Diet drinks TRIPLE your risk of stroke and dementia

LOW SUGAR

Many believe that ‘no sugar added’ and ‘sugar free’ mean the same thing, but that’s not the case. The former indicates the manufacturer has not added any sugar to the product.

Fruit juices, for example, might boast ‘no sugar added’ – but if you look at the nutrition label, you’ll see that it’s pure sugar.

Many products labeled ‘no added sugar’ contain artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols.

A 2004 study found that when we offer our bodies sweet diet drinks but give them no calories, they crave real sugar even more. 

LOW SODIUM

Many think the majority of salt intake comes from a salt shaker. In fact, about 75 percent of dietary sodium actually comes from eating packaged and restaurant food.

Food labels that advertise lower sodium are a good way to help people make more healthful choices. But after that, what we think those labels mean gets a bit fuzzy, according to a 2013 study.

Researchers at the University of Toronto asked 506 Canadians about a fake tomato soup can with various label claims. They found that any claim made about sodium, preventing disease or lowering blood pressure made the product more appealing. 

When asked about a variety of health issues, including losing weight, constipation, and diabetes, participants in the survey said that lower-sodium products would prevent all of them. But reducing sodium only helps to reduce blood pressure.

LOW FAT

Reports came out in the late 1980s identifying dietary fat as the single most important change that needed to be made in order to improve diet and health.

And so, in the late 1990s, low-fat diets swept the nation. What was left unrealized was that many of these foods contained the same amount of calories and other additives.

Low-fat foods are often full of sugars and preservatives, and sometimes contain even more sugar than a full-fat version.

Nutrition experts believe high levels of sugar contribute not just to rising levels of obesity, but also other health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, dental cavities and cancer.