food<\/a> sources.<\/p>\nNutritional myths about Egg<\/h3>\n
Many people believe that Egg should be eaten raw for better nutrition. However Egg should never be eaten raw. Although the average egg looks innocent enough, it can harbour dangerous food borne bacteria called Salmonella. The bacteria, Salmonella enteritidis (also referred to as S. enteritidis), can march into an egg in quite a few ways. One way is by the contamination of egg shells with fecal matter. The bacteria are present in the intestines and feces of infected humans and animals, including chickens, and can be passed to the eggs at the time chickens sit on them.<\/p>\n
Many people often think of avoiding egg for healthy living. But I strongly oppose as egg contains almost all nutrients. Quality of egg protein is very high. Rich source of Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and Vit. A. MUFAs are healthy kind of fat. Replacing less healthy fats, such as saturated fats and trans fats, with unsaturated fats, such as MUFAs and polyunsaturated fats, may offer huge health benefits. Consuming MUFAs may help lowering the risk of heart disease by improving risk factors. For instance, MUFAs may lower total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels but maintain high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level. MUFAs may also help improve the function of blood vessels. Some of the researchers have shown that MUFAs may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control that can be especially helpful if anyone is having type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n
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Myths about Cholesterol Intake<\/h3>\n
For the past few years, I am getting tired listening to the fact that increase in cholesterol intake is associated with heart disease. But study reveals that increasing cholesterol intake by 200 mg for every 1000 Kcal in the diet does not appreciably increase the risk of heart disease. Again, cholesterol more often than not has a negative nuance. However not all cholesterol is bad. There are basically two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is recognized as \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol. It helps to eliminate unsafe cholesterol from the blood. LDL is called \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol. When too much of it is present in the blood, it causes a build-up of plaque on the arterial walls in the heart and brain. When left untreated, this build-up of plaque can escort to: a) heart disease b) stroke and c) heart attack. As for cholesterol in food, it does affect blood cholesterol levels, but not nearly as much as many people believe. For some people with high cholesterol, reducing the amount of cholesterol in the diet has a small but helpful impact on blood cholesterol levels. For others, the amount of cholesterol eaten has little impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood.<\/p>\n
Nutritional myths about Margarine<\/h3>\n
Often in our childhood days we used listen that using margarine instead of butter will help lower ones cholesterol. But the fact is that both margarine and butter are high in fat. Margarine is mostly high in trans-fats. Saturated fats increase both LDL-C and HDL-C. Trans fats increase LDL-C and reduce HDL-C.<\/p>\n
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Nutritional myths about Mustard Oil<\/h3>\n
Another warning from seniors: If you want healthy heart, avoid mustard oil. But there is no toxic effect. It is as effective as Sunflower oil in reducing plasma total and LDL-C. Mustard oil is extracted from the seeds of the mustard plant. It has culinary as well as therapeutic uses. Mustard oil has an edge over other oils due to the optimum ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. It contains about 60% monounsaturated fats (MUFA), 21% polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), and 12% saturated fats. These fatty acids are considered \u2018good fats\u2019 as they do not get deposited on the arterial walls. Its pungent and sharp flavor can be attributed to a compound called allyl isothiocyanate. It also contains glucosinolates that have antimicrobial properties. Mustard oil does not contain carbohydrates, fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Being a vegetable source, mustard oil contains alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid. One teaspoon of mustard oil contains around 0.8 grams of omega-3 fatty acid. Research suggests that mustard oil has strong cancer-fighting properties. It contains ample amounts of linolenic acid, which when converted to omega-3 fatty acid, helps prevent stomach and colon cancers. These good fats lower your risk of developing ischemic heart disease by 50%. Enriched mustard oil is also known to show hypocholesterolemic (cholesterol-lowering) and hypolipidemic (lipid-lowering) effects. It reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and increases good cholesterol (HDL) levels in the body, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. A study by South Dakota University proves the same. They tested the efficacy of mustard, corn, and fish oils on rats affected by colon cancer. Mustard oil was found to be more effective in preventing colon cancer than fish oil.<\/p>\n
