True and false ideas about balanced food and nutrition - Part I

11.08.2021

Is it true or false that when you squeeze the fruit to drink its juice, the fibers is removed? Learn the trues and falses about a balanced diet.

1.     An apple contains as much fibre as an apple juice             
FALSE: When you squeeze a fruit in order to drink its juice, the fibre is removed. This explains why fruit juices are quickly assimilated and less filling than whole fruits. So it is much better to eat the whole fruit! 

2.    Fruit juices contain as much sugar as fruits            
TRUE: Fruit juices without additional sugar contain the same amount of sugar as the whole fruits that they are made from: the nutritional value of a 100% pure juice is the same as the whole fruit. An apple juice or an orange juice contains about 10% sugar, a grape juice about 16%. But in many juices sold in supermarkets sugar is added to make them sweeter.

3.     Sugar contains many vitamins and minerals
FALSE: White sugar is 100 % glucose. It is made from sugar beet or sugar cane. They are washed and mashed to obtain a juice. After purification, this juice is transformed in white sugar, which is refined. When the process is not complete, the sugar obtained has a brown colour which is due to the presence of molasses. It also contains some minerals such as potassium and iron, but the quantity in one portion is too low to be considered. 

4.     Vegetables and foods of animal origin provide the same amount of fat    
FALSE: Vegetables contain no fat or cholesterol. Some foods of plant origin can contain fat such as nuts, seeds and vegetal oils. But the fatty acids they contain are mostly unsaturated, and they don’t contain any cholesterol. Foods of animal origin can contain a high level of fat: pork and beef can contain up to 20% of lipids and mince meat contains more than 20% fat. Meat and meat products also contain cholesterol. But beyond the amount of fat, the quality of these fatty acids, mostly saturated, is bad for health. Indeed they are responsible for diseases, in particular cardio-vascular diseases.  However, there are some foods of animal origin with a better quality of fatty acids (fish for example). 

5.     Cooking at high temperatures reduces the vitamins    
TRUE: Some vitamins (such as vitamin C, E and vitamins of the group B) are destroyed during cooking at high temperatures. To reduce the losses it is better to cook in a wok, a steamer or in foil. 

6.     Replacing butter or margarine by olive oil reduces the amount of fat
FALSE: Butter and margarine contain 82% of fat while oils contain 100% of fat. But the quality of the fatty acids is not the same: vegetal oils (olive, colza, sunflower, walnut, soy) contain unsaturated fat while butter contains saturated fat and cholesterol. 

7.    Butter is higher in calories than margarine    
FALSE: The quantity of fat contained in butter is the same than in margarine (82%). It means that the amount of calories is the same (9 kcal/gram of fat).

8.     Diet has an important role in the prevention of many diseases
TRUE: By promoting fruit and vegetables, good quality oils, non refined cereals and by reducing the consumption of foods rich in saturated fats, cholesterol, sugar and salt (junk foods for example), it is possible to prevent certain diseases.

9.     Healthy dishes can not taste as good as regular dishes    
FALSE: It is possible to discover a large range of tastes, which are quite different from the standard ones coming from the food industry. For example, by using herbs and spices instead of creamy sauces and salt to enhance flavour.

10.    Substituting cheese to meat is more effective for somebody whishing to reduce his fat and cholesterol intake                
FALSE: Both are foods of animal origin, so cheese and meat have a similar lipid profile: a high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol. The quantity of fatty acids will depend on the kind of cheese (Gouda contains more fat than fresh cheese) and meat/poultry.

11.    There is no cholesterol in vegetables and fruit                        
TRUE: Cholesterol is a component of animal cells and therefore it is present in foods of animal origin (meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, etc.). There is no cholesterol in foods of plant origin (vegetables, fruit, nuts, vegetal oils, etc.).

12.    Only plant foods provide fibre                        
TRUE: Just as cholesterol is present only in foods of animal origin, fiber is a component specific to foods of plant origin. Fibre is found in fruits, vegetables, legumes (such as peas, lentils and soybeans) and non refined cereals (wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, etc).

13.    High consumption of fibre lowers the amount of cholesterol in the blood
TRUE: The mechanism of this reaction is complex and still studied, it is established that a diet rich in fibre actually lowers the amount of blood cholesterol. 

14.    Your body benefits more iron when it is consumed along with Vitamin C
TRUE: The vitamin C (ascorbic acid) turns the iron into a form that is easily absorbed by the intestinal wall. To obtain this, they both must be eaten at the same moment (during the same meal). Example: add a dash of lemon juice on fish.

15.    1g of lipids contains as many calories as 1g of proteins or 1g of carbohydrates 
FALSE: 1 gram of lipids corresponds to 9 kcal
  1 gram of proteins corresponds to 4 kcal
  1 gram of carbohydrates corresponds also to 4 kcal

16.    Breakfast rusks are less caloric than bread                     
FALSE: 100g of bread bring 250 kcal (45g of carbohydrates) while 100g of breakfast rusks bring 400 kcal (70g of carbohydrates). So breakfast rusks are higher in calories than bread, although you generally eat more bread.