Soy milk can raise the risk of breast cancer. Fat-free foods are healthier than high-fat foods. Vegans and vegetarians are deficient in protein. Some false ideas about nutrition seem to linger in American culture like a terrible song stuck in your head.
豆浆会增加乳腺癌风险。无脂肪食物比高脂肪食物更健康。纯素食者和素食者缺乏蛋白质。一些错误的营养观念似乎在美国文化中挥之不去，就像一首难听的歌总是萦绕在你的脑海。
So to set the record straight, we asked 10 of the top nutrition experts in the United States a simple question: What is one nutrition myth you wish would go away — and why? Here’s what they said.
因此，为了澄清事实，我们向10位美国顶级营养专家询问了一个简单的问题：你最希望消除的营养误区是什么？为什么？他们是这么说的。
Myth No. 1: Fresh fruits and vegetables are always healthier than canned, frozen or dried varieties.
误区一：新鲜水果和蔬菜总是比罐装、冷冻或脱水的水果和蔬菜更健康。
Despite the enduring belief that “fresh is best,” research has found that frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts.
尽管人们一直认为“新鲜的是最好的”，但研究发现，冷冻、罐装和脱水的蔬菜，同新鲜水果蔬菜一样有营养。
“They can also be a money saver and an easy way to make sure there are always fruits and vegetables available at home,” said Sara Bleich, the outgoing director of nutrition security and health equity at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a professor of public health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. One caveat: Some canned, frozen and dried varieties contain sneaky ingredients like added sugars, saturated fats and sodium, Dr. Bleich said, so be sure to read nutrition labels and opt for products that keep those ingredients to a minimum.
即将离任的美国农业部营养安全和健康公平主任、哈佛大学公共卫生学院的公共卫生政策教授萨拉·布莱奇说:“它们还可以省钱，而且是确保家里总是有水果和蔬菜的简单方法。”需要注意的是，布莱奇说，一些罐装、冷冻和脱水的蔬果含有添加糖、饱和脂肪和钠等有害成分，所以一定要阅读营养标签，选择将这些成分控制在最低限度的产品。
Myth No. 2: All fat is bad.
误区二：所有脂肪都是不好的。
When studies published in the late 1940s found correlations between high-fat diets and high levels of cholesterol, experts reasoned that if you reduced the amount of total fats in your diet, your risk for heart disease would go down. By the 1980s, doctors, federal health experts, the food industry and the news media were reporting that a low-fat diet could benefit everyone, even though there was no solid evidence that doing so would prevent issues like heart disease or overweight and obesity. 20世纪40年代末发表的研究发现，高脂肪饮食与高胆固醇水平之间存在相关性，因此专家们推断，如果减少饮食中总脂肪的含量，罹患心脏病的风险就会降低。到20世纪80年代，医生、联邦卫生专家、食品行业和新闻媒体都在报道，低脂饮食对所有人都有益，尽管没有确凿的证据表明这样做可以预防心脏病或超重和肥胖等问题。
Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, Center for Human Nutrition, said that as a result, the vilification of fats led many people — and food manufacturers — to replace calories from fat with calories from refined carbohydrates like white flour and added sugar. (Remember SnackWell’s?) “Instead of helping the country stay slim, the rates of overweight and obesity went up significantly,” she said.
加州大学洛杉矶分校人类营养中心的医学助理教授维贾亚·苏兰普迪说，因此，对脂肪的诋毁导致许多人和食品制造商用精制碳水化合物（如白面粉和添加糖）来代替脂肪中的卡路里。(还记得SnackWell吗？)“这种做法非但没有令这个国家保持苗条，超重和肥胖的比例反而显著上升，”她说。
In reality, Dr. Surampudi added, not all fats are bad. While certain types of fats, including saturated and trans fats, can increase your risk for conditions like heart disease or stroke, healthy fats — like monounsaturated fats (found in olive and other plant oils, avocados and certain nuts and seeds) and polyunsaturated fats (found in sunflower and other plant oils, walnuts, fish and flaxseeds) — actually help reduce your risk. Good fats are also important for supplying energy, producing important hormones, supporting cell function and aiding in the absorption of some nutrients.
