Debunking Common Food Myths You Thought Were True

This week, we'll be debunking some of the most food related myths around. We'll be diving into everything from the "5 second rule" to diet soda being a silent killer. Many of these I believe right up until I started doing research for this article. So without further ado, we'll get into our first myth.

Myth: 5 Second Rule

Most of us in the United States have had someone assure us that if we pick up our food after its falled to the ground within 5 seconds, we'll avoid any harmful germs. I've beeen told this on many occasions and can remember vividly in elementary school having friends who used this myth to justify eating everything from chicken nuggets to pizza off the dirty groud.

But, in reality it takes less than a second for bacteria to get on your food after hitting the floor. This is, of course, an estimate as many factors come into play like level of moisture, the condition of the ground your food fell on and whether your food was partially covered.

In the end, none of us are fast enough to pick up anything from the floor before those tiny, ugly germs can make their way onto your fallen dish. As I got older I realized that this was probably a myth and I shouldn't eat food off the floor but the next myth was VERY surprising.

Myth: You Need To Clean Raw Chicken

Yes, you read that correctly, washing raw meat like chicken is not needed to remove bacteria. In fact, its actually more dangerous for a pretty sensible reason. When you chicken in your kitchen, especially under your faucet, you splash bits of chicken flesh and bacteria all over the place.

So if that bird really had salemonella, its now all over the sink, counter, and anywhere else that was splash with chicken juice. Provided you got your meat from a reputable source, the only thing that you need to kill any pathogens in the cooking process itself. Washing raw meat, whether with vinegar or water, may enhance the taste but it isn't removing any bacteria; rather its spreading it all over your kitchen!

Myth: Diet Soda helps you lose weight

Diet soda, in and of itself does not help you lose weight. In fact, some argue that consuming 0 calorie drinks like soda may cause you to eat excess calories from other food sources. I'm not personally sold on the latter but the main things that contribute to weight loss are diet, exercise, and your determination. Knocking down 5 diet cokes a day will not change that.

Myth: Aspartame causes cancer

Of the many myths surrounding diet soda it causing cancer is probably the scariest. Needless to say the mere possibility of diet Dr.Pepper being the reason you get one of the worst illnesses mankind has ever seen is enough to keep some far away from it. But, there is no scientific evidence linking diet soda and aspartame in general to any sort of cancer. In fact many regulatory agencies like FDA, EFSA, and WHO consider artificial sweeteners safe.

Myth: Adding Oil to Pasta Prevents it From Sticking

Adding oil to boiling pasta has long been a staple in my household. I was taught from a very, very young age that adding some olive or vegetable oil to a pot of pasta will prevent it from sticking to your pot. But, this is simply not true.

Since oil and water do not mix, any oil you add to the pot of pasta water will never actually touch the pasta long enough to impact it. Instead, it'll just float to the top and make the surrounding water look a little dirtier. Apparently, to prevent pasta from sticking we just need to stir it a few times. Who knew?

Myth: Turkey contains a chemical that makes you sleepy

This one is popular around Thanksgiving but I knew it couldn't be true as I consume pounds of ground turkey meat each week and have yet to feel sleepy after a meal. The chemical within the turkey flesh that many claims causes sleepiness is tryptophan. However, said chemical is present in many other foods like cheese, chicken, and nuts.

In fact, turkey has less tryptophan than these foods comparatively. The real reason you contract the itis on Thanksgiving is due to overindulgence. Eating a turkey leg, mac and cheese, corn bread, stuffing, and whatever else is on your plate almost instantly makes you drowsy.

Myth: Adding salt to water makes it boil faster

Adding salt to boiling water may enhance the taste of whatever you're cooking but it will do nothing to reduce the amount of time it takes to boil. In fact, adding salt to water increases the time it takes to reach its boiling point. Granted, the difference is very small as it only increases your target temperature but about 0.3 °F per teaspoon. But, adding the salt certainly does not speed up the boiling process.

Myth: Peanut Butter is a Good Source of Protein

Peanut Butter is a poor source of protein when you factor in the amount of calories you need ingest to reap the benefits. To get a measly 9 grams of protein you'll need to eat around two tablespoons of protein totalling about 190 calories. So, if you're trying to hit a caloric deficit or even maintain your weight, you'll want to take it easy on the peanut butter.

By comparison, a cup of Strawberry Cheesecake Greek Yogurt provides you with 12 grams of protein at the cost of around 80 calories. Overall, protein is simply not a great source of protein if your goal is to get or stay lean.

Myth: Vitamin C prevents colds

Consuming large amounts of Vitamin C does not prevent you from getting a cold. Incorporating vitamin c into your diet on a regular basis, does however, help support and strengthen your immune system overall. But simply downing a gallon of orange juice when your kid sneezes on you won't stop you from getting sick.

Myth: Brown rice is better for you than white rice

While I distinctly remember hearing from multiple "reputable" sources that brown rice was better for you, we now know that it largely depends on your fitness goals. Brown rice is likely better for those looking to stay fuller longer, but white rice wins when you want quick, easy-to-digest carbs—think pre-workout fuel or a calm option for sensitive stomachs. White rice is usually enriched with iron and B-vitamins after milling, so its not the nutritional wasteland people make it out to be.

With these myths busted, enjoy more content from Fueling Food

If you enjoyed dispelling these common food myths with me. You'll love the other content on our site. If you're a fan of games, check out the Would You Rather? Food Edition game. And for those looking to cook more at home but are too stressed to do anything, check out my tips for cooking when you're stressed. Finally, if you haven't done so already, follow us on X @fuelingfood to be among the first to know about new content and prizes.