Read up on these fiction busters!
 

JUST A LITTLE EGGIE FACTS...

Old News:  Don’t eat eggs.  A single egg has 215 milligrams of cholesterol—two-thirds of the daily maximum.

Latest News:  Saturated fat—and eggs contain very little—plays a bigger role in raising blood cholesterol than dietary cholesterol.  A daily egg may have little effect on the risk of heart disease in healthy people.  This does not include people with high cholesterol levels, or diabetics, or others with heart disease risk factors.  But if you know you’re healthy and that your cholesterol is at a desirable level, you can eat a daily egg.    

 
YOU SAY TOMATO?  WE SAY...

Old News:  A good source of vitamin C, especially fresh tomatoes.

Latest News:  Yes, tomatoes offer vitamin C, and a lot else besides.  It turns out that they are rich in important carotenoids, including lycopene—a relative of the more celebrated beta-carotene.  Lycopene appears to help prevent prostate cancer.  Oddly enough, cooked and processed tomatoes contain lycopene that’s more readily available to the body.  Ounce for ounce, processed tomato products (such as sauce, paste, or juice) contain 2 to 10 times as much available lycopene as fresh tomatoes.

THE SHELLFISH GAME...

Old News:  Shrimp are rich in cholesterol and don’t belong in a heart-healthy diet.

Latest News:  Shrimp have more cholesterol than any other shellfish except squid: about 195 milligrams per 3.5-ounce serving (the daily limit is 300 milligrams).  But the cholesterol in shrimp may not be as much of a problem as cholesterol in other foods.  And shrimp are very low in saturate fat—only 0.3 grams in that serving.  Saturated fat, more than dietary cholesterol, raises blood cholesterol.  In addition, shrimp contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  Further news: Many shellfish, such as crabs, scallops, mussels, clams, and lobster, are actually slightly lower in cholesterol than chicken or beef.

ORANGE YOU GLAD YOU ASKED...

Old News:  Citrus fruits contain lots of vitamin C.

Latest News:  The vitamin C is still there.  But oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes also contain a wide range of important phytochemicals that may help protect against cancer and stroke.

CHERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, BEETS, PEPPERS...

Old News:  Good food, but no better than lighter-colored fruits and vegetables.

Latest News:  Deeply colored fruits and vegetables tend to have the most vitamins and minerals.  And besides that, the plant pigments that give them such rich colors may themselves protect against chronic diseases, including cancer.  These pigments have high antioxidant potential.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bother with cauliflower, green grapes, or white potatoes.  But do include some of the “darks”—such as kale, spinach, prunes, red grapes, raisins, cherries, oranges, and carrots—every day.