Myths in food

2003/06/08 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Osasuna

The dream of many is to be like those who appear on television and for this they are willing to everything.

"Pay attention: if you eat everything integral and don't drink water, you will easily lose those kilitos. Ah! And don't eat fruit in meals, but in spaces, but they get fat. And the potato, not the proof!"

Many times we hear things like that. However, according to nutrition experts, these recommendations are based on false convictions. For this reason, although it strives, it is not possible to lose weight, or even it is achieved, it is not due to the measures taken, but to other agents. Length can also pose a risk, as it allows adopting habits that do not benefit health.

For example, water rejection is a big mistake. How will water get fat if you don't have calories? And above all you have to know that water is necessary for the body. Water loss from evaporation of urine, feces and skin and lung. If it does not recover, serious health problems appear: it increases blood pressure and loses intra and extracellular balance.

Drinking liquid water is of course not the only way to recover lost water. Food also has water, so even without drinking water this balance may be maintained. On the other hand, it is true that the body loses weight by losing water. Therefore, in the beginning diuretics give good results to those who want to lose weight, but there is risk of dehydration. In addition, although many obese have fluid retention problems, the solution is not to drink water, but to consume less salt and drink more water.

Whole meals and fruit

Will you be able to keep the temptation to wet the bread?

Many people believe that whole foods are less fat than refined foods, but as for calories, they don't have big differences. The only difference between the two lies in the proportion of fibers, where integrals have a higher fiber content.

As fiber retains water, whole foods take up more space in the stomach than refined ones and move more slowly into the intestine. Consequently, they provide a greater sense of saturation. Some believe that's why you eat less. However, according to studies, this does not happen. And it is that normally one of them is not satisfied while eating, but shortly after. If you eat very slowly, your influence may be felt.

Another myth is that the fruit eaten outside meals does not get fat. But, regardless of whether you eat, like any other meal, it depends on the calories that the “fattening power” of the fruit has. For example, apples, oranges and pears have about 50 kcal per 100 grams. Compared to other foods, it cannot be said that they have many calories, but neither that they do not get fat. In any case, the fruit is essential for a proper diet and is minimal. In addition, the vitamin C contained in fruits helps absorb the iron contained in meat, so in this case it is beneficial to take the fruit when eating.

Potato and bread are very fat

Potato alone does not have many calories, but it should be noted that frying absorbs oil.

Many slimming diets prohibit some foods, such as potatoes. The potato, however, has a lot of water (75-80%) and has 80 kcal per 100 g. That is, it has no more kcal than other foods that are admitted smoothly in diets, such as a natural yogurt, a cooked egg or 100 g of grilled sole have less kcal than a natural yogurt. The main ingredient of the potato is starch (15-20%), which has more protein (2g/100g) than most vegetables, making it a good food for anyone.

Another thing is how the potato is prepared or eaten. If you eat fried with fat sauces or as a mashed potato with butter, of course, you will have much more kcal than baked or roasted. However, this not only happens with potato, but also with other foods like bread.

And when we talk about bread... why do you recommend those who are on a diet to eat toast? Perhaps because it has less kcal than ordinary bread? It can't be because of that, because roasting has less water, and then, in the same weight, roasting has more kcal than normal. But there is a reason to recommend the toast: for most people it is not as attractive as the normal and above all it does not serve to wet in sauce. So in the end you eat less than the other.

This cake is made of whole wheat flour, which does not mean it does not get fat.

In addition to these examples, there are many others: that margarine fattens less than butter, that corn oil and sunflower oil are ‘lighter’ than olive oil, and many more. Often, however, they have no basis. In addition, sometimes, behind the myths lies the food industry, which has benefits depending on what customers consume.

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