The Latest Study Says...

by Rutabaga Mama
(Guest Blogger from Wisconsin, U.S.A.)

GUEST BLOG

It seems like every day I hear about another study that has come out about what we should eat or what we should not eat. Quite often these studies contradict each other, and leave us wondering whether it is possible to really know what is truly healthy.

I recently heard about a study that concluded that the type of protein-specifically the amino acid, methionine—found in red meats, fish, eggs, lentils, beans, yogurt, seed foods, onions and garlic may increase the chance of developing Altzheimer’s Disease.

A study like this can be very confusing to the average consumer, especially if we do not read the entire study. Most people would agree that we should limit our consumption of red meat, but if too much red meat may lead to Alzheimer's, than we would also have to conclude that too much "fish, eggs, lentils, beans, yogurt, seed foods, onions and garlic" would have the same result! Yet these are generally considered healthy foods!

My guess is that since these are all foods which we are encouraged to include in our diets, because of their health benefits, the sticking point is too much--but then too much of anything, even water, can be harmful.

I can see the headline now, "Study Shows Lentils Lead to Alzheimer's!" So, we give up lentils, which we don't like very much anyways and go back to eating cheese balls washed down with our favorite soft drink!

My advice is to read the study carefully, and not just the news article reporting on it, and then use common sense to figure out what it means. Also, we should not be taken in by headlines that only give us part of the story.

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http://www.healthy-eating-support.org

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