It’s
challenging enough trying to eat right and keep fit, all while staying on top
of your responsibilities at work and at home. Then you click on a health
article that was just shared by that guy you met that one time at your friend’s
party and, boom, yet another thing to worry about.
Fortunately,
this is not one of those articles. Let’s dispel seven extremely common (but
totally false) health myths you’ve spent your entire life believing.
1. Cracking your fingers
causes arthritis.
To be sure, cracking your fingers is no way to make
friends in a quiet library. But the habit itself won’t give you arthritis — at
least not according to the many studies specifically focused on
addressing this myth.
Arthritis develops when
the cartilage within the joint breaks down and allows the bones to rub together.
Your joints are surrounded by a synovial membrane, which contains synovial
fluid that lubricates them and prevents them from grinding together. When you
crack your knuckles, you’re pulling your joints apart. This stretch causes an
air bubble to form in the fluid, which eventually pops, creating that familiar
sound.
Cracking your knuckles isn’t necessarily good for
you, though. While there’s no proven relationship between the habit and
arthritis, persistent cracking can wear down your synovial membrane and make it easier
for your joints to crack. It can also lead to hand swelling and weaken your
grip.
2. Going out with wet
hair gets you sick.
This
myth is dangerously logical. You’ve just scrubbed yourself clean, and you’ve
got a head of cold, wet hair — you’ve never been more exposed to the germs and
viruses flying around in the air outside.
It
turns out, though, that leaving the house just after a shower isn’t going to
make you sick… unless you’re already sick, that is.
Research from the U.K.’s Common Cold Centre tested
the hypothesis that chilling your body increases your chances of being infected
with the common cold virus, also known as acute viral nasopharyngitis. Their
results found that, no, it doesn’t. But it can cause the onset of symptoms if
the virus is already in your body.
So if
you’re afraid that you might be sick but have a very important meeting
tomorrow, you may want to blow-dry your hair before you leave the house.
3. Dirty toilet seats
can transmit STDs.
Unkempt gas station bathrooms might be the site of
your worst nightmares, but it’s highly unlikely (though not impossible) that
they’ll give you a sexually transmitted
disease (STD).
STDs can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or
parasites. According to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, only parasitic STDs like
crabs or Trichomonas have
any real chance of being transmitted by sitting on a dirty toilet seat. And
even then, the likelihood is extremely low. Your genital area would need to
come into contact with the toilet seat while the parasite is still on it, and
alive — and toilet seats don’t provide ideal living situations for parasites.
Exercise
a little common sense: Use a toilet seat cover, and don’t linger.
4. It’s bad to drink
less than 8 glasses of water per day.
This
line of fictionalized wisdom has been bloating the bellies of perfectly
hydrated folks for too long. Our bodies are remarkably efficient machines when
it comes to letting us know when something’s off. Many of the foods we eat on a
regular basis already contain water.
According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, a healthy person can meet their daily water
needs by doing two simple things: drinking when you’re thirsty, and drinking
with meals.
5. Antiperspirants and
deodorants can cause cancer.
It has
long been claimed that antiperspirants and deodorants contain harmful,
cancer-causing substances, like parabens and aluminium, which can be absorbed
by your skin when you use them. But the research simply doesn’t back this up.
The National Cancer Institute says that there is no known
evidence that these chemicals can cause cancer, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has similarly dispelled the
notion that parabens can affect estrogen levels, and thus lead to cancer.
6. All fat is bad.
Go to
the supermarket and count how many products you see that are labeled “low fat”
or “non-fat.” Chances are, you’ll lose count. But while we live in a world that
looks down on any food items that contain even a trace of fat, the truth is:
Your body needs fat.
Fats
stores in the body are used for energy, cushioning, warmth, and other things,
and some dietary fat is even necessary for your body to absorb certain fat
soluble vitamins. Mono unsaturated fats, which you can find in nuts and
vegetable oils, can help improve your blood cholesterol and cut your risk of
heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, also support
heart health, and can be found in fish like salmon and trout.
An eight year study that
involved some 50,000 women found that those who followed low-fat dietary
regimens didn't experience any significant change in their risk for heart
disease, breast cancer, or colorectal cancer. study found that women who
ate low-fat diets were more likely to suffer with infertility issues, and that
eating more high-fat dairy products actually made them less likely to suffer from
an ovulatory infertility (failure to ovulate).
That doesn't mean that you should necessarily follow a high-fat diet, but it does
mean you should be more discerning. The researchers behind the first study say
that the type of fat, not the percentage, is the deal maker. Avoid trans fats
and saturated fats, not all fats.
7. Drinking alcohol in
any amount dumbs you down.
Alcohol, when abused, can impair your judgement and
seriously affect your health.
This is why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ official
dietary guidelines recommend limiting your intake to just two drinks per day
for men, and one drink for women. However, alcohol isn't all bad for the brain,
at least according to some research.
One recent study found
that drinking small to moderate amounts doesn't alter cognitive ability,
working memory, or motor skills in young adults. And among middle-aged adults, other research found that
drinking more actually improved some cognitive functions, including vocabulary
and accumulated information (although they did ponder whether social factors
also played a role). The takeaway does appear to be that, so long as you don’t
abuse alcohol, it is unlikely to do much damage to your brain.
source:healthline.com
