Questions tagged [nutrition]
Use this tag for claims regarding the way we eat, and the effects eating has on our bodies.
684
questions
17
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Is poisoning possible from preservative on orange zest?
I've heard that you can get poisoning from cakes that contain orange zest from the preservative sprayed on the outer surface of oranges before transportation from tropical countries to our shops.
Is ...
- 231
60
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Do you eat a certain number of spiders whilst you sleep?
Over the course of your life time, the average person eats X spider/insects/whatever whilst they are sleeping.
X tends to vary according to who you ask. Is this just an urban legend?
- 4,818
79
votes
2
answers
12k
views
Is drinking water during a meal bad for you?
I have heard that it will "wash away the nutrients", that it dilutes stomach acid and all kinds of things. Is this just an old-wives tale?
- 4,818
18
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Do omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil improve concentration and cognitive ability?
In the UK, omega-3 has been a big fad, it seems. You can't seem to get away from products without it. I Although recently it has died down, it mainly stems back to a flawed study on schoolchildren. Is ...
- 11.9k
95
votes
2
answers
9k
views
Is a vegetarian (vegan) diet more healthy?
According to Wikipedia,
Vegetarians tend to have lower body mass index, lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less incidence of heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, renal ...
25
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Is carbonated water unhealthy?
I have a coworker who says that drinking soda leads to kidney problems. I did some Googling and while I found a lot of blogs and message board posts saying such, the only credible link I found was ...
- 5,923
25
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Does intermittent fasting improve immune function through autophagy?
Does intermittent fasting improve immune function through autophagy?
Intermittent fasting (also known as,
"IF") is the practice of periodically
going without food for a period of
time, ...
- 33.3k
50
votes
2
answers
15k
views
Does the "sugar high" exist at all?
I've heard numerous times that eating1 a high quantity of sugar will give you a "sugar high" or "sugar buzz"
The high one gets after consuming large amounts of sugar. Also called a "sugar rush." ...
- 78.6k
22
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Does organic food have more vitamins than nonorganic food?
Aside from the issue of pesticides there's the claim that organic food has more nutrients, vitamins and minerals than nonorganic food:
Organic food is known to contain 50%
more nutrients, ...
- 33.3k
42
votes
2
answers
7k
views
What's wrong with processed food?
Jamie Oliver always talks about how processed food is awful, and we should stop eating it.
By processed food he means food which is pre-prepared and contains additives. He instead insists that food ...
- 3,117
17
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Does changing your pH balance change your mood?
I have read that eating more alkaline foods and changing your pH balance reduces stress and anxiety.
For example, see Eat a Lemon, Feel Less Stressed:
Stephanie McClellan, MD, and Beth Hamilton, ...
- 625
29
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Is sugar in fruit juice less likely to cause weight gain than refined sugar?
Refined sugar is regularly described as the root of all evil, while sugar in fruit juice slips under the net.
I just noticed my 330ml juice has 33g of sugar in it.
There are currently ...
- 539
32
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Are saturated fats unhealthy?
I've been taught since I was a kid that eating fat is bad for my health. Later on, I found out that unsaturated fats (especially ones containing Omega-3 and Omega-6) are actually good for your health.
...
40
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Is eating eggs bad for me?
I read yesterday that a single egg contains 70% of my daily cholesterol. I will frequently cook myself an omlette for lunch with 2-3 eggs. Is this unhealthy if I do it more than once a week?
- 4,995
14
votes
1
answer
54k
views
Is eating oranges at night bad for you?
I've always been told that eating oranges at night is bad for you.
In fact there is a saying that suggests that you might die if you eat them at night:
"Oranges in the morning are gold, afternoon ...
- 281
34
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Are we eating too many carbs? And do we need to switch to the primal/paleo diet?
TL;DR
Accepted knowledge is that high carb low fat diet is good. Paleo diet says opposite, the claims seem solid for the Paleo diet but I am still skeptical as Science seems to think that conventional ...
