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Carbon Dioxide is Unhealthy: What is The Truth About Health Myth?

Still water or sparkling water – what is healthier? Many people ask themselves this question again and again, after all there are many myths surrounding the harmfulness of sparkling water. But what about the arguments against carbonic acid in the water?

Carbonated Water Has Lower pH: What Does That Mean?

A special feature of carbonated water: it has a lower pH value. According to Stiftung Warentest, its pH value is around 5.3, while still water has a neutral pH value of 7. So carbonated water is slightly acidic – that’s one of the reasons why it’s said to be unhealthier and has numerous effects on the body could have.

#1. Carbonic acid is bad for your teeth: What’s behind the myth?

A common belief is that carbon dioxide damages teeth. According to Stefan Zimmer, Head of the Department of Tooth Preservation and Preventive Dentistry at the University of Witten/Herdecke, this accusation is completely unjustified. There are no disadvantages for the teeth when drinking sparkling water, since the carbon dioxide in it breaks down immediately.

A sip of sparkling water after a meal can even help to remove tooth decay-promoting substrates. The rinsing effect can also dilute acids that attack the teeth and cause tooth erosion.

The American Dental Association also disagrees with this argument – ​​it considers carbonated mineral water to be harmless. She cites a study

#2. Sparkling water makes you fat: Does carbonic acid increase your appetite?

Fizzy water may promote weight gain, according to a 2017 study. Researchers observed that rats given fizzy drinks gained weight faster than rats fed the same non-fizzy drinks. Apparently the carbonic acid raised the ghrelin level. Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating hormone

However, the scientists only used rats and 20 students for their study. The results are therefore not meaningful, says Stiftung Warentest. So far there is no reliable evidence that sparkling water can actually make you fat.

#3. Carbonated water makes you acidic: Does the drink disturb our acid-base balance?

As already mentioned, sparkling water actually has a higher pH value than still water and is therefore more acidic. With this reason, carbonated drinks are sometimes discouraged in naturopathy.

However, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) gives the all-clear: “The carbon dioxide it contains is quite unstable and quickly breaks down into its components CO2 and water”. When the bottle is opened, the carbonic acid escapes with a hiss (in the form of CO2). “The rest of it breaks down in the stomach. This means that you have to belch or part gets into the blood via the digestive tract and is exhaled unnoticed through the lungs. This means that carbonated water does not contribute to acidification in the body.”

But even in this case, according to the Center for Health, there is no clear answer. So it means here too: observe oneself. For some people, carbonic acid can affect pH balance. This can lead to heartburn or digestive problems. For others, the sparkling water can even have the opposite effect. In the case of constipation, carbonated water could even be more advisable than still water.

#4. Carbonic acid damages the stomach: does sparkling water cause heartburn?

The fact is: Anyone who drinks carbonated drinks absorbs gas (CO2) – and this also finds its way out again. According to NDR experts, part of it enters the blood via the digestive tract and is then exhaled via the lungs.

The rest then escapes through belching and annoying flatulence. As a rule, however, this is not a problem – according to the experts, sparkling water is not automatically unhealthier because of this.

But be careful: If you are prone to heartburn, you may well have problems if you drink carbonic acid. When you belch, stomach acid can get into the esophagus and cause heartburn. Therefore, people with sensitive stomachs should drink water that is still or only slightly carbonated.

Conclusion: Carbonated water is not necessarily unhealthier – the effect is individual

In summary, it can be said that carbonated water is not nearly as bad as its reputation suggests. In most points it depends on the individual sensitivities of a person. So if you don’t notice any negative effects on yourself when you drink sparkling water, you can confidently continue to do so.

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health

Cheese Closes Rhe Stomach: What’s The Truth Behind Grandma’s Myth?

Cheese is supposed to close the stomach: Grandma already knew that. But we have found out for you whether that is actually true and what health benefits cheese has.

The saying that cheese closes the stomach probably comes from the Roman writer and scholar Pliny, who around 2,000 years ago rounded off cheese with every meal. He must have thought cheese was good for his digestion. And to this day it is still the case that cheese platters are served at the end of a meal or at celebrations. So what’s up with Grandma’s rumor that cheese closes the stomach? We know it and have found out all the facts on the subject for you.

