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"The Truth Behind the Hype: 5 Food Labels\\nto Ignore\\nMisleading health claims on food packaging can be confusing, redundant or just plain silly. To help you spend your grocery money wisely, we asked experts to puzzle out the promises.\\nAll seeds are naturally [gluten-free](/fooddiet/2011/10/best-gluten-free-options-slideshow), say SELF contributing experts Stephanie Clarke, R.D., and Willow Jarosh, R.D. Gluten is a portion of a protein found in certain grains like wheat. Some marketers may be trying to capitalize on the [popularity of no-gluten diets for weight loss](/fooddiet/2011/10/giving-up-gluten) (which don't necessarily work, BTW).\\n\\n__Bottom Line:__ Don't mistake gluten-free for diet-friendly: The term doesn't mean seeds\u2014or any food\u2014are less fattening.\\nDuh alert! Any plant-based food has zero cholesterol. The only place you'll find [cholesterol](/health/2012/01/make-over-your-unhealthy-habits?currentPage=4) is in animal products, because it comes from the membranes of animal cells. Unless a living creature was involved (as with cheese), the food is cholesterol-free.\\n\\n__Bottom Line:__ Yes, corn oil is cholesterol-free, but so are olive and peanut oils. And walnut and grapeseed oils. Choose based on your intended use (corn oil for cooking, olive for salad dressing).\\nUm, as opposed to what? Sadly, there are dairy-free soy imitations that look like true cheese, including the shredded stuff on some pizzas. Foods with the REAL seal must be made with actual dairy, but they can also have unsavory ingredients such as added preservatives and colors (e.g., taxicab yellow).\\n\\n__Bottom Line:__ You can't count on front-of-the-box labels to avoid processed junk. Look for red flag words like *cheese product*.\\nThis tea heralds wellness perks in big type, but the fine print reveals that the FDA hasn't evaluated the claim and the product doesn't treat illness. Companies can legally get away with making health-related pledges by using weaker words (*support, promote*) versus authoritative ones (*prevent, protect*).\\n\\n__Bottom Line:__ No single food is a cure-all for sickness. If you're [under the weather](/health/2011/11/fix-winter-health-problems-slideshow), visit your doctor\u2014you may need a real Rx.\\nNatural foods are flying off shelves; it's little wonder the label is everywhere, even on foods that clearly came from the ground. The term, however, is toothless, Clarke and Jarosh say. The FDA hasn't defined *natural* and doesn't regulate its use, so companies can\u2014and do\u2014use it willy-nilly to up sales.\\n\\n__Bottom Line:__ Don't let an \\\"I'm natural\\\" pickup line charm you into opening your wallet. Check ingredients to decide on a buy.\\n\\n  \\n__[7 Rules to Super Grocery Savings](/fooddiet/2012/01/grocery-savings-rules-slideshow)__  \\n  \\n__[5 Supermarket Splurges Worth Every Penny](/fooddiet/2012/01/supermarket-splurges-worth-every-penny-slideshow)__"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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