🥗 Nutrition & Food
79 entries on file
Sugar Makes Children Hyperactive
Scientific studies show no causal link between sugar and hyperactivity
Eating eggs significantly raises cholesterol and heart disease risk
Dietary cholesterol has minimal impact on blood cholesterol for most people
You Need Eight Glasses of Water a Day
There is no scientific basis for the number; it appears to be a 1945 footnote that nobody followed up on
If You Eat Watermelon Seeds a Watermelon Grows in Your Stomach
Seeds are broken down and digested like any other food
Watermelon Seeds Sprout and Grow Inside Your Stomach
Seeds need soil, water, and sunlight; your stomach provides none
Avocado Toast Killed Millennial Homeownership
House prices outran wages by a factor of about ten; avocados are not the variable
Gluten-Free Is Healthier for Everyone
If you don't have coeliac disease or diagnosed sensitivity, gluten-free swaps usually have less fibre and more sugar
Carrots Give You Perfect Vision
Carrots improve vision only if you're deficient in vitamin A
Eating Fat Makes You Fat
Excess calories from any source cause weight gain; dietary fat is essential
Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever
Both conditions benefit from proper nutrition
A Tree Will Grow in Your Stomach If You Swallow a Seed
Seeds need soil and light to germinate
Margarine is a healthier choice than butter
Butter contains more natural fats; early margarines had harmful trans fats
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
Meal timing's importance varies by individual; total daily nutrition matters more
BMI is a definitive measure of health status
BMI ignores muscle mass, bone density, and overall fitness; it's one of many health indicators
Cholesterol in food directly raises cholesterol in your blood
Body regulates cholesterol; dietary cholesterol has minimal impact for most people
Eating sugar directly causes diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance from multiple factors including genetics and lifestyle
Detox diets and cleanses remove toxins and improve health
Liver and kidneys naturally detoxify; commercial cleanses have no proven benefits
Vitamin C Stops Colds
Modest, slow, and only if you take it daily before you ever catch one
There Is a 'Jiffy' Brand Peanut Butter
The brand is 'Jif' peanut butter; 'Jiffy' is a different product (baking mix)
BMI Is an Accurate Measure of Fitness
It was invented in 1832 by a Belgian astronomer to study the average man, not assess any individual one
The Red Juice in a Rare Steak Is Blood
It is myoglobin and water; the blood was drained at slaughter
The Food Pyramid Is the Ideal Nutrition Guide
Replaced by MyPlate; pyramid design promoted excess grains
Brown Sugar Is Healthier Than White Sugar
Nutritionally equivalent; brown sugar is white sugar plus molasses
High Fructose Corn Syrup Is Uniquely Unhealthy
HFCS is metabolically similar to other sugars
MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) Damages Taste Buds
MSG is safe; it's umami, a naturally occurring taste
Bananas Are Radioactive and Dangerous
Bananas are mildly radioactive but far too weak to cause harm
Chili Peppers Taste Burning Because They Are Hot
Capsaicin triggers pain receptors; no actual heat is involved
Eating Carrots Significantly Improves Night Vision
Carrots help normal vision but don't enhance beyond baseline
Turkey Makes You Sleepy Because of Tryptophan
Turkey's tryptophan levels aren't unusually high
Eating Spicy Food Causes Ulcers
Bacteria and acid, not spice, cause ulcers
Carrots Are Naturally Orange
Orange carrots were bred in the 1600s
Tomatoes Are Vegetables, Not Fruits
Botanically, tomatoes are fruits
MSG is a dangerous food additive that causes serious health problems
MSG is safe in normal amounts; 'Chinese Restaurant Syndrome' was never proven
Most people are sensitive to gluten or have gluten intolerance
Only about 1% have celiac disease; non-celiac gluten sensitivity is rare and debated
All carbohydrates are unhealthy and cause weight gain
Refined carbs differ from whole carbs; carbs are essential for brain and body function
Organic food is always healthier than conventional
Nutrition similar; main benefit is reduced pesticide residues
Eating carbs at night makes you gain more weight
Timing has minimal effect; total calories matter
Peanut allergies are caused by early over-introduction to children
Early introduction may actually reduce allergy risk
Caffeine dehydrates you significantly
Caffeine causes mild diuretic effect; hydration impact is minimal
