up on fruits and veggies.
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