Health
6 'healthy eating concepts' are evaluated as true or false by nutrition experts
When it comes to ideas about healthy eating, there are all sorts of rules, trends and advice about what’s good for you and what isn’t.
Some of the guidance may be legitimate — yet some of it should be taken with a grain of salt.
Multiple experts and researchers from Mass General Brigham in Boston investigated some popular diet concepts that have been circulating — and separated fact from fiction.
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Here are six popular concepts — and a clear explanation of whether they hold water or not, according to experts.
True or false?
1. ‘To live longer, women should follow the Mediterranean diet’
True. In recent studies, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to be beneficial for overall health.
Mass General Hospital researchers evaluated six myths about healthy eating, including plant-based diets and peanut butter for kids. (iStock)
Mass General supports this theory, referencing its own study that found women who followed the nutrition plan for more than 25 years had up to 23% lower risk of mortality, with reductions in cardiovascular and cancer-related deaths.
The study also found that introducing a single component of the diet led to a 5% reduction in the long-term risk of death from certain diseases.
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The Mediterranean diet incorporates healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, nuts and fish, while avoiding sugar and processed or red meats.
Most people don’t realize the impact diet has on health and longevity, according to Samia Mora, M.D., director of the Center for Lipid Metabolomics at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
The Mediterranean diet includes foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil, nuts and fish, while avoiding sugar and processed or red meats. (iStock)
“What we eat today has major implications for living a long and healthy life,” she wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“The benefits [of the Mediterranean diet] were seen for both cancer and cardiovascular mortality – the top two causes of death for women and men – and related to multiple biological mechanisms, in particular to lower inflammation and insulin resistance and improved metabolism.”
2. ‘Removing trigger foods is always the best treatment for digestive issues’
False. While some people do suffer from food allergies or autoimmune conditions, the experts at Mass General found this diet concept to be false overall — as many digestive symptoms are known to have “more complex causes.”
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When patients have bad reactions to certain foods, it’s not the food itself causing the issues, but the digestive tract’s response to eating “in general,” according to Kyle Staller, M.D., director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital.
A poor digestive response might not just be caused by the food you’re eating, a doctor said. (iStock)
“While some people have true allergies to certain foods (for example, an allergy to gluten in celiac disease) or an inability to digest certain foods (such as dairy in lactose intolerance), many symptoms attributed to specific foods are actually driven by your body’s response to eating,” he told Fox News Digital.
Eating starts a “cascade of nerve activity in the gut” regardless of the kind of food that’s eaten, according to Staller.
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Those with sensitive gut nerves can develop GI discomfort in the form of gas, bloating and a feeling of abnormal fullness.
“These are what we call ‘disorders of gut-brain interaction’ — feeling abnormal sensations even when digestion is seemingly working normally,” Staller said.
Eating starts a “cascade of nerve activity in your gut” regardless of the kind of food that’s eaten, a doctor said. (iStock)
“Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most classic example.”
The best way to alleviate these symptoms is to target the abnormal nervous system responses while only eliminating the “most troublesome” foods, according to Staller.
3. ‘Eating blueberries can decrease the risk of some eye diseases’
True. The researchers found this claim to be true: Blueberries indeed can be beneficial for your eyes.
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A Mass General study of nearly 40,000 U.S. middle-aged and older women found that one or more servings of blueberries per week was associated with a 28% lower risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye condition that can lead to significant vision loss.
One or more servings of blueberries per week was associated with a 28% lower risk of conditions that cause vision loss. (iStock)
Dr. Howard D. Sesso, director of nutrition and supplements research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, confirmed that blueberries can optimize eye health.
“Blueberries contain anthocyanins, a bioactive polyphenol that gives them their blue color, and has been linked with possible reductions in eye disease,” he told Fox News Digital.
4. ‘Following a plant-based diet will always improve health outcomes’
False, with caveats. Mass General experts say a plant-based diet is not always the best way to go, though it may seem super healthy.
Plant-based nutrition plans have “diverse and sometimes contrasting health effects,” according to Dr. Qi Sun, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“Diet is not a magic bullet by itself.”
A plant-based diet that is dense in refined grains, sugary beverages and candies differs greatly from one containing fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, coffee, tea and more, he noted.