Turkey contains special amino acid that makes you sleepy
Tryptophan is common in many foods; post-meal sleepiness from carbs and full stomach
Honey never spoils due to its properties
True; honey can be stored indefinitely due to low water content
Red wine is heart-healthy due to resveratrol
Resveratrol amounts in wine are tiny; any benefit is offset by alcohol risks
Artificial sweeteners like aspartame cause cancer
Extensive safety testing shows acceptable safety at typical intake levels
All dinosaurs were meat-eating carnivores
Most dinosaurs were herbivores; only about 25% were carnivorous
Drinking Cold Water Is Bad for Your Digestion (Germany)
Cold water doesn't impair digestion; German health culture maintains this unfounded belief
Vegemite Has Always Been Australian
The recipe is a direct response to a British shortage; the original target was Marmite
Medieval People Drank Beer Because the Water Was Unsafe
They drank plenty of water; they just also liked ale, same as us
Marco Polo Brought Pasta to Italy From China
Italians were eating pasta well before Polo ever left Venice
Drinking Milk Soothes a Stomach Ulcer
Milk briefly calms, then triggers more acid; ulcers are mostly bacterial
A Shot of Whisky Warms You Up in the Cold
It makes you feel warm while actually dropping your core temperature
Peanuts Are Nuts
They are legumes, closer to peas and beans than to almonds
Sea Salt and Pink Himalayan Salt Are Healthier Than Table Salt
By weight they have about the same sodium; the difference is mostly price
Brown Eggs Are Healthier Than White Eggs
Shell colour is just the breed of hen; the inside is the same
Frozen Vegetables Are Far Less Nutritious Than Fresh
Frozen is snap-picked and can beat 'fresh' that has aged in transit
Coffee Dehydrates You
The water in the cup more than offsets caffeine's mild diuretic effect
Beer Before Liquor, Never Sicker
The order of your drinks does not change how drunk or hungover you get
'Hair of the Dog' Cures a Hangover
Another drink only postpones the hangover; it does not cure it
Searing Meat Seals In the Juices
It builds flavour through browning, but it does not seal anything
Sugar Feeds Cancer, So Cutting Sugar Starves the Tumour
Every cell uses glucose; no diet selectively starves cancer of it
Sushi Means Raw Fish
Sushi refers to the vinegared rice; raw fish on its own is sashimi
Fortune Cookies Are a Chinese Tradition
They were popularised in California and are rare in China
Eating Peanuts Causes Acne and Pimples
No scientific link between peanuts and acne
Chocolate Causes More Tooth Decay Than Other Candy
Dark chocolate may actually protect teeth
Caffeine Stunts Children's Growth
No scientific evidence for this connection
Alkaline water is healthier than regular water
Body pH is tightly regulated; alkaline water has no proven health benefits
Spinach decimal point error made it seem super iron-rich
Decimal point story is apocryphal legend with no evidence
All salt should be eliminated entirely
Sodium is essential; excess is problematic
Drinking water immediately after eating harms digestion
Water does not interfere with normal digestion
Cooking in aluminum foil causes Alzheimer's disease
Dietary aluminum from foil is minimal; no proven Alzheimer's link
Sour candy dissolves your teeth completely
Acidic candies damage enamel but don't dissolve teeth
Farming and Plowing Increase Local Rainfall
The 'rain follows the plough' myth was disproven by climate data
Guarana Gives Supernatural Energy (Brazil)
Guarana contains caffeine and other stimulants but doesn't provide magical energy; marketing mythology exceeded facts
'Welsh Rarebit' Is a Corruption of 'Welsh Rabbit'
Actually the reverse: 'rarebit' came first, and 'rabbit' was the false back-formation
Vegemite Was Invented by Australians
Vegemite was created in Australia but designed to replicate British Marmite
Fairy Bread Is a Uniquely Australian Invention
The recipe is a 1929 British appropriation; we just made it the national children's birthday food
The Alcohol Cooks Off Completely When You Cook With Wine
A surprising amount survives, depending on how and how long you cook
Celery Has Negative Calories Because Chewing Burns More Than It Contains
Celery is very low in calories, but digesting it costs only a fraction of them
Drinking Cold Water with Meals Prevents Digestion
Water temperature doesn't significantly affect digestion
Fat-soluble vitamins are safe in unlimited amounts
Vitamins A, D, E, K can accumulate and cause toxicity at high doses