22 Of The Biggest Food Myths Busted

Does taking Vitamin C prevent you from getting a cold? And do you really need to wait an hour before swimming? Many food related health “facts” were ingrained in us as children… but how many of them are actually true? Belle About Town consulted GP Dr Haider Al-Hilaly, to rate health “facts” and provide the medical explanations behind them to separate myth from medicine.

The rating scale was labelled as follows: 1 – False (proved false with evidence), 2 – Likely to be false (some evidence to suggest false), 3 – Neutral (some evidence says true, some says false), 4 – Likely to be true (some evidence to suggest true), 5 – True (compelling evidence proving true). And here are the results…

False….

Sugar makes you hyperactive
False. Doctors actually employ the use of sugar in infants and babies to soothe them after a painful procedure. Lots of studies have confirmed that sugar does not lead to behaviour change in children (or adults), but we can ‘observe’ a change of behaviour due to the expectation.

You need to wait an hour after eating before swimming
False. The myth is based on the premise that eating diverts blood towards the digestive tract and away from muscles, leading to cramps and subsequent drowning; this is not true. However, eating lots and then swimming (or performing any kind of exercise) can lead to queasiness.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
There is no actual evidence to support that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s actually thought to have originated from cereal companies. However, a high fibre breakfast – as opposed to sugary cereals – will make you feel fuller for longer and make you less likely to snack before lunch.

Genetically modified food is unhealthy for you
There is no evidence to suggest that GM food is unhealthy for you. The many benefits of GM food include: pest and herbicide resistance, high quality, longer-lasting freshness due to delayed ripening and protein and antioxidant boosts.

Coffee enemas cleanse your body of toxins 
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that coffee enemas are helpful in treating any condition. A working digestive system does enough to rid the body of waste and toxins. Waste in the colon is not toxic and does not need to be cleared.

Juice cleanses rid your body of toxins 
Our body detoxifies itself through the digestive tract, liver, lungs and kidneys. Juice cleanses may contain less calories and fat than normal meals and make us lose weight, but they don’t ‘detoxify’ anything.

It takes 7 years to digest gum
Gum is mostly indigestible. It passes harmlessly through the gut and is excreted in a normal amount of time, however swallowing large amounts could result in blockages in the intestines.

Vitamin C prevents colds
There’s no evidence to support this. Vitamin C can help the immune system function better in general but not fight a virus.

Eating bread crusts can turn your hair curly
Hair and how it looks – curly or not – is a genetically inherited characteristic. Ingesting food cannot influence this innate characteristic. Being exposed to weather conditions, such as humidity or heat, can turn your hair curly but only if you are genetically predisposed to it.

Eating late at night makes you gain weight
There is no evidence to support this myth. Calories are calories regardless of when eaten, however eating late at night can cause problems such as indigestion/heart burn.

You need to eat more when you have a cold and fast during a fever
There is no evidence for this statement in humans. Any illness can cause increased use of energy through adrenaline increases. More sustenance is needed during illness especially if you are malnourished, but that is as far as it can be linked.

A glass of red wine a day is good for you
False. This myth was based on observational studies of those who had a glass of red wine a day but did not take into account their other habits. Recent changes in ‘recommended’ weekly units of alcohol are in keeping with the evidence that alcohol is associated with an increased risk of cancer.

Likely to be false…

Spicy food can cause stomach ulcers
Stomach ulcers are caused by bacterial infections or anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, aspirin or naproxen. However, eating spicy food and drinking fizzy drinks and lots of tea and coffee can make pre-existing ulcers worse or inflame the stomach lining.

Eating fatty food gives you acne
Whilst acne is associated with eating a Western-style diet high in calories, fats and refined sugars, this may increase acne risk while not directly causing it.

Carrots make your vision stronger in the dark 
Carrots contain beta carotene which, when consumed, is converted into vitamin A, proven to be good for eye health. However, the myth that your eyesight can become stronger in the dark is false and originates from WWII propaganda.

Eating dairy at night leads to nightmares 
Any meal that causes indigestion can result in disturbed sleep and nightmares.

Gluten is bad for your digestive system
This is true only if you have coeliac disease or a gluten sensitivity.

Neutral (some evidence says true, some says false)

Milk is good for your bones
Milk is high in calcium, and calcium intake helps to support bone density.

Chocolate relieves period pains 
This is based on a number of observations. Chocolate with a high percentage of cacao can contain magnesium which can be used to help with cramps. Lots of studies on pain pathways have suggested that chocolate is a natural mood booster and painkiller.

Eating fish makes you smarter
Scientists discovered that eating food rich in omega-3 (found in fish) boosted blood flow to the brain and improved its performance during mental tasks.

Likely to be true 

Yogurt help your digestive system
When it comes to yogurt it depends on the type of yoghurt as well as the state of your gut. There can be lots of positive bacteria in yoghurt which can benefit the digestive system, particularly those packed with probiotics e.g. Greek yoghurt.

Multivitamins boost your immune system
This is true in the same sense that if you are vitamin C or iron deficient, which is needed for healthy white and red blood cells, you won’t have a strong and healthy immune system. You would need to be very deficient for this to be a problem, however.

• For more information on the facts and the findings, visit the Babylon Health homepage here