Food Myths - Have you fallen for any of these?

It’s impossible to tell just how, where or why food myths originate, but they do seem to stick around for a long time. When it comes to discerning fact from fiction, it  may not be wise, after all, to listen to what your mother says.

Here are a few favorite food myths. Which ones have you believed?

Frozen vegetables are less nutritious that fresh vegetables.
This is true only if you live on a farm or have your own garden and can consume your vegetables immediately.  The nutrient levels in vegetables drop when stored and shipped. If you add on the number of days they sit at the grocery store then in your fridge, you could be losing much of their health benefits. Frozen vegetables are flash frozen immediately when picked, so they retain most of their nutrients.

Carob is healthier than chocolate.
Carob and chocolate contain about equal amounts of fat and calories. There is, however, no caffeine in carob. Carob contains trace amounts of some minerals, but chocolate is also healthy considering its antioxidant levels.

Liver is very nutritious.
Liver contain lots of vitamins, minerals and protein, and has been used by traditional cultures around the world as a special health food for women in their childbearing years. If you can get an organic source, liver is probably a healthful food. But the liver also accumulates hazardous amounts of chemicals and hormones fed to cattle in their fodder so it's not so great if eaten from animals raised in conventional farms.

Healthier foods are more expensive than other foods.
While it may be true of some products and ingredients, it is not true of most others. Vegetables and produce purchased in season can be very cost effective as well as buying healthy products in bulk and storing or freezing them. Also, many of the over-processed and frozen meals on supermarket shelves are far more expensive than even going organic. Rice and legumes are still very inexpensive.

Foods sweetened with fruit juice are more nutritious than those sweetened with sugar.
Fruit juice is slightly more nutritious than sugar because of the vitamins, fiber and other nutrients from the fruit, but these are negligible. Your body does not discern the difference between regular sugar and the highly processed fruit juice concentrate that many health foods use to sweeten their products. It's overall sugar content that matters.

Margarine is healthier than butter.
Margarine actually contains harmful fats that can increase cholesterol levels. Butter is the healthier option, used in moderation. Organic butter is best, especially from grass fed cows.

Vitamin C helps fight off colds.
Studies have not found any evidence to back this claim up. Vitamin C is an important nutrient however. It's best to consume it in fruits and vegetables rather than supplement form.

Eggs contain way too much cholesterol.
While eggs do contain cholesterol, having three eggs per week will not adversely affect you. Some experts say that a low cholesterol diet is actually unsafe and can lead to Alzheimer's disease.