Cheese closes the stomach: true or false?

Contrary to the cheese myth, cheese does not promote digestion. In fact, eating high-calorie cheese makes you feel full faster. This is due to the fatty acids and proteins contained in cheese. These delay the emptying of the stomach. So you could say that the cheese does not close the stomach, but rather clogs it up.

The high-calorie cheese triggers a long-lasting, strong feeling of satiety. This is probably the reason why the saying came about in a figurative sense that cheese closes the stomach. Gouda or Camembert are said to be particularly filling, while hard cheeses such as Parmesan or mountain cheese are particularly healthy. Cheeses like these provide the most minerals, such as calcium.

Cheese also stimulates saliva production and, depending on the variety, which contains a lot of phosphorus and calcium, can prevent tooth decay and maintain healthy tooth enamel in the long term.

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health

Coffee and Cigarettes Stimulate Digestion: What’s The Truth Behind Grandma’s Myth?

Coffee and cigarettes stimulate digestion. At least that’s what Grandma used to say. Is there something to it or is it just a myth?

1. Effect of coffee on digestion

Coffee contains about 80-100 mg of caffeine per cup. On the one hand, caffeine has a stimulating effect, but on the other hand it should also help to digest faster.

Definitely: Coffee increases the ability to contract in the small intestine, but regardless of its caffeine content. Ingredients that promote the effect include acids, tannins and bitter substances. In a study with mice, the researcher Xuan-Zheng P. Shi discovered that coffee stimulates digestion by feeding them coffee. After only three days, he was able to determine an increased contractility, i.e. a contraction of the muscles, in the small intestine of the four-legged friend. As a result, the food pulp was mixed faster and digested just as quickly.

So we can definitely speak of an effect on digestion with coffee – whether with or without caffeine. However, how strong the effect is in the end is individual. But what about cigarettes?

2. Effect of nicotine on digestion

Cigarettes are also said to boost digestion. However, they have less of a direct influence on our intestines and much more on our brain and the autonomic nervous system.

So this part of Grandma’s myth is also true. However, it should be borne in mind that other foods can also have a digestive effect without the body having to be supplied with toxic nicotine. The health aspect should not be disregarded – cigarettes can endanger your health and promote diseases.

3. Health aspects

In order to boost your digestion, it is not necessarily advisable to reach for a cigarette. The contained nicotine and other harmful substances can endanger your health and, for example, lung diseases
However, coffee has more benefits than just boosting digestion.

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Food

Carbon Dioxide is Unhealthy: What is The Truth About The Health Myth?

Still water or sparkling water – what is healthier? Many people ask themselves this question again and again, after all there are many myths surrounding the harmfulness of sparkling water. But what about the arguments against carbonic acid in the water?

Carbonated Water Has Lower pH: What Does That Mean?

A special feature of carbonated water: it has a lower pH value. According to Stiftung Warentest, its pH value is around 5.3, while still water has a neutral pH value of 7. So carbonated water is slightly acidic – that’s one of the reasons why it’s said to be unhealthier and has numerous effects on the body could have.

#1. Carbonic acid is bad for your teeth: What’s behind the myth?

A common belief is that carbon dioxide damages teeth. According to Stefan Zimmer, Head of the Department of Tooth Preservation and Preventive Dentistry at the University of Witten/Herdecke, this accusation is completely unjustified. There are no disadvantages for the teeth when drinking sparkling water, since the carbon dioxide in it breaks down immediately.

A sip of sparkling water after a meal can even help to remove tooth decay-promoting substrates. The rinsing effect can also dilute acids that attack the teeth and tooth erosion

The American Dental Association also disagrees with this argument – ​​it considers carbonated mineral water to be safe. She cites a study

#2. Sparkling water makes you fat: Does carbonic acid increase your appetite?

Fizzy water may promote weight gain, according to a 2017 study. Researchers observed that rats given fizzy drinks gained weight faster than rats fed the same non-fizzy drinks. Apparently the carbonic acid raised the ghrelin level. Ghrelin is an appetite-stimulating hormone

However, the scientists only used rats and 20 students for their study. The results are therefore not meaningful, says Stiftung Warentest. So far there is no reliable evidence that sparkling water can actually make you fat.
Experts advise your own appetite in connection with sparkling water

#3. Carbonated water makes you acidic: Does the drink disturb our acid-base balance?