Plant-based diets should be well-rounded to include fruits, vegetables and whole grains, according to an expert. (iStock)
The first diet is associated with “many adverse health outcomes,” according to the researchers.
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The second diet is considered a “healthy version of a plant-based diet,” which Sun said has been “robustly associated with better health outcomes, including lower risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, obesity and gout.”
The “healthy version” of a plant-based diet is proven to lower the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, obesity and gout, experts say. (iStock)
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Sun encouraged people to focus on quality ingredients — such as fresh fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and olive oil and other vegetable oils — and to limit sugary and salty foods.
“Don’t forget regular activity and other healthy lifestyle choices,” he advised. “After all, diet is not a magic bullet by itself.”
5. ‘Food location in the grocery store has no impact on purchases’
False. Mass General deemed this concept as flat-out “false,” as the “choice architecture” of the grocery store “strongly influences what we purchase.”
When healthy items are stocked in visible or convenient locations, that increases the likelihood of making a healthier choice, according to the researchers.
“Healthy choice architecture” refers to when healthy items are stocked in visible or convenient locations, Mass General reported. (iStock)
In the Mass General Hospital cafeteria, the foods and beverages are labeled as red, yellow and green – red being the least healthy and green being the most healthy.
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The researchers found that when the healthiest items were in convenient locations or at eye level, employees were more likely to make healthier choices.
Anne Thorndike, M.D., primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, shared with Fox News Digital that the opposite is also true.
People are more likely to choose food items that are convenient and visible, researchers said. (iStock)
“This is well-known by the food industry, which has been placing sugar-sweetened beverages, salty snacks, candy and baked goods in checkout lanes, aisle endcaps and at the front of store,” she said.
6. ‘Early introduction of foods like peanut butter can prevent allergies’
True. Introducing a small child to foods known to cause allergic reactions can be scary for parents, but Mass General confirmed it can be beneficial in the long run.
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Introducing “developmentally appropriate” forms of peanuts to children between 4 and 6 months old can cause an 80% reduction of peanut allergy in those who are at high risk, according to the LEAP Trial (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy).
Introducing “developmentally appropriate” forms of peanuts to children between 4 and 6 months old can lead to an 80% reduction in peanut allergy in those who are at high risk. (iStock)
Michael Pistiner, M.D., director of Food Allergy Advocacy, Education and Prevention at Mass General Hospital for Children, stressed that these findings show that “timing is important.”
“Once a child reaches a pediatric allergist, it might be too late to prevent some food allergies that could have been avoided with early allergen introduction and family education,” he told Fox News Digital.
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Pistiner added, “With limited access to allergy providers and long wait times that can exceed three months, primary care clinicians play a crucial role in supporting families through infant feeding, early allergen introduction, eczema management, and food allergy diagnosis and referral.”
Welcome to the Brain Health Challenge! I’m Dana Smith, a reporter at The New York Times, and I’ll be your guide.
To live a healthy life, it’s crucial to have a healthy brain. In the short term, it keeps you sharp and firing on all cylinders. In the long term, it can reduce your risk of cognitive decline, dementia and stroke.
Practicing basic healthy behaviors, like eating nutritious food and getting regular exercise, is the best way to enhance your brain power and protect the longevity of your neurons. These types of lifestyle habits can benefit the brain at any age. And while they won’t guarantee that you’ll never develop dementia or another brain disease, several clinical trials have shown that they can improve cognition or slow decline.
Every day this week, you’ll do an activity that’s good for your brain, and we’ll dig into the science behind why it works. Some of these activities can provide a small immediate cognitive benefit, but the bigger reward comes from engaging in them consistently over time. So along with the neuroscience lessons, we’ll include a few tips to help you turn these actions into lasting habits.
To keep you accountable, we’re encouraging you to complete this challenge with a friend. If you don’t have a challenge buddy, no problem: We’re also turning the comments section into one big support group.
There are so many fascinating ways your daily behaviors affect your brain. Take sleep, for example.
Lots of studies have shown that getting a good night’s rest (seven to eight hours) is associated with better memory and other cognitive abilities. That’s because sleep, especially REM sleep, is when your brain transfers short-term memories — things you learned or experienced during the day — into long-term storage.
