Health

Doctors Are Tired of Having to Bust these Medical Myths

Myth: Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold Truth: Even though you may not have heard this adage, it couldn’t be more wrong. There’s no reason to… Trista - September 21, 2022

Myth: Starve a Fever, Feed a Cold

Truth: Even though you may not have heard this adage, it couldn’t be more wrong. There’s no reason to starve yourself when you’re sick or trying to lose weight because your body is working overtime to fight infection. That means it doesn’t hurt to provide a little more fuel to help it during this challenging time by eating as much of a regular diet as possible.

This is especially important even if you don’t feel hungry at all. Of course, if you’re constantly feeling nauseous, it’s best to avoid solid foods and focus on warm liquids such as soups and tea, so they’re easy to digest and easier on your stomach. Calorie-dense foods are also a good idea to help replenish your electrolytes and keep your energy levels up as much as possible.

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Myth: Our Fingernails Keep Growing After We Die

Truth: When you die, all of the body’s processes stop. That means that your hair and your fingernails don’t continue to grow after you die. What’s really responsible for their “longer” appearance is the dehydration of the skin, causing it to shrink and pull back around the fingernails and on the scalp so that they look longer.

A chemical called biotin is responsible for hair and nail growth, which is part of the B complex vitamins. It helps the body convert food into energy to metabolize fats and proteins and promote healthy hair and nail growth. Without biotin, you can have brittle nails and thinning hair. So if you’ve passed away, there is no new introduction of biotin into the body, so your hair and nails cannot keep growing.

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Myth: You Need To Take A Multivitamin Every Day For Optimal Health

Truth: Multivitamins have become synonymous with good health, but that’s not necessarily the case. Multivitamins are proposed as “that little extra” that you need when you’re not taking specific nutrients in your diet. But if you’re eating a pretty well-balanced diet, you don’t need multivitamins. The only time you should be taking them is if your doctor recommends them to you. For example, if you’re a pregnant woman, you’ll need some extra vitamins to ensure the health of your fetus as it grows.

Otherwise, you can save money and just invest in a healthier diet with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy oils. It can take a lot of willpower to make the change, but it will be worth it if you don’t have to pay for a bottle of multivitamins every three months.

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Myth: The Flu Shot Gives You the Flu

Truth: It can feel like you’ve gotten the flu after getting your flu shot, but these are expected side effects. The most common ones are redness and swelling at the injection site, overall soreness, low fever, and some muscle aches, all symptoms that are similar to the flu. However, unlike the flu, these side effects will pass quickly instead of lingering around for a week or more.

And yet, the myth persists, leading people to believe that the shots don’t work. They think the government created shots that make you feel sick instead of preventing the flu. However, most flu shots use an inactive virus or no virus at all, so there is no way for you to actually get the flu from getting your flu shots every year. Don’t avoid it; you can cut down on the spread of the flu by getting vaccinated every year and slowing down its mutation so that more people are protected next year.

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Myth: Natural Sugars Are Better Than Refined Sugar

Truth: Many believe that the refinement process of creating white sugar makes it less healthy for you. They think that coconut sugar, agave sugar, and raw brown sugar are healthier options. However, to be quite honest, they’re still all sugar and should be treated the same way. You should consume them in moderation. They’re all simple sugars processed the same way, so even molasses and honey are still a little unhealthy for you.

The best choice for a source of sugar is fruit. You are also getting a ton of other vitamins, minerals, and fiber along with the sugar. It makes them more nutritious. So, if you ever feel a sugar craving, reach for something sweet plucked from a vine or tree. Skip the sugary snacks that come in a wrapper.

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Myth: Chocolate is an Aphrodisiac

Truth: Although chocolates make a great gift for Valentine’s Day, don’t think they’ll get you some luck before the night is out. It has been a common misconception that chocolate is an aphrodisiac, meaning it can make you ready for sexy time after eating a few pieces. However, this isn’t the case at all. Studies have shown that chocolate has had no effect on the sexual response in men, and there is only preliminary evidence as to improved libido in women. However, there’s not enough information to go on.

Chocolate, in and of itself and in small moderation, can actually be pretty good for your health. Dark chocolate, in particular, has been known to lower blood pressure, increase blood circulation, and reduce the risk of clotting. So a little bit every day can work wonders for your health. Just as long as you’re not indulging in too much every day, because there is a lot of sugar and calories in chocolate, so you can make all the beneficial properties not worth it.

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Myth: Eating Breakfast Helps You To Lose Weight

Truth: Having breakfast in the morning is a great way to jumpstart your metabolism so that it’s ready for the day but having breakfast doesn’t guarantee losing weight. It’s really dependent on the kind of breakfast that you have and what your metabolism is really like. Having breakfast can also help you to minimize your snacking throughout the day, but it’s not a guarantee that you’ll lose weight.

In fact, some studies have shown that some people who don’t eat breakfast tend not to overeat at lunch and dinner and actually ingest fewer calories during the day than those who eat breakfast. So it’s a personal choice to see what works for you when it comes to losing weight because not every plan will work for everyone.

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Myth: “Starving Yourself” Can Be Effective for Weight Loss

Truth: After all, if you’re not taking in calories, you’re not gaining weight, right? It should be the easiest solution for hitting your target goal weight. Unfortunately, starving yourself can have the opposite effect of what you’re looking for. As the body starts to get hungry, it starts to hold on to the calories and fat you do have left. The body uses it for fuel to maintain the body’s other functions. That means that it’s going to hold on to a certain weight for a longer time.

That means when you’ve hit your goal and start eating again, the body will hold on to all that nutrition even harder. Your body doesn’t want to endure another moment of starvation again, hence it holding onto nutrients. That’s why starvation or low-calorie diets don’t work at all. It’s much better to focus on eating a healthy diet with moderate exercise to help keep the weight off.

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Myth: Drinking Coffee Can Stunt Your Growth

Truth: Coffee does not contain chemicals that will diminish your height as you grow older. Your genetics entirely determines your height, and coffee is not strong enough to change your genes. It’s unclear where this old myth came from, but people probably used it as a scare tactic to stop children from trying to drink coffee.

Otherwise, no scientific evidence shows that coffee will stunt your growth. The only medical condition coffee relates to is a slight increase in blood pressure. However, coffee addiction becomes a real thing if drunk in high quantities. In addition, you can have high blood pressure, dizziness, headaches, and an abnormal heartbeat, just to name a few of the symptoms. Limiting your coffee intake to no more than six cups a day is best.

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Myth: You Need To Get Eight Hours of Sleep Every Night To Have Optimal Health

Truth: Although eight hours is a goal some people strive for, not everyone is the same. Some people feel well-rested after getting less sleep or require a lot more. It really depends on people’s personal metabolisms and the quality of sleep that they have. For example, if someone’s day has a lot of heavy work that makes them extremely tired, they might require a lot more sleep every night to feel energized the next day.

Everyone has a different circadian rhythm that determines optimal sleep time. It could be anywhere from six to nine hours, so always aiming for eight might not work for some people. Sleep should be treated like exercise and hydration: get enough so that you feel your best and don’t give yourself some unattainable goal that doesn’t make you feel healthy.

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