Specialists debunk the largest vitamin myths

Whether or not it’s an influencer telling you to drink lemon water to drop extra pounds or keep away from microwaves over claims they zap important nutritional vitamins, vitamin myths plague social media. Though there’s an limitless stream of wholesome consuming recommendation on platforms similar to TikTok and Instagram, not all of it’s true, nutritionists warn. However with lots of of conflicting opinions, it is nearly unattainable to know what we should always and should not be consuming. So, MailOnline requested specialists what they suppose are essentially the most worrying myths about meals made on social media…

Microwaves destroy vitamins: Social media is awash with claims that microwaves zap vitamins from meals. One TikTok by @cleanseclub, who has 258,000 followers, claims placing your meals within the microwave ‘kills 94 %’ of the ‘vitamins that your meals holds’. One other video on the platform by @cooperhealth, who has 3,000 followers, says you’re ‘higher off utilizing a range or an oven’ as microwaves take away antioxidants. However in actuality, all strategies of cooking — similar to steaming, roasting, or microwaving — trigger some vitamins to interrupt down as warmth can change their chemical construction.

That is very true if  meals is cooked for too lengthy or at a really excessive temperature. As a result of they cook dinner meals faster, microwaves can really protect nutritional vitamins higher than different cooking strategies, in response to Dr Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian at Aston College in Birmingham. It means, in principle, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium will likely be higher preserved in microwaved meals, he stated. All three are important for sustaining coronary heart well being, kidney operate and preserving bones and muscle mass. Microwaving can also be higher at retaining fiber, which is significant for intestine well being, in comparison with strain cooking greens, in response to a examine printed in Meals Chemistry in 2002.

Nightshade greens are harmful: Scrolling by means of TikTok might depart you believing tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes are unhealthy for you. That is as a result of some wellness bloggers have been spreading the idea that nightshade greens — a household of round 2,500 crops — may cause irritation and make arthritis worse. The speculation relies on these greens containing lectins — a protein that binds cells collectively — which have been linked to irritable bowel syndrome and arthritis when consumed in excessive portions.

One TikTok video by @iamkellytang, who’s a vitamin coach with 11.6K followers, suggests ‘limiting’ or ‘avoiding’ nightshade greens you probably have arthritis. She claims nightshades are ‘recognized to trigger irritation in those that have joint pains, arthritis, and power diseases’. Nonetheless, Dr. Mellor says nightshade greens which can be typically eaten uncooked — similar to tomatoes and peppers — solely comprise low ranges of lectin. And plenty of meals excessive in protein — similar to kidney beans — are cooked earlier than they’re consumed, which breaks lectin down. In the meantime, nightshade greens are additionally excessive in vitamin C, which may preserve wholesome joints and do not make arthritis worse, he says.

Contemporary is best than frozen: Though frozen and tinned fruit and greens last more and are normally cheaper, many individuals keep away from them as a result of perception that recent is at all times finest. One video by self-confessed ‘fats loss knowledgeable’ @alejandrofts, who has 55.5K followers, suggests frozen meals is ‘unhealthy’ and ‘horrible to your physique’. However simply because one thing is frozen does not make it worse than recent, specialists say. ‘Truly, frozen vegatables and fruits can comprise greater ranges of vitamins,’ says London-based nutritionist Kim Pearson.

That is as a result of they’re frozen at their peak — proper after being picked — and put by means of minimal processing earlier than freezing, that means they preserve a number of their vitamins, explains Ms. Pearson. In distinction, recent produce will be in a grocery store for days or perhaps weeks after being picked, that means they could have misplaced extra vitamins by the point they’re consumed. For instance, ranges of vitamin C — thought-about important for sustaining wholesome pores and skin and bones — can fall by as much as half in simply a few days.

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