Debunking Stupid Nutrition Advice from “Influencers” and Hobbyist Wellness Gurus

I recently saw a social media post that annoyed me so much I had to write an article to call out the misinformation. Apparently, this person believes that Canola Oil, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, and Niacin are “crap” with which our store-bought bread is “enriched” and suggested that none of us purchase bread with those ingredients. Meanwhile, her entire IG account is littered with pictures of donuts and booze. Make it make sense!

I’m not sure why this person thinks she has any clout to offer nutritional advice. She brands herself as a digital creator. I didn’t see the letters “RD” or “MD” after her name. Hell I didn’t even see “CPT” after her name which is just a certificate, but at least I’d know she had to read a book and take a test to get those letters. When I saw her IG story, all of my instincts immediately red-flagged her. So, I’d like to address these unsubstantiated claims with S.C.I.E.N.C.E., if that’s OK. OK? Good.

I will start by saying I am NOT a nutritionist, but I do actually have a B.S. degree in Community Health Education and certificate (CHES) based on that degree, which means I am properly educated to properly educate the population about health information. My entire career has been in healthcare. My degree means that if I weren’t doing this, I’d sit with you in your physician’s office, helping to manage your diabetes or heart disease - diet, exercise, medication, lifestyle modification and education. I’d help you follow your doctor’s advice and prescriptions. As a certified personal trainer, I am not qualified to offer specific dietary guidelines to any individual (no meal plans or treatment recommendations), but I can offer guidance and research that is scientifically the best information we have available in order for you to make your own informed decisions.

Any information I put out there is pulled from reputable sources. When I find them, I’ll pull and talk about a meta-analysis. What the hell is a meta-analysis? Find out here.

This post is not meant to tear down an individual and therefore I will not name the account. At the same time, she has no place offering nutritional advice. She should have stopped at praising the local bakery for its’ great products.

As stated earlier, she then went on to mention that this bread bakery doesn’t “enrich” the bread with “crap” the way in which mass produced bread manufacturers do. This person has determined that these added ingredients “make you feel like crap”. Those “crap” things she mentioned were Canola Oil, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, and Niacin. There is a lot to unpack here.

First, nutritionally, there is no such thing as something that is UNIVERSALLY BAD for every individual, with the exception of excessive added sugar intake, saturated fats, and the overconsumption of highly processed, high calorie, low nutrient-dense foods (candy, cookies, etc). We can all agree that those things are not appropriate for optimal health.

Every body is different.

Unless you are seeing a Registered Dietician, a Primary Care Physician who specializes in Nutrition, an Immunologist, an Endocrinologist or Obesity Specialist (AKA an MD or DO) and have undergone a medically supervised elimination diet, allergy, and blood tests, it is highly unlikely you can say with certainty what is causing any issues you may have with specific foods and nutrients. Of course, you can experiment on your own with eating or not eating certain things and making observations about how you feel, but these are just observations. Not wrong - but not confirmed by clinical testing.

Second, what is Enriched versus Fortified? She uses the word “enriched” and states that many breads are “enriched with crap that make you feel like crap”. First, I think she might mean to use the word “fortified”. Second, I might argue the opposite, that historically and scientifically, the enrichment and/or fortification of food has prevented and continues to prevent certain diseases and micronutrient deficiencies that were once prevalent in the United States (can still occur in those living in poverty -which is frankly a lot of people in this country), and are still prevalent in developing countries today. So I just want to clarify this and what it means for our food to be enriched or fortified, specifically bread in this instance.

Third, why do we even bother enriching or fortifying certain foods, like flour or commercially-made bread? What is the point? I’ll address this is another post.

(Also, If you’re interested to know how and why food fortification practices began, I would also read this history of food fortification programs in the United States. It’s short, and a good place to start in understanding how and why we have done these things since the 1930s, and what exactly the relevance is today. Not a debate whether good or bad at this point, although there are certainly more than a few ways to view this practice.) Okay, let’s move on.

Finally, let’s talk about these “crap” enrichments that this person mentioned: canola oil, riboflavin, folic acid, and niacin. What are they? Where are they found? What purpose do they have in the body? Can you actually react poorly to them via consumption of every day, enriched or fortified foods?

Let’s start with Canola Oil. I’m not sure why she lumped canola oil in with riboflavin, folic acid, and niacin. Canola oil is just an ingredient, whereas riboflavin, folic acid and niacin are all B-vitamins necessary for survival. Shrug. Whatever. Let’s talk about it anyway.

