Improved
6112 HealthChanged
3785 LivesSaved
3568 Lives0 lives impacted in the last 24 hrs Learn More
Top 10 Food Myths and Facts
0 Comments
Separating Fact From Fiction
Seems like everyday you hear some nutritional advice either in the media or from friends. Maybe you are reminded of an old wives’ tale that your mother or grandmother told you. Let’s separate fact from fiction. Photo: Getty Images
Eating Chocolate Causes Acne
The belief that eating chocolate causes acne has been around for many years. It is a myth. No foods have been proven to cause acne. Acne is a common skin disorder that causes pimples. Pimples form when the openings of the sebaceous become blocked causing a buildup of oil underneath. The normal bacteria found on the skin multiply, consequently, leading to inflammation. Photo: Getty Images
Swallowed Chewing Gum Takes Years to Digest
Most of us have heard that if you swallow your chewing gum it will stay in your stomach for as many as seven years. This is false. The stomach is a highly acidic environment. Even if the gum stayed in your stomach for years, it would eventually be dissolved by gastric acid. In truth, chewing gum passes along the intestinal tract and is eliminated from your body in pretty much the same condition as when you swallowed it. Photo: Getty Images
Organic Foods Are Better For You
Much attention is given to the benefits of choosing organic foods over conventionally grown foods. Products labeled 100% organic are completely organic or made from all organic ingredients. Organic farmers use natural not chemical fertilizers, beneficial insects and birds instead of pesticides, rotate crops and hand weed instead of using herbicides. Organic meat and animal products come from animals raised with organic feed, no growth hormones, in a clean and free range environment. There is truth to this fact, especially if you are concerned about pesticides, herbicides and growth hormones in your food. Photo: Getty Images
It’s Okay to Thaw a Turkey on the Kitchen Counter
This notion is false and dangerous. Never thaw poultry at room temperature. Poultry, such as chicken and turkey, usually become contaminated with harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter during processing. Most bacteria multiply in an environment of between 45 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Always thaw poultry in the refrigerator. By thawing poultry on the kitchen counter at room temperature, you are providing bacteria with the optimum condition to thrive. Photo: Getty Images
It’s Only a 24-Hour Flu
Feeling nauseous? Having some stomach cramping and loss of appetite? Experiencing fatigue and diarrhea? Your first thought may be, “I must have a 24 hour stomach flu”. Think again. These symptoms along with a fever, abdominal pain and vomiting are also the symptoms of food poisoning. Illness caused by eating contaminated food, including undercooked poultry, can last from one to 10 days. If the symptoms last for more two days, you have a temperature of higher than 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit and you are vomiting blood or having blood in your stools, consult your physician. Photo: Getty Images
Never Swim After Eating
The old wives’ tale says never swim after eating because you will get stomach cramps and drown. This false advice is based on the thought that during digestion, blood flow increases to the stomach and away from the muscles needed in swimming. This leads to stomach cramps and increases the risk for drowning. Swimming strenuously on a full stomach can potentially cause cramping. However, a recreational swim following a meal will not increase the risk for drowning, unless alcohol is involved. Photo: Getty Images
Coffee Will Stunt Your Growth
This food myth is false. Coffee contains caffeine, which is a nervous system stimulant. Too much caffeine, either from coffee, tea or soda, causes anxiety, irritability and headaches, interferes with normal sleep and is a very addictive drug. It is not recommended that children be given coffee. Likewise, young adults should limit their daily caffeine intake. Photo: Getty Images
People with Diverticular Disease Should Not Eat Nuts, Corn and Popcorn
For years, people with diverticular disease have avoided eating nuts, corn and popcorn because it was believed that these foods led to complications. There is no evidence to support this. Diverticular disease includes diverticulosis, which is the formation of pouches in the colon, and diverticulitis, which occurs if the pouches become inflamed. Historically, physicians thought that nuts, corn and popcorn were abrasive to the mucosa or could lodge in a small diverticulum or pouch, thus leading to inflammation or bleeding. Photo: Getty Images
Chicken Soup Cures the Common Cold
There is truth to your grandmother’s advice that a bowl of chicken soup is a remedy for the common cold. Stephen Rennard, M.D., of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, analyzed his family’s traditional chicken soup recipe that included onions, sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips, carrots and celery. He found that indeed, chicken soup has a mild anti-inflammatory effect which alleviates the symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, such as nasal congestion and runny nose. Photo: Getty Images
An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
This common phrase possibly originated in Wales during the mid-1800’s and in Old English, apple meant any round fruit. Apples contain flavonoids, which protect against osteoporosis and reduce the risk for lung, breast and colon cancer, lower cholesterol levels and help in the management of diabetes. Sources: MedlinePlus.com: Acne ChewingGumFacts.com: Swallowing Gum Division of Environmental Safety - State of Alaska: Food Myths MayoClinic.com: Food Poisoning The New York Times.com-Health: The Claim: Never Swim After Eating KidsHealth.org: Does Coffee Stunt Your Growth JAMA: Nuts, Corn, and Popcorn Consumption and the Incidence of Diverticular Disease UNMC.edu: Chicken Soup Research Health Diaries.com: 10 Health Benefits of Apples Article by Maryann Gromisch Photo: Getty Images
Add a CommentComments
There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!