There is so much misinformation on the Internet, and it is truly the reason why everyone over complicates everything related to health, nutrition, and exercise. It’s not isolated to just that, though. I would venture to say that 80% of the info-graphics on varying topics don’t cite sources, and are usually wildly inaccurate. I digress. . .
Case in point, this little gem I found recently. Now, I don’t want to make any implications about where this may have come from, or who may have made it, but first, let’s look at some of the information they claim:
So, obviously, they have an agenda. They’re trying to make the case that you could derive more protein from plant based sources than animal based sources. While I agree that there are plenty of fantastic plant based sources for protein, they don’t compare to animal based sources as a percent of calories– Furthermore, the information presented here is completely false, and you can easily look up the information yourself.
There are databases where you can look up the complete breakdown of virtually all foods– These break downs include macronutrients, micronutrients, amino acid profiles, energy content, calorie percentages, and even more than all of that. The one I use is Nutrition Data.
Now, let’s make some comparisons based on this false chart:
- Claim: Kale is 45% Protein. Truth: Kale is 16% Protein.
- Claim: Broccoli is 45% Protein. Truth: Broccoli is 20% Protein.
- Claim: Chicken is 23% Protein. Truth: Chicken (Breast) is 90% Protein.
- Claim: Eggs are 12% Protein. Truth: Eggs are 35% Protein.
I could go on more, but I think you can see where this is headed. Most people would (hopefully) look at their claims about chicken and eggs and see right through the nonsense, but there are plenty of people out there who won’t make that connection, and could be listening to a shoddy info-graphic for information.
. . . And really, if you have to spread misinformation to advance your agenda, I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re doing it wrong. The truth is much more powerful than lies– It may not be as sexy, and it may take more time to get people to listen to you, but in the end, it’s better than creating a castle built upon a foundation of lies. I believe that, at least.
It’s so easy to share a photo without thinking about the content, but before you blindly share a photo, maybe look for a reliable source, or do some research on it first! Remember: You can’t trust everything you read on the Internet. . .