Chocolate doesn’t hurt, pineapple doesn’t burn fats: 10 false myths to debunk about food

Have you always believed that chocolate made you fat and that the spinach made your muscles grow? You have been always wrong. Here are the 10 false myths about food that no one would have ever imagined.

The free Edison Open 4Expo meetings continue with the aim of making the public know all the truths about food and its sustainability. On 16 September 2015, the Edison Open Garden Triennale hosts Dario Bressanini with his "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". The professor of the University of Insubria in Como has debunked the false myths and clichés about food with specific scientific research. Some foods that we usually consider healthy are actually harmful to diet and health.

1. Chocolate doesn't hurt

We have always believed that chocolate made us fat and that it was harmful to health. In truth, 75% dark chocolate brings countless benefits to blood pressure when consumed in quantities of 5-10 grams per day.

2. Butter is no more caloric than oil

Butter contains about 20% less calories than oil. The important thing is to consume a maximum of 10 grams per day because it is rich in saturated fats.

3. Eating raw carrots does not provide a splendid suntan

Carrots contain beta carotene, the substance that provides a perfect suntan. This is assimilated to 95% more, if the carrots are cooked briefly and seasoned with a little oil.

4. Pineapple does not burn fats

 There is no food capable of burning fat. The only solution to losing weight is to practice regular physical activity and take food in the right portions and with the right frequency.

5. Supplements do not reduce the risk of cancer

Supplements are concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with nutritional or physiological qualities, but they cannot fight a disease as aggressive as cancer. It is always good to follow a diet rich in fruit and vegetables to keep your health under control.

6. Whole cane sugar is not healthier than white sugar

The two types of sugar have the same kilocalories and the same amount of minerals as calcium, iron and potassium. It is absolutely not true, therefore, that cane sugar is much healthier than white sugar.

7. To lose weight you should not eliminate carbohydrates

Eliminating bread and pasta from the diet leads to a reduction in muscle mass and therefore in the basal metabolism. At first, it will seem that you lose weight easily, but at the same time you will have a tendency to gain weight quickly.

8. Natural is not always good 

Natural products, as everybody knows, are good for health compared to modified or chemically treated products. But not always "natural" is synonymous with "beneficial". Acrylamide, for example, is naturally produced during the cooking of potatoes and it is one of the most carcinogenic substances in the world.

9. Milk does not make you fat

Whole milk contains only 3.5% fat. Skimming greatly reduces the amount of lipids and therefore milk does not absolutely make you fat. Milk is ideal for sportsmen because it contains high quality proteins.

10. Spinach is not the vegetable that contains more iron

Spinach contains iron, but it is also combined with other substances that limit its absorption. This false myth derives from the teachings given us by the “Popeye” cartoon, but it is not true.