# What is the most unhealthy food that is commonly considered healthy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 22, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382 "2007-11-22T01:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/41 "2007-11-24T04:53:11Z")
[QUOTE=Mijin] Mayonnaise anyone? There was a time where even the most health-conscious rice-cake eating exercise nut would drown everything in mayo. It’s changing now, but it’s still associated with the health food crowd over here. [/QUOTE] :eek: Oh my golly, really? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/42 "2007-11-24T17:44:37Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] As long as it isn’t loaded with fat, what’s wrong with cottage cheese? [/QUOTE] I heard a blurb in passing a short while ago (how’s that for a definitive cite? :D) that full fat dairy actually helps women lose weight. That’s not the first time I’ve heard that dairy fat is not the same as, say, McDonald’s fat. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/43 "2007-11-24T20:36:04Z")
[QUOTE=Bill Door] I’m going to go with orange juice. While an eight ounce glass does have 160% of the RDA for vitamin C and 28% of the RDA for folate it also has the equivalant of 6.5 teaspoonsful of sugar. Try broccoli instead. You get the same amount of vitamin C and folate for the equivalant of 1.5 teaspoonsful of sugar, and the glycemic index of broccoli is zero point nothing compared to 50 or so for orange juice. [/QUOTE] True, but I refuse to drink a broccoli screwdriver… ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/44 "2007-11-24T21:02:36Z")
[QUOTE=Hazle Weatherfield] True, but I refuse to drink a broccoli screwdriver… [/QUOTE] On a total sidenote, my favorite thing I ever saw on a drink menu was a cordless screwdriver. Vodka with an orange garnish. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/45 "2007-11-24T21:16:45Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] I heard a blurb in passing a short while ago (how’s that for a definitive cite? :D) that full fat dairy actually helps women lose weight. That’s not the first time I’ve heard that dairy fat is not the same as, say, McDonald’s fat. [/QUOTE] The theory behind this idea was a study that showed that women who, as part of their overall diet and exercise plan, included an 8oz class of low fat (either 1 or 2%, can’t remember and can’t find the study now), on average lost more inches off their waist than women of similar body type on the same diet and exercise plan who didn’t specifically include a glass of milk. Key points: They were already dieting and exercising It was one glass of milk. This didn’t stop a chick I know from downing a gallon of chocolate milk every night, with no other changes to her lifestyle, all the while crowing about how she was sure to drop the pounds like hot potatoes. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/46 "2007-11-25T00:21:58Z")
[QUOTE=Nava] Iceberg lettuce is made up of two things: water and fiber. So, colon cancer anybody? [/QUOTE] From [Fantastic Fiber](http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041500.asp): “Choose your lettuce wisely. Iceberg lettuce is useless as a source of fiber and any other nutrients. Spinach and romaine lettuce are healthier choices.” ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/47 "2007-11-25T01:32:44Z")
I came here to mention the fruit juices, They aren’t a whole lot different from Kool-Aid with a multi-vitamin to the side. Also, I don’t know what they hell they put in Tropicana grape juice, but that stuff is nasty. It tastes like Grape drink. I know the obvious Dave Chapelle reference, but it still tastes artificial. I prefer Welches much more as it tastes slightly bitter and not too sweet. I can’t believe that people ever thought Mayo was healthy! Do they know how it’s made? It’s essentially Oil with an egg and some vinegar! It’s just fat! So what about margarine? That’s supposedly not too good for you is it? I thought it had trans-fats in it. I would also go to say a lot of “diet” food is really a bunch of garbage. My number one, which I just realized, was Yoghurt. One tiny yoghurt pack (about 5 to 6 spoonfuls to me) has about 120 calories in it! That’s like a beer or a can of coke! I know Yoghurt has other good stuff in it (calcium, etc…) but there’s a ton of sugar in the stuff to overcome the sour taste. I would bet that pudding probably has similar stats too. Why not go for the pudding? I would also state that most coffeeshop stuff is essentially junk food. Muffins? They are just cake. Biscotti? That’s just a big cookie cut into pieces. I generally hate all of that food that you get in coffee shops. I prefer doughnuts. I think there’s a lot to be said of eating a little bit of really bad food versus eating a lot of not as bad food. If a bagel is 4 pieces of bread, why not just go for the doughnut? ---
