There are many myths related to food that are floating around in society. Due to these prevailing misbeliefs, people get really confused on what to eat and what not to eat and it raises some common questions in our mind: Is this food combination not good for health? Is this food combination really workable, according to the nutritional needs of the body? Can we eat this along with another food item? If you also have any such doubts or confusion in your mind about certain foods, then this article is meant for you.
In this article, we have made an attempt to burst common myths related to food items and their combinations.
Myth 1
Fruit should always be taken on an empty stomach and not combined with meals as it stays in the stomach for long and rots or ferments.
Truth
Although fruit can cause your stomach to empty more slowly due to its good soluble and insoluble fibre content, it does not cause food to sit in your stomach indefinitely.
Only difference in fruits and cereals is that fruits contain largely simple sugars and cereals contain complex carbohydrates but they are digested by the same enzyme amylase which acts upon fruits and cereals in similar way,just that it takes little longer to break complex carbohydrates.
To add on, slowing the emptying of your stomach is a good thing. It helps you feel full for longer, which might help you eat fewer calories in the long run.
Our stomach is specifically designed to prevent the growth of bacteria.
When food reaches the stomach, it’s mixed with stomach acid, which has a very low pH of about one or two. Your stomach contents become so acidic that most microorganisms cannot grow.
As for the rest of these claims, saying that eating fruit with meals is the cause of bloating, diarrhea and discomfort is equally misleading.
There is also no scientific support behind the idea that eating fruit on an empty stomach can affect longevity, fatigue or dark circles under the eyes.
Myth 2
Don’t Combine Starches and Protein
Truth
This myth is largely based on the idea that the body is not equipped to digest mixed meals.However, this is simply not the case. The human body evolved on a diet of whole foods, which almost always contain some combination of carbs, protein and fat.
For example, vegetables and grains are typically considered to be carb-containing foods. But they all also contain some amount of protein per serving. And meat is considered to be a protein
food, but even lean meat contains some fat.Therefore — because many foods contain a combination of carbs, fat and protein — your digestive tract is always prepared to digest a mixed meal.When food enters your stomach, gastric acid is released. The enzymes pepsin and lipase are also released, which help start protein and fat digestion.
Evidence shows that pepsin and lipase are released even if there is no protein or fat present in your food.
Next, food moves into the small intestine. There, the gastric acid from the stomach is neutralized and the intestine is flooded with enzymes that work to break down proteins, fats and carbs.
Therefore, there’s no need to worry that your body will have to choose between digesting protein and fat or starches and proteins.
In fact, it’s specifically prepared for this type of multitasking.
Myth 3
The Best Time of Day to Eat Fruit Is the Afternoon.
It is claimed that your metabolism slows down in the afternoon and eating a food that’s high in sugar, such as fruit, raises your blood sugar levels and “wakes up” your digestive system.
Truth
Any carb-containing food will temporarily increase your blood sugar while glucose is being absorbed, regardless of the time of the day.
However, apart from providing your body with energy and other nutrients, this has no special benefit.
There is no need to “wake up” your digestive system, as it’s always prepared to jump into action the moment that food touches your tongue, no matter the time of day.
There are many evidence-based food combinations that can significantly improve or reduce digestion and absorption of cereal nutrients.
Citrus Fruits and Iron
Iron comes in two forms in the diet: heme iron, which comes from meat, and non-heme iron, which comes from plant sources.
Heme iron is well absorbed, but the absorption of non-heme iron is very low — between 1–10%. Luckily, there are several things you can do to increase the absorption of this kind of iron. Adding vitamin C is one of the most effective things you can do.
It works in two ways. First, it makes non-heme iron more easily absorbable. Second, it decreases the ability of phytic acid to block iron absorption.
This means that combining foods rich in vitamin C (such as citrus fruits or bell peppers) with plant-based sources of iron (such as spinach, beans or fortified cereals) is an excellent choice.
Carrots And Fats
Certain nutrients, such as fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids, need fat in order to be absorbed by the body.
Carotenoids are compounds found in red, orange and dark green vegetables. You can get them from veggies like carrots, tomatoes, red bell peppers, spinach and broccoli.
They have been linked with benefits such as a decreased risk of certain cancers, heart disease and vision problems
However, research has shown that if you consume these vegetables without any fat — eating plain carrot sticks or salad with fat-free dressing, for instance — you may be missing out on the benefits.
Your best bet to avoid missing out on these important nutrients is to consume a minimum of 5–6 grams of fat with carotenoid-containing vegetables
Try adding some cheese or olive oil to your salad, or top your steamed broccoli with a little bit of butter.
Spinach and Dairy Products
Foods such as spinach, chocolate and tea contain oxalate, an antinutrient that can bind with calcium to form an insoluble compound
This can be good or bad for you, depending on the circumstances.
For people who are prone to certain types of kidney stones, consuming calcium sources such as dairy products with oxalate-containing foods can actually decrease the risk of developing kidney stones.
On the other hand, combining oxalates and calcium decreases the absorption of calcium. For most people, this is no problem in the context of a balanced diet.
But for people who don’t eat much calcium in the first place or who eat a diet very high in oxalates, this interaction might cause a problem.
Foods that are high in oxalates include spinach, nuts, chocolate, tea, beets and strawberries.
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