--- title: "Nutrition myths and dietary advice in clinical practice. | Sutter Health" description: "Family physicians can help dispel myths for patients and give sound nutritional advice by focusing on actual foods and broader dietary patterns." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/nutrition-myths-dietary-advice-clinical-practice-1055312828" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Nutrition myths and dietary advice in clinical practice. # Nutrition myths and healthy dietary advice in clinical practice. Lesser LI, Mazza MC, & Lucan SC. _Am Fam Physician. 91(9):634-8._ 2015-05-01 ## Abstract Healthy dietary intake is important for the maintenance of general health and wellness, the prevention of chronic illness, the optimization of life expectancy, and the clinical management of virtually all disease states. Dietary myths (i.e., concepts about nutrition that are poorly supported or contradicted by scientific evidence) may stand in the way of healthy dietary intake. Dietary myths exist about micronutrients, macronutrients, non-nutrients, and food energy. Representative myths of each type include that patients need to focus on consuming enough calcium to ensure bone health, dietary fat leads to obesity and is detrimental to vascular health, all fiber (whether naturally occurring or artificially added) is beneficial, and food calories translate to pounds of body weight through a linear relationship and simple arithmetic. A common theme for dietary myths is a reductionist view of diet that emphasizes selected food constituents as opposed to whole foods. Healthy dietary advice takes a more holistic view; consistent evidence supports recommendations to limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods and to eat whole or minimally processed foods, generally in a form that is as close to what occurs in nature as possible. Family physicians can help dispel myths for patients and give sound nutritional advice by focusing on actual foods and broader dietary patterns. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?cmd=historysearch&querykey=1) ## Research topics - [Disease Management](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Disease+Management%5C%22%22) - [Food and Nutrition](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Food+and+Nutrition%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Festival foods in the immigrant diet.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/festival-foods-in-the-immigrant-diet-1055312568) Azar KM, Chen E, Holland AT, Palaniappan LP J Immigr Minor Health. 15(5):953-60. doi: 10.1007/s10903-012-9705-4 2013 Oct 15 - Publication ### [Dietary pattern change and acculturation of Chinese Americans in Pennsylvania.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/diet-changes-and-acculturation-chinese-ams-in-pa-1055312864) Lv N, Cason KL. J Am Diet Assoc. 104(5):771-8. 2004 May 01 - Publication ### [Use of dietary supplements among US adults with asthma.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/dietary-supplements-adults-asthma-1055312968) Ma J, Xiao L. Nutr Dietary Suppl. 2011(3):9—18. 2011 Jan 12 - Publication ### [Effect of pretreatment of food gluten with prolyl endopeptidase on gluten-induced malabsorption in celiac sprue.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/prolyl-endopeptidase-gluten-malabsorp-celiac-sprue-1055312496) Pyle GG, Paaso B, Anderson BE, Allen DD, Marti T, Li Q, Siegel M, Khosla C, Gray GM. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 3(7):687-94. 2005 Jul 01 - Publication ### [Low-dose gluten challenge in celiac sprue: malabsorptive and antibody responses.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/gluten-challge-celiac-sprue-response-1055312499) Pyle GG, Paaso B, Anderson BE, Allen D, Marti T, Khosla C, Gray GM. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 3(7):679-86. 2005 Jul 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/nutrition-myths-dietary-advice-clinical-practice-1055312828#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Nutrition myths and dietary advice in clinical practice."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/nutrition-myths-dietary-advice-clinical-practice-1055312828#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Nutrition myths and healthy dietary advice in clinical practice.","headline":"Nutrition myths and dietary advice in clinical practice.","abstract":"Healthy dietary intake is important for the maintenance of general health and wellness, the prevention of chronic illness, the optimization of life expectancy, and the clinical management of virtually all disease states. Dietary myths (i.e., concepts about nutrition that are poorly supported or contradicted by scientific evidence) may stand in the way of healthy dietary intake. Dietary myths exist about micronutrients, macronutrients, non-nutrients, and food energy. Representative myths of each type include that patients need to focus on consuming enough calcium to ensure bone health, dietary fat leads to obesity and is detrimental to vascular health, all fiber (whether naturally occurring or artificially added) is beneficial, and food calories translate to pounds of body weight through a linear relationship and simple arithmetic. A common theme for dietary myths is a reductionist view of diet that emphasizes selected food constituents as opposed to whole foods. 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