Sleep is also when your brain does its daily housekeeping. While you rest, the brain’s glymphatic system kicks into high gear, clearing out abnormal proteins and other molecular garbage, including the protein amyloid, which is a major contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. A buildup of amyloid is one reason experts think that people who routinely get less sleep have a higher risk of dementia.
What other behaviors play a big role in brain health? For today’s activity, we’re going to test your knowledge with a quiz. Share your score with your accountability partner and in the comments below — I’ll be in there too, cheering you on.
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An often-overlooked part of the body may reveal important clues about overall health.
Researchers from the University of Westminster in the U.K. discovered that the shape of the gluteus maximus muscle in the buttocks changes with age, gender, lifestyle and frailty, as well as certain conditions like osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes.
Using advanced MRI scans that create 3D images, researchers revealed “distinct” patterns in the gluteus maximus associated with type 2 diabetes.
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This suggested that the shape of the muscle, rather than the size, may “reflect underlying metabolic differences,” a press release stated.
The findings were presented in December at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago.
Butt shape may indicate underlying health conditions, according to new research. (iStock)
Unlike previous studies looking at muscle size or fat, the 3D imaging identified exactly where the muscle changes occur, according to the researchers.
As one of the largest muscles in the human body, the gluteus maximus “plays a key role” in metabolic health, according to lead study author E. Louise Thomas, Ph.D., professor of metabolic imaging at the University of Westminster’s School of Life Sciences.
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The researchers analyzed more than 61,000 MRI scans from a large UK health database to better understand the muscle’s structure.
The data also included the participants’ physical measurements, demographics, disease biomarkers, medical history and lifestyle habits. The researchers studied how these variables were linked to muscle shape over time.
An infographic from the Radiological Society of North America presentation displays research findings on the shape of the gluteus maximus. (RSNA)
“People with higher fitness, as measured by vigorous physical activity and hand grip strength, had a greater gluteus maximus shape, while aging, frailty and long sitting times were linked to muscle thinning,” study co-author Marjola Thanaj, Ph.D., a senior research fellow at the University of Westminster’s Research Centre for Optimal Health, said in the release.
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The researchers concluded that butt shape changes may indicate an “early functional decline” and “metabolic compromise” in type 2 diabetes patients.
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Men with type 2 diabetes showed muscle shrinkage, while women displayed enlarged muscle, likely due to “infiltration of fat” within it, according to the researchers.
These results suggest that men and women have “very different biological responses to the same disease,” Thanaj suggested.
Butt shape changes may indicate an “early functional decline” and “metabolic compromise” in type 2 diabetes patients. (iStock)
Men who were categorized as “frail” were recognized as having more “general shrinkage” across the gluteus maximus, but women experienced a “limited” frailty effect.
Building strong glutes for better health
Strengthening the glutes is an “investment in long-term health,” according to Tanya Becker, co-founder of Physique 57 in New York City.
“While full-body strength training is essential, focusing on your glutes — the largest muscle group in your body — deserves special attention,” she told Fox News Digital.
“While full-body strength training is essential, focusing on your glutes — the largest muscle group in your body — deserves special attention.” (iStock)
Becker refers to the glutes as the body’s “shock absorbers,” because they protect the lower back, knees and hips from taking on stress they weren’t designed to handle.
Larger muscle groups also burn more calories and help regulate blood sugar, the expert added, noting that muscles are often referred to as the “organ of longevity.”
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Strengthening the glutes also helps to protect the lower back, hips and knees, and also improves posture and balance, reducing the risk of falls and improving mobility.
“People with higher fitness, as measured by vigorous physical activity and hand grip strength, had a greater gluteus maximus shape.”
Becker recommends traditional weighted exercises like squats, lunges and bridges, although they are not suited for everyone, especially older adults with injuries and joint pain.
“Pilates and barre classes offer bodyweight exercises that are ideal for beginners or individuals with physical limitations,” she suggested. “They can be done anytime, anywhere, making them accessible for beginners before progressing to weighted versions.”
