Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 12, Number 2, 1 February 1995 — ʻAi pono, e ola [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ʻAi pono, e ola

Eat right and Iwe well

by Dr. Terry Shintani

Diet mvths (oart 2)

Last month I discussed some diet "myths." In this article I will discuss a few more diet myths to help clear up mueh of the confusion in nutrition information. Some of them may surprise you. Here they are. Diet mvth #5: Animal products are the best sources of protein. It has been long thought that

proteins are a prtmary element in a good balanced diet, and that animal products are the best sources of protein. At one time this line of thinking was justified, as studies dealing with protein deficiency revealed the benefits of protein in the diet and

studies on amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) suggested that some vegetables and grains were deficient in some of the amino acids. More recently, studies have associated high intake of animal proteins with a number of health problems, such as cancer and kidney disease. It has even been found that excess intake of protein, especially animal protein, leads to ealeium loss. What's worse is that all animal products contain cholesterol and nearly all

of them are very high in fat, whieh we now know increases the risk of heart disease, cancer and obesity. Meanwhile, analysis of protein requirements indicates that we do not need as mueh protein as we onee thought and that the amino acids in plant sources of protein are indeed adequate. In short, vegetables, grains and beans are excellent sources of

protem ana tney may I be better than animal I sources in that they 3 are not associated I with as many chronic 9 diseases and not I inseparably connectI ed to high-choles-I terol, high-fat foods. ' Diet Myth #6: The

Cholesterol Myth - Chicken and fish are low in cholesterol. Have you ever been encouraged to increase your intake of ehieken and fish to lower cholesterol? Most people have. However, most people don't realize that ehieken and fish have almost as mueh cholesterol as beef or pork. A 3 1/2 ounee portion of beef contains 91 mg of cholesterol. A 3 1/2 ounee portion of ehieken has about 85 mg of cholesterol, and fish about 75 mg. The reason these foods are recommended is

that they are generally lower in fat and thus tend to raise cholesterol less than beef or pork. Make no mistake, however, ehieken and fish still contribute to your eholesterol level. The best diet to lower cholesterol is a NO-cholesterol diet. Since cholesterol is found in all animals (and in no plant-based food), this means a vegetarian diet, not a diet high in ehieken and fish. And remember that the Wai'anae Diet, based on Hawaiian foods, recommends decreasing all animal foods, including ehieken and fish, and increasing plant-based foods such as taro and poi. Diet Myth #7: The Carbohydrate Myth - All carbohydrates are the same. Recently there has been some literature indicating that there is no difference in the form of carbohydrates in terms of their effect on blood sugar. This idea is based

on recent findings that simple carbohydrates such as sugar and complex carbohydrates actually raise blood sugar about the same amount. While this is true, it is a myth that ALL carbohydrates are the same because they are only the same if you compare refined complex carbohydrates such as white flour with simple carbohydrates (sugar). When whole carbohydrates such as taro or brown rice are used, the effect is mueh different. Thus, it is very important that the carbohydrates eaten be based on whole foods rather than foods refined to flour with the bran (whieh contains fiber and vitamins E and B complex) removed. Diet Myth #8: The Polysaturated Fat Myth - Polysaturated oils are healthy. For years we have been told that polysaturated fats are healthier for us because they "lower cholesterol." Thus, we have been eating

vegetable oils such as corn oil and margarine that are made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The fact is, however, that recent studies have shown that the process of partially hydrogenating vegetable oils produces "trans" fatty acids and that these fatty acids are just as unhealthy as saturated fats. What's more damaging is that polyunsaturated oils, while they tend to lower cholesterol, actually promote certain cancers in miee and may well do the same in humans. And finally, all oils are nine calories per gram (very high in calories) and all of them promote obesity. Next month we'll talk about one more myth of dieting. Dr. Shintani, physician and nutritionist, is the director of preventive medicine at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive HeaUh Center. He has a radio talk show on Sundays at 7 - 9 p.m. on K108.