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I wanna be a loser, too
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Bay Area California
Posts: 3,540
Height: vertically challenged
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Here are the answers.
1. The correct answer: B False
Turkey doesn't really make you sleepy. It does contain an amino acid called tryptophan, which is a natural sedative, but so do plenty of other foods, such as chicken, beef, pork, cheese, and beans. In addition, we generally don't ingest enough at one sitting to feel it. What does tend to make people exceptionally drowsy is eating a big, heavy meal--Thanksgiving dinner, for example. Eating this kind of meal causes blood to be diverted to the digestive system to help tackle all the fats and carbohydrates you've consumed, which decreases blood flow to your brain and makes you feel lethargic. So even if you didn't eat any turkey, eating a huge meal will still make you feel like taking a nap afterward.
2. The correct answer: B False
Because Twinkies do not contain any dairy products, they last much longer than most baked goods. However, contrary to popular belief, they do not remain fresh for several decades, or even years. Their shelf life is 25 days.
3. The correct answer: B False
Chewing gum is largely indigestible, but it will make its way through your digestive system at the same rate as anything else you consume.
4. The correct answer: A True
If you were to travel to China, it's highly unlikely you'd find chop suey on any restaurant menu. Various stories place its origins in New York, San Francisco, and other parts of the United States where Chinese immigrants settled in the mid- to late 1800s. The name chop suey is likely a derivative of the Mandarin tsa sui, which means "chopped up odds and ends," and may have been invented by Chinese railroad workers and miners who cobbled together meals with whatever meat and vegetables they had on hand. When Chinese immigrants started cooking and selling meals to Americans, the dish caught on and evolved into a restaurant-menu staple.
5. The correct answer: A True
Indonesia produces a premium coffee known as Kopi Luwak or Kopi Luak, which means "coffee luak." The luak, or palm civet, is a small mammal native to the islands of Indonesia that has a particular fondness for the fruit of the coffee plant. The beans pass through its system undigested (rather like chewing gum) and are deposited in its droppings. This process leaves the beans slightly fermented, which apparently adds to the richness of the resulting coffee. While the task of collecting the beans may be rather unpleasant, the fact that they can fetch $75 per quarter pound probably more than makes up for it.
6. The correct answer: A True
Coca-Cola did originally contain cocaine. In fact, that's how it got its name--from a blend of coca leaves and kola nuts used in the original 1885 formula. At the time, cocaine was a common ingredient in medicines, and Coca-Cola was developed as a medicinal elixir. When cocaine was later discovered to be harmful and addictive, the company phased it out, leaving only trace amounts to justify the name. By 1929, the beverage was completely cocaine-free.
7. The correct answer: B False
Contrary to popular belief, there is no link between eating chocolate and breakouts of acne. Several scientific studies have disproved this common myth.
8. The correct answer: B False
Eating carrots won't make you see better than you do already. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is important for maintaining eye health, but eating large quantities of carrots or other foods containing vitamin A will not give you 20/20 vision if you don't already have it. In fact, too much vitamin A can be harmful to your health. Maintaining a well-balanced diet, including carrots, can protect your eyesight, but won't make it any better.
9. The correct answer: A True
Eating a poppy-seed bagel or muffin can, in fact, cause you to fail a drug test. Addictive drugs such as heroin, morphine, and codeine are made from the seeds of opium poppies. The poppy seeds used in baked goods often come from the same or a similar type of poppy. While the amount you'd typically consume would be too small for you to feel the effects, it can produce a positive result in a urine drug test. Several people have lost their jobs solely because they ate a poppy-seed muffin or bagel for breakfast before taking a drug test. As a result, the test is being revised to account for this eventuality.
10. The correct answer: A True
Many food items, including fruit juices, candies, and flavored gelatin, contain cochineal, carmine, or carminic acid to give them a deep red color. These pigments are derived from the shells of the female Dactylopius coccus--or cochineal insect--which is found in South and Central America. The dye has been used for centuries and dates back to the Aztecs. It is safer than most synthetic red dyes, apart from the rare allergic reaction.
11. The correct answer: B False
Sweet potatoes and yams are not identical. While Americans often use these terms interchangeably, a true yam comes from a completely different plant family than the sweet potato. Yams, which originated in Africa, are grown in the Caribbean and are not widely available here, whereas sweet potatoes, which originated in tropical South America, are grown in the United States. Most "yams" sold in supermarkets are actually a variety of sweet potato. Incidentally, neither the yam nor the sweet potato is closely related to the potato.
12. The correct answer: A True
A specific tannin found in cranberries combats the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections. While the jury is still out on whether cranberry juice can treat infections, drinking a glass or two a day can help prevent them from occurring.
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