Eating too much fruit rots your teeth, oranges are the best source of Vitamin C and avoiding fruit in the evening are food ‘facts’ we get totally wrong.
Eating too much fruit rots your teeth, oranges are the best source of Vitamin C and avoiding fruit in the evening are food ‘facts’ we get totally wrong.
A study of 2,000 adults, carried out by Love Fresh Berries, revealed the main food myths which consumers believe.
A third of people believe organic fruit is healthiest and a fifth think that juicing fruit detoxes their body.
Nicholas Marston, chairman of Love Fresh Berries, said: “There are so many food myths and misinformation around that it’s sometimes hard to know what is actually good for you and what we should be eating.
“Often the difference between truth and a myth can be somewhat unclear so it’s important to distinguish between them and get information from reputable sources, not hearsay.”
Almost half of those surveyed admitted that they believed something about food which they later found to be untrue, although 50 per cent say they are knowledgeable about food.
Two thirds of people agree that it is hard to know which food facts to believe as there are different pieces of advice flying around every day, with a fifth of those strongly agreeing.
But almost half of Brits don’t bother sourcing nutritional information. The majority that do use websites to do so, or seek nutrition knowledge from TV over speaking to a medical professional or nutritionist. Another quarter will decide whether something is good or bad to eat after looking through social media.
Nicholas Marston added: “There’s so much information online, it’s often hard to tell what’s true and what isn’t.
“With the growth of social media we have seen a huge rise in unqualified influencers giving nutritional advice to followers, even telling them not to eat fruit or berries because of high sugar content, or because they’ll rot your teeth when in fact, berries are nutritional powerhouses which have many health benefits.”
Dr Emma Derbyshire: “We are in the information era yet it seems that ‘over’ information could be confusing the lay public. We must remember to utilise information that is evidence-based rather than trusting ‘popular’ followers.
“With social media, people’s views on food are now openly public. When it comes to fruit there are many myths but we should not let these impact what we eat. The benefits of fresh fruits far outweigh any mythological drawbacks.”
ENDS