The Truth Behind 5 Food Myths

[Daniel E.]

The myths:

Myth #1: "High protein intake is harmful to your kidneys."

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Myth #2: "Sweet potatoes are better for you than white potatoes."

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Myth #3: "Red meat causes cancer."

Myth #4: "High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is more fattening than regular sugar is."

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Myth #5: "Salt causes high blood pressure and should be avoided."

Why they aren't true:

The Truth Behind 5 Food Myths - MensHealth.com

Regarding salt:

Between processed foods and restaurant meals, most Americans eat far too much sodium -- significantly above the 2,300 milligrams the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend as a maximum daily intake for adults. Excess sodium, according to plenty of large, well-designed studies, causes the body to retain fluids, which raises blood pressure and ups the risk of dying from heart disease.

Just as strong -- albeit less commonly known -- is the link between heart health and potassium...

Current dietary guidelines...recommend that Americans get at least 4,700 mg of potassium daily -- about double the recommended maximum for sodium. Yet, according to nationwide nutritional surveys, the average American gets just 2,600 mg of potassium a day and 4,000 mg or more of sodium -- far more sodium than potassium, even though guidelines suggest we do the opposite...

A banana has more than 400 mg of potassium, for example. There are more than 900 mg in a potato, nearly 950 mg in a cup of spinach, 600 mg in half a cup of raisins and 500 mg in an 8-ounce cup of orange juice.

Study: Sodium-to-potassium ratio a key to heart health - Los Angeles Times