“This is healthy, this is not” – we keep hearing about such things in almost any health publication or places elsewhere. But, what about some food myths we do not know about and need definitive answers? Though recipes keep changing, yet the basic ingredients remain the same. We all are aware of healthy eating habits, but how correct are they isn’t something that we look into. If a certain food is said to be unhealthy, then there is some kind of research that exclaims why it is so. Here we will discuss about what these reports are and why certain food claims are just myths.
Myth 1: Desi Ghee should be avoided
Pure desi ghee is one of the most coveted cooking ingredient of the Indian kitchen, but sadly many fear that it might increase cholesterol levels. In contrary, ghee consists of 65% saturated fat and 32% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). The fact has been supported by the study conducted by The Indian Council of Medical Research at AIIMS, New Delhi with a group of 63 healthy volunteers that were given ghee in their diet for 8 weeks.
The results showed a hike in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) levels in each of them while LDL cholesterol remained unchanged. Desi ghee is found to be more beneficial than polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also, it is found to be much better than other oils like corn, sunflower, cottonseed, and sunflower oils.
Myth 2: Nuts increases cholesterol levels
A weird belief is that nuts cause an increase in cholesterol levels. On the contrary however, it is found that having nuts help lower cholesterol. In a study conducted at the Endocrinology & Nutrition Service Hospital Clinic in Barcelona it was found that nuts helped in lowering inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular reactivity. These also help prevent heart diseases and a host of other ailments as well.
Although, a cup full of nuts can add to your daily fat intake, yet the benefits are much greater than most other foods. Also, these are great to snack anytime.
Myth 3: Raw vegetables are more nourishing
Cooking does not lower nutrients in raw vegetables. In fact, the process helps many vegetables become more nourishing since major components like beta-carotene and lycopene break down with heating. The break down helps in absorption as well making digestion easier. Make sure you cook your vegetables well for increased health benefits as eating raw might waste a lot of their nutritional content.
Myth 4: Banana is fattening
The one myth that is quite popular is that banana has a lot of calories and add to your average fat content significantly. You will be surprised to know that bananas have only half a gram of fat. In fact, it is not just a wholesome water laden fruit, but is incredibly higher in potassium content as well. Hence, having a banana will have almost negligible impact on your overall daily fat intake and will leave you feeling fuller for a longer time.
Myth 5: Stop eating sugar to prevent diabetes
Diabetes is caused due to carbohydrate disorder and not necessarily due to excess sugar consumption. Cutting down on sugar will certainly save you from pilling some calories, but that doesn’t prevent the disease entirely. There are a number of reasons why diabetes occurs in the first case such as higher calorie diet, physical inactivity and obesity.
Actually the body’s inability to metabolize carbohydrates leads to diabetes. This is why it is inappropriate to cut down sugar from your diet; however, regular intake of sugar or other sugary foods should be kept at a minimum. For those with sugar craving, try fresh fruits that have essential sugar which doesn’t cause harm to the body.
Myth 6: Honey is better than sugar
Honey and molasses are unrefined natural sweeteners. This doesn’t mean that you have just found a cheat for your sugar cravings! Just like white sugar, honey and molasses too has a high glycemic index. In fact, one spoon honey of 65 calories is way higher when compared to 46 calories in one table spoon of white sugar.