Lecture 1: Food Folklore & Myths Flashcards
1
Q
Red tide
A
- MYTH = Never eat shellfish in a month that doesn’t contain an “R” (May-August)
- TRUTH = Warm weather causes algal blooms
- Dinoflagellates produce toxins that concentrate in shellfish (leads to shellfish poisoning)
2
Q
Honey
A
- MYTH = Honey in baby formula is a safe natural sweetener
- TRUTH = Not recommended for infants
- Botulinum spores are found in honey
- Adults who eat botulinum spores are almost never affected
- When infants swallow the spores, the spores can germinate in their immature gastrointestinal tracts (SIDS = sudden infant death syndrome)
3
Q
Cutting onions
A
- MYTH = only certain people fry when cutting onions
- FALSE = everyone cries when cutting onions
- When cut, onion cells release gasses called lachrymators
- Lachrymators combine with water to form sulfuric acid
- The eyes produce tears to wash the acid out
4
Q
Refined sugars
A
- MYTH = refined sugars are poisonous to the body
- Sugar (carbohydrates) is the cause of the obesity epidemic in the U.S.
- Sugar causes insulin resistance (diabetes) in the U.S.
- FALSE = sugars are not poisonous at normal doses
- Not the cause of obesity, but may be a contributing factor
5
Q
Nutmeg
A
- MYTH = you can get high on nutmeg
- Nutmeg contains small amounts of a hallucinogen compound called myristicin in the essential oil
- TRUTH = nutmeg does have psychoactive properties at doses much higher than used in cooking
6
Q
Garlic
A
- MYTH = garlic will protect you from disease and keep away vampires
- Garlic was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians
- TRUTH = garlic is a good source of vitamins and minerals
- Garlic has a potent antimicrobial ingredient (allicin) that is protective in cardiovascular disease and canacer
7
Q
Brown eggs vs. white eggs
A
- MYTH = brown eggs are more nutritious than white eggs and that makes them more expensive
- FALSE = white eggs are laid by chix with white earlobes and brown eggs are laid by chix with brown earlobes
8
Q
Radioactive food
A
- MYTH = irradiated foods contain residual radioactivity
- FALSE = Ionizing radiation kills bacteria, viruses, microorganisms, and insects that would otherwise cause foodborne disease
9
Q
Brown rice vs. white rice
A
- MYTH = brown rice is more nutritious than white polished rice
- TRUTH = brown rice contains the bran and germ layers rich in nutrients (vitamins, fiber, protein)
- White rice is milled and polished so these layers and nutrients are removed
10
Q
Kosher salt
A
- MYTH = kosher salt has been blessed by a Jewish rabbi
- FALSE = kosher salt contains no additives and has a much larger grain than than regular table salt and is used to prepare Kosher meats
11
Q
Pasteurized milk
A
- MYTH = pasteurized milk destroys all the vitamins, calcium, phosphorous and enzymes
- FALSE = pasteurization is the process of heating food for the purpose of killing harmful organisms such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts, etc.
12
Q
Green potatoes
A
- MYTH = green potatoes can be poisonous
- TRUTH = when potatoes are exposed to sunlight, they produce poisonous compounds called alkaloids
- Solution = store potatoes in the dark, and cut away any green areas
13
Q
Cooking on a BBQ grill
A
- MYTH = cooking on a BBQ grill causes the formation of carcinogens
- TRUTH = no clear evidence BBQ meat causes cancer, but populations that consume high levels of grilled meats have higher rates of stomach cancer
14
Q
Chocolate
A
- MYTH = chocolate is a healthy food
- FALSE = chocolate contains lots of fat and sugar
- Chocolate does contain antioxidants, but these compounds aren’t absorbed well from chocolate, and most chocolates have very low levels of them
15
Q
Gin and tonic
A
- MYTH = drinking gin and tonic prevents malaria
- TRUTH = quinine interferes with the growth and reproduction of malaria-causing parasites
- Gin used by British colonists in tropical countries to make the ingestion of quinine (tonic) more palatable
