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TRUTH OR MYTH
Drinking milk increases phlegm
or pus
If you have a bad cough, your mom or grand mom may advise you
to avoid drinking milk because they worry it can increase phlegm
production. Thankfully, it is not true. Drinking milk causes more
phlegm is a common myth across the world. Some researchers
tested it in a scientific experiment by infecting volunteers with the
cold virus and then giving them zero to eleven glasses of milk per
day.
The
nasal
secretion
and
phlegm
production
was
simultaneously measured. There was no relationship between milk
intake and the amount of secretions or phlegm produced. The
same goes for pus. So if you feel like having a glassful of hot milk
to soothe your sore throat or runny nose, go ahead! In fact drinking
a lot of warm fluids, including milk, can keep you well hydrated and
feel a lot better.
We use only 10% of our brain
This myth originated around 1907 when some self-improvement advocates started quoting it to convey the
idea of “unrealized human potential”. It continues to be propagated by memory and learning enhancement
experts to this date. Some sources attributed this fact to Albert Einstein, but there is no evidence to link this
thought to Einstein. Of course, since most mortals would like to think that they are in fact much smarter
than they appear to be, not too many people were keen on disproving this myth.
However, evidence from all types of brain imaging and metabolic studies do not show any dormant areas
in the brain. Almost all areas have specific functions. The functions are highly localized, with different tasks
allocated to different anatomical regions. Damage to any area of the brain has a detrimental effect on
mental, behavioral or physiologic functions. So the fact is that we use most of our brain most of the time.
Perhaps what self-improvement and memory enhancement techniques can affect is how well we use it!
Shaving causes hair to grow back
blacker and faster
It is an age old belief that shaving the head or frequent trimming can
help you get thicker or blacker hair. It is a myth because shaving or
cutting simply removes the dead part of the hair. The rate of growth is
determined by the living part of hair that is the hair follicles. Your
genes determine your hair color. Cutting or shaving cannot affect the
hair follicles and genes in anyway. Newly grown hair may give a
feeling of coarseness or thickness as it has a somewhat blunt end
instead of the fine taper of longer hair. The somewhat blacker color of
newly grown hair is because it has not been lightened by repeated
sun exposure.
Abdominal crunches will help burn belly fat
Do not believe anyone who promises that crunches or abdominal exercises of any sort will help you get rid of belly fat. Crunches
strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles, which can help your tummy look flatter, but they cannot do much to melt the fat
deposited around your middle. In fact it is impossible to burn fat in selected areas of the body through any exercise. Fat loss
occurs over time from all areas of the body when you lose weight by diet control and exercise. Aerobic exercises are by far the
best for weight loss.
Exposure to Cold Weather Can
Cause Cold
All caring moms want their children to snuggle up in warm
clothes when it’s cold outside for the fear that they might “catch a
cold”. For the same reason, well-meaning aunts stop you from
stepping outdoors with damp hair. But this intuitive connection
between cold weather and the common cold is indeed a longstanding medical myth. Common cold, with its characteristic
symptoms of runny nose, fever, cough and sore throat is caused
by viruses. It is more common in winters because low temperature
and humidity promote the spread of these viruses. Spending
more time behind closed doors and windows further encourages
the spread of these viruses from person to person. Cold climate
per se cannot give you a cold in the absence of the virus.
However, it does make sense to stay warm in cold weather
because at low temperatures your body’s ability to fight-off any
viruses that maybe around is somewhat reduced.
Cracking Knuckles Will Cause
Arthritis
Cracking knuckles may be a bad habit, primarily because it
irritates people around you, seems to convey that you are bored,
tired, or distracted, but it is not likely to damage your joints. It
most certainly will not cause arthritis. Different types of arthritis
occur because of a variety of reasons that range from your age,
genes, infections, etc. But joint damage because of cracking is not
a risk factor for any type of arthritis. The popping sound produced
on cracking joints, seems to be caused by bursting of small air
bubbles in the joint space. Habitual cracking over several years
can reduce the strength of your grip by mechanically loosening
your joint structure.
