FOOD MYTHS.

Different countries, continents, regions, have different beliefs and myths surrounding food. 

Here are a few food myths in Nigeria.

Eating mangoes together with soft drinks can lead to death. Some folks do believe this to their marrows. I tried this combination yesterday, not deliberately though, and I'm yet to drop dead.

Another myth is that consumption of fruits and vegetables is for pregnant women and invalids. This has really taken root in a lot of minds, thus posing a challenge to public health educators like me. 

Yet another belief is that fruits and nuts have no caloric value and as such are not food. This is erroneous. Fruits have calories by virtue of the simple carbohydrate, fructose, they contain. Nuts do have calories from fats and proteins. 

Another hilarious myth is that alcoholic beverages are like water, that is to say they have no caloric value, and that passing urine after consumption of alcoholic drinks will drain the body of the alcohol consumed. This is not so. 1 gram of alcohol gives 7 calories of energy whereas 1 gram carbohydrate gives 4 calories, 1 gram protein gives 4 calories, 1 gram fat gives 9 calories. Alcohol is not drained from the body through urine. The calories from alcohol beverages are not metabolised for energy in the body rather they are stored as fat deposits in the body. More so alcohol damages the brain cells and the liver.  A 33cl bottle of alcoholic beverage, 7.5% alc., has 173.25 caloric value. 

Whatever your food choice is,

Do Eat Responsibly.