We don’t consider food facts when we see our favorite meal. Your food can either be a nutritious meal or a guilty pleasure. Some of the meals we daily consume have interesting food facts, whether they’re healthy or not. Keep reading this article to educate yourself and get shocked! Here are 10 interesting food facts that will change your perspective (and food choices) completely!  

1 Red bell pepper consists of a larger amount of vitamin C than an orange. A cup of chopped red pepper is three times richer in vitamin C than an orange. There are numerous other health benefits of red bell pepper. 

The first among the 10 interesting food facts is the red bell pepper. Red bell pepper, the scientific name Capsicum annuum, is related to tomatoes, chili peppers, and breadfruit, and all of these are native to Central and South America.

Bell peppers can be consumed either raw or cooked. It was scientifically proven that red bell pepper has more vitamin C than oranges.

As compared to an orange, a cup of chopped red bell pepper contains three times more vitamin C than an orange. Also, it has fewer calories and more antioxidants which make them a great addition to a healthy diet.   

Besides being loaded with vitamin C, they’re also rich in vitamin B6, K1, E, and A. Red bell pepper helps improve eye health and preventing anemia. (source)

2 Most people who are allergic to chocolate don’t actually experience allergic symptoms when consuming cocoa or other official ingredients. The sudden onset of symptoms is mostly the result of contaminants like ground-up cockroach parts deemed safe by the FDA, but only up to a certain point. 

Chocolate might be your go-to snack, but do you know what interesting food facts it’s hiding? Read them here!

Chocolate is a tasty food that is found in several different desserts, snacks, and drinks. However, many humans can experience allergic reactions when they consume chocolates. Since chocolate has a wide range of ingredients, any of the items can cause allergies.

The person might suffer from stomach cramps, vomiting, shortness of breath, hives, and swelling of lips, throat, and tongue. But, it is mostly observed that these flare-ups are caused due to contaminants present in the chocolate. Ground-up cockroach parts are believed to be the main cause behind the allergies, although they are deemed safe by the FDA, but only to a certain point. 

Pesticides are used to clear up the bug parts completely. However, a large number of pesticides will be more harmful than eating a few bug parts. The average chocolate bar has almost eight insect parts. Anything that has less than 60 insect pieces per 100 grams of chocolate is safe for consumption, according to the FDA. (1, 2)

3 Most people believe that caffeinated tea or coffee can cause dehydration. It’s true that caffeine is a little diuretic and can cause frequent urination, however, excess water is not lost. Your body takes in as much fluid as it needs and throws out the rest. 

It is mostly believed that caffeinated tea or coffee is dehydrating, but here’re some interesting food facts lying behind this myth. It’s true that caffeine can cause your kidneys to flush more sodium and water from the body since it is a mild diuretic.

However, it doesn’t cause dehydration. It’s common to believe that you are becoming dehydrated due to frequent urination, but this is inaccurate. 

When a person consumes a cup of tea or coffee, they are taking in a large portion of fluid along with caffeine. An individual doesn’t lose excess liquid by urinating because the body has absorbed the required amount of liquid and flushes out the rest.

In addition, if a person experiences headaches or other symptoms, it’s not the morning coffee causing dehydration, it’s only the sensitivity to caffeine. (1, 2, 3)  

4 The way of cutting a vegetable can greatly affect its taste. This is due to the unique chemistry of the item. When we chop or slice a vegetable, the ruptured cells release enzymes that provoke a chemical reaction that gives a pleasant taste.

The chemical makeup of a vegetable gives it an aromatic taste and makes it flavorful. Therefore, when you crush or slice open a vegetable, the ruptured cells release enzymes that result in a chemical reaction, which makes the food taste pleasant.

Every fruit and vegetable responds differently when cut. The finer you cut the vegetables, the more enzyme it will release, and the more flavor you can enjoy. 

For instance, if you hold a clove of garlic, you will hardly notice any smell. However, when you chop the same clove, you will get a strong garlic scent that will be hard to miss.

The same is the case with onions. When you cut the onion into two halves, you barely notice any smell. However, when you cut it finely, you can smell the strong fresh scent easily. (1, 2) 

5 Cashews are never sold with their shells. This is because the upper coating of cashews contains poison. The cashew tree belongs to the same family as poison ivy. You will experience similar symptoms for both the plants when consumed. 

The fifth food among the 10 interesting food facts is cashew nuts. It’s been years since people have been enjoying the taste and health benefits of cashews and are consuming too much of them. But, none of us has seen them being sold with their shells.

Why? Because the shell of the cashew contains poison. The cashew and other fruits like mangoes, poison ivy, pistachios, and sumac belong to the family Anacardiaceae. Many plants of this family produce urushiol oil that can cause dermatitis, a skin rash. 

The rashes caused by urushiol oil feel and seem like bumps or patches on the skin that are inflamed, itchy, and might have secretions. These can also cause intense burning and localized swelling. This condition is similar to the rashes caused when you come in contact with poison ivy. 

In its most basic form, the cashew nut is processed by removing the cashew shell from the meaty nut. Then the nut is washed to rid it of any foreign matter, and lastly, it is soaked and roasted. Once this process is completed, the cashew nuts are ready to be eaten. (1, 2)