HEALTH TIPS THAT SHOULD BE IGNORED

With the millions of information flying around on the internet nowadays, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish facts from old wives’ tales when it comes to health information, particularly as some of the biggest fallacies are so widespread. To help you separate fact from fiction, check out the truth behind some of the most common health myths.

1. Eating late at night makes you fat

Many of us are familiar with the claim that eating late at night will cause you to gain weight. However, there is little research to back up this claim, various studies have suggested that it is little more than a myth. While missing meals throughout the day can cause you to binge in the evening, it is not the time you eat that matters so much as the quantity. The fact is, as long as you burn off the amount of calories that you eat during each day, it is irrelevant what time you eat them.
2. Reading in dim light damages your eyesight

Good news for all those who remember reading under covers using a torch as a child, according to researchers, while it may cause temporary dryness and eye strain, reading in dim light does not permanently damage your eyes. Likewise, the common belief that sitting too close to the TV set will ruin your eyesight is yet another old wives’ tale (just for the record, it also won’t make them square!).
3.  You can ‘catch up’ on missed sleep at the weekend

Lack of sleep has been linked to a whole host of health problems, including weight gain and heart disease. However, many of us believe that it is OK to sacrifice sleep during the week so long as we have a ‘catch up’ sleep at the weekend. Sadly, this may not be the case. In a study led by a sleep expert, participants were restricted to just four hours’ sleep for five nights and then given a “recovery” sleep of 10 hours. Even after this sleep their reaction times, attention span and levels of fatigue failed to return to normal, showing that a single weekend lie-in may not be sufficient to make up for the effects of lack of sleep during the week.
4.  Vitamin C prevents colds

Another cold related myth; it is a widespread belief that taking a daily supplement of vitamin C will protect you from catching a common cold. However, while those exposed to periods of high stress (such as marathon runners) can indeed reduce their risk of catching the cold virus through daily supplementation, a review of 30 studies has suggested that, for the average person, taking a daily dose of vitamin C does little to reduce the severity or length of a cold.
5.  Thin is better than fat

With the growing obesity problem in modern society and all its publicized health implications, many of us understandably hold the belief that being fat is the worst possible thing for our health. However, while it is true that being overweight can be damaging to our health, being underweight is just as bad for us if not worse. In fact, a study found that those who are overweight at 40 are likely to live longer than those who are thin, with underweight people being at greater risk of heart disease and pneumonia.
6.  All bacteria are harmful

We seem to be increasingly aiming for an environment that is perfectly sterile. However, while we tend to think of bacteria as germs responsible for illness, healthy skin is actually covered in around 1000 different species of “good bacteria” which can actually help prevent disease. Likewise, the human gut contains a multitude of good bacteria which help to keep us healthy. While good hygiene is of course important, so is protecting our good bacteria by avoiding overuse of antibiotics or over-cleansing the skin.
7.  We should all drink eight glasses of water a day

We are all familiar with the ubiquitous advice to drink eight glasses of water a day. However, more recent research has suggested that there is actually no scientific evidence supporting this recommendation, and that drinking excessive amounts of water can actually be dangerous. While we all need to stay hydrated throughout the day, a proportion of our required fluid intake is generally met through the food we eat. Furthermore, our fluid recommendations will vary depending on the temperature and how active we are, among other factors.
8.  As long as you exercise you can eat whatever you want

Many people believe that only overweight, inactive people need to watch what they eat. However, this is a massive untruth. Not only do many people overindulge following exercise, causing them to cling on to those extra pounds, but even for those who don’t gain weight easily plying your body with junk food can still cause damage to your health. While staying active can lower your risk of conditions such as heart disease, to help stay in optimum health it is still advisable to eat well and make sure you don’t miss out on vital nutrients essential for good health.

Do you agree with these? Should we do away with the old myths? What is your verdict? Do you have any counter opinion? Let me know in the comment section please.

CHIDIMMA

The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. __ Proverbs 14:15