Common Misconceptions in Diet and Nutrition.

Introduction: Good eating habits are crucial for physical health, but in daily life, it's easy to overlook some common dietary misconceptions. These can lead to minor issues like malnutrition and lethargy, or in more severe cases, trigger a variety of diseases. Below, the editors from iMei share 17 common dietary pitfalls to watch out for, so be careful not to eat wrong!

A healthy and balanced diet is a vital part of maintaining good health. However, in our daily lives, we often fall into dietary blind spots and eat the wrong foods. Today, let's explore common dietary misconceptions, keep them in mind, and avoid making these mistakes.

17 Common Dietary Misconceptions

1. Is the more soy products you eat, the better?

Protein in soybeans can hinder the human body's absorption of iron. Excessive intake of soy protein can inhibit normal iron absorption by up to 90%, leading to iron-deficiency anemia and symptoms such as varying degrees of fatigue and drowsiness.

2. Is honey low in calories?

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.

3. Is salad extremely beneficial for health?

Most women should not eat too much salad. Because women's constitutions are often considered "cold" in traditional Chinese medicine, consuming too much salad can lead to poor metabolism, poor blood circulation, irregular menstrual cycles, dull skin, and even wrinkles.

Avocado and Pear Salad

4. Is stir-frying with hot oil fragrant?

When oil temperature exceeds 200 degrees Celsius, not only are the beneficial unsaturated fatty acids in plant oils oxidized, but a gas called "acrolein" is also produced. It is extremely harmful to the human respiratory system. Furthermore, "acrolein" can cause oils to easily produce carcinogenic peroxides. Therefore, it's better to stir-fry with oil that is 80% hot.

5. Can glucose keep a person in an excellent state?

Although the "instant energy" provided by glucose can make a person feel clear-headed and energetic for a short time, this energy is quickly depleted, and a person might even feel hungrier than before.

6. Do enzymes in tropical fruits help with weight loss?

In fact, the enzymes found in tropical fruits aid in protein digestion, allowing food to be better absorbed by the body, but they do not burn body fat.

7. Don't need to wash fruits that haven't been sprayed with pesticides?

Even organic fruits should be washed carefully with water before eating. Insect eggs on the fruit peel are invisible. If fruit is not washed before consumption, it is easy to get a bacterial infection.

Sausage Stir-fried with Spring Bamboo Shoots

8. Eating fruit immediately after a meal?

Fruits contain a large amount of simple sugars that are easily absorbed by the small intestine. However, if they are blocked in the stomach by other foods, they can ferment and cause gas and stomach discomfort. Therefore, it's best to eat fruit one hour before a meal or two hours after.

9. Are fresh vegetables healthier than refrigerated ones?

If we're talking about vegetables freshly picked from the field, this statement is correct. However, in reality, the vegetables we eat are rarely that fresh; they are usually stored for several days, and their vitamins gradually degrade during storage. Conversely, vegetables flash-frozen at ultra-low temperatures can retain more vitamins because they are frozen immediately after harvesting, effectively preventing vitamin loss.

10. Are dark-colored eggs more nutritious than light-colored 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.

11. Is brown sugar more beneficial than white sugar?

Both brown sugar and white sugar are extracted from sugarcane or sugar beets. The production process for brown sugar is slightly simpler than for white sugar, and it contains more glucose and fiber, releasing energy faster and with higher absorption and utilization. However, the sugar content and calories in brown sugar are almost the same as in white sugar.

Printed Eggs

12. Is brown bread the same as whole wheat bread?

Brown bread is not necessarily whole wheat bread. When buying whole wheat bread, it's best to check the label carefully.

13. Is more seasoning better?

Medical research shows that natural seasonings like pepper, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, and ginger have certain mutagenic and toxic properties. Excessive use of seasonings in food can lead to mild symptoms like dry mouth, sore throat, listlessness, and insomnia, or severe cases like high blood pressure, gastroenteritis, and other diseases, and may even cause human cell abnormalities and lead to cancer.

14. Is quick-frying poultry and meat beneficial?

Many people prefer to quickly stir-fry food, believing it makes the dish look and taste better. However, in reality, quick-frying is a very unhygienic cooking method. Poultry and meat, especially offal, often carry numerous viruses and bacteria, some of which require more than ten minutes of cooking to be killed. Quick-frying for too short a time may not kill these viruses and bacteria, and eating such food can easily lead to zoonotic diseases.

15. Is eating raw vegetables healthier?

Many vegetables are indeed healthier when eaten raw because that best preserves their nutrients. However, not all vegetables are suitable for eating raw. For example, carrots are rich in vitamin A, but the human body can only absorb sufficient vitamin A from carrots when consumed with fat.

16. Can you drink mineral water with absolute peace of mind?

Many people say mineral water is rich in minerals and is more beneficial to the human body. However, mineral water is more susceptible to contamination by harmful microbes 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.

Colorful Pepper and Pineapple Chicken Dices

17. Is drinking coffee harmful to human health?

Coffee can lead to calcium loss in the body, but this can be compensated for by adding milk to the coffee. In fact, coffee is beneficial to the human body as it can stimulate brain cells and has a refreshing effect. As long as coffee consumption is not excessive or addictive and is consumed with milk, it will not cause harm to human health.

Coffee and Soy Milk