Should we all be avoiding ice cream? Say it ain't so! Winter or summer, rain or shine,
triumph or tragedy, everybody knows a girl's true best friend isn't diamonds, it's Ben
and Jerry's. Not that men don't enjoy it either, along with Haagen-Dazs, Baskin-Robbins, Dairy
Queen. The only bad ice cream is no ice cream at all.
Especially now, when life just hasn't been the same since...well, we can't even remember
when. Even a few months ago seems like ancient history as we adjust to the fact that the
"new normal" seems to mean nothing will ever be normal again. We're all going to need an
extra scoop of sweet, creamy deliciousness to help us hang in there.
Forget Taco Tuesday, times like these seem to call for making every day Sundae Funday,
and it would be no surprise if even the premium ice cream brands abandoned making cute little
pint-sized containers in favor of gallon-size buckets. And yet, wouldn't you know, there's
always something trying to spoil things.
Throughout the duration of the pandemic thus far, the internet has been rife with rumors
regarding how the virus spreads and how it can be avoided. Much of this so-called information
ranges from the dubious to the downright dangerous.
Lately there's been a rumor making the rounds that eating ice cream or other frozen foods
or even cold drinks could increase your chances of catching coronavirus.
"That doesn't seem likely."
"Nevertheless."
The rumor, which purports to be advice from UNICEF Cambodia, an organization which vehemently
denied any involvement, seems to be based on the idea that heat could possibly destroy
the virus. By some stretch of logic, the anonymous trolls behind the rumor distorted this to
mean that consuming anything cold that supposedly might lower your body temperature should be
avoided at all costs.
UNICEF Cambodia was anything but pleased to be linked to this rumor, tweeting:
"Misinformation about pandemics can cause somebody's life. Please take this issue seriously,
stay informed and do not fall prey to fake news."
Charlotte Gornitzka, a woman who is currently working for Unicef to combat coronavirus misinformation,
also said in a press release for UNICEF that the rumor attributing coronavirus risk to
cold food consumption is, quote, "of course wholly untrue."
Though we're not exactly sure at this point just how heat does or does not affect the
virus, Professor Sally Bloomfield of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine broke
down why this particular rumor is a load of bunk. She revealed to the BBC that the temperature
of foods or liquids you consume won't affect your body temperature, and that once the virus
is inside your body, there is nothing you can eat or drink that will help to fight it
off.
The Harvard Health Blog published by Harvard Medical School cautioned that the rumor about
ice cream causing coronavirus has also been linked to a years-old video about avoiding
infection through diet modification, a video that has nothing whatsoever to do with the
current virus and one that they describe as "useless."
The World Health Organization agrees that the ice cream link is nonsense, assuring the
public with a statement reading:
"Fact: There is no scientific evidence that eating hygienically made frozen food and ice
cream spreads the new coronavirus."
Okay, now for some bad news, although it's really not much of a scoop to reveal that
your standard deliciously sugar-laden ice cream is not exactly the healthiest food you
could be consuming on a daily basis. That's because, according to nutritionist Sydney
Greene, ice cream's two main ingredients, dairy and sugar, come together for a combo
that causes inflammation in the body.
As Greene explained to Eat This, Not That!,
"[A high amount of inflammation in the body] taxes the immune system, leaving us more susceptible
to disease and illness...Processed foods, with their high sugar levels, omega-6 fatty
acids, excess sodium, and junky additives can stoke the fire of inflammation."
Dietician and nutritionist Ashley Kitchens also spoke about this topic to Eat This, Not
That, adding,
"Dairy products such as cheese and full-fat cow's milk contain saturated fat, which can
increase inflammation. Saturated fat can also raise your bad cholesterol and put you at
higher risk for heart disease."
But are people heeding this warning? The latest numbers say no. Food Navigator reports that
consumption of ice cream has been way up during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic
coming to the United States, with Americans downing over 30 percent more of this sweet
substance than in pre-quarantine days.
Dr. James Richardson, a cultural anthropologist now working as a business analyst, attributes
this rise in demand to emotional eating, and no surprises there. What else are you supposed
to do, with millions of people suddenly having lost their jobs and dealing with economic
uncertainty, not to mention the dangers of the virus itself. In other words, these are
hard, hard times, the kind of times that comfort foods like ice cream were made for. So it's
no wonder people are eating more of it, even though it may not be, overall, the wisest
approach.
"Leave me alone! I want an ice cream."
Bottom line: It's probably never a great idea to overindulge in ice cream on the daily,
but especially during pandemic times when we're all trying to keep our immune systems
super healthy, it might be an even worse idea. That being said, no one's going to blame you
for cracking open a pint, just be wary of internet rumors that aren't backed up by actual
facts.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more List videos about health and
wellness are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't
miss a single one.