Myths about Fat Intake<\/h3>\n
Many people consider that fat should be avoided for healthy living. Fat is required for providing essential Fatty Acids. It has got important functions. It is desirable to avoid trans and saturated fats. What we need is to replace bad fat with good fat. Though, Red meat, pork, chicken and fish contain some saturated fat and cholesterol, but they also contain important nutrients. Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy weight loss plan.<\/p>\n
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Nutritional myths about Sea Salt<\/h3>\n
Often my mother utters that instead of regular Salt sea salt is healthier. However, this is not always right. Regular table salt, obtainable from mine source roughly contains 2,250 milligrams of sodium per teaspoon. Again, sea salt, obtained from evaporating seawater, also contains about 2,250 milligrams of sodium. Hence roughly an identical amount of sodium is present. One can say that sea salt also contains other compounds like magnesium and iron, but in reality, these metal ions exist in trace amounts. In order to obtain a significant dose, you\u2019d have to take in tremendously high and potentially dangerous levels of sodium. Conventional table salt is regularly fortified with iodine, which plays a vital role in regulating the hormones in our body. Zero iodine is obtained from Sea salt.<\/p>\n
Myths about skipping meals<\/h3>\n
Another famous myth in a country like India is that, skipping meals is a good way to lose weight. Dear viewer, you have no idea how dangerous it will be. Studies show that people who skip breakfast tend to be heavier than those who eat nutritious breakfast.<\/p>\n
![\"Diet](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sciencesg.com\/scientificity\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Diet-Soda.jpg?resize=700%2C525&ssl=1\")
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Nutritional myths about Diet Soda<\/h3>\n
Often in television advertisements, good looking, beautiful woman with slim figure and a bottle of diet soda in hand claims that Diet sodas help keep you slim. We often get attracted to such advertisements. Please keep it in mind that artificial sweeteners used in diet soda\u2014aspartame and sucralose, for instance\u2014lead to hard-to-control food urges later part in the day. Researchers have observed that rats took in more calories if they’d been fed artificial sweeteners before meal. Another report from a research group of University of Texas found that people who drink just three diet sodas per week were more than 40 percent more likely to be obese.<\/p>\n
Nutritional myths about Bananas<\/h3>\n
In my childhood days, my grandfather, while returning from market used to bring lots of bananas for me with the common words: Bananas Are the Best Source of Potassium. This is true. Our body uses potassium to keep our nerves and muscles firing efficiently, and an adequate intake can blunt sodium\u2019s effect on blood pressure. Reports indicate 2:1 ratio of potassium to sodium could halve risk of heart disease. You will be surprised to know that most of the Americans consume 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day. Hence they need 6,800 milligrams of daily potassium. Bananas alone can\u2019t help us to reach that goal. A medium sized banana contains 422 milligrams and 105 calories. So try to imagine achieving that amount of potassium how much calorie intake will be there. There are many sources which will give same amount of potassium but minimal calories. Some of them are: Potato, Apricots, Cantaloupe, Broccoli, Sun-dried tomatoes etc.<\/p>\n
Nutritional myths about Honey<\/h3>\n
When my baby boy was just one year old, doctor told us Honey is better than white sugar as it is naturally obtained… I was terribly surprised because they are chemically indistinguishable. More important is that sugar contains lesser calories than honey. It is true that honey contains small amount of minerals. However, these minerals are present in such a tiny amount that they are hardly of any nutritional significance. Don\u2019t be persuaded by misleading advertising.<\/p>\n
Nutritional myths about Almond Milk<\/h3>\n
My brother is a health freak. He is regular in gymnasium. One day he told me that his trainer suggested him to take Almond milk as Almond milk is better than regular milk. When nutritional facts are concerned, almond milk and cow’s milk actually are not in the same club. Approximately eight grams of protein are obtained from a cup of skim milk whereas hardly one gram of protein is obtained from a cup of almond milk. If you’re looking for something to fill you up, almond milk may not be the finest option. If you have lactose intolerance or if you do not want to have dairy, there is plant-based milk that is comparable: Soy milk has about seven grams of protein per cup.<\/p>\n
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Conclusion<\/h3>\n
There are plenty of such myths regarding our nutritional aspects. I shall discuss more such nutritional myths and facts in another post. I will give you a suggestion. Please do not get carried away by such myths. Apply your logic, consult a specialist and try to understand the exact fact.<\/p>\n
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