Popular diet and slimming fads are harmful not only because they are nonsense and misleading but because they lead people down into harmful practices. However, because they are so commonly touted even by celebrities, most people think mainstream nutrition is legit.

Here are more diet myths that we should stop believing.

A low-salt diet reduces the risk of a heart attack

Unless you have a condition called salt-sensitive high blood pressure (which means you get hypertension if you have a high salt intake), this myth is not true. However, it has been persistent for many years even in hospitals that despite not having any supporting evidence, people will willingly eat bland food. Hypertension is more complicated than just having a lot of salt in your body, but of course it’s easy to just believe there’s on culprit.

A high-carb and low-fat diet is good for you

Recent studies show this to be false and is not the healthiest way to slim down fast. In fact, researchers even argue that it will increase the risk of getting cardiovascular disease and will have no effect on the body whatsoever.

Eat smaller meals instead of three huge meals

Some people believe they can get through the day by eating like birds. But it is more difficult to monitor your portion sizes this way. Two to three healthy meals a day should be enough to give you the energy you need.

You should completely avoid saturated fat

There are conflicting evidences that show saturated fat can increase the risk of heart diseases and strokes, but a moderate amount of saturated fat is not harmful for you. Instead of completely cutting off fat from your diet, you should be more mindful of portion sizes instead. Some people are even scared of consuming full fat milk and opt instead for low-fat milk because of the belief that saturated fat can kill you.

More protein in your diet can cause diseases

Some people have stopped eating meat just for this reason. They believe that too much protein can cause kidney diseases but cutting off protein completely is a bad idea. Your body needs it, especially if you are also working out regularly.

All red meat is bad for your health

Wellness articles that tell people to stop eating red meat should learn to distinguish between unprocessed and processed meat. Again, the key to staying healthy is to eat everything in moderation.