The Biggest Health Myths Busted

1. Egg yolks are bad for you

imagesource/wikipediaDoctor Mashfika Alam says, “Maybe because people only got to know the health benefits of egg yolk only recently, but egg yolk is recommended for everyone unless allergic, even people with heart disease as it is loaded with HDL which is a good cholesterol and actually counteracts the effects of bad cholesterol,”

2. Cholesterol is bad

imagesource/CSLbehringCholesetrol is a molecule that floats through your blood and what's important is how much of it there is. “The overall amount of cholesterol in your blood (AKA ‘total cholesterol’) isn’t nearly as important as how much of each kind you have in your blood." To much LDL cholesterol may be bad for your heart in comparison to HDL cholesterol.

3. Starving yourself is an effective way to lose weight

imagesource/popsugarukStarving yourself by cutting out calories for example may seem like a good idea at the time but it actually does the opposite. “Eating too little or starving yourself is a very bad idea and it actually leads to rebound weight gain,” says Alam. “This has been a common notion among young teenage girls for a long time. Eat a balanced out low calorie diet, that will help you to lose weight.”

4. Coffee can stunt childrens development

imagesource/twitterCaffeine is not going to stunt anyone's growth, even children's. So if they're drinking drinks with caffeine in, yes it may not be the best thing for them, but its been proven that it will not stunt their growth. “The basis of this myth stems from the idea that caffeine in coffee can be the cause of osteoporosis, a vitamin D deficiency that makes the bones fragile.”

5. Carrots are good for your eye sight

imagesource/twitterThis myth stems from WWII when Ally pilots managed to shoot down enemies at night to prevent German forces from finding out that they had actually developed a new radar technology. So no, carrots do not help with your eyesight, but they are good for you! So carry on eating plenty of them.

6. Cracking knuckles leads to Arthritis

imagesource/twitterThis old wives tale comes from speculation used before people understood how people could actually crack their nails. The crack is literally the popping of bubbles in the fluid that lubricates the hands known as synovial fluid. It might not cause artheritis but it may reduce grip strength and swelling in your hands.

7. Addiction affects everyone the same

imagesource/ADDitutde“Many people who use a drug will not become addicted along the way while others will,” he says. “The difference is a person’s predisposition to the condition; their family history, mental health issues, medical issues, and heredity, and other factors all pay a role in determining someone’s tendency towards addiction.” Then once the brain is changed, its wired to want more of that substance.

8. Bottled water is better for you than tap

imagesource/twitterBottle water companies have long been pushing the health benefits of their product and many conspiracies warn that there is too much fluoride in tap water. But the fact is, tap water in most places is absolutely fine to drink. Bottled water, because it is stored in plastic, is actually less healthy than tap water apparently.

9. Energy drinks contain special alert boosting ingredients

imagesource/twitter“Despite containing a variety of vitamins and extraneous substances, these products actually exert their influence with that self-same ingredient, i.e., caffeine,” says Tavel. “My advice: Stick to coffee. Forget the ‘energy drinks.’ They are a waste of money.”

10. Detoxing is a great way to change your diet

imagesource/therawblisslifeRather than detoxing for a week or drinking lemon juice, we should be eating balanced diets, with plenty of veg and a bit of exercise. Life is all about balance. “Most regiments used for a typical detox dehydrate the body and can cause bowel issues like diarrhea so the weight loss you see within a few days is typically just from the loss of water… really the opposite of what you want to do for overall health.” 

11. Eating before bed makes your put weight on

imagesource/healthlineObviously it can be quite uncomfortable to eat right before bed, we can end up with heartburn but eating late doesn't actually make you put weight on, its what you're actually eating. “What you want to avoid is over eating for the day and eating junk food, period—we just happen to eat more junk food in the evenings.” 

12. Turkey makes you sleepy

imagesource/twitterEveryone loves a nap after their Thanksgiving meal and some people believe that theres a chemical called tryptophan in Turkey that makes you sleepy. The drowsiness is actually caused by the high carbs you're eating throughout your meal, so don't cut Turkey out of your Thanksgiving meal just yet!

13. Chocolate gives you bad skin

imagesource/twitterSchool kids have always been told that their bad skin was caused by eating too much chocolate, but studies show that chocolate doesn't actually increase the amount of acne in a group of studies.

14. Chocolate is an Aphrodisiac

imagesource/twitterThere isn't any proof to show that chocolate stimulates the effects of luuuuurve making. According to the Mayo Clinic, “research has shown them to be largely ineffective at producing a sexual response in men. Preliminary evidence is slightly more encouraging for improved libido in women, but more research is needed.”

15. The flu shot gives you the flu

imagesource/STATnewsA lot of people are getting the flu shot this time of year and this myth is usually pushed by the media. Vaccines are either made with inactive flu or no virus at all. So when you're getting the flu jab and you suffer with side effects it's easy to confuse them with symptoms of the flu.

