Nutrition Tok is rife with misinformation and endless health “microtrends” which have made it difficult to know what to believe – especially for those trying to lose weight or build muscle.
The hashtag #nutrition on TikTok boasts over 2 million posts, with searches on the platform up +56% YoY1. However, a Nutritional Therapist has warned consumers to be cautious.
Kerry Beeson, qualified Nutritional Therapist at Prep Kitchen, says: “Millions of people turn to TikTok for health advice, but this can be inadvisable, and even dangerous! Many TikTok trends are peddled by untrained influencers, who are not qualified to offer health advice. Typically they are sharing concepts which have worked for them, but this doesn’t mean that these strategies are right for everyone.”
Below, Kerry shares her expert opinion and debunks five of the most common nutrition myths:
Myth 1: Only 30g of protein can be absorbed at one time
Protein has been the buzzword of the nutrition and fitness world in recent years, seeing a huge boom in the market for protein-packed products – but recent claims have suggested that only 30g of protein can be absorbed at one time.
Kerry says: “Optimum protein intake at each meal is a hot and much-debated topic, but the 30g absorption myth has been largely discredited.
“Most of the interest in this topic stems from the fitness industry and protein for muscle gain” Kerry explains, “It was originally based on research which measured the by-product of protein digestion, nitrogen. As urea nitrogen levels went up with protein intake over 30g, it was assumed that this was ‘waste’ protein.”
“In actuality, the body will metabolise any amount of protein that we eat, and we mustn’t forget that protein has a multitude of other uses in the body as well as building muscle.”
Kerry also says it’s important to remember that “Optimum protein intake will vary between individuals, depending on their height, weight, gender, build, exercise regime and weight goals. For example, a smaller woman will not require or absorb the same amount of protein as a 6ft 6inch bodybuilder.”
Myth 2: Eating before bed makes you gain weight
From intermittent fasting to 8 pm snack rules, recent diet trends have promised tracking clocks is just as important for weight loss as tracking scales.
Research on this topic is mixed, but Kerry says: “It shouldn’t make any difference when you eat your daily calories, as long as you burn off as many as you consume each day.
“In fact, consuming a protein-rich snack an hour or so before bed can actually increase muscle protein synthesis while you sleep and help you to gain muscle. It can also be helpful as part of a weight-loss programme, as it keeps your blood sugar stable overnight, and helps to boost your metabolism.”
“However, there are also other considerations regarding regularly eating main meals late at night; eating before bed can affect your sleep because your digestive system will be hard at work overnight. Overall, if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s best to stick to eating regular meals spaced throughout the day, which help to keep your blood sugar balanced and help prevent food cravings.”
Myth 3: The carnivore diet is the healthiest diet
The ‘carnivore diet’ sees people focus on eating meals that consist of a lot of meat, including beef, chicken and pork alongside having eggs and lumps of butter.
The trend has reached over a billion views on TikTok with some advocating it as a method for immense weight loss. But what do the experts think?
Kerry says: “If we look at meat as a food source, it’s certainly rich in nutrients: protein, iron and zinc, B vitamins, and fats. However, it lacks other vitamins and antioxidants, healthier fats, and the fibre needed to support a healthy gut microbiome, which we know is vital for good health.
“The carnivore diet myth has been born from the belief that ancient peoples ate predominantly meat and fish, but the latest research suggests that prehistoric man ate 80% plant-based foods.
“Whilst the evidence to support a solely carnivorous diet in humans is lacking, there is overwhelming evidence that including a variety of these fibre, vitamin, and antioxidant-rich plant-based foods in your diet has potential benefits.”
Myth 4: Seed oils are bad for you
Seed oils are any vegetable oil that is derived from the seed of a plant, for example, rice bran, sunflower, canola, linseed, grapeseed, soybean, and sesame oils. There is a constant debate over the safety of these oils, with conflicting opinions and evidence.
Kerry says: “Seed oils are objectively quite healthy, in that they’re typically low in saturated fats.
“Many seed oils contain beneficial nutrients like antioxidants, linolenic acid (an essential Omega-6 fatty acid), and some contain small amounts of Omega 3. We don’t make these fats in the body so we must obtain them from the diet.
“As seed oils are so prevalent in our modern diet, it’s easy to consume a lot of them. In addition to being used in cooking and baking, they are used widely in food processing and can be found in a huge range of foods from margarine and spreads, dressings, and processed foods, to restaurant food or takeaways.”
There is some concern over the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 in these oils, with much higher levels of Omega-6 present, potentially connected to inflammation. However, there is no strong evidence that high levels of Omega-6 are associated with disease.
Kerry advises: “Aim to eat a wide variety of healthy fats in your diet, avoid eating lots of processed foods, don’t rely too heavily on seed oils in cooking (try incorporating other oils like coconut and olive oil), and eat plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, from oily fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, or walnuts.”
Myth 5: You need to eat 1,200 calories a day to lose weight
The 1,200-calorie diet is a popular weight-loss program, mainly geared towards women – but do the experts recommend it?
Kerry says: “1200 calories is a very restrictive diet for the average person and yes, you are likely to lose weight on this regime. Our bodies typically use around 2000 calories daily for women and 2,500 for men, just to maintain normal bodily functions, so halving this will leave a huge energy deficit which will cause the body to draw on its fat stores.
“However, you don’t need to reduce your calorie intake so drastically to lose weight. It’s not really healthy to eat so little long-term, and care needs to be taken to meet your daily nutrient intake as well as your calories.”
For a more sustainable approach to weight loss, Kerry recommends instead aiming for a weight loss of around 1lb (approximately 0.5 kg) per week. If the average woman wanted to lose 1lb of fat in a week, she would need to eat 500 calories a day less than it takes to maintain her current weight, so around 1500 calories per day.
However, it’s important to remember that “it’s not a one-size-fits-all – the ideal calorie intake for weight loss will also depend on a person’s age, weight, gender, and exercise regime.”
Kerry says: “Generic fad diets are often gimmicky and designed to be controversial to pique interest, they also don’t take into account individual needs and health goals.”
“Don’t just jump on the latest trends – if you don’t have the means to obtain a personalised plan for yourself, then have more confidence in your own judgement, do your own research, and decide what’s best for you. Always get your information from credible sources written by qualified professionals.”
For more information on how you can get a balanced diet through the help of meal prep, please visit: https://prepkitchen.co.uk/
