Both statements are true. So why can they give us the wrong idea?
For heart health, plant-based and fat-free can sound like pretty good things.
Yet too much added sugar can work against that very goal. It can raise triglycerides—a type of fat in your blood. High triglyceride levels are associated with greater risk of heart disease and stroke.
So ironically, something can be fat-free while too much of it can contribute to higher levels of fat in your blood.
Nobody changed the sugar to make either claim true. The food stayed exactly the same; only the way we described it changed.
A true claim can lead us toward exactly the wrong choice.
You just met a health halo.
What Is a Health Halo?
A health halo happens when one favorable characteristic makes us see the whole food as healthier.
The claim may be completely true.
Our conclusion may not be.
Plant-based. Fat-free. Cholesterol-free. Organic.
One good-sounding fact can make the whole food glow.
And that’s especially easy when there’s a legitimate reason the claim sounds healthy in the first place.
Why Does “Plant-Based” Sound Heart-Healthy?
Fiber and unsaturated fats are two reasons.
Soluble fiber in foods such as oats, barley, beans and lentils can help lower LDL cholesterol.
Nuts, seeds, avocados and many plant oils provide unsaturated fats. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can help lower LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.
Sugar comes from plants, too.
But it doesn’t come with the fiber in beans or oats or the unsaturated fats in nuts and seeds.
“Plant-based” describes something about a food. It doesn’t guarantee the benefits of a plant-rich diet.
Why Does “Fat-Free” Sound Heart-Healthy?
Too much saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol. But heart-health advice isn’t simply:
Fat = bad.
The type of fat—and what replaces it—matters.
Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats can be beneficial. Replacing it with refined carbohydrates or added sugars doesn’t provide the same cardiovascular benefit.
Of course, there are other reasons someone may want or need to know how much fat a food contains.
We’re using heart health here to make one point:
If that’s why “fat-free” caught your attention, zero fat alone doesn’t answer the question you actually care about.
Yes, Researchers Can Measure This
This isn’t just a clever marketing theory. Researchers have tested the effect.
In one experiment, claims such as “high fiber,” “whole grain,” “low fat” and “cholesterol free” made people view foods more favorably—including as healthier.
That’s not because we’re foolish. We’re inclined to use mental shortcuts, especially when we’re making quick decisions.
Knowing we have that tendency makes the halo easier to spot.
Don’t Let One Word Make the Decision
You don’t need to analyze every package or turn grocery shopping into homework.
The lazy version: don’t choose a food just because one good-sounding term caught your attention.
Plant-based.
Fat-free.
Organic.
Whatever the halo happens to be.
Want to go one step further?
Ask what you hoped that term would give you, then check whether the food actually provides it.
If plant-based caught your attention because you’re thinking about heart health, look for something tangible. Does the food actually provide something you’re looking for, such as fiber or beneficial unsaturated fats?
If fat-free caught your attention for the same reason, remember that zero fat doesn’t automatically mean better.
You don’t have to investigate every package.
Just don’t let the halo do all the thinking.
Resources & Further Reading
- Nutrient-content claims and the health halo effect — Research examining how claims such as “high fiber,” “whole grain,” “low fat” and “cholesterol free” can influence broader perceptions of foods. PMID 33789168. PubMed record
- American Heart Association: Saturated Fat — background on saturated and unsaturated fats, LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.
- American Heart Association: Carbohydrates — background on added sugars and cardiovascular health.
Sugar Is Plant-Based. Sugar Is Fat-Free.
Both statements are true. So why can they give us the wrong idea?
For heart health, plant-based and fat-free can sound like pretty good things.
Yet too much added sugar can work against that very goal. It can raise triglycerides—a type of fat in your blood. High triglyceride levels are associated with greater risk of heart disease and stroke.
So ironically, something can be fat-free while too much of it can contribute to higher levels of fat in your blood.
Nobody changed the sugar to make either claim true. The food stayed exactly the same; only the way we described it changed.
A true claim can lead us toward exactly the wrong choice.
You just met a health halo.
What Is a Health Halo?
A health halo happens when one favorable characteristic makes us see the whole food as healthier.
The claim may be completely true.
Our conclusion may not be.
Plant-based. Fat-free. Cholesterol-free. Organic.
One good-sounding fact can make the whole food glow.
And that’s especially easy when there’s a legitimate reason the claim sounds healthy in the first place.
Why Does “Plant-Based” Sound Heart-Healthy?
Fiber and unsaturated fats are two reasons.
Soluble fiber in foods such as oats, barley, beans and lentils can help lower LDL cholesterol.
Nuts, seeds, avocados and many plant oils provide unsaturated fats. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats can help lower LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.
Sugar comes from plants, too.
But it doesn’t come with the fiber in beans or oats or the unsaturated fats in nuts and seeds.
“Plant-based” describes something about a food. It doesn’t guarantee the benefits of a plant-rich diet.
Why Does “Fat-Free” Sound Heart-Healthy?
Too much saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol. But heart-health advice isn’t simply:
Fat = bad.
The type of fat—and what replaces it—matters.
Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats can be beneficial. Replacing it with refined carbohydrates or added sugars doesn’t provide the same cardiovascular benefit.
Of course, there are other reasons someone may want or need to know how much fat a food contains.
We’re using heart health here to make one point:
If that’s why “fat-free” caught your attention, zero fat alone doesn’t answer the question you actually care about.
Yes, Researchers Can Measure This
This isn’t just a clever marketing theory. Researchers have tested the effect.
In one experiment, claims such as “high fiber,” “whole grain,” “low fat” and “cholesterol free” made people view foods more favorably—including as healthier.
That’s not because we’re foolish. We’re inclined to use mental shortcuts, especially when we’re making quick decisions.
Knowing we have that tendency makes the halo easier to spot.
Don’t Let One Word Make the Decision
You don’t need to analyze every package or turn grocery shopping into homework.
The lazy version: don’t choose a food just because one good-sounding term caught your attention.
Plant-based.
Fat-free.
Organic.
Whatever the halo happens to be.
Want to go one step further?
Ask what you hoped that term would give you, then check whether the food actually provides it.
If plant-based caught your attention because you’re thinking about heart health, look for something tangible. Does the food actually provide something you’re looking for, such as fiber or beneficial unsaturated fats?
If fat-free caught your attention for the same reason, remember that zero fat doesn’t automatically mean better.
You don’t have to investigate every package.
Just don’t let the halo do all the thinking.
Resources & Further Reading
- Nutrient-content claims and the health halo effect — Research examining how claims such as “high fiber,” “whole grain,” “low fat” and “cholesterol free” can influence broader perceptions of foods. PMID 33789168. PubMed record
- American Heart Association: Saturated Fat — background on saturated and unsaturated fats, LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.
- American Heart Association: Carbohydrates — background on added sugars and cardiovascular health.