Break this Rule
Break this Rule: If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it
If you can’t pronounce it, you can still go ahead and eat it most of the time.
One of the more ridiculous “food rules” I have seen is “if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.”
Just because someone cannot pronounce something doesn’t mean it is “bad” or unhealthy.
I mean, people have a duodenum, and people don’t pronounce that right half the time.
Many words for things we eat are onerous, chemical-y, and challenging to pronounce, but that means nothing about the food and some things we should consume. More importantly, we can consume them without negative consequences.
First, chemicals are everywhere. You breathe chemicals, inhaling environmental air, a combination of chemicals including nitrogen and oxygen, and exhaling carbon dioxide. These are chemicals, people. Most people drink chemicals regularly. H2O, or what some people snarkily call dihydrogen oxide (or dihydrogen monoxide), is critical to life. People get freaked out on that, with over 1,000 people signing their name to a petition to ban it. It is dangerous stuff. And vital to life.
And some phrases used in the field of nutrition are potentially concerning because they sound scary, such as having the word “acid” in it like ascorbic acid, oleic acid, and even pantothenic acid. But these are all things that are not only good for us but essential. Ascorbic acid is another name for vitamin C. Oleic acid is a healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and other foods. Pantothenic acid is another name for vitamin B5, which is an essential vitamin.
And maybe you can pronounce those. But what about things in foods that you cannot pronounce?
Cyanocobalamin, for example. That is B12 and important in the human diet.
Zeaxanthin, a phytochemical in the carotenoid family, helps with eye health and is found in green, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables.
Phenylalanine? An amino acid (there is that acid again) that is critical for being able to build proteins in the human body. And only people with phenylketonuria need to avoid it.
Epigallocatechin gallate is a topic I was lucky enough to present in graduate school. Try doing an oral presentation using those two words. Luckily, most of us refer to it as “EGCG.” And what is it? It is a polyphenol under the classification of catechins that can help reduce inflammation. Or, in simpler terms, the good stuff found in tea, especially green tea, and other plant foods, including fruits and nuts.
These are just a few examples.
And then there are the foods people have difficulty pronouncing, but that means nothing in the big picture.
Quinoa, acai, prosciutto, gnocchi, or ciabatta? You may know how to say it NOW, but did you the first time? And don’t even get me started on charcuterie.
Bottom line: the whole, “if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it” is dumb. And with a computer literally at your fingertips these days, there are easy ways to find out what something is. So don’t write off something that looks and may even be unpronounceable to you. It could very well be something you need every single day.
Hear more and some of these words said out loud in my YouTube Video here.
Have you fallen for this “rule”? Don’t worry, many people do.
