There are still misconceptions around dietary cholesterol and GMOs.
You may or may not remember, but there was a time when eggs were getting a bad rap in the press. The reason? Cholesterol. In 1968, the American Heart Association recommended that people consume no more than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. It also suggested limiting egg intake to no more than three per week.
This all stemmed from the belief that the cholesterol we eat is directly linked to “bad cholesterol.” Scientists refer to this substance as low-density lipoprotein – or LDL – cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease. But as the science of biochemistry and nutrition progressed, it became clear that the cholesterol in eggs has little to do with LDL.
The key message here is: There are still misconceptions around dietary cholesterol and GMOs.
It’s true that eggs are high in cholesterol. Each egg contains around 185 mg of the substance. But two studies – one in 1999 and the other in 2013 – found no connection between egg consumption and coronary heart disease. There was also no link between eating eggs and having high levels of LDL.
There is still some uncertainty as to whether eggs make some people more likely to develop heart disease – in particular, those who live with type 2 diabetes. But at least the issue of cholesterol in eggs is sorted; the Dietary Guidelines for Americans no longer consider it a risk.
Debates around food don’t stop at cholesterol, though. There’s still a heated discussion about GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. In the US, such crops have been used since the 1990s. Disagreements about them are just another example of a misunderstood label.
There are a number of ways in which we can change a plant’s genetic makeup in order to enhance or remove some of its traits. Numerous tests have shown that this kind of genetic engineering is perfectly safe. In fact, a meta-analysis of more than 1,500 studies showed that GM crops carried no significant health or environmental dangers.
Evidence suggests they can even be beneficial. Genetically modified crops use less water, create a smaller carbon footprint, and require fewer pesticides. In fact, one 2014 study revealed that GM crops resulted in a 22 percent higher crop yield, needed 37 percent less pesticide, and offered farmers nearly 70 percent more profit.
If all this sounds a bit confusing, don’t worry. The science of food and nutrition is never black-and-white. In the next blink, we'll explore another common misconception. - source: Blinklist.com
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