HEALTH
10 HEALTH MYTHS BUSTED. BY JULIE ALPINE
MYTH
Fresh fruit and vegetables are more nutritious than frozen
TRUTH: When produce is picked in the peak of ripeness and then frozen, the nutrients are locked in. Fresh fruit and vegetables, however, are typically harvested before they ripen and can vary in nutritional content. Also, the longer fresh produce sits around in your fridge, the fewer nutrients it will retain. Aim to eat as much fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables as possible, but avoid frozen varieties with added salt and sugar.
MYTH
Raw steak is best for a black eye
TRUTH: While this might be standard in the movies, if fat from the meat came into contact with the eye it could increase inflammation. The fact that a steak can be formed to fit neatly over the eye may be why this myth came about, but there’s nothing present in steak that can actually help the problem. A bag of frozen peas or crushed ice wrapped in a towel are cheaper and more hygienic ways to decrease swelling, but even they won’t prevent bruising.
MYTH
Feed a cold, starve a fever
TRUTH: It wasn’t a doctor who made this saying popular but the author Mark Twain. He may have been a great writer, but there’s absolutely no truth in the phrase. Anyone who comes down with either a cold or a fever needs nutrients and liquids to help the body fight infection and speed recovery. If you can’t face solids then soup, fruit juice or yoghurt are good alternatives.
MYTH
Cholesterol is bad for you
TRUTH: Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver that’s necessary for building cells and essential hormones. Saturated fats found in meat, cheese and butter raise low-density lipoprotein (‘bad’ cholesterol) and deliver cholesterol to the arteries. Unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds and oily fish raise high-density lipoprotein (‘good’ cholesterol) and transport cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver.
MYTH
If a snake bites you, the venom should be sucked out
TRUTH: This classic first-aid technique has been disproved by doctors, who now say it’s useless, even dangerous, as it can contaminate the wound or damage nerves and blood vessels. In an article published by the Rocky Mountain Poison Centre and the University of Maryland, Dr Robert Barish’s advice is simply that ‘the victim should be moved out of harm’s way and transported to the nearest medical facility as soon as possible’. If you’re travelling through an area where snakebites are a regular occurrence, always carry a mobile phone.
MYTH
Cracking your knuckles can give you arthritis
TRUTH: While the sound of someone cracking their knuckles may be excruciating to non-knuckle-crunchers, there’s nothing to suggest that it will cause arthritis. One study, however, claims that ligament stretching can cause swollen hands and weaken the grip.
MYTH
Throwing your head back stops a nosebleed
TRUTH: Tilting your head back causes the blood to flow into your stomach and may cause vomiting. The best technique is to press the fleshy part of your nose – below where your glasses would sit – firmly for 10 minutes. Don’t keep checking to see if it’s stopped; make sure you wait the full 10 minutes. If a nosebleed continues for more than 15 minutes or occurs after a serious injury, call your doctor.
MYTH
Eating late at night is more fattening
TRUTH: Your body stores excess calories as fat, regardless of when you consume them. Eating late at night does not cause weight gain if your total calorie intake is the same – late-night calories will get used the next day and even while you sleep. It’s best to eat your calories during the day, however, when your body needs the fuel the most.
MYTH
Weightlifting makes you bulky
TRUTH: Weightlifting will not make you bulky unless that’s your goal and your training programme is specifically aimed at building muscles. Light weightlifting helps to increase lean body mass, which in turn helps you burn more calories and ultimately will enable you to eat more but still lose weight.
MYTH
Eating your crusts makes your hair curly
TRUTH: There’s no medical evidence for this. It may have come about because, historically, people with curly locks were seen as being prosperous, as were those who ate a lot of bread. Somehow the two ideas morphed into the theory that if you ate your crusts then your hair would go curly when, in fact, this all comes down to your genes. A recent study found that bread crusts contain eight times the amount of antioxidants as the rest of the loaf, and so help the body absorb harmful oxidising agents. For maximum benefit, go for darker breads such as rye, which are also high in fibre.
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