- 557
10
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Can carbon in hair be proven to originate from corn?
I recently watched the film King Corn. The filmmakers had their hair tested to determine how much of the carbon originated from corn. They estimated that over 50% of the carbon in their hair was ...
- 203
19
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Insects as food: Is it feasible for humans to replace traditional "livestock" meat with insects?
I have heard of some benefits of insects as food, but are there any drawbacks? I've never heard of a human culture whose primary protein intake came exclusively from insects. Would someone ...
Dogmafrog
17
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Does celery help you lose weight?
I have often heard people say that celery will help weight loss because digesting it consumes more calories than is contained in celery itself.
Is this true and, if so, is the weight loss significant?...
21
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Does the Atkins diet work?
The official (theirs) description is here
Wikipedia here
My question is, does this diet lead to substantial weight loss, say a 25% reduction for an obese male, without any serious adverse side ...
- 12.9k
11
votes
2
answers
776
views
Is global economic production sufficient to feed, clothe and educate everyone?
Is there enough food produced annually to provide a subsistence diet for the entire population of Earth? (Bonus points for data involving shelter, clothing or education.)
This question was inspired ...
- 2,100
69
votes
1
answer
20k
views
Is food cooked in a microwave oven harmful for the health?
A colleague of mine just made a comment about cooking food in a microwave oven. According to him it is considered to be harmful to one's health. Is it true?
- 1,109
16
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Does it take 200L of water to make a latte?
I just saw this Youtube clip that claims it takes 200L of water to make a latte. Is that true?
- 10.2k
18
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Do antioxidants have health benefits?
I recently read an article on Yahoo (but have seen them other places) that claim antioxidants are very important and have health benefits. One article even talked about antioxidants ability to ...
- 299
21
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Do food additives ("E Number") cause hyperactivity?
E numbers are number codes for food additives that are used in the European Union. Some of the substances are banned in some countries while still allowed in others - see E110, E122, E129, etc.
Some ...
- 403
26
votes
5
answers
7k
views
Is salt "white death"?
Salt is sometimes known as "white death" due to the belief that an excess intake of salt can cause substantial damage to health.
What evidence exists to support or contradict the idea that excess ...
- 3,439
54
votes
4
answers
12k
views
How bitter is Robert Lustig's "Bitter Truth" about sugar?
A couple of months ago I watched the talk "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" by endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig on YouTube. The overall tone of the talk raised a couple of red flags; it sounded a little too ...
- 835
50
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Does the artificial sweetener aspartame cause cancer?
I've often heard that the artificial sweetener aspartame causes cancer.
Is it true?
- 1,461
22
votes
1
answer
2k
views
6-meals-a-day strategy
It is commonly suggested, in the body building world, that the following eating strategy rises metabolism and inhibits the production of fat tissue:
Eat a substantial meal every 2 to 3 hours (six ...
- 78.6k
18
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is it possible to influence the sex of a baby by controlling the mothers' diet?
Can a mother decide whether a baby will be born male or female through careful control of her diet?
- 2,481
29
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Does blood type affect what type of food is best for you?
I remember that, a few years ago, my parents were told that different blood types need to eat differently. From a quick look online, it seems to be called "Eat Right For Your Type."
It claimed that, ...
- 7,591
30
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Does drinking milk lead to osteoporosis?
The China Study authors state that:
osteoporosis is linked to the consumption of animal protein because animal protein, unlike plant protein, increases the acidity of blood and tissues. They add ...
- 747
48
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Are vegetables good for me?
From a young age, most people are told that vegetables are really good for you and you must eat them...
But why? If I eat loads of vegetables for a week, and then the next week I eat nothing but ...
- 583
29
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Does chamomile help you to relax?
What is the best evidence available relative to chamomile having relaxing effects?
Some examples claims include:
It is known for its relaxing and soothing properties
It is a mild relaxant and, as ...
- 1,836