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 . what not to eat . it raises some common questions in our mind: Is this food combination not good for ? 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 . their combinations. Myth 1 Fruit should always be taken on an empty stomach . not combined with meals as it stays in the stomach for long . rots or ferments. Truth Although fruit can cause your stomach to empty more slowly due to its good soluble . insoluble fibre content. it does not cause food to sit in your stomach indefinitely. Only difference in fruits . cereals is that fruits contain largely simple sugars . cereals contain complex carbohydrates . they are digested by the same enzyme amylase which acts upon fruits . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 of whole foods. which almost always contain some combination of carbs. protein . fat. For example. vegetables . 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. . even lean meat contains some fat.Therefore — because many foods contain a combination of carbs. fat . protein — your digestive tract is always prepared to digest a mixed meal.When food enters your stomach. gastric acid is released. The enzymes pepsin . lipase are also released. which help start protein . fat digestion. Evidence shows that pepsin . 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 . the intestine is flooded with enzymes that work to break down proteins. fats . carbs. Therefore. there’s no need to worry that your body will have to choose between digesting protein . fat or starches . 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 . eating a food that’s high in sugar. such as fruit. raises your blood sugar levels . “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 . 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 . absorption of cereal nutrients. Citrus Fruits . Iron Iron comes in two forms in the : heme iron. which comes from meat. . non-heme iron. which comes from plant sources. Heme iron is well absorbed. . 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 . carotenoids. need fat in order to be absorbed by the body. Carotenoids are compounds found in red. orange . dark green vegetables. You can get them from veggies like carrots. tomatoes. red bell peppers. spinach . broccoli. They have been linked with benefits such as a decreased risk of certain cancers. heart disease . 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 . Dairy Products Foods such as spinach. chocolate . 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 . calcium decreases the absorption of calcium. For most people. this is no problem in the context of a balanced . But for people who don’t eat much calcium in the first place or who eat a very high in oxalates. this interaction might cause a problem. Foods that are high in oxalates include spinach. nuts. chocolate. tea. beets . strawberries. To consult Ms. Monika Gupta. Click here Read about Yoga in Pregnancy Period Read about Banana: Amazing Health Benefits & Nutrition Facts mental natural curehealth mental natural curehealth mental
