Eggs may cause folks to have a excessive ldl cholesterol degree? Popcorn has no dietary worth? Soybeans and yams may cause most cancers if eaten in extra? Actually, some frequent data now we have about sure meals is just a fable. Some meals thought of unhealthy are, in truth, helpful to our physique.
Popcorn
Fable: Just like many snacks, popcorn has no dietary worth and is unhealthy.
Reality: If the seasoning is straightforward, popcorn is definitely a comparatively wholesome snack.
Three causes make popcorn a wholesome snack: it’s wealthy in dietary fiber, resistant starch, and antioxidants.
Popcorn is excessive in dietary fiber and polyphenol antioxidants. It’s additionally excessive in resistant starch which is completely different from the final starch, because it can’t be absorbed by the intestines. As soon as consumed, resistant starch will develop into the meals of intestinal micro organism. So the intestine microbiota can be changed into a mixture of microorganisms with extra helpful flora (i.e. “good” micro organism). And good intestinal micro organism can additional cut back the possibility of diabetes and different illnesses.
Folks have been having fun with popcorn for 1000’s of years. It’s the fashionable meals processing applied sciences which have made it much less nutritious. To be able to create wealthy flavors, folks add extreme sugar and seasonings on prime of it, inflicting a big improve in its energy; and to be able to prolong the popcorn’s shelf life, folks add preservatives and different components into it, thus rendering it unhealthy.
Subsequently, when consuming packaged popcorn of wealthy flavors, we should always take note of the serving measurement, as a result of such a popcorn very possible has pointless components.
“The popcorn freshly made in film theaters is definitely comparatively good and easy,” stated Dr. Zhang Shiheng on the Lianching Clinic. He additionally really helpful making our personal popcorn at dwelling.
Eggs
Fable: Consuming eggs may cause levels of cholesterol to develop into excessively excessive.
Reality: Cholesterol in meals has little impact on the human physique, even for folks with hyperlipidemia. For wholesome folks, consuming 5 eggs a day won’t trigger any issues.
There are two sources of ldl cholesterol within the human physique. One is from dietary consumption, and the opposite is generated by the liver.
“Solely about one-fifth of the ldl cholesterol is obtained via meals consumption,” stated Dr. Zhang.
Ldl cholesterol in eggs solely exists within the yolk. A boiled egg incorporates about 190 mg of ldl cholesterol, which isn’t a big quantity. As well as, the human physique additionally wants an acceptable quantity of ldl cholesterol to kind cell membranes and to synthesize some necessary hormones.
Ldl cholesterol within the human physique is principally produced by the liver. Dangerous habits, corresponding to lack of train, consuming sweets, and smoking will make the liver synthesize an excessive amount of ldl cholesterol and trigger hyperlipidemia.
Subsequently, we should always not make eggs a scapegoat for all of the elements that trigger excessive ldl cholesterol whereas ignoring their dietary worth. Eggs include nutritional vitamins A, B, D, E and Okay, in addition to hint components, corresponding to zinc, lutein, and folic acid.
In keeping with Dr. Zhang, folks with hyperlipidemia can eat one or two eggs a day, which won’t have a lot impact on their blood ldl cholesterol. As for wholesome folks, even when they eat as much as 5 eggs a day, in truth, it can nonetheless be nice, “however it’s best to have boiled eggs”.
White Rice
Fable: White rice isn’t excessive in dietary worth, and if diabetics eat refined rice, their blood sugar degree will rise shortly.
Reality: White rice incorporates many vitamins, is an all-natural meals, and may make the blood sugar rise steadily after a meal.
White rice incorporates iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, the B nutritional vitamins, and different vitamins. And on the similar time, it’s a pure entire meals, and may make the blood sugar rise steadily after the meal.
From the attitude of conventional Chinese language medication, white rice can nourish the spleen and abdomen. Dr. Shizhan Yan, a doctor at Cheng’en Chinese language Medication Clinic and a twin practitioner of Chinese language and Western medication, identified that diabetic sufferers have severe spleen and kidney deficiencies, and white rice can play a task in nourishing the spleen. Some sufferers are afraid to eat rice, and because of this, their spleen and abdomen develop into more and more poor.
Dr. Hanwen Liu of the metabolic division of Taipei Municipal Wan Fang Hospital, stated that diabetic sufferers are allowed to eat white rice, however they want to concentrate to the order through which they eat their meals. They need to first eat greens, beans, eggs and fish, and eventually rice. They need to additionally take note of the portion measurement. On this manner, they’ll management their postprandial blood sugar.
Brown Sugar
Fable: It incorporates acrylamide, and if consumed, may cause most cancers.
Reality: Acrylamide has not been confirmed to be carcinogenic to people, and few folks devour giant quantities of brown sugar each day.
The proteins and decreasing sugars in meals can have the Maillard response at excessive temperature, inflicting the a lot desired “browning” of meals which is also a course of that will produce acrylamide.
Dr. Xiaowei Chen, a nutritionist and meals scientist, identified that the majority meals that’s fried or grilled at excessive temperature might produce acrylamide, however its degree could be inside the acceptable vary. “Nonetheless, grilled meat is comparatively harmful, because the (acrylamide) content material is excessive,” she pressured.
Acrylamide has solely been proven to be carcinogenic to animals, however in epidemiological research, it has not but been confirmed to be a carcinogen in people.
Dr. Chen stated that the flavour and traits of brown sugar are produced from the Maillard response, so there can also be acrylamide included as a by-product. Nonetheless, few folks eat loads of brown sugar each day, so it isn’t dangerous to the human physique.
As well as, not like refined white sugar, brown sugar retains extra hint minerals, corresponding to magnesium and potassium, which assist stabilize the nerves. Chinese language herbalists typically suggest girls with menstrual ache to drink ginger tea with brown sugar to alleviate the ache.
Soybeans (and Yams)
Fable: Each soybeans and yams include phytoestrogens, which may trigger gynecological most cancers.
Reality: Plant-based hormones are completely different from animal-based hormones, and regular consumption of those meals has little impact on the human physique.
Consuming yams can assist decrease blood sugar and enhance intestinal well being, however diosgenin casts a shadow of carcinogenicity over yams.
Though diosgenin is a precursor to the animal estrogen produced within the physique, it won’t improve estrogen within the physique even when consumed in giant portions. Most cancers nutritionist Xu Xiujuan of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital stated, “With a traditional food regimen, the phytoestrogens consumed usually do not need a direct impact on the human physique, and there’s no concern that they are going to improve the dimensions of the myomas.”
The soy isoflavones in soybeans are additionally a phytoestrogen. Some research have proven that reasonable consumption of soybeans doesn’t improve the possibility of breast most cancers, and it might even cut back the chance of most cancers.
In keeping with the American Most cancers Society, consumption of conventional soy-based meals, corresponding to tofu, might cut back the chance of breast most cancers, prostate most cancers, and endometrial most cancers, as a result of soy isoflavones cut back the consequences of estrogen within the physique.
