Oysters to boost your sex life and 11 other health myths busted

WE all know the saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away', but one expert has now debunked fact from fiction when it comes to the contents of our fridge.

A new study found that thousands of adults are 'confused' about what they should really be eating.

Nutritionist, Lily Soutter, has busted some of the most common health myths.

She confirmed that while carrots contain lots of vitamin A - which helps maintain healthy vision, they don’t help you see any better in the dark, a popular line many people tell their kids to help them eat more veggies.

Similarly, enjoying an apple a day won’t in itself reduce your chances of needing to visit a GP, and chewing gum doesn’t take seven years to leave your system.

But what about other myths such as 'oysters make you feel frisky'?

Lily says that neither chocolate nor oysters are aphrodisiacs – possibly to the disappointment of 18 per cent and 19 per cent of Brits surveyed who are wrongly under the impression that eating these foods will help them under the sheets

Yogurt makers Onken teamed-up with Lily to separate the fact from the fiction about food, after it commissioned a study of 2,000 adults.

Lily said: “Many of us rely on what we remember from school when it comes to nutrition.

“But we’re learning new things all the time about what different foods do for our health, such as the benefit of fermented foods to our gut and immune system.

“While some of what’s passed down over generations is super advice, some of it isn’t.”

The study also found that swimming right after eating is wrongly believed by 34 per cent of adults to be something you shouldn’t do.

In fact, Lily says it’s exercising to high intensity immediately after eating that’s best avoided as it can give you a stitch.

BRAIN BOOSTER

Almost half of those surveyed believe fish is good for the brain – and they’re right, as long as they’re eating oily fish – because essential omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish contribute to normal brain function.

Eating bread crusts doesn’t make your hair curly, although one in 10 think it does - another white lie told to kids to help them to finish off their sandwiches.

And sadly, despite 23 per cent believing it to be the case, eating celery doesn’t burn more calories than you gain from eating it.

Other myths wrongly believed by many of those polled include eating chicken soup helps if you have a cold (27 per cent) and drinking fruit juice is as healthy as eating whole fruit (17 per cent).

Shockingly, more Brits would ask their parents for advice about food before going to a a GP or nutritionist.

Four in 10 said their first point of call for information on eating well would be the internet and 15 per cent would turn to their mum or dad.

Just 14 per cent said they would speak to a nutritionist with 12 per cent speaking to a GP.

TONGUE TWISTER

But it might be worth them asking such professionals how to pronounce notable health foods while they’re at it.

This is because 77 per cent don’t know how to say acai (a-sai), 71 per cent struggle to pronounce kombucha (kom-boo-cha) correctly, and 61 per cent find saying miso (mee-so) to be a challenge.

Kefir (kuh-FEAR) is also somewhat of a tongue twister for 63 per cent – while 44 per cent of adults have never heard of it.

Laura Graham, from Onken, which has launched a Super Kefir yogurt containing live cultures and Vitamins B6 and B12, said: “When it comes to healthy eating, it doesn’t matter whether or not you can get your tongue round pronouncing these foods.”

Carried out through OnePoll, the research also found half of adults admit they don’t pay enough attention to what foods their body actually needs.

While 59 per cent struggle when it comes to knowing what foods are good or bad for you.

Similarly, 49 per cent aren’t sure what a balanced diet actually is - and as a result, may not being eating everything they need.

Furthermore, many of those polled don’t know which foods are a good source of protein (48 per cent), of healthy fats (56 per cent) or of complex carbohydrates (61 per cent) - despite all being key to a healthy diet.