Dr Anoop Misra debunks diet myths, backs balance over restriction
Dr Anoop Misra discussed his book and challenged popular diet advice in an interview with India Today. He said moderation, evidence-based choices and smarter calories matter more than viral food trends.
Leading endocrinologist Dr Anoop Misra believes India’s biggest nutrition problem today is not lack of information, but an overload of misinformation.
Speaking to India Today’s Sneha Mordani on Booked, Dr Misra discussed his latest book Smart Calories and Common Sense, where he attempts to simplify modern diet advice using evidence-based science and practical Indian eating habits.
At a time when social media is flooded with trends ranging from intermittent fasting and keto diets to “fiber maxing” and sugar-free eating, Dr Misra cautioned viewers against blindly following online health advice.
“One of the biggest problems today is that people are consuming information without understanding whether it is evidence-based or not,” he said during the interview.
Explaining the concept of “smart calories”, Dr Misra differentiated between what he called “empty calories” and nutrient-rich foods. While sugary drinks and processed foods offer little nutritional value, foods like fruits contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants alongside calories.
The doctor also debunked several commonly accepted “healthy food” myths. Packaged fruit juices, flavoured yogurts and so-called healthy biscuits, he argued, are often highly processed and loaded with sugar, additives and unhealthy fats.
“Anything heavily processed should be minimized,” he said, while acknowledging that modern lifestyles make complete avoidance difficult. “You cannot make diets so restrictive that people give up entirely.”
Dr Misra advocated a balanced and sustainable approach instead of extreme elimination diets. According to him, allowing occasional indulgences is essential for long-term discipline. “If you follow your diet 90 to 95 percent of the time, the remaining 5 percent can include foods you enjoy,” he explained.
One of the most striking moments of the conversation came when Dr Misra addressed the fear surrounding mangoes for diabetic patients. Citing studies conducted by his team, he said controlled portions of mango, when used to replace refined carbohydrates like bread, did not worsen blood sugar levels and in some cases even improved metabolic markers.
The interview also touched upon artificial sweeteners, intermittent fasting, keto diets and the growing popularity of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic-like medications. While Dr Misra acknowledged the effectiveness of these medicines for weight loss, he warned against using them as shortcuts without exercise or adequate protein intake.
On intermittent fasting, he said there is still insufficient long-term evidence proving superior benefits over regular calorie restriction. Similarly, keto diets may help in short-term weight loss but raise concerns regarding sustainability and cholesterol levels.
Perhaps most importantly, Dr Misra pushed back strongly against the growing demonisation of Indian staples like roti and rice.
“We have eaten roti for centuries. Suddenly blaming it for diabetes is entirely wrong,” he said.
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Instead of eliminating traditional foods, he recommended improving their nutritional profile by combining wheat flour with besan, jowar and bajra to increase protein and fibre content.
The larger message of the interview remained simple: health does not have to be complicated. Moderation, balanced eating, strength training and consistency matter far more than viral diet trends.
As Dr Misra summed it up, “Use common sense. Choose smart calories over empty calories.”