19 of the Most "Deceptive" Diet Myths
It's true that many vegetables are healthier when raw, as that best preserves their nutrients. However, raw isn't suitable for all vegetables. For instance, potatoes, beans, and eggplant contain toxic substances and must be thoroughly cooked before consumption. Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, but the human body can only absorb sufficient Vitamin A from them when consumed with fat. For your health, you abide by all sorts of dietary maxims. But did you know? Many of those diet maxims you've always believed are actually one-sided lies! Now, it's time to give you a clear truth.
1. Fresh vegetables are healthier than refrigerated ones.
If you're talking about vegetables just picked from the field, this is true. But in reality, the vegetables we eat are rarely that fresh; they have usually been stored for several days, and their vitamins gradually degrade during storage. In contrast, ultra-low-temperature quick-frozen vegetables can retain more vitamins because they are frozen immediately after being picked, which effectively prevents vitamin loss.
2. Mineral water is absolutely safe to drink.
Many people say mineral water is rich in minerals and is more beneficial to the human body.
However, mineral water can also be contaminated by harmful substances from the soil (such as mercury and cadmium). Recently, Dutch scientists analyzed 68 different brands of bottled mineral water from 16 countries. The results showed that mineral water is more susceptible to contamination by dangerous microorganisms and bacteria, containing far more pathogenic microbes than one might imagine. Although these bacteria may not pose a great threat to healthy people, for those with weaker immune systems, the bacteria in bottled mineral water can be quite dangerous.
3. Drinking coffee is harmful to health.
Coffee can lead to the loss of calcium in the body, but this can be compensated for by adding milk. In fact, coffee is beneficial to the human body. It can stimulate brain cells and has a refreshing effect. If you feel groggy and drowsy after waking up in the morning, drink a cup of coffee, and your mind will immediately clear up. As long as you don't overdo it or become addicted, and drink it with milk, coffee will not harm your health.
4. Brown bread is whole wheat bread.
People who pay attention to their diet are often misled by the color of food: brown bread is seen as a healthier and more nutritious food. What they don't realize is that it's just food coloring added by bakers to make brown bread more appealing to buy. Therefore, brown bread is not the same as whole wheat bread. When buying whole wheat bread, it's best to check the label.
5. Buttered bread is healthier than french fries.
Once, everyone knew that french fries in fast food are high in calories, so they turned to what seemed like a healthier option: bread. But to make bread taste better, many people spread butter on it. In fact, compared to french fries, buttered bread has almost no difference in fat content. They also contain almost identical amounts of starch, protein, and minerals. Moreover, french fries are relatively richer in Vitamin C, so buttered bread is not healthier than french fries.
6. A breakfast of muesli is more filling than bread.
Muesli contains diced fruit, walnuts, raisins, and is often served with milk, appearing more substantial. However, in terms of calories, it's about the same as bread with jam. But people who eat muesli usually have lower blood sugar levels, and the higher the sugar content in the muesli, the less filling it is. So, in reality, bread with jam is more filling.
7. Glucose can keep a person in an excellent state.
Although the "flash energy" provided by glucose can make a person feel alert and energetic for a short time, this energy is quickly consumed, and a person might even feel hungrier than before.
8. Fruits without pesticides don't need to be washed.
Even organic fruits should be washed carefully with water before eating. Insect eggs on the fruit peel (like on strawberries and apples) are invisible. If you eat fruit without washing it, you are more likely to get a bacterial infection.
9. Sweeteners help with weight loss.
Many people know that eating sugar can lead to weight gain, so using sweeteners to replace sugar can help us lose weight. However, studies have shown that all sweeteners (especially saccharin) accelerate insulin secretion, which in turn makes you more dependent on sugar.
So, in reality, bread with jam is more filling.
10. Salad is extremely beneficial to health.
This is probably because salads are low in calories, making them popular with many people. Salad is up to 80% water, but the nutrients the human body absorbs from it are actually very low. What's more, most women should not eat too much salad. Because women's constitutions are often on the "cold" side, eating too much salad can lead to poor metabolism, poor blood circulation, irregular periods, dull skin, and even wrinkles. In addition, many vegetables have high nitrate levels, mainly from fertilizers used in their cultivation, and this potential danger should not be overlooked.
11. Eating at night will ruin your figure.
If this view were correct, 99% of people on Earth would be overweight. In fact, you only gain weight when you overeat at night. If you don't consume too many calories at night, you won't have a problem with being overweight. However, be aware that eating too late or having a habit of midnight snacks can indeed burden the stomach and easily lead to sleep disorders.
12. Butter has more calories than margarine.
Butter and margarine have the same calorie content. In fact, the calorie content of some margarine products is not only not lower than regular butter, but their unsaturated fatty acid content is higher, which can more easily lead to an increase in cholesterol levels in the body!
13. Darker eggs are more nutritious than lighter ones.
Dark color is often synonymous with health and high nutritional value, but the color of an eggshell is only related to the breed of the hen. The nutritional value of an egg depends entirely on the hen's health and the quality of its daily feed.
14. Enzymes in tropical fruits help with weight loss.
How wonderful it would be if that were true; we could just eat pineapple and papaya to lose weight. But in fact, the enzymes in tropical fruits aid in protein digestion, allowing food to be better absorbed by the body, but body fat is not burned. Therefore, you cannot lose weight by relying on enzymes.
15. Honey has low calories and helps with weight loss?
If you pin your hopes on honey for weight loss, you will likely be disappointed. In fact, 100 grams of honey contains 303 calories, while 100 grams of sugar contains 399 calories. The former's calorie count is only slightly lower than the latter. However, in terms of potassium, zinc, and copper content, honey is more nutritious than sugar.
16. Eating potatoes easily leads to weight gain.
Many people consider potatoes a food that easily causes weight gain, but this is not the case. Potatoes contain starch, but their water content is as high as 70%, and the actual starch content is only about 20%. They also contain dietary fiber that creates a feeling of fullness. Therefore, using them as a substitute for staple foods not only doesn't easily lead to weight gain but can even have a weight-loss effect! The reason potatoes are seen as a fattening food is entirely due to improper traditional cooking methods, turning perfectly good potatoes into french fries and potato chips. A medium-sized baked potato without oil contains only a few hundred calories, but when made into french fries, its calorie content can exceed 200 kcal. What makes you fat is not the potato itself, but the oil it absorbs. As anyone who has cooked beef and potatoes knows, potatoes have a strong ability to absorb oil.