There are numerous myths about food and nutrition that have been publicized. So, it is very important to know the actual truth to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Here are top 12 food myths that you should not be believing in.
1. Vitamin C Protect You from Catching Cold
According to the researches, vitamin C generally does not help in protecting you from catching cold, but according to some studies it may help people who involve in extreme physical exercise.
2. Raw Carrots are More Nutritious than cooked ones
In some vegetables antioxidants can be enhance during cooking. It has been found in research that nutritional value of carrot increases by cooking it.
By boiling the carrots their antioxidant increases by 14%, on the other hand the antioxidant value decreases by frying them.
3. Carbonated Drinks are Bad for You
Consuming excess amount of soda can cause several health problems such as high blood pressure, weight gain and cavities, but drinking sodium-free seltzer with lime is a good option which quenches your thirst without hurting your health.
4. Consuming Carrots will Improve your Eyesight
This carrot myth has been spread around since world war 2, when there was a hoax that pilots ate lot of vegetables to keep their eyesight sharp, but in the reality their bionic eyesight was the outcome of improved technology.
Since then, carrot myth remains unfounded, so eating carrot will not help improve your eyesight better.
5. Skipping Breakfast is Bad for Your Health
Breakfast is important for regulating the body circadian rhythm and providing nutrients and energy after 9-10 hours of fasting, but it has been believed that skipping breakfast is not good for your health is a myth.
Skipping breakfast is not recommended, but you can skip breakfast and move right into lunch, if you are not hungry in the morning.
6. A Diabetic can’t Eat Sweets
Avoiding direct sugar in the diet is recommended for diabetic people, but they can have sweet treat occasionally in a small portion.
They can take sugar substitute like artificial sweeteners, many fruits that diabetic can consume, but they should avoid fruit juices and sweet fruit like banana, grapes, mango and custard apple.
7. Frozen Food has Fewer Nutrients than Fresh
People generally think that fresh fruits and vegetables are more nutritious than frozen one because frozen one takes a lot of time to reach from the farm to the consumer, so in that process they lose nutrients.
But in reality, the fresh vegetables are quickly frozen which help in preserving most of their nutrients.
8. Fatty Foods Will Make You Fat
This is a popular diet myth. But it is true that consuming high amount of macronutrient, including fat, leads to promote gain weight, but on the other hand, consuming fat rich foods as a part of healthy diet does not lead gain weight.
9. Nuts Will Make You Gain Weight
Nuts contain a good amount of fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals, but yes, they may be rich in calories and fat.
According to research, it has been concluded that people who eat nuts have fewer risk of gaining weight compared with those who avoid eating nuts. But consuming too much of nuts can lead to gain weight.
10. Organic Produce Is Better Than Conventional
From nutritional point of view, organic produce is not any differ from non-organic produce. But of course, the conventional produce contains higher amount of pesticide residue than organic one.
If you can afford organic, eat organic, but if it’s out of your budget, buy conventional and rinse it well before using to minimize the amount of pesticide residue.
11. Snacking Is Bad for Your Health
This the very common misconception about snack and health. To keep your energy level up, eating snacks between meals is not bad for you.
Eating too much of snacks like chips, cakes, cookies, fries and candies are harmful for your health and can lead to weight gain and other health problems.
But there are many healthy snacks such as fresh fruits, low fat dairy, nuts and seeds, raw vegetables and whole grain crackers, which are low in calories and high in nutrients. So, choose wisely and eat healthy.
12. Carbs Are Not Good for Your Health
This is one of the very popular misconceptions that carbs are unhealthy for you. But this is not true, adding unrefined, high-fibred carbohydrates such as legumes, fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet can lead to a minimal risk of chronic health problems.
But consuming too much of refined carbohydrates and sugar can lead weight gain and other health problems.