Dr.Z's Health Myths

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The word myth means ‘a widespread but untrue or erroneous story or belief.’ As a healthcare professional in practice for 15 years, I have heard, read, and been told things about health that, well … aren’t exactly true. I have picked what I feel are the top myths concerning health matters, and I have tried to set the record straight.

Myth #1
Eggs are unhealthy and can cause heart disease.

Truth:

These little packages of protein have had a bad
rap for the last twenty years. In the past, eggs were said to be bad for us because of their high content of fat and cholesterol, which could contribute to coronary heart disease. The truth is they are a healthful source of protein, cholesterol, and fat, as well as Vitamins A, D, & E. Cholesterol, a fat, is produced in the body and is needed to protect against infection, produce sex hormones, contribute to cell membrane rigidity and strength. It is also converted to vitamin D, which is essential for proper growth, healthy bones, a healthy nervous system, and muscle tone. It is used to make bile, needed for digestion of fat in our foods, and helps maintain a healthy intestinal lining, offering protection against autoimmune illnesses. As you can see, this little container packs a punch, loaded with an abundance of healthful nutrition.

Myth #2:
Milk does a body good.

Truth:

Milk does a body bad. The dairy industry has led us to believe that cow’s milk is a good source of calcium and a healthful fluid to drink. The fact is that this homogenized, pasteurized fluid is actually a detriment to our health. Cow’s milk and its derivatives today make up one-third of the adult diet, and one-half to two-thirds of caloric intake in children, thus replacing so much other important, nutritious food needed in a healthful diet. This leads to insufficient intake of important vitamins, several minerals, and healthful fiber and vegetable oils.
Since childhood, we have been taught by the dairy industry to think of dairy products as an integral part of our daily diet, to the point of their being given their own space on the “food pyramid.” Since the milk industry has been unable to prove health benefits, they have created advertising and promotion from “Milk, it does a body good.” to “Got milk?” in ads displaying their product on the upper lip of professional athletes and celebrities of all kinds. Milk was designed to be a perfect food intended to nourish the young of its species. No other animal drinks milk beyond childhood. Most species wean their young off milk after infancy. Humans are the only species that continues consuming milk after infancy, as well as choosing milk from a different species entirely. The absurdity of this behavior is the fact that humans consume milk from cows—a species totally unlike our own.
However, the evidence points to the dangers of cow’s milk. When dairy was a healthful substance to consume, we got milk—unpasteurized and unhomogenized—straight from the cow. When cows of yesterday grazed on chlorophyll-rich grasses that were grown under natural sunlight, raw milk was readily abundant, with all the beneficial enzymes intact. Today, raw milk, for the most part, has gone by the wayside, due to high-tech farms and the dairy industry.
Why is milk so bad? Always—unless it is organic and labeled “no rBGH.” rBHG is a genetically engineered bovine growth hormone found in milk. American dairy farmers inject cows with rBHG to increase milk production. Monsanto Co., the producer of rBHG, has influenced U.S. safety laws to permit the sale of unlabeled rBHG milk. Because this genetically engineered growth hormone increases cancer risks, European nations and Canada have banned rBHG to protect against health hazards.
Milk also contains residues of pesticides, a multitude of antibiotics, and radioactive particles. Dairy products like milk contain a biochemical called Arachidonic Acid, which is a precursor to inflammation. Besides ear infections and tonsillar infections, dairy products have been associated with allergies, sinusitis, headaches, congestion, runny nose, rash/eczema, fatigue, cramps, diarrhea, bloating, gas, lethargy, irritability, bedwetting, asthma, intestinal bleeding, colic, and childhood diabetes.

Myth #3:
Long durations of cardiovascular training burns more fat.

