Nutrition myths

Many of us are concerned about our health and nutrition. Trying to find more information about these two aspects we often tend to browse the internet rather than visit a specialist though this isn’t very good. There are lots of myths about healthy life style and nutrition we all believe to be true. This article will tell you about some of them. The information is given by Catherine Collins, Principal Dietician at St George’s Hospital in London.

Myth 1: Eating late at night makes you put on weight

We’ve heard this millions of times but as it turns out this is not a fact. It is often said that a late meal eaten before going to bed leaves calories unused and thus promotes weight gain. However, researches show that eating late does not make you fatter, if only you haven’t eaten too much during the day.

Organism doesn’t differentiate between calories consumed at night or during daytime. The total number of calories eaten daily is what matters. It means an identical meal eaten at 5pm or at 10pm has exactly the same effect for the organism.

Myth 2: Exercising immediately after eating is harmful

This myth is based on the fact that after a meal about 15 per cent of our usual hourly blood flow is directed to the gut to help digestion. And blood is required during exercising too, as well as oxygen and nutrients. So both exercise and eating make it difficult for the organizm to work properly.

In fact, exercising immediately after eating is possible and not harmful, if only you don’t exercise too intense and your muscles take so much oxygen that the stomach struggles and you have cramps.

Myth 3: Coffee/caffeine is a diuretic, dehydrating rather than rehydrating you

Of course you know that coffee contains caffeine, which has a weak diuretic (water-losing) effect if you normally avoid caffeine. But if you drink coffee, tea, energy drinks and eat chocolate your liver gets used to processing caffeine quickly and neutralising this effect.

Multiple studies show that the key factor influencing the diuretic effect of coffee is not related to its caffeine content but to the size of the drink.

Myth 4: People should drink two litres of water a day

Long ago it was found that adult men needed two litres of fluid a day to stay hydrated enough. But few people know that this amount includes water content of food as well, which is more significant than one may imagine. Even toasted bread is a quarter water. And no one benefits from drinking more than he needs.

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