Friday Fun Fact: Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan cheese offers about 11 grams of protein per ounce, which is more than any other type of cheese.
Friday Fun Fact: Vitamin C
Unlike humans, most mammals produce their own vitamin C. Our primate ancestors lost the ability to synthesize vitamin C more than 45 million years ago.
Friday Fun Fact: Spinach
Raw spinach offers more vitamin C than cooked spinach does, but the amount of bioavailable calcium is higher in cooked spinach.
Friday Fun Fact: Gold-Coated Pills
Before gelatin and sugar coatings were invented in the 1800s, pills were sometimes gilded in gold or silver to conceal unpleasant tastes or aromas.
Friday Fun Fact: Celery
While celery allergies are relatively rare in the United States, celery is one of the top allergens in Central Europe. Mustard allergies are also more prevalent in Europe than in the United States.
Friday Fun Fact: Erythritol
Erythritol is less likely to cause digestive issues than other sugar alcohols, such as xylitol or maltitol, because most of it gets absorbed into the bloodstream before reaching the colon.
Friday Fun Fact: Avocado Oil
Unlike many common cooking oils, avocado oil is not derived from a seed. Instead, it is pressed from the fleshy pulp that surrounds the avocado pit.
Friday Fun Fact: Jackfruit
Jackfruit’s chewy, stringy texture can make it a convincing meat substitute. It’s also the largest of all the tree-borne fruits, sometimes weighing as much as 80 pounds.
Friday Fun Fact: Thyme
During the Middle Ages in Europe, thyme was thought to ward off nightmares if placed beneath a pillow before going to sleep. It’s also a good source of vitamin C.
Friday Fun Fact: Multivitamin Usage
Although women take multivitamins at higher rates than men in the United States, research suggests boys aged 1–8 consume multivitamins at higher rates than girls of the same age.
Friday Fun Fact: Cloudberry
The cloudberry, one of the few fruits that grow in the Arctic Circle, contains more than twice the vitamin C concentration of an orange.
Friday Fun Fact: Citrus Peel
Citrus fruit peels are a great source of many flavonoids, including naringenin and rutin.
Friday Fun Fact: Watermelon
Watermelons contain up to 1.5 times more lycopene than tomatoes. They are also good sources of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and L-citrulline.
Friday Fun Fact: Vitamin Etymology
Polish biochemist Casimir Funk is credited with coining the word "vitamine" in 1912. The "e" was later dropped in 1920, when it became clear not all vitamins are nitrogen-containing amines.
Friday Fun Fact: Ginseng
Due to possible effects on mood and body temperature, American ginseng is known as “cooling” ginseng in traditional Chinese medicine. Asian ginseng is considered to be “warming."
Friday Fun Fact: Apple Peel
Most of an apple’s fiber can be found in its skin. Apple peels are also rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and quercetin.
Friday Fun Fact: Orange
Before the orange became a popular fruit in England, linguists believe there was no specific English word to describe the color orange.
Friday Fun Fact: Collagen
Collagen, the main component of connective tissue, accounts for approximately 30% of all protein content in the human body.
Friday Fun Fact: Kiwifruit
One serving of kiwifruit contains twice the vitamin C of an orange and as much potassium as a banana.
Friday Fun Fact: Olive
Aside from the taste and texture differences, green olives may contain up to twice as much sodium as black olives.
Friday Fun Fact: Yacon
Yacon is a close relative of the sunflower and the Jerusalem artichoke. Its sweet taste comes from the high content of fructooligosaccharides.
Friday Fun Fact: Pea
The trend of eating peas “green,” before they reach maturity and turn yellow, began in Europe in the 1600s. French noblewoman Madame de Maintenon famously described the new habit as “both a fashion and a madness.”
Friday Fun Fact: Millet
Most millet grains grow best in dry, warm climates. One species, proso millet, likely has the lowest water requirement of any grain crop.
Friday Fun Fact: Asparagus
In the right conditions, asparagus can grow as much as one inch per hour-up to 12 inches in a single day.
Friday Fun Fact: Taste Buds
On average, taste bud cells live for 10-14 days. Most sit on the tongue, but some taste buds are located on the roof, sides, and back of the mouth.
Friday Fun Fact: Mango
Mango fruit is available in more than 1000 varieties around the world. It's also a relative of cashews and pistachios.
Friday Fun Fact: Soybean
Soybean was first known to many Americans as the “coffee berry,” thanks to the popularity of coffee made from roasted soybeans in the 1800s.
Friday Fun Fact: Red Cabbage
Juice made from red cabbage can be used as an indicator of pH.
Friday Fun Fact: Carrot
Carrot cookies were a popular Christmas gift among friends and relatives living in New England states during the 1700s.
Friday Fun Fact: Goji Berry
In addition to potential benefits for heart health, skin health, and eye health, goji berries may contain up to 4 grams of protein per ounce.