{"id":5343,"date":"2020-05-15T09:09:39","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T09:09:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=5343"},"modified":"2020-08-06T12:04:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-06T12:04:41","slug":"debunking-food-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/05\/15\/debunking-food-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"Debunking Food Myths"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With comfort eating becoming a preoccupation for individuals during lockdown, CONNECTED speaks to University of Reading experts about the myths surrounding appetite-suppressing foods and COVID-19 \u2018miracle\u2019 foods.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fuller for longer?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There are plenty of foods and protein drinks that are marketed with the promise to keep hunger at bay. Foods are often developed with the aim of increasing satiety or satiation, but what exactly is meant by these terms? CONNECTED speaks to nutritional scientist, Dr Miriam Clegg, from Reading\u2019s Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences<\/a> to find out more:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cAppetite is our desire to eat. And while hunger is a cue from our body, appetite is a cue from our brain. Satiety and satiation are often used interchangeably in relation to appetite but actually have different meanings.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cSatiation is the process that leads us to stop eating, whereas satiety is the feeling of fullness that persists after eating, potentially suppressing further energy intake until hunger returns. In simple terms, what makes us put down our knife and fork is satiation, and what keeps us from starting our next snack or meal is satiety.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Dr Clegg highlights, despite sophisticated mechanisms in the body to control food intake, people often still eat when they feel satiated or resist eating when hungry. There are many factors that influence eating behaviour as well, such as portion size, tastiness and emotional state.<\/p>\n

With many Britons constantly trying to lose weight, the floodgates have opened for fad dieting and the marketing of appetite-supressing products which can be dangerous. Dr Clegg said:<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently, there is limited evidence to support the effect of satiating foods in obtaining a healthy body weight. But many food and supplement brands still appear to advertise the benefits of suppressing appetite regardless of health claim regulations \u2013 particularly outside the EU. A prime example is the Flat Tummy Co\u2019s \u2018appetite-supressing\u2019 lollipops which are marketed to maximise satiety, but in terms of evidence there is no robust science to support these claims. This is because there is insufficient evidence characterising appetite and weight, with most studies focusing on one or two days\u2019 effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

When is increasing appetite important?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Much focus goes into decreasing appetites, but appetite research is also concerned with increasing appetites, for example, in older people who report having a diminished appetite for a variety of reasons. Dr Clegg explains:<\/p>\n

\u201cThese reasons may include physical factors such as slower emptying of food from the stomach, and social factors such as bereavement, depression or isolation. Reduced physical function, sight, smell and taste impairments, medication and dental problems can all influence appetite.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe elderly usually\u00a0eat less\u00a0than younger people. They experience fewer hunger pangs and\u00a0satiation at meals is faster. Together, these factors can result in a reduction in appetite and a reduced desire to buy and prepare food, which affects their\u00a0nutritional health.<\/p>\n

\n

“In this group, foods that promote appetite and encourage increased food intake are required to prevent malnutrition.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAnother challenge for older people is that the type of foods they require need to be good sources of protein. Protein is considered to be the\u00a0most satiating\u00a0nutrient, but it can increase mouth drying and, if it is meat-based, may require longer chewing, which makes it difficult to consume. Much is still unknown about appetite responses in older people, and\u00a0more research is needed\u00a0to explore how appetite can be increased in this population.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it stands, there is\u00a0convincing evidence<\/a>\u00a0for the short-term satiating effects of some foods and nutrients, but much less evidence on the longer-term impact of these foods on weight control.\u00a0Dr Clegg argues that more studies specifically designed to demonstrate a causal link, if any,\u00a0between appetite and weight control<\/a>\u00a0are needed.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 food myths<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Not only have myths surrounding appetite-suppressing foods become more prominent, but so have myths surrounding so-called \u2018miracle\u2019 foods that can prevent or cure COVID-19. Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) has tried to dispel such myths, misinformation continues to circulate on social media. As dietitian and Reading PhD researcher \u2013 Taibat Ibitoye \u2013 highlights, there is currently no evidence that eating certain foods or following certain diets will protect us from COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Taibat tells CONNECTED of the food myths that need to be debunked:<\/p>\n