I’m going to make this super short: Concerns about canola oil are unfounded. “Canola oil is also low in saturated fat and has a high proportion of monounsaturated fat, which makes it a healthy and safe choice when it comes to cooking oils” (Mayo Clinic). Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered the “good” fats, and can in fact help to lower cholesterol. And, canola oil is lower in saturated fat (bad fat) than olive oil. In baking, it’s simply used for moisture/tenderizing. No problem there. If the concern is around the production and process of extracting canola oil, I think the conversation around that is valid. However, at this time, it is considered safe and relatively healthy (Harvard).

Sounds tasty. I think I’ll go dump a bunch into my dinner. And by dinner I mean cake. JOKING. Ok, moving along…

For simplicity, I’m going to go ahead and lump Riboflavin (B2), Folic Acid also known as Folate (B9), and Niacin (B3) together. These are all water-soluble B-vitamins, and it’s a real challenge to get too many. Any extra in the body are mostly disposed of via urine. Our bodies don’t store much of these. We need to replenish B-vitamins by eating foods rich in B-vitamins! B-vitamins are necessary to maintain basic metabolic function, and contribute to our ability to feel energized.

The most common way that we get these B-vitamins in the United States is through fortified dairy products and fortified breads, meaning the B-vitamins were ADDED INTO THE PRODUCT. Naturally, B-vitamins also occur in dark leafy greens, beans, whole grains (yes, bread - it’s in literally all of your whole grain bread already, just in smaller amounts because all grain has to be processed, even minimally, and loses some nutritional value), organ meats, eggs, seafood, peanuts and a handful of other foods. Sometimes, naturally occurring B-vitamins are harder for the body to absorb and so can be broken down and added into our food so that they are more readily available for the body.

“All B vitamins help the body to convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is used to produce energy. These B vitamins, often referred to as B-complex vitamins, also help the body metabolize fats and protein. B complex vitamins are necessary for a healthy liver, skin, hair, and eyes. They also help the nervous system function properly” (Mount Sinai).

Riboflavin (B2) - “In addition to producing energy for the body, riboflavin works as an antioxidant, fighting damaging particles in the body known as free radicals. Free radicals can damage cells and DNA, and may contribute to the aging process, as well as the development of a number of health conditions, such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants, such as riboflavin, can fight free radicals and may reduce or help prevent some of the damage they cause.

Riboflavin is needed to help the body change vitamin B6 and folate into forms it can use. It is also important for growth and red blood cell production” (Mount Sinai).

Folic Acid (B9) - Folic Acid is actually the more easy-to-absord form of folate. “Folate helps to form DNA and RNA and is involved in protein metabolism. It plays a key role in breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid that can exert harmful effects in the body if it is present in high amounts. Folate is also needed to produce healthy red blood cells and is critical during periods of rapid growth, such as during pregnancy and fetal development” (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health).

Niacin (B3) - “Niacin is a B vitamin that's made and used by your body to turn food into energy. It helps keep your nervous system, digestive system and skin healthy. Niacin (vitamin B-3) is often part of a daily multivitamin, but most people get enough niacin from the food they eat” (Mayo Clinic). Naturally occurring Niacin is sometimes harder for the body to absorb. Niacin that is added to our foods (via fortification) is added in its’ free form and is therefore highly bioavailable (better absorption) (NIH).

The last concern I’d like to address is not only is this individual communicating nutritionally vague and misguided information, her comments also play into health equity and her obvious disconnect from the masses. It’s a tone-deaf insistence that local, organic, likely more expensive products are the best way to go when most people in this country are not able to purchase those products. Suggesting that we avoid buying “lesser” brands without any real context and misleading information doesn’t help anyone, especially those with food insecurity and especially those with lower than average health literacy.

Fresh vegetables, meats, eggs, and seafood, all recommended as part of a healthy diet, are expensive. What if you can’t afford to buy your family enough of these foods to get all the necessary nutrients, but you can afford to buy your kids fortified cereals and peanut butter? Food for thought.

The bottom line here is: ignore that kind of bullshit, but also read your food labels. Use common sense. Understand when too much is too much. In this instance, if you’re eating enriched or fortified bread products with any of the B vitamins, it is highly unlikely you’ll experience any adverse effects from those particular micronutrients. I can’t figure out why/how fortified b-vitamins “make you feel like crap”. And canola oil is just fine and actually considered a relatively healthy fat in baking and cooking.

And just for laughs, check out the Dunning-Kruger Effect which might explain, in part, the prevalence of health and wellness influencers.

In health,

CP