RFF #21 – The amount of salt in a McDonald’s BigMac varies depending on the country you’re in

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It’s kind of interesting to think that the BigMac is consumed across the globe. Nevertheless, the BigMac you get in Canada, Greece or the UK isn’t exactly the same. As a matter of fact, when it comes to salt, there can be big differences. I took a look at the salt level in a variety of BigMacs from around the world, the countries I chose were completely random (as the name of this blog suggests). Here’s a comparison of the salt level in various countries:

Canada-2.6g

France-2.2g

Moldova-2.3g

Greece -2.3g

United Kingdom-2.1g

USA-2.4g

I didn’t check every country, but it’s quite interesting to note that of the countries I chose, Canada ranks highest.

—I learned about this fact from: http://www.mcdonaldsmenu.info/nutrition and a conversation with Elizabeth Dunford

RFF#20 – Visitors to the grave of Frederick the Great often bring potatoes

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It has to do with the Russian famine of 1774. At the time, King Frederick began cultivating potatoes, and tried to convince the people to start eating them. However, to Frederick’s surprise, people refused them, on the basis that they were not accustomed to this vegetable. Nevertheless, clever King Frederick managed to coax the Russian people into eating potatoes by establishing a heavily guarded royal potato field. The crop eventually attracted the interest and envy of the local peasants who soon after began stealing the potatoes (as King Frederick hoped they would). Years later a French soldier who was captured by the Russians, Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, attributed his survival to the potato and went on to write a “Chemical Examination of the Potato”, in which he declared the potato “capable of reducing the calamities of famine”. There you have it…that’s why people still bring potatoes to the grave of King Frederick the Great.

—I learned about this fact from: Guttman J. Ask MHQ: King Frederick II of Prussia. Historynet.com. 2009. Accessed: 10 Dec 2012. Available from: http://www.historynet.com/ask-mhq-king-frederick-ii-of-prussia.htm

RFF#19 – It can take 5-10 exposures to a new food to overcome your initial aversion

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The fact is, humans are neophobic. As a result, we naturally fear anything that is new or unfamiliar on the basis that it could be harmful. But, as studies have shown, repeated exposure can lessen our aversion (at least that is what they’ve seen when studying children). So whatever vegetable you loath, I encourage you to give it another try, chances are, the more you try it, the better it will taste.

—I learned about this fact from: Birch LL. Development of food preferences. Annual Nutrition Reviews. 1999;19:41-62.

RFF#18 – Salt increases the amount of water that binds to meat…therefore, salty meat weighs more, and thus costs more

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Have you ever wondered why there is so much salt in our food? There are a couple of reasons, and this one demonstrates that salt isn’t just there to add flavor and extend shelf life. Apparently it may also increase food industry profits.

—I learned about this fact from: He FJ and MacGregor GA. A comprehensive review on salt and health and current experience of worldwide salt reduction programmes. Journal of Human Hypertension, 2009;23:363-384.

RFF#16 – Frozen concentrated orange juice contains 24-55% more vitamin C (when re-constituted) compared to ready-to-drink orange juice

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This is largely because with every day of storage, vitamin C levels decrease by about 2%. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily mean that re-constituted juice is better, as the rate of vitamin C degradation may be greater in re-constituted juice. Therefore, the bottom line is, don’t leave juice in your fridge for too long, its benefits will decrease.

—I learned about this fact from: Terry LA, ed. Health-promoting properties of fruits and vegetables. CABI: Cambridge, 2011.

RFF#14 – Broccoli florets contain 7.7 times more antioxidants compared to the stem

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For once, the better tasting part is actually better for you! But don’t forget, the stems have a lot of fiber, so they’re still worth eating.

—I learned about this fact from: Sissi Wachtel-Galor, Ka Wing Wong, Iris F.F. Benzie, The effect of cooking on Brassica vegetables, Food Chemistry, Volume 110, Issue 3, 1 October 2008, Pages 706-710.

RFF#13 – Vitamin B1 was discovered because someone noticed that chickens eating white rice were dying while chickens eating brown rice weren’t

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As the story goes, Christiaan Eijkman, a Dutch doctor in Indonesia in the 1880s, was conducting an experiment to see if bacteria were responsible for a disease called “beriberi”.

