Food Myths Busted

It used to be, in the good ‘ole days, that myths had to do with old stories, like those about Greek/Roman gods (I always get the two confused…is Athena Greek or Roman?). But if you read the “b” definition of myth…a widely held but false belief or idea, you’ll see it fits for this post, as I did.

There is also the long running television show, Myth Busters, that originally aired on the Discovery Channel but has since switched to the Science Channel, that busts non-Greek/Roman god myths. Whether it takes on food-based myths is not known to me. I believe it is more concerned with science-based myths rather than food-based. Regardless, here are eight widely held but false beliefs or ideas (or myths) that are centered on food…this is, after all, a food/health blog.

• Cranberry juice can heal a urinary tract infection. It cannot. Only antibiotics can achieve that task. However, cranberry juice can help prevent a urinary tract infection (and you don’t need to be riding a skateboard while drinking it. A, perhaps, obscure reference to a viral video of a long boarder drinking cranberry juice and singing a Fleetwood Mac song. Google it). Anyway, it seems that cranberry juice prevents bacteria from sticking to bladder walls. Who knew?
• A “nightcap” (alcoholic beverage) helps you sleep.The thing to remember about alcohol is, it’s a depressant. So yes, a little alcohol before bed might help you fall asleep, but it certainly will not help you stay asleep. When the depressant wears off, guess what? Most people wake up at, let’s say, 1:30 AM and then have trouble getting back to sleep.
• Avoid eggs due to their high cholesterol content.Research has shown that eggs, when eaten in moderation (1-2 per day) do not contribute to higher cholesterol. What eggs do provide is zinc, iron, and the antioxidants lutein, zeaxanthin and choline.
• Diabetics simply need to avoid sugar to control their blood glucose levels.All foods have some effect on our blood glucose levels, not just those chock full of sugar. Keeping track of the total number of carbs consumed is essential for diabetics, especially whole foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains like bread and pasta.
• Frozen and/or canned fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than fresh…unless they’re eaten immediately after picking (which is why a home garden is so valuable). Produce purchased at the local grocery store has traveled days or weeks to get there. During their transport, enzymes within break down and cause significant nutrient loss. If the produce in question is quickly frozen after picking, the enzymes are frozen as well which prevents nutrient loss.
• Eating large amounts of proteins builds muscle mass. While protein is important to muscle health, it does not, alone, make them larger, evenexcessive amounts of protein. The muscles in question need regular bouts of resistance exercise, in addition to the protein, to gain mass.
• Celery has negative calories.In other words, this myth claimed that you burned more calories consuming and digesting the celery than are contained within it. I think I heard this myth when I was around 8 years old, the same time I heard the myth that Pepsi and Pop Rocks killed Mikey from the Life Cereal commercial. Both are simply not true. However, at less than 10 calories per serving, celery makes a wonderful, low-calorie snack, but not if you stuff it with cream cheese or peanut butter.
• You should drink eight glasses of water every day to stay hydrated.As if this applies to all people of all sizes and activity levels. Hydration is a very personalized thing based on size, environment and activity level. An ultradistance runner competing in Florida in August would need to drink far more than eight glasses of water as opposed to a Floridian office worker sitting at a desk in air conditioning. To say that each should consume eight glasses of water to stay hydrated is just ludicrous. Drink when you feel thirsty and you should be just fine.

There you have it, eight food myths busted…knowledge is a good thing.