16. Starve a fever, feed a cold

imagesource/theportlandclinicWe've all heard of the saying "starve a fever, feed a cold" but the best thing to fight a fever is to maintain a regular diet and even though you don't feel like eating, you need the calories when you're feeling under the weather. Eat and drink plenty and you'll be back on your feet much sooner.

17. Cold, wet weather gives you a cold

imagesource/UKhealthWater carries heat away from your head so venturing out in the cold with wet hair could make you lose heat more quickly when you or the clothing you're wearing is wet. You're at more of a risk of catching hypothermia and frostbite. However, some doctors say you only catch a cold from bacteria or viruses.

18. Our fingernails keep growing after we die

imagesource/twitterSo, let's just get this right. No ones fingernails carry on growing after they die. Neither hair nor fingernails grow but the skin around both retracts - it becomes dehydrated making them appear longer but they do not actually grow. Remember that.

19. Sunblock is only needed when the suns out

imagesource/twitter“No matter what the weather is like, you should be diligent about applying sun protection all year round. Each morning, you should be applying a broad spectrum sunscreen to all exposed areas of skin, and reapplying your sun protection at least every two hours.”

20. Loofahs are long lasting

imagesource/kyliecosmeticsThrow your loofahs out every week! They're full of grime and dirt, they're disgusting. In fact, just stop using them all together. Loofahs harbour bacteria, mould and yeast amongst other harmful bacteria. This an cause irritations to the skin, creating dry areas, breakouts and sores.

21. Bigger people are less healthy

imagesource/Holding a bit of weight, in our society, tends to make people feel that you're a little more unhealthy that someone 'skinnier'. However, we need to stop focusing on weight. There are many different factors that make someone unhealthy and someone 'skinny' can be just as, if not more unhealthy than someone overweight.

22. 10,000 steps is the magic number

imagesource/dcrainmaker“10,000 steps, like eight glasses of water, was an arbitrary guideline written by one person, who calculated how many calories walking 10,000 steps burned, and determined that was a good number,” Having a FitBit or an Apple Watch can be helpful when it comes to holding yourself accountable with doing enough exercise so keep doing what you're doing but don't get too regimented with it.

23. Yoghurt is healthy

imagesource/BBCThere are some yoghurts that are packed full of good bacteria with plenty of health benefits, but there are also some out there that are packed with more sugar and high-fructose corn syrup that counteract any good health benefits.

24. Vegetable chips are healthy

imagesource/tasteJust like anything 'fried', vegetable chips can be packed full of salt and saturated fats which are very harmful for you. Rather than stuffing your face with vegetable chips, munch on some nuts or seeds that aren't covered in nasty oils and extras.

25. Diet fads are healthy

imagesource/preventionYou've probably heard of the Keto, Paleo and some of the other b*llsh** diets, which promise you a quick fix result to losing weight, but food Psychologist, Angela Grace says, “If [diets] are used as a quick-fix for weight loss, they can become obsessive and lead people down the path of eating disorders,” “Severely restricting food for weight loss, which is often touted by the diet and fitness industry, can be harmful and trigger disordered eating.”

26. Remove sugar from your diet

imagesource/healthlineYes, sugar can be a bad thing when it's consumed to much, just like anything. But its the misuse of sugar, not the use of it thats the issue. People don't realise that there are different types of sugar; natural sugars can be found in fruit, vegetables, dairy products and grains.

27. Canned foods are terrible for you

imagesource/goodhousekeepingCanned foods aren't the worst thing you can be eating, not by a long way. Canned tomatoes provide more lycophene compared to fresh or cooked tomatoes, along with canned spinach and carrots, which contain more beta carotene which are extremely good for you. So if you're worrying about canned foods not being healthy for you, worry no more!

28. Gluten is bad

imagesource/wallpaperstockPeople have some sort of obsession with gluten at the moment, probably something to do with Kourtney Kardashian. Gluten does to relate to how healthy you are, the overall food choices you make in your diet are whats important. So if you're gluten intolerant, allergic or have coeliac then yes cut it out, otherwise don't.

29. Work out at least one hour per day

imagesource/twitter“Regular exercise has great health benefits, but fitting in a workout every single day is not often feasible or even recommended,” says Hersheson. “Everyone needs a rest day to let the body recover. Additionally, any activity is good activity even if it’s a 15-minute walk. Don’t cheat your body out of moving a bit because you think you don’t have enough time for a full workout.”

30. Weight training will make you bulk out

imagesource/twitterWeight training is a great way for you to tone, lose weight and get healthy. Its impossible for women to gain huge amounts of muscle mass by just using weights, because we produce way less testosterone than men do. So when you're in the gym, hop off the boring treadmill and mix it up a little!