实际上，苏兰普迪还说，并不是所有的脂肪都是有害的。虽然某些类型的脂肪，包括饱和脂肪和反式脂肪，会增加罹患心脏病或中风等疾病的风险，但健康的脂肪——比如单不饱和脂肪（存在于橄榄油和其他植物油、鳄梨和某些坚果和种子中）和多不饱和脂肪（存在于向日葵和其他植物油、核桃、鱼和亚麻籽中）——实际上有助于降低风险。好的脂肪也有助于提供能量、产生重要的激素、支持细胞功能和帮助吸收某些营养物质。
If you see a product labeled “fat-free,” don’t automatically assume it is healthy, Dr. Surampudi said. Instead, prioritize products with simple ingredients and no added sugars.
如果你看到标有“零脂”的产品，不要想当然地认为它是健康的，苏拉普迪说。相反，优先选择成分简单且不添加糖的产品。
Myth No. 3: ‘Calories in, calories out’ is the most important factor for long-term weight gain.
误区三：“卡路里摄入大于消耗”是长期体重增加的最重要因素。
It’s true that if you consume more calories than you burn, you will probably gain weight. And if you burn more calories than you consume, you will probably lose weight — at least for the short term.
的确，如果你摄入的卡路里比燃烧的卡路里多，你可能会增重。如果你燃烧的卡路里比摄入的卡路里多，就可能会减肥——至少在短期内是这样。
But the research does not suggest that eating more will cause sustained weight gain that results in becoming overweight or obese. “Rather, it’s the types of foods we eat that may be the long-term drivers” of those conditions, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a professor of nutrition and medicine at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Ultraprocessed foods — such as refined starchy snacks, cereals, crackers, energy bars, baked goods, sodas and sweets — can be particularly harmful for weight gain, as they are rapidly digested and flood the bloodstream with glucose, fructose and amino acids, which are converted to fat by the liver. Instead, what’s needed for maintaining a healthy weight is a shift from counting calories to prioritizing healthy eating overall — quality over quantity.
但研究并不表明吃得多会导致体重持续增加，从而导致超重或肥胖。塔夫茨大学弗里德曼营养科学与政策学院的营养与医学教授达里什·莫扎法里安说，“相反，我们吃下的食物类型可能是导致这些情况的长期驱动因素”。超加工食品——如精制淀粉类零食、谷物、饼干、能量棒、烘焙食品、苏打水和糖果——对健康体重尤其有害，因为它们会被迅速消化，令血液中充满葡萄糖、果糖和氨基酸，这些物质会被肝脏转化为脂肪。相反，保持健康体重所需要的，与其说是计算卡路里，不如说是优先考虑健康饮食——质量高于数量。
Myth No. 4: People with Type 2 diabetes shouldn’t eat fruit.
误区四：II型糖尿病患者不应该吃水果。
This myth stems from conflating fruit juices — which can raise blood sugar levels because of their high sugar and low fiber content — with whole fruits.
这一误区源于将果汁和水果混为一谈。果汁含糖量高，纤维含量低，会使血糖水平升高。
But research has found that this isn’t the case. Some studies show, for instance, that those who consume one serving of whole fruit per day — particularly blueberries, grapes and apples — have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. And other research suggests that if you already have Type 2 diabetes, eating whole fruits can help control your blood sugar.
但研究发现，糖尿病患者并不是不应该吃水果。例如，一些研究表明，每天食用一份完整水果的人患II型糖尿病的风险较低_——尤其是蓝莓、葡萄和苹果。还有一些研究表明，如果你已经患有II型糖尿病，吃完整的水果可以帮助控制血糖。
It’s time to bust this myth, said Dr. Linda Shiue, an internist and the director of culinary medicine and lifestyle medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, adding that everyone — including those with Type 2 diabetes — can benefit from the health-promoting nutrients in fruit like fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
是时候打破这个误区了，旧金山凯萨医疗机构的内科医生、烹饪医学和生活方式医学主任琳达·舒伊说，每个人——包括II型糖尿病患者——都能从水果中纤维、维生素、矿物质和抗氧化剂等有益健康的营养物质中受益。
Myth No. 5: Plant milk is healthier than dairy milk.
