In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, some things still remain vital. Food is one of those, which is why it is pertinent to know as much as possible about the foods we consume on a daily basis. Here are some food facts you should know.
Fruits and Vegetables Are Less Nutritious Than They Used To Be
You may well be eating the recommended levels of fruit and vegetables but it’s possible it might not be doing you the same amount of good that it used to do
Recent scientific studies have suggested that due to modern agricultural practices, such as the birth of Genetically Modified Organisms, most fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than they were around half a century ago. It was suggested that you would have to eat eight times the amount of oranges now to get the same amount of vitamin A as you would 50 years ago. Which is why, in other for us to keep healthy, we have to try and maximize our benefits from eating fruit and veggies. This can be achieved by consuming more of fruits and vegetables, and where possible, eat organic produce.
Pre-Packaged Salads and Greens May Not Be Clean
When you buy your salad and other fresh green produce pre-packed it will have gone through a washing process, but just how clean is it? A research conducted look at pre-washed salads and found that a great percentage of the samples tested contained bacteria, the type of which would indicate contamination. Some vegetables have numerous nooks and crannies where bacteria can remain despite washing. The best way to tackle this is to thoroughly wash all veggies you buy, regardless of the packaging. We cannot afford to be careless now
Chewing Coffee Beans Can Help Eliminate Bad Breath
Those of you who choose to chew on some gum or even some extra strong mints to get rid of bad breath are doing it wrong. This is so because the answer apparently lies in the coffee bean. Yes, chewing on the roasted coffee beans can go some way to ridding you of your garlic or onion breath. Other good options to freshen your breath include parsley or mint leaves. If you prefer to drink your coffee rather than chew it then Israeli scientists have found that coffee can inhibit the bacteria that lead to bad breath.
Chocolate Is As Healthy As Fruit
This appears to be good news right? Research has suggested that chocolate can be just as good for you as fruit. In tests that compared dark chocolate with fruit juices made from blueberries and pomegranate, dark chocolate was found to be higher in disease-fighting antioxidants. For maximum benefit, it is best to choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate, as the dairy variety contains additional sugar and is much more processed which reduces the health benefits.
Chocolate Supplies May Run Out
This is not very good news. In fact we can say it is bad news for those of you wanting to take advantage of the chocolate benefits mentioned above. This is so, because, the popular treat is in real danger of going into shortage. This happens because prices of your chocolate bars have in recent years been on the rise (or the bars have been shrinking in size), due to the growing global demand for cocoa. In addition, the additional demand from emerging mass markets such as China, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Russia mean there aren’t enough Cacao trees to meet demand and the possibility of a supply shortfall could be on the way. A good solution would be to plant more Cacao trees.
The role of Vegetables in our overall well being cannot be overemphasized.
Cilantro
Cilantro is good for digestion and also soothes many common ailments such as headache, coughs and nausea.
Onions
Onions are great antioxidants, containing anti-allergy, antiviral, and anti-histamine properties. The sulfur compounds found in onions help in the detoxifying the body and aid in cellular repair. Maximum health benefits are seen in raw or lightly-steamed onions.
Parsley
Parsley is also great for use as a digestive aid. It is a natural breath freshener, anti-carcinogen, contains three times the amount of vitamin C as oranges, and twice the amount of iron as in spinach. Even though it resembles cilantro in appearance as some might say, they are not the same thing.