White spots on fingernails are caused by improper nail growth. Nails are made of keratin. Keratin grows in layers overlapping one another. If there is too much space between these layers, if they come apart slightly or split, white spots may appear on your fingernails.

Lack of calcium does cause certain symptoms including cramps and tingling, and can increase your risk of osteoporosis in the long term. It cannot, however, be blamed for white spots on your fingernails.

Answer:

This is not necessarily true because cholesterol actually comes from two places:

Our body, which produces 60 to 80% of the cholesterol in the liver
Our diet, which creates another 20 to 40%.

Because diet is such a significant source of cholesterol, making healthy choices is an important part of keeping cholesterol levels in check. Certain foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Examples include cold cuts, fried foods, meats, regular dairy products, butter and shortening.

Be aware, however, that diet is not the only cause of cholesterol.

Answer:

Chocolate, fries and other greasy foods were long thought to aggravate acne, but no scientific evidence yet exists to show a connection between the two.

Acne is actually caused by heredity, stress, hygiene and the hormonal changes that go along with puberty, the stage of life at which acne problems are more frequent.

References:

Canadian Dermatology Association http://www.dermatology.ca
http://www.coupdepouce.com/bien-dans-mon-corps/nutrition/alimentation-des-mythes-tenaces/a/28191

Answer:

It is a common belief that caffeine can help you lose weight. Theoretically, caffeine may contribute to weight loss by:

Suppressing your appetite
Helping you burn more calories
Increasing water loss through urination

These effects, however, are only temporary and their actual impact on weight loss is unknown. What is more, caffeine can produce unpleasant side effects such as nervousness, palpitations and insomnia. It is therefore better to drink coffee in moderation.

The best long-term way to lose weight is to adopt healthy eating habits and be more active…

Answer:

Although many children are affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), its exact cause remains unknown. A great deal of research has been done on nutrition and ADHD. According to the Canadian Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Resource Alliance (CADDRA), research focused on the relationship between special diets, sugar, food dyes, allergies and ADHD still fail to show that diet is a significant factor in the onset of the disorder.

The only thing that has been proven is that, while food dyes do not cause hyperactivity as such, they can aggravate symptoms. This is what researchers discovered after giving beverages containing food dyes to 300 children. They reported that the beverages containing food dyes made children slightly more active, impulsive and inattentive than those without food dyes. The effect was found in both children with ADHD and those without.

Contrary to preservatives, food dyes serve no purpose other than to modify the appearance of food. These additives are often found in food with little nutritional value including sodas, snacks, chips and candy. Limiting your child’s intake of these types of foods can only be beneficial!

References:

Answer:

Natural weight-loss products generally contain:

Laxatives (aloe, castor oil, senna, cascara, buckthorn, rhubarb, etc.)
Agents that increase urination (dandelion, cherry stems, burdock, bearberry, etc.)
Caffeine (coffee, tea, maté, yerba mate, guarana, cola nut, etc.)
Stimulants (ephedra, ma huang, bitter orange peel, etc.)

In general, these agents result in weight loss that is both temporary, and very unnatural. The only way to achieve healthy, long-term weight loss is to change your eating habits, exercise more, and arm yourself with a little patience!

Remember, if it seems too easy or too good to be true—it probably is!

Answer:
The causes of diabetes go way beyond simply having too much sugar in your diet! Although this disease is basically an imbalance in the body’s ability to manage sugar, diabetes is mainly the result of genetics and lifestyle habits such as:

Physical inactivity (lack of exercise)
Smoking
Obesity
Etc.

Although your blood sugar (glycemia) levels rise quickly when you eat foods containing sugar, they quickly return to normal thanks to the stabilizing effects of insulin. However, some people’s bodies do not produce enough insulin to adequately manage the sugar they eat (Type 1 diabetes). For other people, the body no longer responds to the effects of insulin and actually becomes insulin resistant (Type 2 diabetes).

Answer:

It has long been thought that eating too much sugar causes children to be irritable, anxious and hyperactive. However, contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that sugar doesn’t make children hyperactive.

This fact has been demonstrated in 12 reliable scientific studies. Sweets are not responsible for behavioural problems in normal children and do not aggravate symptoms in those suffering from hyperactivity. On the contrary, when you ingest too much sugar, the brain produces high levels of sleep-inducing serotonin. In addition to this, a diet rich in sugary snacks and drinks is generally lacking nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Although there is no scientific proof of this connection between sugar consumption and hyperactivity, approximately 80% of educators adhere to this belief and continue to propagate the myth.

References:

http://www.extenso.org/mythes/detail.php/f/1222

Dietitians of Canada Web site:
http://www.dietitians.ca/index.asp

Answer:

50 to 70% of people who are allergic to pollen also suffer from oral allergy syndrome. Oral allergy syndrome is an allergic reaction between proteins found in certain fruits, vegetables or nuts, and pollen. This means that people who are allergic to pollen can suffer an allergic reaction after eating certain foods.

Symptoms are similar to seasonal allergies, but tend to occur mainly in the mouth—they include itching, a burning sensation in the lips, mouth and throat, sneezing and runny nose. These symptoms are only temporary and can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Note that they can only be triggered by raw foods.

Here is a summary of the different foods that are likely to cause a reaction based on the particular type of pollen a person is allergic to:

Those allergic to the pollen of:	Should abstain from eating the following foods:
Birch	Prunes, dried prunes, nectarines, apricots, cherries, kiwis, apples, pears, tomatoes Celery, carrots, parsnip, fennel, potatoes, green peppers, peas, beans Parsley, dill, cumin, coriander, caraway seeds Hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds
Ragweed	Bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon Zucchini, cucumber
Grass	Melon, watermelon, cherries, tomatoes, oranges, kiwis Potatoes