Are these "popular" eating habits really healthy? Let's reveal the truth

"Bamboo charcoal food" detoxifies and nourishes the skin, "ketogenic diet" can help lose weight, "gluten-free diet" is good for the body... As people pay more and more attention to their health, various diets that claim to be able to "detoxify and nourish the skin" and "lose weight and slim the body" are becoming increasingly popular and are being followed and admired by many people. So, are these "popular" diets reliable? Let's take a look.

1. “Bamboo charcoal food” detoxifies and nourishes the skin, is it a fact or a “myth”?

Although bamboo charcoal itself has an adsorption effect and can be placed in the room or refrigerator as a dehumidifier, deodorant, etc., the adsorption performance of bamboo charcoal is not the same as the principle of adsorbing toxins in the human body. The so-called "adsorbing toxins in the body" function has no scientific basis.

Metabolites in the human body can be excreted through excretion and other means when kidney function is normal. Therefore, only when our kidneys have problems and cannot excrete metabolic products, doctors will use medical activated carbon to absorb excessive metabolic waste in the body, thereby reducing the burden on the kidneys. For normal people, eating bamboo charcoal food is not only not good for health, but also affects the absorption of nutrients, causing indigestion, constipation and other problems.

It should be noted that it is not legal to add bamboo charcoal as a food additive. The so-called "bamboo charcoal food" is actually food processed using materials that are not permitted by the country, so everyone should treat it with caution.

2. “Light meals” are popular. Can you lose weight by “eating grass”?

"Light food" refers to food that is low in sugar, oil, salt and fiber. Salad is the most common form of light food and is considered a "nutritious and healthy weight loss helper." In fact, salad dressings are generally high in calories. Eating too much is not only not conducive to weight loss, but may also increase weight.

Even if you don't add salad dressing or choose salad dressing with lower calories, it is not recommended to use salad and other light meals as staple food to lose weight. Because the protein in meat is the main raw material for building muscle and immunity, the total amount of fish and meat in light meals is often insufficient, resulting in insufficient raw materials for muscle synthesis and decreased metabolism, which is not conducive to weight loss. Moreover, most light meals have relatively few staple foods and a serious lack of carbohydrates, which will consume body protein and further lose body muscle. Therefore, light meals with more sauces, less protein, and less staple food are neither healthy nor conducive to weight loss.

3. “Fasting” is quietly becoming popular. Can starving yourself cure diseases and prevent aging?

It is said online that when human cells are hungry, they can eat useless or harmful substances in their own bodies to provide the energy they need to survive. Therefore, "fasting" can delay aging, prolong life, etc. by activating "cellular autophagy".

This rumor originated from the autophagy theory that won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016. After being refurbished, it has attracted public attention again. The award-winning autophagy theory refers to a self-decomposition mechanism that is triggered when cells are under-supplied with energy, the microenvironment deteriorates, or when their predetermined lifespan is reached. Therefore, "cell starvation" is not the same as hunger in our daily understanding, and fasting and Bigu are not the same as autophagy. Moreover, the current research on autophagy is still far from clinical application, and the relationship between autophagy and anti-tumor and aging is still unclear. Fasting and Bigu are not the "magic pills" in health articles that can cure all diseases and have no side effects.

4. “Ketogenic diet” is popular, is it the best choice for rapid fat loss?

The ketogenic diet is a diet that is opposite to the sugary diet. It requires reducing or even abandoning the intake of sugary foods and only consuming fat and protein. Some people who follow the ketogenic diet do see a significant weight loss in the short term, but this is mainly because the kidneys excrete ketone bodies and body fluids, causing the body to lose water. The weight loss is temporary, and once it stops, it is easy to rebound. In addition, long-term strict control of low-carbohydrate and high-fat intake can easily lead to insufficient intake of dietary fiber and important nutrients, which is harmful to health.

At present, feedback on the ketogenic diet in my country mainly comes from clinicians and individual practitioners. Whether the ketogenic diet is suitable for the Chinese population and whether it really has a weight loss effect still deserves further discussion.

5. Does a gluten-free diet really make you healthier?

Gluten is a group of proteins in grains that make dough tough and is commonly found in foods such as cereals, cakes and biscuits. The so-called "gluten-free diet" means eating foods that do not contain gluten. So far, no authoritative dietary guidelines or disease (except celiac disease) diagnosis and treatment guidelines recommend a gluten-free diet. Some people are allergic to gluten protein or have celiac disease and need to adhere to a gluten-free diet, but for the vast majority of people, a gluten-free diet is completely unnecessary.

Many gluten-free foods are highly processed, reducing the nutrients such as fiber and minerals contained in whole grains. Frequent consumption may increase weight and the risk of metabolic syndrome. my country has not yet issued "gluten-free" food standards and testing standards, and foods labeled "gluten-free" on the market are unfounded.

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