There are many myths and errors about nutrition: is margarine healthier than butter? And does a liquor after a sumptuous meal really get your digestion going? What's wrong with these widespread views? We have put together the 9 biggest nutritional mistakes for you.
1. Pasta and potatoes make you fat
Not correct! Potatoes just bring it to just over 70 calories per 100 grams - so the vegetables themselves are pretty low in calories and guaranteed not fat. However, the preparation is important: While salted potatoes, pellets or baked potatoes are extremely healthy, it looks a bit different with fries and co. The high-fat preparation increases the calorie content to over 350 calories.
Like noodles, potatoes are often suspected of making you fat. But that too is wrong. Noodles are somewhat higher in calories at around 150 calories per 100 grams, but they also fill you up for a long time. In general, carbohydrate-rich foods are always recommended, as carbohydrates have only half as many calories as fat.
2. Margarine is much healthier than butter
Not correct! Margarine has long been considered healthier because it contains less cholesterol because of its vegetable fats. In addition, margarine also contains slightly less calories than butter. However, unlike butter, margarine is not a pure natural product. How healthy the spread fat is depends essentially on the oil used and the proportion of trans fatty acids.
With butter, the high cholesterol content is often criticized. Today, however, scientists suspect that cholesterol from dairy fats is safe for healthy people. On the positive side, butter also provides many healthy fatty acids in addition to saturated fat. As a general rule, those who pay attention to high-quality products with butter and margarine and only eat the spread fat in moderation, do nothing wrong.
3. Light products have no calories
Not correct! Light products are mostly low-calorie products, but not calorie-free foods. Basically, light products are definitely recommended because you can save a lot of fat and calories with them. For safety, always take a look at the nutritional information!
It is also important that you do not use light products as an excuse to eat foods that you would otherwise not have indulged in. Some products contain even in the light version still relatively high in fat and calories.
4. Stone fruit does not tolerate water
Not correct! Even after cherries, apricots, plums & Co. you can safely drink a glass of water - provided you have carefully washed the fruit before. This will ensure that you do not eat any bacteria with the fruit. These are responsible for the stomach problems that plague many after eating stone fruit.
Normally absorbed bacteria are controlled by the stomach acid. However, if a lot of water gets into the stomach at the same time as the fruit and the bacteria, the acid is diluted so much that the bacteria can survive.
5. Fat is unhealthy
Not correct! Although fat is the most energetic food ingredient at nine calories per gram, how often are quantity and quality critical. In principle, fat is an elementary important substance without which we can not live. That's why about 30 percent of daily calorie intake should be via fats. However, if you take large amounts of high-fat foods every day, you will gain weight over time. So, be careful not to overeat and use high quality fats.
6. Spinach is particularly ferrous
Not correct! The claim that spinach contains a lot of iron is probably one of the biggest nutritional errors. Although dried spinach is particularly ferrous with 35 milligrams per 100 grams - when cooked, the iron content of 100 grams is reduced to one tenth. In addition, iron from plant foods can be used worse than from animal products. Spinach should not be considered a major source of iron, even though it is relatively ferrous in comparison to other vegetables.
7. Coffee is a liquid robber
Not correct! Coffee has a diuretic effect due to the caffeine in it, so we have to go to the bathroom more often after a cup of coffee. He does not draw water from the body. After drinking coffee, no more liquid is excreted than was absorbed by the beverage. That's why coffee, in contrast to earlier times, is now also counted as a daily fluid load.
8. Schnapps is good for digestion
Not correct! Although the popular saying goes that a schnapps after a sumptuous meal stimulates the digestion, but in fact the opposite is the case. Because alcohol inhibits the burning of fat, the food is so much longer in the stomach than before. Nevertheless, the feeling of fullness diminishes for a short time due to the schnapps. This is because the alcohol relaxes the stomach muscles and thus gives us temporary relief.
9. An apple covers the vitamin requirement
Not correct! Although apples are healthy, an apple can not cover the vitamin requirement of a whole day. Apples contain, among others, provitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E as well as B vitamins B1, B2 and B6. However, the amount of vitamins it contains is not big enough to cover all of your daily needs.
Take five servings of fruits and vegetables each day and choose different varieties. So you can be sure to optimally cover your vitamin needs.