As already mentioned, sparkling water actually has a higher pH value than still water and is therefore more acidic. With this reason, carbonated drinks are sometimes discouraged in naturopathy.

However, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) gives the all-clear: “The carbon dioxide it contains is quite unstable and quickly breaks down into its components CO2 and water”. When the bottle is opened, the carbonic acid escapes with a hiss (in the form of CO2). “The rest breaks down in the stomach. This means that you have to belch or a part gets into the blood via the digestive tract and is exhaled unnoticed through the lungs. So carbonated water does not contribute to acidification of the body.”

But even in this case, according to the Center for Health, there is no clear answer. So it means here too: observe oneself. For some people, carbonic acid can affect pH balance. This can lead to heartburn or digestive problems. For others, the sparkling water can even have the opposite effect. In the case of constipation, carbonated water could even be more advisable than still water.

#4. Carbonic acid damages the stomach: does sparkling water cause heartburn?

The fact is: Anyone who drinks carbonated drinks absorbs gas (CO2) – and this also finds its way out again. According to NDR experts, part of it enters the blood via the digestive tract and is then exhaled via the lungs.

The rest then escapes through belching and annoying flatulence. As a rule, however, this is not a problem – according to the experts, sparkling water is not automatically unhealthier because of this.

But be careful: If you are prone to heartburn, you may well have problems if you drink carbonic acid. When you belch, stomach acid can get into the esophagus and cause heartburn. Therefore, people with sensitive stomachs should drink water that is still or only slightly carbonated.

Conclusion: Carbonated water is not necessarily unhealthier – the effect is individual

In summary, it can be said that carbonated water is not nearly as bad as its reputation suggests. In most points it depends on the individual sensitivities of a person. So if you don’t notice any negative effects on yourself when you drink sparkling water, you can confidently continue to do so.

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Food

Black Food: What’s the Truth About Black Food?

Black Food is the name of a new nutritional trend that is increasingly focusing on black foods. What’s up with this trend? But above all: What is inside the black foods?

black food? If you first think of black currywurst with black fries or black burgers in brown bread – you’re actually right.

It actually started with a charred hot dog in a black bun, the photo of which went viral on social media. There is now hardly any food that someone has not already colored black – and not necessarily by charring.

What makes food black?

Black food is primarily about the food being black. Regardless of how they got their black coloring. Because the color can be “grown up” in a natural way or added later. The most common colorings in black foods are:

Anthocyanins: These are natural plant pigments that make fruits and vegetables appear blue, purple, or almost black. Blackberries, for example, contain a lot of anthocyanins.
Iron(II) gluconate or iron(II) lactate: Both substances have an oxidizing effect and cause foodstuffs treated with them to turn a deep black. Cheap black olives are colored like this, you can recognize the subsequent coloring by additive numbers such as E579
Sepia: The dark “ink” of the squid is actually used to ward off enemies and has long colored Italian pasta specialties black.
activated charcoal
In addition to these commonly used food colorings, there are exotic variants. For example, the charcoal from burned coconuts, but from a chemical point of view this is nothing more than carbon.

What are the health benefits of black foods?

Black food is said to be healthy, so healthy in fact that even ice cream that’s been dyed black is advertised as “healthier.” Black foods are also said to detoxify, be good for the kidneys, prevent cancer and be particularly rich in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.

Activated charcoal black food

Foods colored with activated charcoal are the cheapest of the newfangled black foods. Activated charcoal is an approved food coloring (E number E153) and is added to many industrially produced foods to “pretty color” them. For example, jams and jellies with little fruit content

This does not make any product healthier – only blacker. Because activated charcoal is able to bind toxins, black food foods colored with charcoal are often advertised with additional benefits such as “detoxifying” or “detox”. However, a healthy body is already well equipped with the liver and kidneys to eliminate harmful substances.

The small amount of activated charcoal in black food doesn’t really matter – and nobody has to “detox” and “purify” anyway. In addition, activated charcoal is mainly used to make foods that are unhealthy per se “black & healthy”: French fries, currywurst and burger buns are not healthier if they are colored “raven black”.

ferrous gluconate and ferrous lactate

Olives and other foods colored black with ferrous gluconate or ferrous lactate do not confer any additional health benefit from the color. Olives colored black with ferrous gluconate (E579) are colored because they were not given time to ripen and were harvested green. You can easily recognize this by the fact that the core is still light green.

