Nutrition information is running rampant on the Internet, TV & other media sources. But, is this good nutrition information or a lot of misinformation? In a recent episode of Dr. Oz it was suggested that consuming milk and yogurt with some fat is better for you than nonfat. The same tune was sang by Laine Bergeson who is the Senior Editor at Experience Life magazine in THIS article claiming that whole milk is the "healthiest choice".
So, do we believe these two sources? In our opinion, it is important to go to the nutrition expert for this kind of information. According to the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, "a Registered Dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential "RD.""
Who is Dr. Oz & who is Laine Bergeson?
According to sharecare.com, Dr. Oz is,"Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital....He has authored or co-authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books and has received several patents. He performs 100 heart operations annually." This is great if you are looking for information that pertains to the heart, heart surgery, etc, however this does not qualify him to speak on behalf of the nutrition expert community.
Laine Bergeson has her credentials spelled out on Linkedin HERE. She is currently the Senior Editor at Experience Life Magazine, but has in the past been an Associate Editor at Utne Reader magazine, Research Editor at Utne Reader magazine, and Researcher at National Institutes of Health (research grant project through the Mayo Clinic). So does an editor or associate editor qualify someone to provide nutrition information? Most would say no.
Who should we turn to? Here is an article responding to this exact nutrition information and it is written by Barbara Quinn who is a nutrition author, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Her recommendation: "I vote to mix and match 2 to 3 servings a day of low-fat or nonfat dairy foods...and save the higher fat choices for occasional occasions". She also states that, "Until we learn more, here's what we know: High-fat dairy foods are loaded with saturated fat-the fat implicated in raising "bad" LDL cholesterol in our blood. Low-fat dairy foods have been shown to help lower the blood pressure and possibly help with weight loss. Some components in dairy fat-such as CLA and transpalmitoleic acid-may offer additional health benefits."
Bottom line: Know where you are getting your nutrition information! Do a quick search in an online search engine (of course, be sure it's a credible source) to know where you are getting your information.
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