There have been many misconceptions and myths about food which hold no authentication. Many people say a certain combination of food could make you sick, or skipping meals is healthier or diets really work – but all these are nothing but myths. Let’s bust some common food taboos.
- Eating fish with dairy causes Vitiligo
Vitiligo is an auto-immune disorder which causes patches of skin to lose color. Formation of Vitiligo has nothing to do with diet! It is an unpredictable disease, which could or could not be genetic. So as far as the age old saying goes “After fish, milk do not wish” is not at all true. There are many recipes in which the fish has been cooked with either milk, coconut milk, butter or dairy products and have had no unwanted consequences after consumption. Hence, this is nothing but an old wives’ tale! - Skipping meals helps you lose weight
Many people assume that skipping meals like breakfast or lunch helps you lose weight. While it may be true for a shorter period of time, it is not rewarding in the long run. The best way to shed weight, and control our diet is with portion control and not by completely missing out on meals or a certain category of food like carbs or fats or proteins. Active lifestyle and portion control ensures you are getting your daily nutrients that your body needs while staying in our calorie intake limit. - Spicy food causes Ulcers
Eating spicy food could be uncomfortable while having an ulcer, but it does not cause stomach ulcers. Stomach ulcers could be due to NSAIDs (such as ibruprofen, naproxen or aspirin) or even stress. Not going into too much of a medical lingo, one must know that spices aggravate the ulcers and cause discomfort but do not cause/form ulcers themselves. - Coffee stunts your growth
It may be true, that too much caffeine is not good for anyone’s health, it is however not proven that it stunts growth. It can prevent the absorption of calcium and vitamins, cause acidity or be sensitive to your stomach, but does not directly affect a person’s growth. - Surgical wound infection due to consumption of rice
This was new to me, but found out from a surgeon friend that people actually do come up to him believing this. Infections after a surgery are caused by bacteria, and not by something we eat. So no, rice will not cause an increase in infection. Another common food taboo is to avoid egg and chicken as it could cause ‘pus’ in the wound. Medically, consumption of common foods like chicken, rice or egg have nothing to do with causing infection or pus in wounds. What really causes pus in wound is bacteria or fungi, or not properly taking care of the wound and keeping it clean.
Before acting on such taboos, or myths, one must verify the source of a certain saying or an old wives’ tale. Myths like these make no sense and are nothing but untrue causing unnecessary stress and misperception.