At first, Eijkman couldn’t figure out why all of his chickens were getting sick. Then out of nowhere, they started getting better. After a chat with the chicken-keeper, Eijkman realized that initially the chickens were being fed leftover white rice that was donated from the hospital next-door. But after the hospital cook stopped providing them with these leftovers, the chicken-keeper started feeding the chickens brown, unpolished rice. Then, out of nowhere, the chickens recovered.

This is what ultimately led to the discovery of what Eijkman called the “anti-beriberi factor”, or what we call “Vitamin B1”.

—I learned about this fact from:  “Christiaan Eijkman, Beriberi and Vitamin B1.” Nobelprize.org.20 Sep 2012. http:www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/vitamin_b1/Eijkman.html

RFF#12 – Popeye was right, spinach is amazing

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Okay, okay, so maybe eating spinach won’t cause your muscles the spontaneously burst out of your shirt; nevertheless, there’s compelling evidence to show that spinach has some pretty powerful properties. In particular, research has demonstrated that nitrate containing vegetables, such as spinach or beets, enhance endurance. As a result, if you eat these foods prior to exercising, you may be able to exercise for a longer period of time, without feeling exhausted. How is that possible? Well, it has to do with the fact that the nitrates found in these vegetables, increase your muscle’s uptake of oxygen. In doing so, they enable your muscles to work for longer without becoming exhausted. Hence, the popularity of beet juice among pro-athletes.

—I learned about this fact from: Larsen FJ, Weitzberg E, Lundberg JO, Ekblom B. 2010. Dietary nitrate reduces maximal oxygen consumption while maintaining work performance in maximal exercise. Free Radical Biology & Medicine, 2010, 48:342-347. Bailey SJ, Winyard P, Vanhatalo A, Blackwell JR, DiMenna FJ, Wilkerson DP, Tarr J, Benjamin N, Jones MJ. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity eBailey SJ, Winyard P, Vanhatalo A, Blackwell JR, DiMenna FJ, Wilkerson DP, Tarr J, Benjamin N, Jones MJ. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol, 2009, 107:1144-1155. Larsen FJ, Weitzberg E, Lundberg JO, Ekblom B. Effects of dietary nitrate on oxygen cost during exercise. Acta Physiol, 2001, 191:59-66.

RFF#11 – You can thank Napolean III for the invention of Margarine

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As the story goes, in 1869, Napolean III launched a campaign in search of a cheap replacement for butter to be used for the navy and the lower classes. It was this that led to the first patent on what was then called “oleomargarine”…and the rest is history…to be discussed in later posts.

—I learned about this fact from: Toussain-Samat, M. A history of food. Wiley-Blackwell; UK, 2009.

RFF#10 – Carbohydrates promote the release of serotonin in your brain, which makes you feel happy

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It’s no wonder carbs are a classic comfort food. The effect of carbohydrates on our mood has been known for centuries. Apparently, when Marco Polo brought pasta back from China, Emperor Fredrick III described pasta using the Greek word “makarios”, which means “happy”.

—I learned about this fact from: Toussain-Samat, M. A History of Food. Wiley-Blackwell: UK, 2009. Fernstron JD and Wurtman RJ. 1971. Brain serotonin content: increase following ingestion of carbohydrate diet. Science, 174:1023-1024.

RFF#9 – Oranges grown with greater exposure to sunlight have higher levels of vitamin C

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Sun exposure is one of many factors (including soil quality, growing temperature, rain etc.) that influence vitamin and mineral levels in fruits and vegetables. That being said, if you find yourself in an orange grove, opt for a fruit grown on the outside of the canopy as the trees in the middle tend to be more heavily shaded and would thus contain less vitamin C. Moreover, if you’re in the northern hemisphere, fruits on the south side of the tree would likely have greater exposure and thus higher vitamin C levels, compared to fruits grown on the north side. Of course, the situation would be vice versa in the southern hemisphere.

–I learned about this fact from: Terry LA, ed. Health-promoting properties of fruits and vegetables. CABI: Cambridge, 2011.

RFF #8 – Children can be born with caffeine dependency if their mothers consume caffeine during pregnancy

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Shocking but true. Upon consumption caffeine passes through the placenta and enters every organ of a developing fetus. Furthermore, caffeine can also be transmitted to infants through breast milk. Because babies lack the enzymes necessary to breakdown caffeine, it can stay in their system for up to 85 hours!!!! Even in children, caffeine lingers around in the body for longer than it does in an adult. Hence, children should stay away from caffeine, and that includes soft drinks!

