11 Incredible Food Facts (Slideshow)
You could play handball with cranberries? Cranberries have also been called bounce-berries because when they're ripe, they bounce like rubber balls.
You’re Really Eating Bugs
Your red candy is coated with bugs. If your food has red dye, the color probably comes from crushed red insects like the cochineal.
How to Get Rid of Garlic Breath
Have garlic breath? Scientists recently found that apple, lemon juice, parsley, spinach, green tea, and mint were the most effective foods to neutralize the offensive scent of garlic.
Why Onions Make You Cry
The strong smell of onions has nothing to do with why you're crying as you cut them. When you cut into an onion, you release a strong sulfur compound that wafts upwards toward your eyes. When the gas reacts with the moisture in your eyes, it begins to burn, creating those all-too-familiar onion tears.
Where Pound Cake Got Its Name
In the 1700s, pound cake was thus named because the recipe contained one pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs.
Why Toothpaste Messes with Taste Buds
Pretty much everyone knows not to drink orange juice after brushing your teeth, but most people don't realize that the reason O.J. tastes sour after toothpaste is because the sodium laureth sulfate that makes toothpaste foam also blocks taste buds' ability to perceive sweetness.
Why Honey Lasts Forever
Honey is forever! Archaeologists have found completely edible pots of honey dating back thousands of years in Egyptian tombs. Why? Its chemical makeup of hydrogen peroxide, acidity levels, and lack of water creates a perfect storm for a long lasting treat!
Why Red Wine Causes Headaches
If red wine gives you a headache (and we don't mean a hangover) as you sip it, you could be allergic. Red wine has a significantly higher histamine level than champagne and whites, and you could lack an enzyme in your intestines to process histamine, thus triggering the headache. An antihistamine could help, but between the medicine and the wine, you might not be able to stay awake to finish your glass.
Why Spicy Foods Make You Happy
Spicy peppers make you smile! When we eat spicy foods, like jalapeños or other capsaicin-filled peppers, our bodies release endorphins to minimize the burning sensation produced by the chemical.
Why Chocolate is an Aphrodisiac
You could literally be falling in love with your chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine, which increases heart rate and creates feelings of arousal.
Why Licorice Can Kill You
If you're one of the handful of people who love black licorice, beware. The FDA warns that if you're 40 or over, eating more than two ounces of black licorice for at least two weeks could cause hearth arrhythmia. Licorice gets its flavor from a chemical called glycyrrhizin, which can cause potassium levels to plummet, leading to low blood pressure, edema, and congestive heart failure.