Five foods that have gone from good to bad and back again

By MiNDFOOD

Five foods that have gone from good to bad and back again

Nutrition guidelines keep changing, so much so that it can make it hard to keep up. Here we list five foods that have gone from bad to good and back again.

Eggs

For a long time, eggs were thought to be too high in cholesterol and therefore bad for your heart. But for the past 20 years research has shown that at normal intakes dietary cholesterol has very little influence on a person’s blood cholesterol levels.

Eggs are an excellent source of protein, healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals.

Butter

The story of spreads, such as margarine and butter, is one of the most confusing stories in nutrition. First it was no to butter and yes to margarine. Then we became aware of the problem with trans fat  (a fat produced when partially hydrogenating vegetable fats to make margarines). So, manufacturers started making trans-fat free margarines.

The short answer is as long as the food label doesn’t list “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” as an ingredient the product is a good bet. And butter isn’t bad for you in small doses.

Potatoes

Potatoes are one of the few vegetables considered to be unhealthy. Because they’re a high GI food they tend to get lumped in with foods made from refined carbohydrates as foods to avoid. But potatoes are finding their feet again as a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamin C, some B vitamins and other trace minerals.

Dairy

Dairy products – including milk, butter, yoghurt and cheese – were once considered a staple in many people’s diet, but consumption patterns have changed and more people are allergic to dairy products than before.

Positive aspects of dairy include the high protein and calcium content. Dairy should still be considered a part of healthy diet.

Raw nuts and nut butters

Nuts used to get a bad reputation for being high in fat and high in caloriest but there is mounting evidence to suggest raw nuts are key to a healthy diet and maintaining healthy body weight.

A recent study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that eating raw nuts reduces death from all causes, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

Nut and nut butter consumption can be a part of a healthy diet if you don’t go overboard.

 

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