12 health myths to be ashamed to believe in 2019

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Magical detox diets, potato inhalations and other unscientific medical misconceptions: figuring out why they are untrustworthy.

Relatively harmless delusions

You can not eat ice cream for a cold

Many have heard this from their parents since childhood when they caught a cold. The older generation believed that this dessert would only irritate a sore throat and aggravate the symptoms of the disease. And especially anxious people even believed that the use of any dairy products inevitably worsens the condition. Allegedly, more mucus is secreted in the respiratory organs from this, it becomes more difficult to breathe through the nose, and it becomes more painful to swallow.

In fact, this is not the case. According to Swiss researchers Milk consumption does not lead to mucus production or occurrence of asthma, ice cream and any other dairy products do not provoke excessive mucus production. On the contrary, if you eat a slightly melted treat (in small pieces and in small quantities), you can even soothe an irritated throat: a cold dessert will act as a mild anesthetic. In addition, a sick person needs a lot of energy to fight viruses, and ice cream is a high-calorie product.

If you feel that you have a cold, but cannot go to the doctor right now, you should not self-medicate or wait until everything goes away on its own. You can schedule a visit to a specialist at a convenient time, but in the meantime you can get an online consultation, for example, from doctors from the MTS service - practicing specialists of the federal network of Medsi clinics. Duty therapists and pediatricians are available 24 hours a day.

Finger Snaps Lead to Arthritis

Not a pleasant habit, and many people do it mechanically or under stress. The truth is that its worst consequence is the disgruntled looks of your colleagues or family. And that's it! You won't have any arthritis because of this. This is confirmed by the Knuckle Cracking and Hand Osteoarthritis study conducted by American scientists: the habit of clicking fingers does not increase the risk of joint problems.

And a doctor from the United States, Donald Unger, who also studied this issue, even received the Shnobel Prize for this. The researcher set himself an experiment 50 years long: from the very childhood, he strenuously snapped the fingers of his left hand exclusively. Already in old age, he was examined and found out that there were no signs of arthritis on either of the hands.

By the way, the clicks you hear are not the crunching of bones or joints at all. It's just that at this moment nitrogen is released from the joints, which is accompanied by a specific sound.

X-ray provokes cancer

This radiation is indeed included in CANCER AND THE ENVIRONMENT among carcinogens. But the real risk of cancer arises only with frequent and too intense exposure to the X-ray machine.

A study by American doctors supports this idea. A chest X-ray once a year will not cause cancer or baldness. It is much more risky to refuse treatment and important examinations due to an unjustified fear of "dangerous radiation".

All psychopaths are murderers and criminals

The reason for this misconception of the Five Myths About Psychopaths is popular culture. Thanks to vivid and memorable characters like Anton Chigurah from "No Country for Old Men" or Hannibal Lecter from "Silence of the Lambs", many people think that all psychopaths are like that.

Although, in reality, not everyone suffering from such problems is cold-blooded killers. It is also true that there are enough sane and mentally healthy people among criminals. For example, according to a study by World Psychiatry, the main reason for violence is not mental illness, but poverty, poor parenting, lack of education, and other factors.

Whoever eats in the evening will get fat

Late dinners alone will not add weight. Chicken, shawarma, or chocolate bar fried until golden brown will bring the same amount of calories to your body at any time of the day. According to research by scientists from Northwestern University in the United States, it all depends on how much and what you eat, and not on the hours you eat. Does Eating Late at Night Cause Weight Gain? …

Those who eat a heavy evening meal tend to consume more calories. Meal timing influences daily caloric intake in healthy adults. This is due to the fact that a person does not eat on time and closer to the night has time to get hungry. Because of this, he eats much more food than he should.

To be in shape, you do not need to adjust the timing of your meals, but spend at least as many calories as you consume. And to lose weight, you need to burn them even more.

Running is harmful

If you are an athlete, perhaps. Professional sports require more serious stress on the joints, heart and the whole body. Therefore, injuries are commonplace for runners.

