Too Funny

I just love this! If you've been reading here for any length of time you know how enchanted I am with nutrition, and the affect of proper nutrition on our bodies. I wrote here and here about the topic last year.

So of course, looking at the daily news feeds today, an entry titled "Healthy Habits That Aren't" caught my eye. I'm reading through the article, not surprised to see that washing our hands in antibacterial soaps is no better than using regular soap, and can even be worse. Nor am I surprised to read that low-fat/fat free diets aren't all that good for us, and that perfect posture is not better for our backs than reclining. Nor was I surprised to read that taking anti-oxidants in pill form doesn't help us at all and can actually harm us (must EAT the anti-oxidant rich food, can't take the shortcut with pills!)

I WAS surprised though to read that carrots (Vitamin A) are not as good for our eyes as we've been led to believe. Now of course, Vitamin A is good for eyesight and other things, so I had to read more to find out what the article was saying. Here's an excerpt:

If you think these vegetables will improve your vision, think again. While carrots do contain vitamin A, which is a major player in keeping your eyes working properly, you really only need a small amount of it—and no matter how much vitamin A you consume, it’s not going to magically eliminate your need for glasses. In fact, if you eat too much vitamin A, you can end up with a toxic—although not usually fatal—reaction. The idea that more carrots means better vision might actually be a relic of a World War II-era military disinformation campaign. According to the online World Carrot Museum, British intelligence began spreading the myth during the blitz as a plausible explanation for why their fighter pilots were suddenly able to spot Nazi planes at night. In reality, the British had simply developed a better radar system and didn’t want the enemy to find out about it.

That is just too funny! One of the greatest modern-day beliefs about the power of good nutrition on the body turns out to be the result of keeping war secrets! I LOVE it. :)

I also never knew (nor dreamed) that there was such as thing as the World Carrot Museum. I'm sure I'm just way too easily entertained, because this whole thing has really tickled my funny bone! :)

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