We’re probably all very familiar with all 12 of these “health” foods listed. But before you take advice from your extremely health conscious friend and switch milk for almond milk, take a minute to see if these now-popular healthy alternatives actually have health benefits! The results might surprise you.
- Almond Milk
Recently dairy milk alternative products have been on the rise in the market, with almond milk gaining rapid popularity. But in fact, this product lacks a lot of nutrients and contains very low levels of protein. Nutritionally, despite popular belief, low-fat milk, skim or soy are actually substantially superior to almond milk!
- Agave nectar
The idea is that agave is a great sugar substitute as it contains low glucose levels. However, this product contains high levels of fructose which has been linked to the development of serious health concerns, particularly relating to the cardiovascular system.
- Coconut oil
Coconut oil is almost identical to olive oil in regard to fat and calorie contents. A tablespoon of coconut oil contains high levels of saturated fat (about 12 grams) and very low levels of healthy fat (only one gram) as compared to olive oil which has very high levels of healthy unsaturated fats (more than 10 grams) and very low levels of saturated fats (only 1 gram). Experts advise people to avoid saturated fats since they are associated with type 2 diabetes (diabetes that develops in your adult years) and high cholesterol levels. However, you can still reap the benefits of coconut oil for hair care/repair!
- Bottled water
Countries across the world spend approximately $100 billion on bottling drinking water every year when tap water is cleaner and healthier than bottled water. Especially when plastic water bottles are exposed to heat, the chemicals from the bottles leak into the water itself, and then you ingest them.
- Egg whites
In the past years, nutrition experts have been advising people to avoid egg yolk since it can raise cholesterol levels in the body. However, recent studies show that the intake of dietary cholesterol does not contribute to high cholesterol in the blood stream substantially. It’s time to let go the egg-white only alternatives and welcome eggs benedict and omelettes back into your life.
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- Coconut water
Coconut water has high levels of potassium, minerals, and vitamins. Most people use it to relieve dehydration but it’s honestly still better to eat a fresh fruit and down a glass of water.
- Juice
If you use fresh vegetables and fruits to make juice, the fiber that is contained in them is discarded but it is the fibre that is responsible for making us feel well fed until our next meal. Without the fibre, what remains is usually plain sugar and low fat leading to low energy, mood swings and feeling hungry constantly. In the end, muscle mass may be lost since they depend on protein for their formation.
- Himalayan salt
This type of salt contains low levels of iron, sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium as compared to ordinary table salt. And somehow it’s sold at a much higher price! It also contains traces of iron oxide in the pebbles which are harmful to your health.
- Gluten-free bread
Gluten has no negative effect on health unless one has celiac disease. Studies show that gas and slight bloating are common occurrences in people regardless of whether they have or have not consumed wheat/gluten.
- Multivitamins
Research done in the past decades have not shown any benefit of taking multivitamin pills every day… Yet, nearly half of American adults consume them on a daily basis! The foods we eat provide more than enough vitamins so there really is no need for these supplements.
- Granola
This product contains very high levels of calories and sugars, leading to health related conditions such as obesity. In fact, a cup of granola contains almost 600 calories.
- Almond butter
This product is highly priced in the market but it has the same properties as normal peanut butter, despite the fact that it is three times as expensive!
Sourced from: Tech Insider
Featured Image: Thinkstock/ udra