Have you ever scarfed down a buttery slab of toast without feeling guilty? Or knocked back a brewski for the health benefits? This may sound like an alternate diet universe, but new science is revealing that some of our most-feared foods and drinks actually aren’t so bad for us — and can even do a body good.
“The truth is, there are very few truly ‘bad’ foods out there,” says Karen Ansel, a NY-based, registered dietitian. “You can eat the vast majority in moderation and still have a really healthy diet.”
From stronger bones to better weight control, here’s a closer look at the surprising virtues of our biggest dietary vices.
Egg yolks
Those creamy yellow centers have long been feared as a cause of clogged arteries. They’re among nature’s richest sources of dietary cholesterol, packed with about 200 milligrams apiece. Newer research, however, has found that the cholesterol we eat doesn’t have much effect on the cholesterol that ends up clinging to blood-vessel walls.
“We now know that it’s actually saturated fat — not cholesterol in foods — that raises levels of blood cholesterol,” says Ansel, nutritionist and author of “.”
An egg yolk contains about 1.6 grams of saturated fat — a mere 10th of what most people can safely consume in a day. Not to mention, yolks are loaded with nutrients such as vitamins D and B-12.
That likely explains why a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of roughly 40,000 men and 80,000 women . So you can skip the whites-only omelet, unless you really love the taste.
Beer
There’s no question that overdoing the booze can have harmful effects on health, whether from accidental injuries or liver disease. But emerging evidence suggests that an occasional pint of beer may do a body good. In an analysis of 100 commercial brews, scientists at the University of California, Davis discovered that beer (especially hoppy varieties, like IPAs) — a key contributor to bone strength. In a separate 6-year-long study, published in 2016, researchers at Penn State found that light to moderate beer drinkers over time than teetotalers did.
To reap the benefits (and avoid a harmful buzz), Ansel advises women to cap their intake at one 12-ounce bottle per day, while men should stop after a second round. Either way, bottoms up.
Butter
This decadent condiment became public enemy No. 1 way back in the 1960s, when a large preliminary study seemed to uncover a link between overall fat intake and poor health. What the public didn’t realize, however, was that shady bigwigs in the sugar industry were secretly paying researchers to cast fat in an unflattering light — downplaying the negative effects of sugar on the heart, says NY nutritionist Keri Glassman, founder of Nutritious Life.
To be clear, butter will never be a health food, per se. But experts now say it’s not a bad way to dress up your steamed veggies. A 2016 study at Tufts University officially — neither nutritious nor evil — with no discernible link to stroke, heart disease or diabetes. That makes it way better for you (and better-tasting) than man-made margarine, which traditionally has more harmful trans fats.
Whole-fat dairy
As with butter, weight-conscious eaters have long avoided full-fat versions of milk, yogurt and cheese in hopes of avoiding extra pounds. After all, the whole-milk versions are way higher in calories than their skim-based cousins. But here’s tasty news for cheddar fiends: Adults who regularly nosh on whole-milk dairy , according to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This builds on a 2013 meta-study in the European Journal of Nutrition that searched for weight-gain effects of dairy fat — .
Some scientists speculate that bioactive substances in milk fat keep human metabolism humming, despite the higher calorie count. And compared with “skinny” versions of dairy, the fatty stuff unquestionably is more satiating, Glassman says. In short, you feel fuller on less — and for longer. For reassurance, read nutrition labels to ensure you enjoy just a single serving (and not the whole pint) of your favorite Ben & Jerry’s.
Coffee
Wake up and smell the health perks: Once denounced as a drink that could dehydrate the body, strain the heart and stunt growth, coffee is enjoying well-deserved redemption among wellness pros. Those old myths simply aren’t supported by modern science, says Bob Arnot, M.D., author of “” (William Morrow, out now).
In fact, people in one 2012 study who guzzled up to six cups a day . That same year, the New England Journal of Medicine followed up with a study of nearly 905,000 adults and found that regular coffee drinkers .
One possible explanation is that java delivers a mother lode of inflammation-soothing antioxidants, especially the disease-fighting plant compounds known as polyphenols, published in the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition.
The most antioxidant-rich beans are lighter roasts grown in high-altitude equatorial regions such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia and Brazil, Arnot says. For optimal extraction of coffee’s healthy compounds — and better flavor — he recommends the pour-over brew method using water that’s just shy of boiling.
Salt
Conventional wisdom once held that too much salt in the diet triggers hypertension — and ratchets up the risk of strokes and heart attacks — by ballooning blood vessels with retained water. Luckily for potato chip lovers, sodium really doesn’t work that way.
“We’re starting to understand that we probably had it wrong about salt 40 years ago,” when federal intake guidelines first took shape, says cardiovascular researcher James DiNicolantonio, Pharm.D., author of “” (Harmony Books). Since then researchers have learned that sodium’s action is buffered by other nutrients, such as the potassium found in bananas, watermelon, sweet potatoes and black beans. No wonder a large Canadian Journal of Cardiology study
In general, adults can safely have up to 6,000 milligrams of sodium a day with no ill effects, DiNicolantonio says — more than the 3,000 to 4,500 mg most Americans now consume. But if you have a medical condition that necessitates slashing salt, such as kidney disease, the most efficient way to cut back is to simply cook and salt your own meals, as overseasoned restaurant and packaged fare accounts for a whopping 71 percent of sodium in the American diet.
Red meat
Tough to believe there’s anything good to say about this stuff. In 2015, the World Health Organization generating a fearful wave of vegetarians in its wake.
What the headlines didn’t say is that the report had major limitations. In the fine print, its authors admitted that they had “limited evidence” and couldn’t rule out bias or chance to explain their conclusions. In addition, they lumped together all red meat, putting lean cuts such as pork tenderloin in the same category as additive-filled beef jerky and baloney.
‘Red meat can be part of a healthy diet.’
Well, the science is finally catching up — and offering tasty reassurance for anyone craving a burger right now. In 2016, scientists at Purdue University crunched the numbers from two dozen clinical studies and found that eating up to three 3-ounce servings a week of minimally processed red meat “” such as blood pressure and cholesterol.
Packed with protein and niacin, “red meat can be part of a healthy diet,” says Lisa Young, Ph.D., a registered dietitian and nutrition instructor at New York University. Iron is another big perk: To get the same amount of iron in one 6-ounce burger of 85-percent lean beef, you’d have to choke down more than 4 cups of kale.
For maximum benefit, opt for red meat that doesn’t contain extra ingredients. Grass-fed varieties tend to be more nutritious, research shows. And don’t leave your steak on the grill too long — compounds in blackened meat may be harmful to health (and don’t taste good anyway).