Myth 1: Garlic<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is some evidence showing that garlic has antibacterial effects, with existing studies indicating the active compounds of garlic are protective against some types of bacteria like\u00a0salmonella<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0staphylococcus aureus<\/a>. However, research investigating garlic\u2019s\u00a0antiviral properties<\/a>\u00a0is limited.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThough garlic is considered to be a\u00a0healthy food, there\u2019s\u00a0no evidence showing\u00a0that eating it can prevent or cure COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Myth 2: Lemons<\/strong><\/p>\n

One viral Facebook video claimed that drinking warm water with lemon slices could combat COVID-19. However, there\u2019s\u00a0no scientific evidence<\/a>\u00a0that lemon can cure the disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cLemon is a\u00a0good source of vitamin C, which is important for helping immune cells work properly, however, many other citrus fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C.\u201d<\/p>\n

Myth 3: Vitamin C<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vitamin C<\/a>\u00a0is known to play a role in supporting the normal functioning of the immune system. Yet, it\u2019s\u00a0not the only nutrient<\/a>\u00a0that maintains the immune system.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the misinformation on vitamin C and COVID-19 comes from studies that have investigated the links between vitamin C and the common cold. Despite claims online that vitamin C can prevent and treat the common cold, the\u00a0evidence in support\u00a0of this is not only limited, but conflicting too. There are also significant differences between the common cold and coronavirus.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is currently\u00a0no strong evidence<\/a>\u00a0that supplementing diets with vitamin C will prevent or cure COVID-19.<\/p>\n

Myth 4: Alkaline foods<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMisinformation spread on social media suggests the virus can be cured by eating foods with a pH [level of acidity] that is higher than the virus\u2019s pH.\u00a0Some of the \u2018alkaline foods\u2019 said to \u2018cure\u2019 COVID-19 are lemons, limes, oranges, turmeric tea and avocados. However, many of these online sources give incorrect pH values to these foods.\u201d<\/p>\n

Overall, there\u2019s no evidence indicating that foods can even affect the pH levels of blood, cells or tissues \u2013 let alone cure viral infections.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Myth 5: The keto diet<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0ketogenic (keto) diet<\/a>, which is a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet, has been said to be protective against COVID-19.<\/p>\n

This comes from the idea that it can \u2018boost\u2019 the immune system. Though one study showed that keto might\u00a0prevent or treat the flu<\/a>, this study used mice models. This makes it difficult to know if keto would have a similar effect on humans at preventing or treating the flu.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is also currently no existing scientific evidence demonstrating that a ketogenic diet can prevent coronavirus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Current advice<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In fact, the British Dietetic Association (BDA) has stated\u00a0no specific food or supplements<\/a>\u00a0can prevent a person from catching COVID-19. Alongside the WHO, they encourage people to consume a healthy, balanced diet that contains the five main food groups to support the immune system.<\/p>\n

People are also encouraged to take\u00a0protective measures against COVID-19, including washing hands frequently, maintaining social distancing and following lockdown orders.<\/p>\n

Social media is a powerful tool, however, it can also be a catalyst for spreading misinformation. The bottom line is that there are no miracle foods or supplements guaranteed to protect people from COVID-19.<\/p>\n

These articles were first published in\u00a0The Conversation on 1 April 2020<\/a> and 21 April 2020<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With comfort eating becoming a preoccupation for individuals during lockdown, CONNECTED speaks to University of Reading experts about the myths surrounding appetite-suppressing foods and COVID-19 \u2018miracle\u2019 foods. Fuller for longer? There are plenty of foods and protein drinks that are marketed with the promise to keep hunger at bay. Foods are often developed with the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":170,"featured_media":5377,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[20,85,26,28,87],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDebunking Food Myths - Connected<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CONNECTED speaks to University of Reading experts about the myths surrounding appetite-suppressing foods and COVID-19 \u2018miracle\u2019 foods.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/05\/15\/debunking-food-myths\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Debunking Food Myths - Connected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"CONNECTED speaks to University of Reading experts about the myths surrounding appetite-suppressing foods and COVID-19 \u2018miracle\u2019 foods.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/05\/15\/debunking-food-myths\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Connected\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-15T09:09:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-08-06T12:04:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/05\/Untitled-design-22.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"550\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"juliasmalley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"juliasmalley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/05\/15\/debunking-food-myths\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2020\/05\/15\/debunking-food-myths\/\",\"name\":\"Debunking Food Myths - 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