But for those who run 3-5 kilometers several times a week, the consequences are not as fatal as many are used to thinking. This kind of workout will certainly not cause arthritis. This is confirmed by the experiment of American scientists. They diagnosed more than two thousand people, among whom were both amateur runners and those who had never been involved in such sports. As a result, doctors have not identified a connection between the onset of arthritis and this type of activity.

Chicken broth can relieve colds

According to some scientists, chicken broth may relieve Effects of drinking hot water, cold water, and chicken soup on nasal mucus velocity and nasal airflow resistance for nasal congestion with colds and may have a slight anti-inflammatory effect. But this is its miraculous properties are exhausted. There are no studies that prove the broth is undeniably effective against the main pathogens of the common cold.

If you are sick, do not rely solely on this dish and refuse the treatment prescribed by your doctor. A runny nose and a deep cough can become chronic.

Myths dangerous to health

Detox diets cleanse the body

The benefits of trendy detox diets, which supposedly help "cleanse", are greatly exaggerated. A study by scientists from Australia has shown that such food does not remove harmful substances from the body. The liver and kidneys already cope with this task. If detox diets get rid of something from the body, it is, rather, from micronutrients and vitamins, as happens during fasting.

Eating fruits and vegetables, avoiding fast food and added sugars is a great idea. But eating juices for a long time, starving and using other detox diets is rather dangerous.

What is useful and what can harm your health, it is safer to ask a specialist. Gastroenterologists, endocrinologists or therapists of Medsi clinics will advise on proper nutrition through the MTS SmartMed service. Register and get a doctor's advice at a convenient time for you.

If you have a concussion, it's best not to go to bed

Another common misconception: if a person with a concussion falls asleep in the next few hours after that, he will fall into a coma, since the damaged organ will “shut down”. This myth took root in the mass consciousness due to those rare cases when the victim after a head injury was briefly conscious, and then really fell into unconsciousness. It is all the fault of a cerebral hemorrhage, but the very fact of falling asleep cannot provoke it.

According to US doctors MYTH: SLEEPING SAFE AFTER SUFFERING A CONCUSSION, after a concussion, a person really needs peace. Forcing yourself to stay awake after a head injury can lead to fatigue and may worsen symptoms.

With a runny nose, you need to breathe over boiled potatoes

Many people will remember this old way of treating colds and sore throat. Sitting for 10 minutes over a pot of freshly boiled potatoes, covered with a towel, is a very dubious practice in terms of effectiveness.

Yes, warming up the nose, including high temperature vapors, can reduce congestion, but only temporarily. In addition, according to doctors, Burns and inhalation injury caused by steam, such inhalations can be harmful: if you overdo it, you can burn the respiratory tract.

Vaccines cause autism

This is the king of modern medical myths. There is no reliable evidence that vaccination of children against measles, mumps and rubella (these vaccines are usually blamed for the most serious consequences) is directly related to autism. But, despite all the studies and statements of doctors, people still continue to believe in this unfounded horror story and expose themselves and their children to danger.

According to the conclusion of American researchers, one of the main causes of this disease is the genetic predisposition of Advances in autism genetics: on the threshold of a new neurobiology.

Sunbathing is useful

The fashion for tanning has appeared relatively recently - in the 20s of the XX century. Prior to that, aristocratic pallor was held in high esteem, and the bronze color of the skin meant that a woman or a man belonged to the lower classes. But everything changed when one day Coco Chanel returned from a seaside vacation slightly tanned. This forever turned society's attitude towards tanning. Then it became fashionable to be the owner of a slightly golden skin.

It is mistakenly believed that tanning is good for health and with its help the human body receives vitamin D. But in reality, according to American scientists, excessive sunbathing can lead to cancer Prevention and Control of Skin Cancer. And vitamin D is best obtained from food. For example, from sardines, tuna and fish oil.

Even a seemingly time-tested fact can turn out to be a well-rooted myth. Who or what to believe then? Only for science and specialists!

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