Myths & Facts: Food and Nutrition

Food. We love it, we eat it, we need it to provide the energy and nutrition that our bodies need.

But, there are a good number of myths that some people follow that regards to eating and what is good or bad nutrition.

This is what this page will try to cover.

## Myth #1~Fruits and Vegetables are equally good for you

Fruits and Vegetables. We are told that these pieces of food are important to the human diet, after all, they provide the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need to stay healthy.

### Fact

What we were also told, however, that both fruits and vegetables have the same amount of those *"essential vitamins and minerals"* our bodies need. But in a recent study finds that vegetables provide a better nutritional value than fruit. As we all know, vegetables have some of the same kind of vitamins we may find in fruit, but vegetables also absorb a lot of the minerals from the ground such as iron (which is good for human blood and cells) something Fruit doesn't provide because most are grown on either a bush or a tree.

Now that we are talking about vegetables, let's talk about some other myths about your favorite green (or red or yellow) colored foods.

## Myth #2~Carrots improve human vision at night

Carrots have been proven to provide plenty of vitamin A which is essential to some good eye health.

### Fact

While it may be true that Carrots can help with your eyes, but it can only do "so much".

This particular myth was created during World War 2 where British Pilots had to eat a pretty hefty diet of carrots to help them with going up against Nazi Night Fighters, and a lot of the kills by British Pilots had the credit go to eating Carrots.

Modern nutritionists are now saying that this was a propaganda message to not just get pilots but also children to eat Carrots, but there is no connection between Carrots and improving human vision at night.

## Myth #3~Vegatarians have healthier diets

It seems that people today are now resorting to a diet consisting of mostly (if not totally) of vegetables, and some believe that eating vegetables (because of their nutritional content mentioned earlier) it would lead them having a healthier life.

### Fact

There is something you need to realize that when it comes to any kind of diet, it's a product of "design compromise" if you will. No matter if you have a diet of mostly protein or vegetables, it's impossible to try to perfectly balance out the 2 essentials for your body.

Though, what is true about eating a vegetarian diet is that you're less likely to suffer heart and other metabolic diseases. But, being a vegetarian isn't all that much healthier. Another thing to realize is that humans gain weight is because of their intake of calories, and not necessarily fat or sugar and some vegetarians have their vegetarian diets which are considered "counterproductive." Plus, vegetarians are also missing out on some essential proteins which can be only found in meat products. Though, some non-meat products can make some proteins such as beans with rice and even potatoes and soy.

## Myth #4~Grains are unhealthy

Food with grains such as *Bread, Pasta, Cereal, and Rice* can be unhealthy if you eat them a lot.

### Fact

Now, it is true that eating a lot of foods with grains are unhealthy, but what is not true is that it doesn't pertain to all grains. Whole Grains are considered (at least to the US Department of Health) to be the healthiest grains to eat. What grains are good at doing is making you feel full so that you're not eating as much.

## Myth #5~Gluten Free diets are healthy

Today, one of the "fad diets" to try is one that has no gluten.

### Fact

This is true........only if you suffer from Celiac Disease, or in some other way Gluten intolerant. But if you don't have any of these problems, then you're stripping your body of some essential things such as some vitamins and minerals as well as fiber that can be found in Gluten foods.

## Myth #6~Diary Products are very unhealthy

It is said that a lot of dairy products such as *Milk, Eggs, Cheese*, and other forms of dairy are unhealthy as they have a lot of fat, cholesterol, and sugar.

### Fact

Well, dairy products do have fat, cholesterol, and sugar. But not enough to be that bad. Milk, for one thing, has calcium (which strengthens human bones, no duh) and vitamin D. Eggs have protein. Cheese..........well I'm not sure what is the nutritional value of Cheese.

So, unless you're lactose intolerant, it's okay to have some dairy in your diet.

Hey, how about dessert?

## Myth #7~Sugar makes children hyper

We all see it, and we all believe it. Sugar is supposedly the food is that makes children get more excited and be more active. Of course, this concerns parents and have them on strict sugar-free diets.

### Fact

Now, it may sound crazy, but a lot of nutritionists have found no connection to sugar and children being hyperactive. Though, this wouldn't stop a concerned mother or father (or both) from keeping their kids from touching the sweet, white, crystally stuff. But it may be because to maintain their weight and overall health and not because to maintain "hyperactivity". And there's no confirmation that children on sugar-free diets behave differently than those who are allowed to indulge their sweet tooth. So whether or not you want your kids to have sugar or not, is up to you.

Well, that is going to do it for this page. Don't forget to check out my Games wiki if you like video games, and my Movies wiki if you like movies. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.