Every year the whole world celebrates World Food Day on October 16. The Food and Agriculture Organization started celebrating it to fight hunger, and malnutrition and to raise awareness about healthy diets across the world. Everyone knows that food is the most important part of the basic needs of humans and how important it is to eat nutritious food for a healthy body. This is why there are many misconceptions associated with food. Let us know about some such misconceptions related to food.

1. Are carbs our enemy?

One of the biggest myths about food is that carbohydrates are not good for us and we should avoid them as much as possible. In fact, carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for our body and brain. We can achieve good health by including grains, fruits, and vegetables in our diet and reducing sugary snacks.

2. Are detox diets necessary for us?

It is commonly claimed that detox diets remove toxins from our body, but our body has a natural system to detoxify itself. Kidneys and the liver are part of this detox system. We can improve the body's detoxification process by eating a balanced diet rich in coarse grains and vegetables.

3. Fats are not good for us?

There has been a myth for a long time that fat in our diet is not good. Not all types of fats are bad for us. There are two types of fats, healthy fats and unhealthy fats. Fats are good for our heart health if consumed in moderation. Saturated fats and trans fats are included in the list of unhealthy fats, they should be consumed in limited quantities but mono-saturated fats or poly-saturated fats are considered healthy if consumed in limits. These fats are essential for energy, hormone production,, and for the functioning of cells.

4. Are fresh fruits and vegetables better than frozen fruits and vegetables?

Almost all fruits and vegetables, whether fresh or frozen, are healthy. A study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine suggests that frozen fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as fresh fruits and vegetables. We just have to be careful about the added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium.

5. Can't we get enough protein from a plant-based diet?

Our body needs protein to function properly. Animal-based proteins are called complete proteins because they contain all the amino acids that the body needs to make protein. Plant-based proteins lack these essential acids to some extent, but it is not difficult to make up for them. By including all types of pulses, such as chickpeas, kidney beans, beans, etc. in our diet, we can easily fulfill our protein needs without worrying about cholesterol and saturated fats.

6. Are organic products more nutritious?

The term organic refers to the method of cultivation and processing of a product. Organic broadly means that no pesticides or fertilizers have been used during the cultivation of a fruit or vegetable. Although there are some studies that show some benefits of organic products, there is no firm conclusion that organic is better.

7. Are multigrain and whole grain the same?

Multigrain and whole grain are not the same. Whole grains are those grains whose outer layer called 'bran' has not been removed during processing, due to which they are very nutritious, and apart from carbs, they are also rich in fiber.

Multigrain foods contain more than one grain but they don't need to be made from whole grains. The problem with multigrain foods is that during refining, many nutrients including fiber are lost in them. Whenever we buy a multigrain product, we should look for the whole grain label on it.

8. Is an egg not good for health?

There is a common misconception about eggs, especially their yolk, that they contain a lot of cholesterol. Research shows that the cholesterol found in eggs does not have any significant effect on our blood cholesterol. Apart from cholesterol, egg yolk contains many nutrients, due to which eggs are very good for health if consumed within limits.