Mental illnesses will go if you change the way you think
Well, just as a mild cold or fever may go away with home remedies, a mild anxiety or depression may be
managed without a doctor’s help. But a more serious degree of mental illness needs treatment just like any other
serious ailment. Some mental illnesses are associated with changes in brain chemistry and greatly improve with
medications. Medicines, counseling and other treatment modalities can significantly control symptoms and
improve the quality of life in most cases. Seeking professional help for a mental illness is a sign of awareness, not
weakness or failure to sort out your thoughts.
You get a mental illness only
if it runs in your family
A family history increases your risk of getting a large
number of diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes
and also some types of mental illnesses. But except for
some strictly genetic disorders, almost all illnesses,
including mental ones can occur in people without a
family history because of environmental factors or for no
clear reasons.
Those who say they will kill
themselves never commit
suicide
Any talk about suicide must be taken very seriously. A
large number of people who commit suicide mention
their intent to do so in the preceding days to weeks. If you
are having suicidal thoughts, seek urgent help. If a near or
dear one mentions suicide, don’t brush it aside. Urge
them to seek help.
Drug addiction happens to
“weak” people
Drug addiction can happen to any person who takes them for an
extended period. Just because somebody became addicted to
drugs does not mean he or she is a bad or weak person. One can
get rid of drug addiction and lead an entirely normal and healthy
life.
Mental illnesses are rare
Mental illnesses are extremely common. About one in
five adults in the US is estimated to experience a
clinically defined mental illness in his or her lifetime.
Unfortunately, the number of people who come
forward to seek treatment is much less. Depression is
the leading cause of suffering worldwide. Nearly
8,00,000 people commit suicide every year across the
world. Mental illnesses are one of the most prominent
and treatable causes of suicide.
The More You Sweat, the Faster
you Lose Weight
You might have heard some people say that you should strive to
sweat more and more during your workout so that you lose weight
-
faster. This indeed is a myth and a myth that can at times be
dangerous. Of course the more intense your workout the more
calories you burn and the more fat you lose. But sweat is by no
means a good indicator of the intensity of your workout. How
profusely you sweat depends on your body’s conditioning,
hereditary tendencies, the room temperature and your clothes.
Sweating is a mechanism to cool down your body. It occurs
whenever your body temperature rises. If you make your body
temperature rise more than usual by wearing thicker clothes during
your workout or working out in hot weather, you might sweat a lot
and even see a bit of instant weight loss. But most of the weight
loss would be because of water lost from your body, which will
come right back once you rehydrate. Working out in hot weather or
in clothes in which you feel hot can make you dehydrated and at
times cause more serious heat related illnesses such as heat
exhaustion. It’s always advisable to exercise at a comfortable
temperature and in cotton clothes that allow sweat to evaporate.
It’s also a good idea to drink some water after every twenty minutes
of intense workout.
Spicy Food Causes
Stomach Ulcers
Super spicy food can make your eyes water, nose run
and tongue burn. It is perhaps natural to think that
eating spicy food very often will cause stomach
ulcers. But scientific evidence shows that stomach
ulcers cannot be attributed to spicy food. The culprit
behind most cases of stomach ulcers is either
infection with a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori
(H. pylori) or overuse of pain medications such as
aspirin and ibuprofen, often known as nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory
drugs
(NSAIDs).
Spicy
food,
coffee, tea, alcohol and excessive stress can worsen
ulcer symptoms hence ulcer patients are often
advised
to
abstain
from
them.
If
you
are
experiencing ulcer symptoms such as stomach pain,
bloating, vomiting, feeling full fast during a meal, it is
advisable to contact your doctor. Modifying your
diet may temporarily suppress ulcer symptoms but is
unlikely to cure it. Most H. pylori-related ulcers can
be cured with a course of antibiotics. Your doctor
can also prescribe medicines to treat ulcers caused
by antibiotic abuse.
