WRITING SAMPLE: FOOD MYTHS

SPICY FOODS AND EGGS

OBTAIN A PARDON,

WHILE RED MEAT

RECEIVES ANOTHER STRIKE

Spicy Foods do not cause ulcers. Ulcers are in fact caused by an infection of a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. Ulcers can also be caused by pain medications such as ibuprofen and aspirin, the so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (MedicineNet.com). In addition, gastric stomach ulcerations, as well as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, are not caused by psychological problems or emotional stress.

The most recent Yale University study about EGGS show that eggs do not raise cholesterol to harmful levels as previously assumed. In actuality, eggs contain approximately 211 milligrams of cholesterol per one large egg, and since the American Heart Association recommends limiting cholesterol intake to about 300 mg daily, this infers that a person can enjoy eggs in his diet, but in moderation. If a person is known to have heart problems or high cholesterol levels, the AHA recommends less than 200 mg per day.

On the other hand we find that RED MEAT, (a long-term offender LTO), has a confirmed link to breast cancer. A 12 years long experiment, which studied women who ate meat once a month and those who ate up to 6 servings of meat per day, has recently concluded showing that those women who ate the most meat had a 12.5% greater risk of developing breast cancer.

The American Heart Association advises keeping red meat eating to a minimum.