6 Eating Myths That People Shouldn’t Like on Facebook
shivani k 
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Have you come across these interesting reads on Facebook that tell you about what to eat and what to not? Have you been following them? “Drinking tea is bad for you,” read an article on Facebook, and I immediately clicked to know what it was about (I’m a tea lover; you know the chai se din shuru hoti hai types). As much as it convinced me that I need to stop drinking my beloved drink, my tea, I went ahead and did some research and found out that tea is in fact very beneficial for our health. Researches have claimed that drinking tea can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in humans by a good 25 percent. It also helps to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in women (1).
So, what’s the moral of the story here? Don’t believe everything that you read on the internet. Most of the information out there in the cyberspace is just false claims and not scientific facts. Since I had already found an article that held this banner of false claims really high, I wanted to see what other myths are doing the rounds on the internet. I found some interesting facts that are online and are completely wrong. Let me give you a heads up about them. Read on.
Myth 1: All Diets Are Bad For Health
The Statement Read: A diet is nothing but a systematized schedule for eating which is not correct for your body.
The Actual Fact: From what I researched, I figured that not all diets are harmful to us. The Mediterranean diet, for example, is a very effective diet (2). This diet can be followed by both vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians as it includes vegetables, fruits, beans, seafood and of course, the olive oil (that’s what makes it Mediterranean here). The benefits are pretty serious alright, it reduces the risk of breast cancer by 15 percent, prostate cancer by 10 percent, and even the much serious colon cancer by a whopping 25 percent.
Diets are healthy. Just make sure you consult your dietician to know which diet suits your body type the best.
Myth 2: You Get Stronger Bones And Teeth By Drinking Milk
The Statement Read: The calcium present in milk strengthens our teeth and bones. It also prevents breaking of bones.
The Actual Fact: For two decades now, scientists have been observing a study of 1.2 million people and reached a conclusion that says that drinking milk every day doesn’t really influence your bone density and neither does it lower the risk of bone fractures or osteoporosis (3). I realized from my research that one needs to include 800-1000 mg of Vitamin D to one’s diet in order to prevent osteoporosis. Vitamin D dosages are much effective on our bones than milk.
Myth 3: Drinking Coffee Is Dangerous
The Statement Read: Drinking too much of coffee leads to dehydration of the body.
The Actual Fact: Caffeine has a neuroprotective function — decreases the anxiety levels and boosts memory power. And no, it doesn’t dehydrate you. Even after having 4 cups of coffee in a day, our body’s fluid balance is well maintained (4). Three cups of this brewed drink can lower the chances of dementia by 25 percent and 5 cups of it can save one from Alzheimer’s (5), (6). So, never ditch your favorite filter coffee or that shot of espresso over a random read on Facebook.
Myth 4: Spicy Foods Trouble The Stomach
The Statement Read: Spicy foods harm our stomachs, therefore, avoid eating them.
The Actual Fact: Eating spices in right proportions is very beneficial to health. It increases the digestion of fats which also protects our body from becoming obese. A fun fact about hot red chili peppers is that it decreases the mortality rate by 13 percent (7). Now, you’ll never hesitate to ask the panipuri wala to make the masala filling extra theeka (spicy).
Myth 5: Popcorn Is Junk Food
The Statement Read: Popcorn is like French fries (only calories galore).
The Actual Statement: Factually, popcorn is a whole wheat product. It’s rich in an antioxidant called polyphenol which protects the body from diabetes and prevents any hike in the cholesterol levels of our body (8). Now, who is buying me a tub of popcorn for sharing this fact?
Myth 6: Eating In Small Portions Is Good For The Body
The Statement Read: Eating often increases the metabolic rate of our bodies, decreases our appetite and therefore, it aids weight loss.
The Actual Statement: Studies did not show any difference in the fat composition in bodies of those who ate in small portions and at regular intervals every day (9). In fact, their appetite was higher when compared to the normal people who eat three meals a day. Therefore, eating little more than thrice a day can have a negative impact on our weight.
That was my homework on some articles I found on the web. Have you blindly followed any articles on the cyberspace only to find out that they were so wrong? Leave your answers in the comments below.
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