Glute bridges (demonstrated above) are a recommended exercise for strengthening those muscles. (iStock)
Becker shared the following three glute exercises that improve hip mobility, stability and overall strength.
No. 1: Quadruped leg lifts (strengthens entire core and glutes)
Start on the hands and knees, engage your core, and lift one leg off the floor (bent or straight). Pulse up and down a few inches for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat on the other leg.
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No. 2: Clamshells (strengthens gluteus medius)
Lie on your side with knees bent at 90 degrees in front of you. Lift your top knee away from your bottom knee, then lower slowly.
For an increased challenge, lift both feet off the ground while keeping the heels together. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds per side.
Strong muscles are responsible for maintaining metabolic health, according to Becker. (iStock)
No. 3: Glute bridges (strengthens lower back and glutes)
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet parallel, a few inches from your hips. Engage your abs, and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips toward knee height, then lower.
If you feel pressure in your neck, you’ve lifted too high. Perform for 30 to 60 seconds. Complete three sets with 30-second rests between them.
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Those looking to start a new fitness routine should first consult with a doctor.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.
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What if your New Year’s resolution could fit inside a tote bag? Social media users are trying the “analog bag” trend, replacing phones with offline activities.
The trend is widely credited to TikTok creator Sierra Campbell, who posted about her own analog bag — containing a crossword book, portable watercolor set, Polaroid camera, planner and knitting supplies — and encouraged followers to make their own.
Her video prompted many others to share their own versions, with items like magazines, decks of cards, paints, needlepoint and puzzle books.
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“I made a bag of non-digital activities to occupy my hands instead of the phone,” said Campbell, adding that the practice has significantly cut her screen time and filled her life with “creative and communal pursuits that don’t include doom-scrolling.”
“I created the analog bag after learning the only way to change a habit is to replace it with another,” she told Fox News Digital.
Social media users are trying the “analog bag” trend, replacing phones with offline activities like cameras, notebooks and magazines. (Fox News Digital)
The science of healthier habits
Research on habit formation supports the idea of the analog bag, according to Dr. Daniel Amen, a California-based psychiatrist and founder of Amen Clinics.
“Your brain is a creature of habit,” Amen said during an interview with Fox News Digital. “Neurons that fire together wire together, meaning that every time you repeat a behavior, whether it’s good or bad, you strengthen the neural pathways that make it easier to do it again.”
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Studies show that habits are automatic responses to specific cues — such as boredom, stress or idle time — that typically deliver some kind of reward, according to the doctor. When no alternative behavior is available, people tend to fall back on the same routine, often without realizing it.
Research suggests that replacing an old habit with a new one tied to the same cue is more effective than trying to suppress the behavior altogether.
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“[When] cutting out coffee — you need to have another drink to grab for, not just quit cold turkey. It’s how the pathways in our brains work,” Campbell said.
By substituting a different routine that still provides stimulation and engagement, people can gradually weaken the original habit and build a new automatic response.
Substituting another activity instead of scrolling on your phone can help quell the impulse to reach for it. (iStock)
“Simply stopping a behavior is very challenging,” Amen said. “Replacing one habit with something that is better for your brain is much easier. That’s how lasting change happens, one step at a time.”
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If alternatives are within arm’s reach, people will be more likely to use them, the doctor said. “Your brain does much better with small, simple actions than big, vague intentions.”
Instead of saying, “I’ll stop scrolling today,” the doctor recommends choosing a small habit you can do in a few moments in specific situations, like knitting 10 rows of a scarf on your commute or reading a few pages of a book while waiting at the doctor’s office.
“If alternatives are within arm’s reach, you’re more likely to use them,” a brain doctor said. “Your brain does much better with small, simple actions than big, vague intentions.” (iStock)
Campbell shared her own examples of how to use an analog bag. At a coffee shop with friends, she said, she might pull out a crossword puzzle and ask others to help with answers when the conversation lulls.
Instead of taking dozens of photos on her phone, she uses an instant camera, which limits shots and encourages more intentional moments.
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In casual outdoor settings, such as a park or winery, she brings a small watercolor set for a quick creative outlet.
“It’s brought so much joy,” Campbell said of the analog bag trend, “seeing how it resonates with so many.”
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