**Author:** ![Someone\_Else\_s\_Problem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Someone\_Else\_s\_Problem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Someone_Else_s_Problem)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/48 "2007-11-25T02:58:44Z")
I read somewhere that ultrasound homgenized milk is really bad for you because the fat globules are so small that they can pass through your intestinal wall straight into your bloodstream, as opposed to having to be metabolized normally. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/49 "2007-11-25T03:01:10Z")
[QUOTE=tonedef] A friend of mine used to work at pizza hut when he was younger i remember him telling me countless times people would have a big order and then get a vegetarian pizza and they would always comment on how the vegetarian was health ands why they were getting it. They wouldn’t realized just because there is no meet on it its still just as bad as everything else on the menu. [/QUOTE] That’s similar to what I used to hear about pizza in general, that it was the healthiest of the junk foods because it contained something from each food group. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/50 "2007-11-25T03:17:22Z")
Most commercial flavored yogurt. It’s got a ton of sugar in it despite being depicted in ads as dietetic. ETA: I see \*\*Merkwurdigliebe \*\*said it already, but my seach for “yogurt” on the page failed to pick up “yoghurt.” ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/51 "2007-11-25T07:10:08Z")
Not sure it’s the worst, but the one which amuses me the most are things like white meat chicken nuggests and white meat chicken pot pies. (That white meat was used is always particularly emphasized.) First of all, the difference in fat between light and dark chicken is quite small, the latter having less than any of the lean meats (e.g., pork loin). But, more to the point, if you take very-low-fat light chicken, coat it in bread crumbs and FRY IT, the difference in fat as between light and dark becomes trivial. Ditto if you cook it in sauce, then surround that with a pastry shell. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/52 "2007-11-25T18:51:09Z")
[QUOTE=PBear42] Not sure it’s the worst, but the one which amuses me the most are things like white meat chicken nuggests and white meat chicken pot pies. (That white meat was used is always particularly emphasized.) First of all, the difference in fat between light and dark chicken is quite small, the latter having less than any of the lean meats (e.g., pork loin). But, more to the point, if you take very-low-fat light chicken, coat it in bread crumbs and FRY IT, the difference in fat as between light and dark becomes trivial. Ditto if you cook it in sauce, then surround that with a pastry shell. [/QUOTE] Umm, dude? I think they do that as many people prefer the taste and texture of white meat. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/53 "2007-11-26T07:28:30Z")
Oh please! Especially with the nuggets, we’re talking about the chopped-and-formed stuff. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2007, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/54 "2007-11-26T08:51:56Z")
[QUOTE=PBear42] Oh please! Especially with the nuggets, we’re talking about the chopped-and-formed stuff. [/QUOTE] But the “all white meat” contains, or tries to convey the impression that it contains, less fatty globules and gristle bits than unspecified and cheaper nuggets. (Which is why I miss the old Chicken McNuggets terribly - I don’t like the overly dry Chicken Tenders that obviously came off of real chickens, I want fat in my deep fried fat!) In addition to the juice, I’d add Goldfish crackers. They’re the ubiquitous “healthful”\*\* toddler snack, and they’re just utter crap\*. Again, better than M&Ms, but isn’t that sort of like saying, “better parental judgment than Brittney Spears”? There’s a large spectrum of healthful that’s better than M&M’s. \*They did just come out with a (made with) Whole Grains version, at least. \*\*Really? This is the SDMB and we’re on page two and not a single pedant has come in to point out that a food isn’t healthy unless it’s doing pushups? Food is healthful, and eating food in moderation can help keep you healthy. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/55 "2010-09-13T17:35:28Z")
