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 Five False Food Facts 五個食物迷思
Are all the things we hear about food true?
by Lisa Holl Chang

From a young age, people grow up believing many different things about food. Some of these beliefs are indeed true, but many have been revealed for what they are: myths. Let's look at a few popular food myths.

Myth #1: Eating carrots improves eyesight
  Carrots are a great source of beta carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A, an important vitamin for healthy eyes. But eating carrots doesn't make one see any better.
  The link between carrot eating and good eyesight probably comes from World War II. At that time Britain claimed eating carrots helped pilots see better at night. The rumor was spread to cover up Britain's successful use of radar.

Myth #2: You lose calories by eating certain foods
The idea is that some foods are so low in calories that digesting them uses more energy than consuming them. Such foods include cucumbers, green beans and grapefruit. But even low-calories foods provide more calories than the body uses to digest them. They do, however, make great alternatives to higher-calorie foods.

words
myth        A myth is a well-known story which was made up in the past to explain natural events or to justify religious beliefs or social customs.
convert     If one thing is converted or converts into another, it is changed into a different form.
calorie     Calories are units used to measure the energy value of food. People who are on diets try to eat food that does not contain many calories.
consume     If you consume something, you eat or drink it. (FORMAL)
alternative       If one thing is an alternative to another, the first can be found, used, or done instead of the second.