There are foods that are said, without any scientific evidence, that contribute to gaining weight. Others, by contrast, are reputed to be beneficial in weight loss diets. What is true in all this? Is it true that sugar makes you fat? Does it make sense to deprive yourself of potatoes in a regimen against extra pounds? Does the gin and tonic have fewer calories than other alcoholic beverages? Let’s see what is true in some of these myths.
Bread makes you fat
Each 100 grams of white bread contains about 250 kilocalories. We often attribute an excessive caloric intake to bread that, in reality, is due to the accompaniment (sauces, butter, pates, cheeses, cold meats, etc.).
The idea that toast (breadsticks, toast, or crust) is less fattening than the crumb is also wrong . The crumb contains more water and therefore has a spongy appearance. With equal weight, the crust has more calories than the crumb: 100 g of toast contains 350 kcal. On the other hand, toasted bread produces a greater feeling of satiety.
One possibility to reduce calories is to substitute whole wheat for white bread . In addition, whole wheat bread provides an extra amount of fiber , minerals and vitamins of group B.
Sugar makes you fat
Sugar’s bad name comes from its relationship with cavities, obesity and diabetes . However, it is an energy food (400 kcal per 100 g) that is found in many foods, from fruit to honey.
Sometimes sugar is related to buns, cakes and chocolates. In these foods the main caloric contribution is found in the fats with which they are made and not so much in the sugar.
One way to reduce calories is through the use of artificial sweeteners , such as saccharin, aspartame, or cyclamate.
Vitamins make you fat
Vitamins have no calories, so they are not fattening. They are essential nutrients for the body, but they do not increase appetite, a capacity that has been attributed to them. Nor do they contribute to increasing memory, preventing the flu, or improving sexual performance, as suggested.
Potatoes make you fat
The potato contains between 75 and 80 percent water. The rest of its composition are carbohydrates , mainly starch. The potato is not a hypercaloric food, since it only contributes 85 kcal for every 100 g. This means that cooked or boiled meals have fewer calories than a beef steak , whole yogurt or a glass of milk .
What does make you fat is the oil (when they are fried), the butter (in the puree) or the sauces that accompany them.
Crude oil has fewer calories than fried
The oil provides the same calories fried as raw. It does not matter to take some vegetables sautéed in oil that are seasoned cold with the same amount of this fat.
Neither does the degree of acidity or the origin of the oil influence the caloric intake. Olive oil has the same calories as corn, sunflower, sesame or peanut oil .
Alcohol-free beer is calorie-free
The beer “alcohol” presents an amount of lower alcohol to 1 percent and very few carbohydrates, from 2 to 5 g per 100 cc. This provides for each beer consumed between 40 and 80 kcal.
It is a drink that is high in phosphorus, sodium and potassium , but it should be taken with caution in cases of diabetes, hypertension or kidney failure.
Tonic and bitter are low in calories
The tonic and bitter contain the same calories as soft drinks, mainly due to the carbohydrates in their composition. Each 200 ml contains from 80 to 150 kcal. The bitter taste does not have to do with its caloric content , but with the quinine and the vegetable extracts that are added to them.
All ‘light’ products are low in calories
The heading “light” brings together a whole world of food, in some cases low calorie and in others only slightly reduced. The purest are “light” soft drinks that do not contain calories.
In other types of “light” foods such as mayonnaise, margarine, pate, cocoa or sausage, the caloric reduction is less and it has been achieved by increasing the proportion of water or the amount of lean meat. However, these products still have calories.
Mineral water makes you fat
Water has no calories, so it does not get fat before or after food . It is also not true that mineral water provides any special quality to regulate weight, it simply offers a peculiar flavor due to the minerals it contains, compared to tap water.
Herbal capsules help control weight
The capsules made with herbs that exist in the market basically contain laxatives and diuretics. Although they can make you lose pounds, they are those that come from water and not from fat, making it difficult to maintain the weight loss.
Special care must be taken with “miracle” pills, preparations that are dispensed without sanitary control and that usually contain amphetamine derivatives, anxiolytics or extracts of endocrine glands. These preparations without medical control are not only harmful to health, but also fatal.