> [@Washoe](#): > > All of the answers offered so far really skirt the question. They give examples of foods which are considered to be outside the realm of junk food, but are really not much more nutritious than foods which _are_ considered to be junk food. What we really should be looking at is a food which is universally considered to be a healthy, nutritious, wholesome foodstuff when in reality it is very much the opposite. Something which has an effect on the body which is diametrically opposite of what it is generally believed to have. This distinction should clearly be awarded to cow’s milk. Milk—it doesn’t do a body good. Touted since the industrial revolution as being one of the most nutritious foods that nature has to offer, it is in reality probably the most noxious foodstuff a person could possibly put in their body. There is a mounting body of epidemiological evidence which strongly suggests that the best way to give yourself cancer and heart disease is to consume dairy products. It now appears that the composition of the body’s amino acid pool has a massive and profound impact on the mechanisms of genetic expression, particularly the neoplastic process. Whether this is due to the amount of amino acids present in the cellular environment, or the ratios of the individual amino acids in respect to each other, or a combination of both factors, remains to be seen. Casein, the primary protein present in cow’s milk, might very well be the most carcinogenic compound present in common human foodstuffs. It as already been demonstrated that experimental carcinomas in rats can be turned off and on at will by modifying the protein composition of the animals’ feed, and the addition of casein to their feed will make metastasis take off like a mobile home fire. I could go on all night on this subject, but for a thorough overview of the available evidence, start by reading [The China Study](http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1610279-3495044?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183346388&sr=8-1) by T. Colin Campbell. This is not quack science being promoted by some Oprah-circuit fruitcake. Campbell’s credentials are impeccable: > > > [@](#): > > > > T. Colin Campbell, PhD, is the project director of the China-Oxford-Cornell Diet and Health Project (the China Study), a 20-year study of nutrition and health. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University. In more than 40 years of research he has received more than 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and authored more than 300 research papers. > > his book explains in elaborate detail why the consumption of dairy products is the biggest dietary affront to public health in First World nations. Colon Campbell appears to have carefully cherry-picked data in order to support his preconceived notions of what a healthy diet is supposed to consist of (veganism). A thorough analysis (and refutation) of The China Study is presented here: > **[The China Study: Fact or Fallacy?](https://deniseminger.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/)** > > Disclaimer: This blog post covers only a fraction of what’s sketchy with “The China Study.” In the years since I wrote it, I’ve added a number of additional articles expandi… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/56 "2010-09-13T17:50:10Z")
How does he feel about zombie food? Zombie OJ is still not healthy. Nor are zombie granola candy bars. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/57 "2010-09-13T17:59:58Z")
But I don’t think even Dr. Atkins would describe eating zombies as “healthy.” ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/58 "2010-09-13T18:04:11Z")
Eating LIKE zombies would be even worse … do you REALIZE the cholesterol content of brains … [http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2006/07/pork-brains-milk-gravy.jpg](http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2006/07/pork-brains-milk-gravy.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/59 "2010-09-13T18:04:24Z")
Once upon a time, it was pretty much assumed that margarine was healthier than butter. Now, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382/60 "2010-09-13T18:05:11Z")
The unhealthiest food that has traditionally been considered healthy is a fruit: **Peaches** The others: Apples Nectarines Strawberries Cherries These fruits/berries/whatever are pesticide laden and many types are found in/on them. Pesticides have been linked to: Cancer Childhood leukemia Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma Birth defects Brain tumors Irritation to skin and eyes Hormone or endocrine system problems Nervous system damage Fertility problems [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=8&sqi=2&ved=0CDcQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2010%2FHEALTH%2F06%2F01%2Fdirty.dozen.produce.pesticide%2Findex.html&ei=jGaOTLCeK8mgnQfCyZGxCg&usg=AFQjCNGGiQy4Vngn-Sc2aSbrMQsQXRBf2Q](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=8&sqi=2&ved=0CDcQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2010%2FHEALTH%2F06%2F01%2Fdirty.dozen.produce.pesticide%2Findex.html&ei=jGaOTLCeK8mgnQfCyZGxCg&usg=AFQjCNGGiQy4Vngn-Sc2aSbrMQsQXRBf2Q) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-unhealthy-food-that-is-commonly-considered-healthy/427382.md?page=4)