Of all the fake information and myths we are surrounded by, health myths are the most stubborn to deal with. Usually ladled out to us from our parents, family members, teachers, and click bait sites on the internet, we tend to believe them to be true. But science has proven many of these age-old beliefs to be sheer myths which should be discarded but are clinging on to our psyche still. Here are 20 famous health myths which must be nipped in the bud. All f these are based on research studies with links provided that have proved such so-called facts as having no substance and negligible in their impact.
It may seem completely natural for anyone to believe that fresh produce is healthier than the frozen version but studies have actually proven the opposite! Yes, frozen fruits, veggies even meat products are in no way less in their nutritional value, simply because they are picked and packaged at the peak of their ripeness.
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Food in our system helps in the quick absorption of alcohol in our body. If our body is full after a heavy meal before drinking, all it would do is to slow down the absorption rate of alcohol in our bloodstream but it will in no way effect the intoxication speed. So full stomach or empty, it all really depends on how you handle your liquor.
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This is a huge misconception about health. Nobody knows who popularized this idea of bearing up a lot of pain before popping painkillers because the idea is completely asinine! No one should wait for their condition or pain to get worse and in fact, painkillers need to be administered whenever you feel the pain. In case of patients with chronic problems, they must take their pills even before the pain attack starts.
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We have stereotyped all fat people with bad or slow metabolic rate which by the way is a scientifically busted concept. In fact, it’s the opposite which is true! Fatter people have better and faster metabolism than skinny people!
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Although one must read inadequate light because it is comfortable but it does not mean that reading in dim light damages your vision. All it does is to make it slightly harder to focus which by the way can be the case under harsh bright lights too, but in any case, the vision does not get worse. This is a common myth.
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Yes, haven’t we all heard it from our mothers not to work in front of computer screens for too long as it damages the eyes and is bad for health? Computer screens emit radiation in too small amounts to cannot harm our eyes at all; there is no relation between the radiation from a computer screen and poor eyesight.
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Shampoo and conditioners, no matter how costly or famous, cannot treat split ends. The most they can do is to make your hair silkier and shinier and maybe a little softer too. The only magic that works on your stubborn split ends though is a pair of sharp scissors and nothing else.
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Seriously, we sometimes wonder, who can be really so dumb to believe such a claim which reeks of exaggeration. No man can really function normally, do their jobs, exercise, sleep or eat if they actually keep thinking about sex every 7 seconds! Agreed men do think about it much more than women but come on every 7 seconds! It’s Impossible.
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First thing first, it is the bacteria in our body which develops such resistance, not the human body. This is the reason why chronic patients need to keep changing their anti-biotics regularly because medicines stop being effective if taken on a long run continuously.
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Yes, there are many self - proclaimed health experts amidst us who advise everyone around to take vitamin C, the moment any one confesses to having cold or flu. Pharmacies are afloat with vitamin supplements and vitamin C pills too. But in reality, all that Vitamin C can do is to boost our immune systems but it cannot prevent or cure the cause or symptoms if you are already afflicted with flu or cold that is.
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Many of our parents have told us that our toes and fingertips become wrinkly after a bath because they are super wet or that our skin has absorbed water, but this reasoning is all wrong. These wrinkles are the direct results of the constrictions of our blood vessels underneath our skin surface, which is further the result of an automatic nervous reaction of coming in contact with water.
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If you know the scientific logic you would realize how insane this myth really is. Cold is caused by viral infections and antibiotics fight bacterial infections! That’s why taking them when having a common cold would never work!
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Although it’s common during a food poisoning episode that a person feels much better after puking, but in case someone has swallowed poison, one must never force the patient to vomit. Inducing vomiting might make the matter worse as poisons are mostly acidic or alkaline in nature which might corrode and damage the throat region much more than the stomach which has gastric acid to neutralize the effects of poison.
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If you confuse yourself with a cat or a dog and start licking your wounds instinctively, it’s about time someone re-humanizes you. Whenever we lick a cut or a scrape, we are conveniently transferring all the germs and bacteria from our mouths and saliva to the damaged tissues, which is obviously undesirable.
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The color of snot largely depends upon the protein content of your blood so next time if you notice a green tinge in your snot do not think you are turning in to a Zombie, because in reality the color of your nasal discharge has nothing to do with any infection or lack of it. This is the green mucus myth which lacks any substance.
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This probably is a dangerous misconception amongst young party people that after drinking too much we need to have a cold shower to feel better and sober up faster. It makes sure sense too, as alcohol generally makes us hotter and sweaty on the outside, but in reality, it actually lowers our body temperature. Also, an immediate cold shower after a drink-binge may cause hypothermia and lead to unconsciousness which can be really dangerous.
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Well this is one myth which we wished was a fact, but unfortunately, it’s not true. The fact that majority of heart attacks occur without any symptoms and catches you without any tell-tale warnings, makes it so much more deadly. At most those who did experience a heart-attack, report a mild nagging pain more akin to a toothache or a mild heartburn. The other symptoms of a heart attack can be sweating either hot or cold, ache in the upper left arm, and a feeling of impending doom or anxiety.
Moreover, pain in the left side of the chest isn’t usually indicative of a heart attack which is a constrictive tightness that is focused in the middle of the chest. But to be on the safe side, always dial emergency when attacked by unexplained chest pain.
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Our parents have forewarned us not to venture outside during winters or on a cold windy or rainy day lest we catch a cold, alas this cautionary warning has no scientific backup at all. The reality is that no one can possible “Catch cold” simply because we are exposed to the elements, rather it’s our weak immunity which makes us susceptible to the viruses which make us sick. The cold just worsens our conditions.
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This smart health myth is a brainchild of clever parents to simply keep kids away from coffee, as there is no scientific proof that coffee has any sort of negative impact on bone density or mass. In fact, coffee has no effect on bones in any way. However, a bit of advice, children should be given healthier drinks instead of coffee which is suitable when one is a bit older.
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It’s a general misconception that if the food is “organic” it’s safer, healthier and free of pesticides and therefore more nutritious. Nothing could be further than the truth as organic farmers also use “organic Pesticides” which are sometimes more harmful to the environment than their traditional synthetic counterparts.
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