Food Myths Debunked

We Brits are a superstitious lot at the best of times, so it’s no surprise that many of us have our own unspoken rules and odd beliefs about the way we eat food. Maybe you’re the sort who avoids late-night cheese for fear of having nightmares? Or perhaps you’re one of those oddballs who insists on dismantling custard creams into their separate layers before eating them?

All of us have our fair share of these quirky habits, a fact that’s recently been underlined by a new survey from Spatone involving 2,000 people. It sheds light on some of the most common bits of anecdotal food wisdom that we all share – and subjects them to some brutal fact-checking.

First, some bad news: all of you people eating carrots to help you see better in the dark? It doesn’t work. That’s not what carrots do. By all means, continue telling this lie to children if it makes them eat their vegetables, but just be aware that you’re going to face some tough questions from them when their night vision inevitably fails to improve.

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Similarly, the survey showed that many of us believe that sugar is a great source of energy, despite science showing that the effect is actually more accurately described as a quick boost, followed by a significant energy drop. That chocolate bar you eat after lunch to “power you through the afternoon” is doing you more harm than good, we’re afraid!

Still, it’s not all bad news: as it turns out, the common idea that apples help to clean your teeth is actually true, with the fibrous content of the fruit helping to scrub plaque and food debris from the teeth, thereby keeping both the doctor AND the dentist away.

Additionally, the report debunks a few food myths that you’re probably better off without: for example, the one-third of you who think chewing gum takes seven years to digest if swallowed? That’s not actually true, so chew away without fear. And the one in five Brits who still reckon eggs are bad for you because of high cholesterol? That was proven false years ago, so there’s no reason to deprive yourself of what is actually a very nutritious food!

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All in all, it was revealed that 39 per cent of respondents live their lives according to pretty questionable food recommendations, and that one-quarter of us have been shocked to find out that they’ve been following a bit of received dietary wisdom that’s turned out to be a load of old nonsense. So any of you who are feeling that same shock as you read this, don’t worry – you’re far from being alone!

Anna Lioni, brand manager for Spatone, said: “There are loads of myths and old wives’ tales about food, and rarely a day goes by without it being reported that certain things which were once deemed healthy are now a risk, and vice versa.

“Sometimes, what works for one may not work for another. But there are plenty of food myths that have been proven conclusively to be untrue.”