10 Food Facts You Didnt Know

Gents, here's the thing. We eat food a lot. Like, pretty much every day, right? (NB: You should be eating food every day, lads.) But when you consider the amount of time we spend consuming food, it's actually kind of baffling to think about how little time we spend researching what it is we're shoveling into our mouths in front of the footy - and no, checking to see if that week-old Chinese food in the fridge passes the 'sniff test' doesn't constitute 'research', guys. Your rig is the most valuable thing you'll ever own, which is why the more you know about the stuff you're stuffing into your gob, the better choices you'll be able to make. Whether it's knowing more about the good stuff that's in certain foods, or just learning some weird and wonderful facts that might help you win your next pub trivia night, the following 10 food facts will help you get there. Happy eating, gents.

1- Balancing Act

The first thing you need to know is that when it comes to eating healthy, there are no shortcuts. Sorry, fellas. There's only one food in the world that comes packing all the nutrients a human being needs, and that's breast milk. Since most of us are lacking a steady supply of the stuff (er, we assume), you'll need to load up on a balanced diet that includes all the major food groups. And no, 'deep-fried' is not a legit food group.

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2- You Got Beef?

If deliciousness alone isn't enough of a reason for you to be eating beef on the regular, also consider this: every time you chow down on a palm-sized (about 85 grams) portion of beef, you're getting roughly half your recommended daily protein intake. Not only that, you're also getting some sweet added bonuses in the form of Vitamins B6 and B12 (which give you energy), zinc (which bolsters your immune system), and iron (which is awesome for a whole lot of reasons, trust us).

3- No Pain, No Gain

Not only is your ability to cram an entire bowl of chilli peppers into your mouth a great party trick, it also means you'll probably outlive your mate who reckons a Butter Chicken is 'just a little too spicy'. That's right, boffins at the Harvard School of Public Health discovered in a study last year that people who eat spicy foods tend to live longer. The study found that people who ate spicy foods 6 or 7 times a week had a whopping 14% lower risk of carking it prematurely than people who indulged in the hot stuff less than once a week. Might be time to think about swapping the tomato sauce for some Sriracha, lads.

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4- Lamb Gets A Baaaad Rap

If you've ever thought about eating lamb, but then remembered someone telling you that lamb is 'tough and stringy' and decided not to, you need to listen here and listen good, son. The idea that lamb is tough and/or stringy is an outdated notion - a throwback to the days when lamb was used first and foremost for wool, with meat as an afterthought. It's true, those wool-producing animals produced older, tougher meat (known as mutton), but these days lamb is used mostly for meat, meaning that what ends up on your plate is much more flavourful and tender. It's also chock-full of stuff that's good for you, with a palm-sized (about 85 grams) serving containing half your recommended daily intake of protein. Get on board the Lamb Train now!

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5- Yes, Food Really Is That Good

Next time your girlfriend tells you the chocolate cake she had for dessert the other night was 'better than sex', try not to take it too personally. Apparently, even just thinking about our favourite foods can make us feel really, really good.

In 2004, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania used a fancy brain-imaging device to discover that when people were asked to think about their favourite foods, it triggered the release of the hormone dopamine in the pleasure centres of their brains. What's dopamine? It's the same feel-good hormone that gets produced during drug use and yes, during sex.

6 - Live Fast, Die Young

Yes, okay, we know you love fast food. It's convenient, it's tasty, it feels like exactly the greasy, fatty cure-all you need after a big night out. But unfortunately, with every KFC Double Down you scarf after a night on the town, you could in fact be doubling down on the damage to your liver.

Yep, according to a study conducted in 2013, eating fast food regularly can have the same unholy effect on your liver as the disease hepatitis. The white-coats who ran the study found that even just a month of eating fast food can cause significant negative changes to your liver. So which foods were the worst? Fried chicken and onion rings were particularly bad. Everything in moderation, guys. Everything in moderation.

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7- Raise The Steaks

Little known fact: there are actually more than 50 different cuts of beef, but most people are only aware of the 5 most popular varieties, including chuck/blade steak, top loin steak, top round steak, top sirloin steak, and t-bone steak. If you're looking to expand your meaty horizons, try checking out some rib roast, inside skirt or brisket next time you're at the butcher's.

8- Good Taste In Music

Think the excited, high-pitched squealing of the contestants on The Bachelor (which your girlfriend makes you watch, right?) isn't having an impact on the taste of your food? Think again! Amazingly, sound can change how food tastes, with high frequency sounds (bachelorette squealing) enhancing the sweetness in food and low frequency sounds (Barry White's bass-baritone) enhancing the bitterness. The discovery was made by the Crossmodal Laboratory at Oxford University who force-fed volunteers some cinder coffee while blasting their eardrums with alternating high- and low-frequency sounds. During the torture experiment, the victims volunteers were asked to rate what they were tasting on a scale that ran from sweet on one end to bitter on the other. All in the name of science!

9 - Water Of Life

Coconut water might just seem like another health fad, but it could be worth keeping a couple of pints of the stuff around just in case. While not all that similar to blood plasma, coconut water can apparently be used in emergencies as a substitute for it.

In 2000, some poor bugger in the Solomon Islands had a stroke and was too sick to drink. Without any other clean fluids available, the lucky bloke was successfully re-hydrated thanks to some quick thinking and a hastily put-together coconut water IV.

10 - A Hearty Meal

While the cliche of the sweaty, red-faced, overweight bloke who eats too much red meat and dies of a heart attack is a popular one, it's not entirely accurate. Red meat, when eaten in moderation, is one of the best things you can do for your health. In fact, a recent study revealed that eating a palm-sized portion (around 85 grams) of lean red meat each day was not associated with a higher risk for heart disease or diabetes. Red meat every day? That's the best news you'll hear all week. You're welcome.

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