—I learned about this fact from: Gilbert RM. Caffeine, the most popular stimulant. The encyclopedia of psychoactive drugs. Chelsea House Publishers: New York, 1992.

RFF#6 – Sesame seeds contain calcium

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Just when you thought dairy products were the only source, lo and behold every tablespoon of sesame seeds contains about 10% of the calcium you need each day. Nevertheless, like many of the other non-dairy sources of calcium (such as turnips, mustard greens, broccoli, cauliflower and kale), sesame seeds contain oxalates which decrease the absorption of calcium. While there is debate, toasting sesame seeds may destroy the oxalates, thus making the calcium more readily absorbable. Nevertheless, while you can’t rely entirely upon these non-dairy sources of calcium, they can still make small contributions to your daily calcium intake.

—I learned about this fact from: Bowden, Johnny. The 150 healthiest foods on earth. Fair Winds Press. Massachussets: 2007.

RFF #5 – A low fat diet can reduce risk for breast cancer

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That’s right, if everyone ate a low fat diet, breast cancer rates would decrease by 7.3%. That’s 10 333 cases in the US alone, every year!

I don’t know about you, but french fries suddenly look less appetizing.

–I learned about this fact from: Dayal HH, Kalia A. Preventing breast cancer in postmenopausal women by achievable diet modification: A missed opportunity in public health policy. The Breast, 2010;19:309-311.

RFF#4 – Avocados have more potassium than bananas

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You know how bananas are notorious for their potassium content? Well, the truth is, avocados actually have more potassium. As a matter of fact, one avocado has more than two times more potassium compared to a banana. Nevertheless, even though it’s high in potassium, an entire avocado still only satisfies 28% of the potassium you need everyday. Thus, you need five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables every day, because they’re the richest source of potassium, and each contains only a small amount. Finally, in case you’re wondering, potassium is desirable because it increases your body’s excretion of sodium. This is important because sodium consumption is the leading preventable risk factor for death worldwide.

RFF#3 – Lamb is the highest natural source of trans fats

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But that doesn’t mean you should stop eating it! While it’s pretty clear that industrially produced trans fats (the ones found in things like baked goods and other processed foods) greatly increase risk for heart disease, studies have shown that this may not be the case for natural trans fats (found in meat and dairy products). As a matter of fact, natural trans fats may actually decrease the chances that leftover cholesterol will take up residency in your arteries. At least that is what they have found in rats.

—I learned about this fact from:
Ganguly R and Pierce GN. Trans fat involvement in cardiovascular disease. Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. 2012;56:1090-1096.

RFF# 2 – There’s seaweed in chocolate milk

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You may have noticed the mysterious fifth ingredient in chocolate milk:

Milk
Sugar
Cocoa
Salt
Carageenan????

If you’ve ever wondered what it is, you now have the answer. But don’t get all grossed out on me, seaweed performs an important function. The carageenan fibers form a microscopic mesh framework that traps particles of chocolate keeping them perfectly interspersed through the milk. If it wasn’t for carageenan, all of the chocolate would settle at the bottom and you’d have to shake the carton every time before pouring it. Thus, you can thank seaweed for that perfectly even chocolaty experience.

I learned about this fact from: Dr. G, my university food chemistry instructor.

RFF#1 – When it comes to healthy eating, Plato had it all figured out 2000 years ago

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That’s right, according to Plato “there ought to be no other secondary task to hinder the work of supplying the body with its proper exercise and nourishment”.

If you’re confused about the never-ending debate over what’s healthy and what isn’t, the commonsense teachings of Plato reaffirm that a healthy diet includes:

-cereals (like wheat and barely)
-legumes (such as chickpeas, which according to Plato were most tasty when stirred with a golden or fig wood ladle)
-fruits
-milk
-honey
-fish
-water

While Plato cites olive oil as being helpful, it seems the ancient Greeks were more interested in putting it on their skin, as opposed to actually eating it. Furthermore, as would be expected, Plato warned against excessive drinking, and confectionaries (which in his day consisted of pastries and pancakes with grape syrup), describing these foods as being harmful to the body.

All in all, Plato emphasized that despite our limitless desire for food and drink, self-restraint is essential for healthy living.

I learned about this fact from: Skiadas PK and Lascaratos JG. Dietetics in ancient Greek philosophy: Plato’s concepts of healthy diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2001;55:532-537.