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Sunday, September 26, 2010

3 biggest lies about food

Myth 1: Eggs are bad for your heart.
The Truth: Eggs do contain a substantial amount of cholesterol in their yolks—about 211 mg per large egg. And yes, cholesterol is the fatty stuff in our blood that contributes to clogged arteries and heart attacks. But labeling eggs as “bad for your heart” is connecting the wrong dots, experts say. “Epidemiologic studies show that most healthy people can eat an egg a day without problems,” says Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., distinguished professor of nutrition at Penn State University. For most of us the cholesterol we eat doesn’t have a huge impact on raising our blood cholesterol; the body simply compensates by manufacturing less cholesterol itself. Saturated and trans fats have much greater impact on raising blood cholesterol. And a large egg contains only 2 grams of saturated fat and no trans fats. The American Heart Association recommends limiting cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg daily—less than 200 mg if you have a history of heart problems or diabetes or are over 55 (women) or 45 (men). “That works out to less than an egg a day for this population—more like two eggs over the course of the week,” notes Kris-Etherton.



Myth 2: High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is worse for you than sugar.
The Truth: The idea that high-fructose corn syrup is any more harmful to your health than sugar is “one of those urban myths that sounds right but is basically wrong,” according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health advocacy group. The composition of high-fructose corn syrup is almost identical to table sugar or sucrose (55 percent fructose, 45 percent glucose and 50:50, respectively). Calorie-wise, HFCS is a dead ringer for sucrose. Studies show that HFCS and sucrose have very similar effects on blood levels of insulin, glucose, triglycerides and satiety hormones. In short, it seems to be no worse—but also no better—than sucrose, or table sugar. This controversy, say researchers, is distracting us from the more important issue: we’re eating too much of all sorts of sugars, from HFCS and sucrose to honey and molasses. The American Heart Association recently recommended that women consume no more than 100 calories a day in added sugars [6 teaspoons]; men, 150 calories [9 teaspoons].








Myth 3: Radiation from microwaves creates dangerous compounds in your food.
The Truth: “Radiation” might connote images of nuclear plants, but it simply refers to energy that travels in waves and spreads out as it goes. Microwaves, radio waves and the energy waves that we perceive as visual light all are forms of radiation. So, too, are X-rays and gamma rays—which do pose health concerns. But the microwaves used to cook foods are many, many times weaker than X-rays and gamma rays, says Robert Brackett, Ph.D., director of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. And the types of changes that occur in microwaved food as it cooks are “from heat generated inside the food, not the microwaves themselves,” says Brackett. “Microwave cooking is really no different from any other cooking method that applies heat to food.” That said, microwaving in some plastics may leach compounds into your food, so take care to use only microwave-safe containers.

14 comments:

Olly said...

wow, cheers for the info. nice post :)

Persuasive Puppy said...

sadly for me i don't like eggs

http://adf.ly/aUUD said...

i never microwave plastic
cancer free

fenske said...

Very intersting.. hahha

VidyaBlogBan said...

I don't mind HFCS in any of my foods. People attribute it to the reason Americans are more frequently obese.

merk444 said...

some very interesting myths there

Anonymous said...

I love myths and lies. Lucky for me there's an abundance of them.

melinko said...

good post thou i have to disagre with number 2, hfcs is called liquid satan for nothing. ourbodies are designed for simple sugers and such hfcs sends everythign into painc mode and over time just liek any drug wil wear and tear on your body and sub systems

BonJGuteTOhana said...

Awh, now I'm hungry! D:

jackysplants said...

Didnt know that about radiation..thx.

Tommi Clox said...

Great mythbusting!

jrep said...

Really informative post thanks!
looking forward to more posts!

tommy said...

cool post dude, keep the work up!

Anonymous said...

This stuff reminds me of a recent study on how butter is better for your health than stuff like I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BUTTER

I guess your body can believe.

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