Iron(II) lactate (E585), like iron(II) gluconate, is only approved in the EU as a coloring for olives, but it is very well absorbed by the body and is therefore used to fortify foods with iron. This cannot then be recognized from the colour, because iron(II) gluconate is actually green-yellowish, the black color of the olives is only caused by oxidation. Here, too, the black color does not bring any added health value.

Natural dye sepia

Sepia, also known as “squid ink”, has now also established itself as a natural coloring agent for pasta in German kitchens. In homeopathy, sepia is used, for example, for gynecological disorders or diseases of the respiratory tract. However, there is still no scientifically proven knowledge on this.

Anyone who does not suffer from gynecological disorders or other diseases that Sepia helps against in homeopathy has no health benefit from the consumption of squid ink. On the contrary: the cream sauce that is often served with black pasta is not particularly healthy.

Incidentally, sepia does not have an E number, but it must be included in the list of ingredients because it can cause allergies.

Black food thanks to anthocyanins

Anthocyanins belong to the flavonoids, are secondary plant substances and are therefore fundamentally healthy. The more flavonoids and healthy phytochemicals we take in, the better. Anthocyanins are not only responsible for the almost black coloring of fruit and vegetables, but also for the dark red color of cherries, grapes and hibiscus blossoms.

However, there are over 8,000 flavonoids, and all of them have been said to have antioxidant effects. They all fundamentally reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases – regardless of their color. So there is no point in limiting yourself to black fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are inherently healthier than junk food and highly processed foods.

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Food

The Bitter Truth About Tea

Exploitation, poverty, environmental destruction: That is the true price for our tea enjoyment – and others pay it. We show why responsible consumers should spend their money on fair tea instead of cheap tea.

Strictly speaking, “tea” is only the infusion made from the leaves of the tea plant, i.e. black tea, green tea, white tea and oolong. So the following post is about that. Because especially with the tea plant, the cultivation and processing conditions are often criticized.

The reasons are of a geographical and economic nature: Today, tea comes mainly from China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Vietnam (see FAO) – countries in which social and environmental standards are comparatively low or compliance is rarely monitored. The tea market is dominated by a few large corporations, in particular Unilever, the Tata Group and Associated British Foods. This gives these companies a lot of power, for example to enforce their ideas about prices and production conditions.

Tea often means exploitation and poverty

A prerequisite for employees to be able to protect their interests against such powerful corporations is that they can organize themselves. In a study, the Catholic aid organization Misereor writes that on many Asian and African tea plantations, employee representatives such as unions and works councils are being obstructed – in principle not a rare phenomenon in the plantation business. In 2019, however, Oxfam did report trade union activity in the Assam region of India.

Both organizations and a few others also report on diverse and widespread forms of discrimination on tea plantations, abuses of any kind do not seem to be uncommon.

There are hardly any living wages in the tea industry: the wages of plantation workers are often below the national minimum wage. Oxfam and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation mention wages of less than 2 euros per day in different regions of India.

According to various research, there are usually services on the tea plantations that plantation companies agree with their employees, such as medical care, accommodation and food. But these are often deducted from wages, so that there is hardly any money left to live on. In addition, research by NGOs and journalists consistently shows that the shelter and food provided is inadequate.

All three organizations mentioned denounce the catastrophic nutritional situation of tea plantation workers. This is also a consequence of the practice of withholding wages under various pretexts. Many employees on tea plantations are therefore undernourished or malnourished, and an alarmingly large proportion of their children are physically underdeveloped.

Nobody likes it: poison in tea

On large tea plantations, the tea is harvested all year round. Those responsible spray plenty of pesticides to combat pests and optimize yields. Soil, water, biodiversity and the health of the plantation workers suffer from the chemicals. We consumers in Europe can also taste the rampant use of pesticides: Test institutes regularly find high levels of pesticides in tea samples.

Greenpeace India, for example, found residues of at least one pesticide in 94 percent of the tea samples examined in 2014, and even more than ten different pesticides in 60 percent. However, pesticides in our food are not necessarily harmless: some have been linked to various health problems such as cancer, hormonal imbalances and fertility disorders.

