On the internet, health misinformation abounds, especially on social media, where wellness influencers claim to have miracle cures for everything from dull skin and tiredness to a weakened immune system and lack of exercise. This is how health myths circulate, leaving us with questions about what’s fact or fiction. Are organic foods best? Does coffee stunt your growth? We answer these questions and more to debunk some popular health myths.
The truth: Not for everyone.
The advice of late-1900s exercise professionals would have you believe that exercising too late in the evening keeps you up at night. It’s just not true for everyone: Researchers have found that certain nighttime exercises like yoga or weightlifting may have no impact whatsoever on your sleep quality, and for some people, exercising before bed can even result in better ZZZs.
Myth: Eating eggs causes high cholesterol
The truth: Eggs have almost no effect on your blood cholesterol.
You, among millions of others influenced by the 1968 recommendation that adults should eat no more than three whole eggs per week, may have needlessly avoided eggs for the last 50 years. Scientists have since debunked the idea that eggs increase your blood cholesterol and heighten your risk for heart disease, and recent research even suggests that eating eggs can improve your heart health.
Myth: You must drink 64 ounces of water each day
The truth: Everyone has different hydration needs.
Everyone knows the eight-by-eight rule: Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. This water intake recommendation stems from a very outdated — in this case, centuries-old — ideal. While based on accurate observations (water keeps you healthy), the notion that everyone needs exactly 64 ounces or two liters of water each day is wrong. Everyone has different hydration needs and should adjust their water intake accordingly based on their activity level and signs of dehydration.
Myth: 10,000 steps is the key to getting healthy
The truth: It’s just not.
Walking is fantastic exercise; it really is. But walking 10,000 steps a day is not enough to get healthy for most people. Exercise isn’t one-size-fits-all, so it just doesn’t make sense to blanket the general public with a step recommendation.
I don’t even get close to 10,000 steps per day (my average is about 4,000), but all my vital signs are healthy and I’m free of disease — perhaps because I generally eat a healthy diet and meet the recommendations in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
Myth: Six-pack abs are the epitome of health
The truth: Six-packs are a scam.
Having six-pack abs does not make you the fittest person on earth, although it’s totally valid to feel that way if you do have them. Forging 12 little divets into your stomach certainly requires hard work in the gym and mindfulness about your diet, but abs are more of a genetic quality than anything else.
I, for one, could eat McDonald’s once a day and maintain a toned stomach as long as I keep up with my workout schedule — and I recognize that it’s not that easy for everyone.
Six-pack abs aren’t something you should strive for, anyway, if your body type just doesn’t support the goal: For some people, a six-pack means their diet is too restrictive or they’re not taking in enough calories overall. Aiming for a strong core over a visible one is a better goal.
Myth: Eating saturated fat directly causes heart disease
The truth: There are more factors to consider.
Medical literature still contains much controversy about saturated fat and its relationship to cardiovascular diseases. For decades, public health agencies warned consumers about the dangers of saturated fat, and things really got turned upside-down when a groundbreaking 2017 study boldly proclaimed that saturated fat does not, in fact, clog the arteries. The study also stated that the risk of “bad” LDL cholesterol has been overstated.
Since then, the scientific consensus has dissipated, and research about dietary fat and heart health is ongoing. The US Food and Drug Administration still recommends limiting (but not completely avoiding) saturated fat intake in the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and to be safe, it’s a good idea to follow their advice.
Myth: Organic foods are better for you
Another study stated that analyses of human specimens (such as urine) after eating conventional and organic produce showed that there is a possibility that organic foods lower the risk of pesticide exposure, although the clinical implications are unclear.
Myth: Natural sugars are better for you than refined sugar
The truth: Genetics determine your height.
For reasons unknown, this is a wildly common belief. According to Harvard University, “There is no scientifically valid evidence to suggest that coffee can stunt a person’s growth.” As for any other health risks you believe about coffee, those probably aren’t true either: Coffee isn’t linked to any medical conditions except for a slight, temporary increase in blood pressure.
Myth: GMOs cause cancer
Plus, they can help farmers decrease pesticide use and increase crop yields and increase food security in developing countries. Science is good.
Myth: Microwave ovens cause cancer
The truth: No again.
Are we noticing the cancer thing yet? Apparently, everything causes cancer. This myth started coming about in the early 2000s, when studies like this one reported that applying deodorant to cells in a petri dish caused individual cell damage, and aluminum got called out as a potential culprit. But humans apply deodorant to the very outer layer of skin, not to individual exposed kidney cells.
A review of studies later determined that aluminum in various forms is not known to cause cancer in humans. The American Cancer Society has also made its statement on antiperspirants and breast cancer: “There are no strong epidemiologic studies in the medical literature that link breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, and very little scientific evidence to support this claim.”
The truth: It’s fine to skip breakfast.
The world will not end if you skip breakfast. Actually, the science behind intermittent fasting actually suggests that skipping breakfast could benefit you more than eating it. If skipping breakfast suits your lifestyle and your health needs, go for it: Just soothe your hunger before it turns into hanger.
Myth: Cold weather causes colds
The truth: Everyone is different.
Eight is the magic number: Get eight hours of sleep and you’ll wake up feeling like a magical forest fairy with boundless energy. For me, this is a big fat myth. I don’t wake up feeling ready to leap out of bed unless I snoozed for a solid 10 hours. It’s quite annoying, honestly — I wish I was one of those superheroes who thrived on just six or seven hours of sleep.
The point is: Everyone has a unique circadian rhythm that determines how much sleep is optimal for them. While seven to nine hours is still the standard recommendation for adults, you should treat sleep like hydration and exercise: Get enough so that you feel your best and keep your body healthy, but not so much that it starts affecting you negatively. You can always have too much of a good thing, even sleep.
The truth: They both emit UV rays that cause skin cancer.
Tanning in the sun and in a tanning bed do the same thing: expose your skin to ultraviolet rays that cause premature aging and are known to cause skin cancer. There are arguments both ways — the sun is safer, tanning beds are safer, but the American Academy of Dermatology knocks both sides down. Neither is good for your skin.
Myth: Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis
The truth: Your body cleanses itself.
Despite the popularity of juice cleanses to detoxify your body, your liver, kidneys and skin will get the job done on their own. Your body also eliminates waste and impurities through your digestive tract (poop, hello), your lungs and your lymphatic system. In other words, your body is basically one big filter for icky stuff.
You can support your body’s natural detoxing efforts by eating a healthy diet with minimal processed foods, exercising and working up a sweat, and drinking enough water. Juice cleanses or water fasts can do more harm than good, though: You just deprive your body of essential nutrients, both micro and macro.
Source: CNET.
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