4 Fun Food Science Facts That Will Change How You Look At Food

Life hack! Pro tip! Cheat code! Power up! Superfood!

Ok, now that we got those keywords out of the way, let’s have some fun with food. We’re keeping this light - nothing too serious, nothing to upend your whole life over. Just some fun food science facts!

Did you know that eating an apple is one of the most effective ways of counteracting garlic breath?

Yep, back in 2016, the scientists actually tested this. They tested all of the compounds that lead to garlic breath, and saw that a raw apple hit the big ones. Natural remedies for garlic breath really can be that simple (and delicious!).

Mint can actually help you feel cooler!

What makes mint well… minty is a compound called menthol. And it turns out that menthol hits a certain receptor in our body that makes us feel like we’re colder than we are. So next time you need some summertime relief, crush a few mint leaves in your seltzer water and chill out.

The first vitamin discovered was vitamin B1, after it was seen that chickens that only ate white rice got sick and the chickens that ate brown rice stayed healthy.

This is way back in the 1800s, and was the start of modern nutritional science. Thanks, Christiaan Eijkman! With other scientists, Eijkman identified that the white rice lacked vitamin B1 (thiamin), and without thiamin, the chickens developed neurological disease called beriberi, much like in humans. The history of vitamin B1 deficiency shows us just how far we’ve come with nutrition science.

It can take a baby 8 to 10 times (on average) of being presented with a new food before it’s ok with eating it!

Some tips to help make it easier? Get them involved in the grocery store picking out the food, in the kitchen making it, try it as a different texture, and pair it with other favorites. And remember, when you’re trying to get yourself to try a new food as an adult, cut yourself some slack. If you’re wondering how to help picky eaters try new foods, keep at it!