误区五：植物奶比牛奶更健康。
There’s a perception that plant-based milks, such as those made from oats, almonds, rice and hemp, are more nutritious than cow’s milk. “It’s just not true,” said Kathleen Merrigan, a professor of sustainable food systems at Arizona State University and a former U.S. deputy secretary of agriculture. Consider protein: Typically, cow’s milk has about eight grams of protein per cup, whereas almond milk typically has around one or two grams per cup, and oat milk usually has around two or three grams per cup. While the nutrition of plant-based beverages can vary, Dr. Merrigan said, many have more added ingredients — like sodium and added sugars, which can contribute to poor health — than cow’s milk.
人们认为植物奶，例如由燕麦、杏仁、大米和大麻籽制成的奶，比牛奶更有营养。“这是错误的，”亚利桑那州立大学可持续食品系统教授、前美国农业部副部长凯瑟琳·梅里根说。就拿蛋白质来说：通常，一杯牛奶（约236毫升）含有约八克蛋白质，而杏仁奶通常每杯含有约一两克蛋白质，燕麦奶每杯通常含有约两三克蛋白质。梅里根说，虽然植物性饮料的营养成分可能有所不同，但许多植物性饮料比牛奶含有更多的添加成分，例如钠和添加糖，这些成分可能不利于身体健康。
Myth No. 6: White potatoes are bad for you.
误区六：白土豆对身体不好。
Potatoes have often been vilified in the nutrition community because of their high glycemic index — which means they contain rapidly digestible carbohydrates that can spike your blood sugar. However, potatoes can actually be beneficial for health, said Daphene Altema-Johnson, a program officer of food communities and public health at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. They are rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber and other nutrients, especially when consumed with the skin. They are also inexpensive and found year-round in grocery stores, making them more accessible. Healthier preparation methods include roasting, baking, boiling and air frying.
土豆经常在营养界受到诟病，因为它们的血糖指数很高，意味着它们含有快速消化的碳水化合物，可能会导致血糖升高。然而，约翰·霍普金斯宜居未来中心食品社区和公共卫生项目官员达芬妮·阿尔特玛-约翰逊表示，土豆实际上对健康有益。它们富含维生素C、钾、纤维和其他营养物质，尤其是不削皮食用时。它们的价格也很便宜，并且在食品商店全年有售，非常容易买到。烧烤、烘焙、煮和空气炸都是更健康的制备方法。
Myth No. 7: You should never feed peanut products to your children within their first few years of life.
误区七：在孩子出生后的最初几年里，绝对不应该给他们喂食花生制品。
For years, experts told new parents that the best way to prevent their children from developing food allergies was to avoid feeding them common allergenic foods, like peanuts or eggs, during their first few years of life. But now, allergy experts say, it’s better to introduce peanut products to your child early on.
多年来，专家告诉新父母，防止孩子发生食物过敏的最佳方法是在孩子出生后的头几年避免给他们喂常见的过敏食物，如花生或鸡蛋。但现在，过敏专家说，最好尽早给孩子尝试花生产品。
If your baby does not have severe eczema or a known food allergy, you can start introducing peanut products (such as watered-down peanut butter, peanut puffs or peanut powders, but not whole peanuts) at around 4 to 6 months, when your baby is ready for solids. Start with two teaspoons of smooth peanut butter mixed with water, breast milk or formula, two to three times a week, said Dr. Ruchi Gupta, a professor of pediatrics and the director of the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. If your baby has severe eczema, first ask your pediatrician or an allergist about starting peanut products around 4 months. “It is also important to feed your baby a diverse diet in their first year of life to prevent food allergies,” Dr. Gupta said.
如果你的宝宝没有严重的湿疹或已知的食物过敏，可以在4至6个月大准备接受辅食时开始引入花生制品（例如稀释的花生酱、花生泡芙或花生粉，但不要给整颗花生）。西北范伯格医学院儿科教授、食物过敏和哮喘研究中心主任鲁奇·古普塔博士说，先从两茶匙无颗粒的花生酱与水、母乳或配方奶混合开始，每周喂给孩子两到三次。如果你的宝宝有严重的湿疹，请先咨询儿科医生或过敏症专科医生，了解是否在4个月左右开始使用花生产品。“在宝宝出生的第一年为宝宝提供多样化的饮食对于预防食物过敏也很重要，”古普塔说。
Myth No. 8: The protein in plants is incomplete.
