Is too much red meat bad for you? 5 nutrition myths busted - Yahoo! Lifestyle UK

Vitamin and mineral brand Centrum have looked into national attitudes to diet and nutrition, and the results are pretty shocking.

Only 29% of Brits think they have enough nutritional know-how to make sensible choices and the majority of us only manage three portions of fruit and veg daily.

With 34% of women dreaming about chocolate cake throughout the day, it's not surprising that we're struggling to stay in tip top shape.

To dispel all those pesky nutrition myths, we asked the experts to give us the facts.

Take a look a part two of our 'Nutrition Myths Busted' series below and let us know what you think...

Raw vegetables are more nutritious than cooked

R eality: While it's true that raw vegetables usually contain more vitamin C and B vitamins than cooked, cooking vegetables like carrots, tomatoes and sweet corn actually increases the release of some of the phytochemicals like Beta-Carotene making it easier for the body to absorb them.

Red meat is bad for you

Reality: Recent research by Centrum shows that meaty dishes like steak are overwhelmingly seen as 'manly' but red meat is a great source of iron, especially for women. In the UK, around 40 percent of women aged 19 to 34 years have iron intakes below the minimum amount needed to stay healthy. Lean red meat is also a rich source of Vitamin B1 which is vital for normal heart function & energy production.

Cooking vegetables in the microwave destroys vitamins and minerals

Reality: When vegetables are boiled in a pan of water some of Vitamin C and B Vitamins are leached into the cooking water, which is usually thrown away. Cooking vegetables in the microwave needs only a very small amount of water which means that more vitamins are retained in the vegetables

Frozen vegetables are not as nutritious as fresh

Reality: Frozen vegetables are convenient, quick and easy to use - ideal for busy people & as they're processed at the height of their ripeness they often contain higher levels of vitamins than fresh

Skimmed milk contains less calcium than full fat milk

Reality: Skimmed milk actually contains slightly more calcium than full fat milk, because when the fat is removed the calcium is concentrated.

Centrum's new Men and Women multivitamins are tailored to each gender, so you get perfect nutritional support. Centrum for Men and Centrum for Women, £6.99, centrum.co.uk.

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