I've debunked this one before (several times actually) but it's still rearing its ugly head on the web, so here we go again.

The article, dated this week, linked to an article from June 2015, (so not really new, then), which linked to another article from 2012, which is when the research was actually published! "New study"? Definitely not! It's about reservatrol which is a compound found in red wine which can have beneficial effects on the health. So far so good.

But in order to get the beneficial effects observed in the study, you would need to consume MUCH more than a glass of wine. In fact, the amount of reservatrol needed to produce a VERY SLIGHT beneficial effect amounts to about 16 bottles of Pinot Noir per day!!!

Well pickle my liver You don't need to be a brain surgeon to know that's not going to be good for your health. So to sum up, is a glass of wine a day as good for you as an hour of exercise? Don't be an idiot!

Dieters misled by food labels

Those of us who are on a diet, (or simply taking steps to improve what we eat) are frequently misled by food packaging, according to a recent study published in the journal of consumer behaviour

The study showed that "Dieters tend to take negative rather than positive steps - they will make an effort to avoid foods they perceive as unhealthy, rather than seeking out good foods."

A fat and calorie laden milkshake that is labeled as a fruit smoothie is more likely to fool the dieter, because of its healthy-sounding name. A non-dieter is more likely to check its nutritional information before making the purchasing decision.

In one of the tests, subjects were given a chewable product (jelly belly candies) which was labeled either fruit chews or candy chews, even though both products were the same.

Those on a diet perceived candy chews as less healthy than fruit chews. More fruit chews were consumed by dieters when hearing fruit chews than candy chews. Non-dieters were much less influenced by the product's name.

Whats the moral of the story? As i've said before, most of the front of a food package is marketing bull$hit! Read the nutritional info and the ingredients list and ignore everything else on the packet.

What's REALLY in the Cereal?

You might take for granted that a cereal labelled on the front as "Total Blueberry Pomegranate" would contain, maybe some blueberries or pomegranate, especially since it also boldly claims to contain "100% Nutrition". You could be in for a surprise if you read the back of the box.

So how much real blueberry or pomegranate was in the box?
30%? Nope.
20%? Getting warmer.
10%? That's still being optimistic.
0%?? Correct!

Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal contains absolutely none of the ingredients you would expect from reading the front of the box. In fact, its totally misleading. This is not an accident. This is a marketing ploy, designed to cash in on the growing awareness of the many health benefits of these foods.

What's the moral of the story? Buyer Beware! The only bits on food packaging that are worth reading are the ingredients list and the nutritional info. The rest is bullsh*t thats about as truthful as an Irish politician discussing a bank bailout!

While you're here, why not have a look at the ingredients list and count how many different kinds of sugar are in it. Post your answers & thoughts in the comments below..
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