误区八：植物中的蛋白质是不完整的。
“‘Where do you get your protein?’ is the No. 1 question vegetarians get asked,” said Christopher Gardner, a nutrition scientist and professor of medicine at Stanford University. “The myth is that plants are completely missing some amino acids,” also known as the building blocks of proteins, he said. But in reality, all plant-based foods contain all 20 amino acids, including all nine essential amino acids, Dr. Gardner said; the difference is that the proportion of these amino acids isn’t as ideal as the proportion of amino acids in animal-based foods. So, to get an adequate mix, you simply need to eat a variety of plant-based foods throughout the day — such as beans, grains and nuts — and eat enough total protein. Luckily, most Americans get more than enough protein each day. “It’s easier than most people think,” Dr. Gardner said.
“‘你靠什么获取蛋白质？’是素食者最经常被问到的问题，”斯坦福大学营养学家兼医学教授克里斯托弗·加德纳说。他说，“人们错误地认为植物中完全不存在某些氨基酸”，这些氨基酸也被称为蛋白质的组成部分。但实际上，所有植物性食品都含有全部20种氨基酸，包括全部九种必需氨基酸，加德纳说；不同之处在于，这些氨基酸的比例并不像动物性食品中的氨基酸比例那么理想。因此，为了获得充分的结合，你只需要在一天中吃多种植物性食物，例如豆类、谷物和坚果，并摄入足够的总蛋白质。幸运的是，大多数美国人每天摄入的蛋白质绰绰有余。“这比大多数人想象的要容易，”加德纳说。
Myth No. 9: Eating soy-based foods can increase the risk of breast cancer.
误区九：吃大豆食品会增加乳腺癌风险。
High doses of plant estrogens in soy called isoflavones have been found to stimulate breast tumor cell growth in animal studies. “However, this relationship has not been substantiated in human studies,” said Dr. Frank B. Hu, a professor and the chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. So far, the science does not indicate a link between soy intake and breast cancer risk in humans. Instead, consuming soy-based foods and drinks — like tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso and soy milk — may even have a protective effect toward breast cancer risk and survival. “Soy foods are also a powerhouse of beneficial nutrients related to reduced heart disease risk, such as high-quality protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals,” Dr. Hu said. The research is clear: Feel confident incorporating soy foods into your diet.
在动物研究中发现，大豆中的高剂量植物雌激素异黄酮可以刺激乳腺肿瘤细胞的生长。“然而，这种关系尚未在人体研究中得到证实，”哈佛陈曾熙公共卫生学院教授兼营养系主任胡丙长博士说。到目前为止，科学尚未表明大豆摄入量与人类乳腺癌风险之间存在关联。相反，食用大豆食品和饮料——如豆腐、豆豉、毛豆、味噌和豆奶——甚至可能对乳腺癌风险有防护效果并提高该疾病的存活率。“大豆食品还富含与降低心脏病风险相关的有益营养素，例如优质蛋白质、纤维、维生素和矿物质，”胡丙长说。研究很明确：你可以放心地将大豆食品纳入饮食。
Myth No. 10: Fundamental nutrition advice keeps changing — a lot.
误区十：基本营养建议总是在变——而且变化很大。
This is not the case, said Dr. Marion Nestle, a professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. “In the 1950s, the first dietary recommendations for prevention of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and the like advised balancing calories and minimizing foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar. The current U.S. Dietary Guidelines urge the same.” Yes, science evolves, but the bottom-line dietary guidance remains consistent. As author Michael Pollan distilled to seven simple words: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” That advice worked 70 years ago, and it still does today, Dr. Nestle said. And it leaves plenty of room for eating foods you love.
纽约大学营养、食品研究和公共卫生名誉教授马里昂·内斯特博士表示事实并非如此。“在1950年代，第一个预防肥胖、II型糖尿病、心脏病等的饮食建议要求平衡热量并尽量减少高饱和脂肪、高盐和高糖的食物。现行的美国膳食指南也有同样的要求。”是的，科学在不断发展，但基本饮食指导仍然是一致的。正如作者迈克尔·波伦提炼的简单主旨：“吃食物，别太多，植物为主。”内斯特说，这个建议在70年前有效，今天仍然有效。这让你在选择爱吃的食物时有充分的余地。
Sophie Egan撰写关于食品、健康和可持续性方面的文章。她著有《How to Be a Conscious Eater: Making Food Choices That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet》一书。
翻译：晋其角、明斋