Fasting Can Help You Lose
Weight
Are you about to go on a fast to lose the extra kilos gained during
the holidays? Stop! Contrary to popular belief, fasting does not
help you lose weight. Crash diets are, in fact, one of the most
dangerous ways people adopt for weight loss. Almost all people
soon regain the weight they lose through fasting and many even
gain some more weight. This occurs because fasting makes your
body’s metabolic rate slow down and it goes into the “starvation
mode”. This makes you store all the calories when you resume your
original diet. The healthiest way to lose weight is to adopt a healthy
diet and exercise regularly. A healthy diet would entail taking small,
frequent meals every few hours and would consist of the right mix
of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Generally,
about 45-65% of your calories should come from carbohydrates,
10-35% from protein and 20-35% from fat. Saturated fat should
provide less than 10% of your daily calories. A daily exercise
regimen comprising of cardio and weight training is recommended
to help you achieve your desirable weight.
All fat is bad for you
If you are one of those weight conscious citizens who has
been staying away from anything that has fat in it, sit up and
think again. Research has shown that the total amount of fat
in your diet is not linked to your weight or disease. Rather, it is
the total calories and type of fat that you consume. Bad fats
such as trans fats and saturated fats are directly linked to
disease whereas both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
fats are good for us. Good sources of these unsaturated fats
include canola, sunflower, corn, soybean, peanut and olive oils,
nuts like walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans, flax seeds,
and fish. Consuming these good fats is great for your health,
as long as you do not exceed your daily calorie requirements.
The saturated fat that you need to avoid is found mostly in
meat, poultry with skin, whole fat dairy products, coconut oil
and palm kernel oil. Trans fat, the worse of its kind, is found in
commercially prepared baked goods, margarines, snack foods,
processed foods, French fries and other fried foods prepared
in restaurants and fast food joints. A study even found that
replacing just 30 calories from carbohydrates in your meal
with 30 calories from trans-fat nearly doubles the risk of
developing heart disease. Even the cholesterol levels in your
blood are determined by the mixture of fats you consume. So
choose your fats smartly to move up the ladder of health!
All women need calcium supplements
to prevent osteoporosis
While calcium supplements have long been marketed as the “wonder drug” for
all age groups, current evidence suggests that all women do not need calcium
supplements to prevent osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a condition marked by weakening of bones due to an
imbalance between bone formation and bone destruction. This is most
commonly seen in post-menopausal women. So what do we need to do to
keep this in check?
First of all, let’s consider the dietary aspect. On an average, post-menopausal
women need about 1200 mg of calcium in a day. Women of other age groups
including pregnant and lactating women need about 1000 mg/day. To reach
1200 mg/day, post-menopausal women would need calcium supplements or
drink 2-3 glasses of milk in a day. But, realistically speaking, these targets are
difficult to achieve.
Moreover, there are several concerns that surround increased use of
dietary products. Much to our relief, calcium is also found in dark
green, leafy vegetables, dried legumes and beans. So stock up on
these and say hello to healthy bones.
Other ways to slow down osteoporosis include exercising regularly
and getting enough vitamin D and vitamin K.
Vitamin D in combination with calcium has been found to be better
for preventing fractures than calcium alone. You would need
approximately 800-1000 IU (International unit) of vitamin D in a day.
However, it would be a good idea to discuss these supplements with
your physician before you start taking them. Vitamin K has also been
found to lower the risk of fractures in adults. Getting one or more
servings per day of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, dark green lettuce
should be enough to meet the daily recommended target of 120
micrograms per day for men and 90 micrograms per day for women.
Secondly, exercising regularly is an important part of your efforts to
slow down osteoporosis. “Weight-bearing" exercises include walking,
dancing, jogging, weightlifting, stair-climbing, racquet sports, and
hiking are especially beneficial for this purpose.
So eat well and exercise regularly for healthy bones!
Disclaimer – This is an awareness bulletin and does not intend to suggest any treatment modality. Please
consult your Physician before adopting any treatment or medicine.