What to do?

So far, so sad. If you don’t want to let the problems surrounding the cultivation of the tea plant spoil your enjoyment of tea, you can definitely do something:

Buy organic tea to reduce the risk of exposure to pesticides. The organic certification prohibits the use of dangerous sprays and fertilizers. With the purchase, you strengthen organic agriculture in the countries of origin and contribute to reducing the use of poison.
Buy fair trade, organic tea. This is the best way to combat exploitative working conditions. However, it is not easy to make a concrete recommendation here, because in addition to the well-known Fairtrade seal, there are a variety of initiatives.

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Cooking Tips

Coffee in The Evening Makes You Sleepless – Myth or Truth?

Coffee is the classic pick-me-up. No wonder many experts advise against drinking coffee in the evening. But does this recommendation really make sense?

Does coffee cause sleepless nights?

For many people, a cup of coffee in the morning is a perfect way to start the day. No wonder, after all, a freshly brewed coffee simply tastes delicious and is also considered a practical pick-me-up. Many connoisseurs also like to drink coffee in the afternoon to overcome the midday slump or as a supplement to cakes and biscuits. However, many people refuse coffee in the evening, because everyone knows the warning that you cannot sleep well after a coffee.

Some coffee drinkers have experienced themselves that after drinking coffee they were practically insomniac and lay awake for a long time. Nevertheless, there are always people who can sleep well after a coffee and do not feel any effect. So why is it that coffee has such different effects? And is the myth that coffee makes you sleepless in the evening really true?

Caffeine – the pick-me-up in coffee

Caffeine is part of the coffee bean. Depending on the type of coffee bean, the coffee contains more or less caffeine. For example, the two most popular coffee beans, Arabica and Robusta, differ significantly in their caffeine content. While the Arabica bean, with a caffeine content of 1.1 to 1.7%, is considered gentle on the heart, the Robusta is a real pick-me-up. Here the caffeine content is between 2 and 4.5%. Extracted caffeine is a white powder that tastes bitter but is completely odorless. Thus, the caffeine content, along with numerous other aromas, contributes to the typical taste of the coffee.
Why the coffee bean contains caffeine is controversial. It is often assumed that it is a natural protection against eating, after all, a raw coffee bean tastes quite bitter. Thus, animals or insects avoid the coffee bean. Chemically, caffeine is an alkaloid, i.e. an organic compound. Caffeine affects both the human and the animal organism. Due to the stimulating effect, the pick-me-up belongs to the group of stimulants. Caffeine is not only found in coffee, it is also found in smaller doses in cocoa, tea and guarana. Energy drinks and cola also rely on the stimulating caffeine. However, coffee is still the classic pick-me-up.

Caffeine acts as a stimulant

Caffeine has a noticeable effect on the body. We ourselves usually notice it from a faster heart rate and increased blood pressure. The blood vessels in the body dilate, but in the brain they constrict. The central nervous system and the entire metabolism are also stimulated by the stimulant caffeine. As a result, we are more awake, active and focused. Since everyone has an individual caffeine tolerance, an overdose can quickly occur. Then the body reacts with headaches or nervousness and the positive effects turn negative.

The rumor still persists that strong, bitter coffee has a higher caffeine content than a mild beverage. However, this is not the case as the method of preparation does not affect the caffeine content. Only the caffeine contained in the coffee powder influences the stimulant factor of the coffee. Since different coffee specialties are prepared with a different amount of powder, this is the reason for the different caffeine content.

A coffee in the evening?

Coffee is indeed a stimulant. This effect only sets in after half an hour, because then the caffeine has arrived in the bloodstream. It takes the body about five hours for the body to break down half of the caffeine. So it’s no wonder that late coffee has an impact on the quality of sleep. In fact, the stimulant even influences the body’s biorhythm. The natural need for sleep is shifted backwards and can thus permanently disrupt the natural rhythm. If you want to prevent this effect, you should stop drinking coffee – or drink decaffeinated coffee – five hours before you want to fall asleep.

By the way, there are people who can sleep perfectly even after drinking coffee. It has not yet been researched why these people react little or not at all to the caffeine. So, try the effect caffeine has on your body.

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