Sunday, August 2, 2009

Summer Food Quiz Answers

Is it true or false?

1. Green Salad is very healthy.
False. In comparison to other vegetables salad contains a lot of water but very little vitamins and minerals.

2. Salt increases the blood pressure.
False. According to the "Intersalt" study which took place in 26 countries and 10000 participants no clear correlation between salt consumption and higher blood pressure could be established.

3. Bacteria causing food related illnesses thrive in temperatures over 104 degrees.
False. Most bacteria thrive in temperatures between 68 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Teeth shouldn't be brushed immediately after a meal.
True. Better to wait for half an hour until the acidity in the saliva has neutralized.

5. Citrus fruits contain the most vitamin C.
False. 100 g oranges contain 50 mg vitamin C, 100 g black currants 177 mg, 100 g peppers 120 mg or 100 g broccoli 115 mg.

6. Eating late causes weight gain.
False. For weight gain it's not important when you eat, but how much you eat. A ten year old American study with 7000 female and male participants showed that there was no difference in weight gain between early and late eaters.

7. Rose wines are a mix from red and white wine.
False. Rose wines can be made from either red or white grapes. The coloring of the wine is dependent on how long the juice was exposed to the skin of the grape during processing.

8. Sherbet (or Sorbet) has practically no calories.
9. Cockroaches like it warm and dark.
True. A small sherbet (or sorbet) consists practically of sugar, water and food flavoring which adds up (depending on brand and seize) to about 50 calories.

10. Oysters increase you sex drive.
False. Oysters contain a lot of iron, calcium, vitamin A and B and zinc. However, an increase in sex drive has not been proven scientifically.

11. Raw fruits and vegetables are healthier.
False. Some vegetables such as potatoes can't even be eaten uncooked because they contain poisons that are being neutralized through the cooking process.

12. The number one place to get food poisoned is a restaurant.
True. Most likely one gets infected in restaurants, followed by hospitals and nursing homes.

13. Hamburgers contain more fat than sausages.
False. A sausage contains about 30 grams of fat per 100 grams, a hamburger only 12 grams per 100 grams of fat.

14. Ketchup contains the same amount of sugar than many sweets.
True. The sugar content in ketchup can reach up to 23% (varies with each brand).

15. Grilled meat can be carcinogenic.
True. If the meat juice drops on to the hot grill while BBQing, carcinogenic elements can develop and rise with the smoke which then attaches itself onto the meat. This risk can be reduced by catching the juices in a grill pan before it reaches the hot grill.

16. The effects of freezing temperatures kills bacteria.
False. Lower temperatures don't kill bacteria however bacterial growth is slowed down. In frozen foods bacterial growth comes to a complete stand-still.

17. Bread, pasta and potatoes make us fat.
False. Carbohydrates such as found in breads, pasta, potatoes, etc. are very filling (particularly if whole grain) and contain only have as many calories as fat.

18. Green tomatoes are poisonous.
True. Green tomatoes contain solanine which is poisonous if eaten in large amounts.

19. Salmonella is the most common cause of food related illnesses.
False. Salmonella are often talked about however Escherichia coli (e-coli) and staphylococcus enterotoxin (staph) are much more common.

20. Chocolate makes you happy.
True. Cocoa contains analeptic substances such as caffeine and amino acid which are being metabolized in the brain to serotonin. And serotonin puts us all in a great mood!

21. One should never drink water following eating cherries.
22. Mushrooms should never be reheated.
False. It's no problem if the leftovers of a mushroom dish are being cooled properly in a refrigerator and consumed within 24 hours.

23. Too much beer causes beer bellies.
False. A "beer" belly can also originate from consuming too much wine. In fact, wine has twice as many calories as beer. And I haven't really seen a "Cabernet light" lately.

24. Frozen French fries contain more vitamin C than fresh potatoes.
True. German chemists have found that previously frozen fries contain more vitamin C than fries made from fresh potatoes.

25. Green asparagus is healthier than white asparagus.
True. Green asparagus grows above ground and can therefore develop chlorophyll which makes green asparagus richer in flavor and vitamins. I still like white asparagus better...

26. Brown eggs are healthier than white eggs.
False. The egg color depends on the chicken species.

27. Sugar is a vitamin killer.
False. It is true that our body needs a lot of vitamin B1 to get rid of the sugar, however a healthy adult usually has no problem replenishing with vitamin B1.

28. Coffee withdraws water from the body.
False. This effect can only be observed if the individual consuming the coffee is not a regular coffee drinker.

29. Always drink beer before wine.
False. Important is the amount of consumed alcohol, not the succession of the consumption.

These food facts can be found in the book "Lexikon der populaeren Ernaehrungsirrtumer" (encyclopedia of popular food errors) by Udo Pollmer and Susanne Warmuth. Unfortunately the book is not available yet on Amazon so I listed an other book with similar topics by the same author.

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