Truth:

I have observed people doing cardio work for an hour or more on the treadmill or stair master while losing little to no weight. Why is it that marathon runners are as thin as a rail? It has been thought that long duration of cardiovascular training puts you in a state of “fat burning,” and so the thinking is “more cardio, more fat burning.” This is not exactly true.
Fat loss happens as a result of controlling hormones like insulin, and expending more calories than you take in. You must create a deficit in your calories (not through starvation) in order to lose body fat. When you have a high-carbohydrate diet, you secrete a hormone called insulin. Insulin takes blood sugar and puts it into your cells for energy. If there is more blood sugar than the body needs at any time, insulin stores the excess blood sugar as fat. In other words, a diet high in poor-calorie foods changes hormone levels and creates fat.
When it comes to fat burning and cardiovascular training, there are two schools of thought: low-intensity cardio for long durations, and high-intensity cardio for short durations. Research shows that short durations with high intensity are the best way to turn fat into fuel, or burn more calories. Intense cardio also increases your body’s metabolic rate so that you burn more calories throughout the day, even while you’re not exercising. High-intensity cardio in short durations, like 20-25 minutes, keeps your metabolism running more efficiently and sets it up to burn more calories well after completing your cardio session. At higher intensities, you burn a greater number of overall calories, which should be your goal when trying to lose body fat.

Myth #4:
Orange juice is good for a cold.

Truth:

Orange juice is very high in sugar and is a detriment to the immune system. Orange juice or other fruit juices you may use when you or your children are sick contain sugar in the amounts of 22 grams to 32 grams of sugar per 10 oz serving. That’s a lot of sugar! The average candy bar, like Snickers, has 34 grams of sugar. Although the fruit sugar or fructose is different than the processed white sugar found in candy bars, the high sugar content found in both reek havoc on the immune system.
The ingestion of high sugar results in a significant reduction in neutrophil, and lymphocyte activity. These immune cells are responsible for fighting infection and engulfing and destroying bacteria. Research shows the reduction in immune function starts less than 30 minutes after ingestion of sugar and lasts for over five hours!
The average American consumes 150 grams of sucrose (junk sugar) and other refined white sugars every day, which leads to the conclusion that most Americans have chronically depressed immune systems. It is clear that the consumption of sugar, even from orange juice, is detrimental to the immune system. Have you heard the saying “Starve a fever, feed a cold”? Current research says we should fast or decrease food consumption during an acute infection. Fasting is encouraged within the first 24 hours of an infection, since this results in increased immune function against the infection.

Myth #5:
Eating fat will make you fat.

Truth:

Slick marketing has convinced us that ‘cholesterol-free,’ ‘fat-free,’ and ‘sugar-free’ foods are healthful. Food manufacturers have created marketing to encourage people to buy their products. The truth is that healthful fat doesn’t make you fat. Essential fats are a necessary and important part of a healthful diet. Fats found in seeds and nuts, cold-pressed oils, fatty fish, avocados, whole grains, dark green vegetables, and olives are a great source.
The public’s ‘fat phobia’ typically leads to extreme low-fat diets, which cause malnutrition, chronic fatigue, eating disorders, impotency, compromised immunity and increased body fat. This low-fat craze has created a fatter America with a higher incidence of diabetes and an epidemic of high cholesterol. This is due in part to these food manufacturers tricking the public into buying ‘low-fat’ foods. What they don’t tell you is that the same foods are loaded with junk sugar, hydrogenated oils, and trans fatty acids. It is these high-calorie, toxic substances that, when eaten, will increase body fat. Eating good fats or essential fatty acids does not have the same effect.
Essential fats supply some of the best and most stable sources of energy. In fact, very pure coconut oil is a medium-chain triglyceride (fat) (MCT) that has been known to help burn fat. A number of studies support the benefits of using MCTs in weight-loss programs to boost energy levels and increase fatty-acid metabolism (burning fat to produce energy), and to aid in reducing fat deposits. In summary, healthful fat is a superior fuel and is necessary to improve your body composition.

Dr. Robert Zembroski is a board-certified chiropractic neurologist and the director of the Darien Center for Integrative Medicine. He’s maintained a successful private practice for 15 years in Darien CT. For more information, www.darienim.com