Common food beliefs, myth or fact?

Melissa Southern-Garcia, Dietitian, Jakarta, SouthernDietitian@yahoo.com

Food plays a vital part in our daily lives. Every culture, family and individual has its own set of beliefs about food which have been formed through experience, myths and lore.

In this week's article I would like to discuss some of the more common food beliefs that readers have asked about in recent months.

* Eat more carrots - they are good for your eyes

Carrots and all fruits and vegetables of orange or red color contain a group of compounds called carotenoids. Beta-carotene, one of the more commonly known carotenoids is said to be a pro- vitamin because the body is able to use it to make vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential to the proper functioning of the eye. In fact, one of the symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency is night blindness. So eating plenty of carrots, or other orange, red or dark green vegetables can help your body get enough beta carotene to help keep your eyes on the right track. Of even more interest is the fairly recent research showing that another carotenoid - lutein - is critical in protecting the eye from damaging components of sunlight by forming an absorptive yellow pigment in the cells.

Lutein is also found in orange and red fruits and vegetables such as tangerines, carrots and tomatoes and dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach.

* A glass of warm milk before bedtime will help you sleep well

Many people may be unable to digest milk because their body does not produce the enzyme lactase. These individuals may experience bloating, gas and cramping when drinking a glass of milk, none of which lead to a good night's sleep.

However, if you are not lactose intolerant, it is possible that this food myth might hold a bit of truth. Milk protein contains high levels of the amino acid tryptophan which is believed to cause sleepiness.

* Fresh food is better than canned or frozen

As a general rule, you cannot go wrong with fresh food. However, there are some exceptions. Tomatoes are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene which has been shown to prevent certain types of cancers and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that canned or packaged tomatoes can provide up to six times more lycopene than an equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes. This is because the heat used during processing breaks down the tomatoes' cell walls, allowing the lycopene to be better absorbed by the body.

Lycopene is the exception rather than the rule since many other compounds found in food such as vitamins are actually destroyed by heating or even affected by the particular method of heat applied. Vitamin B12 which is found only in animal products such as milk, eggs and meat is completely inactivated when exposed to microwaves, but is retained when heated on the stovetop or in the oven. Although vitamin B12 is found commonly in foods, elderly people have difficulty absorbing the vitamin and may be at risk for deficiency. It is important that they do not microwave meat, eggs, or milk on a regular basis.

* Chocolate tastes good but it is not good for you

There has been a great deal of research recently looking into the possible benefits of chocolate. Although most of this research was funded by a major chocolate producer, it has yielded interesting results. Flavonoids are compounds found in certain cocoas, chocolate, tea and red wine. It is believed that flavonoids may have a protective effect on the heart. However, it is important to remember that flavonoids are found in cocoa beans and that in order to make the chocolate we consume, the beans must be processed in a variety of ways that significantly reduce the amount of flavonoids in the final product. Fat, sugar and other ingredients are also added to most chocolate bars, making the actual cocoa content quite low and the calorie content quite high.

So if you want to benefit from the flavonoids in chocolate look for a dark chocolate (the darker the chocolate, the higher the cocoa and flavonoid content) and remember to always enjoy in moderation!