7 Common Health Myths Debunked By Samuel Peterson At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

It happens. People believe that cold water can give you a cold, or that eggs can raise your cholesterol levels or even that carrots can improve eye vision. But do these ideas or myths really have any scientific basis? Let’s find out!

Myth no 1: You have to drink eight glasses of water a day.

Fact- Way back in the 1940’s, the American Food and Nutrition Board told all consumers that it was essential to have at least eight glasses of water or two liters of water a day. But the truth is that we already have half of our intake in the form of juices, tea, fruits and even vegetables. Even coffee and tea can provide you with water. Coffee and tea are weak diuretics but they do work to provide you with a part of your water intake. A good way to judge your water intake is that if you are thirsty, drink but don’t over do it as too much water can cause a sodium loss in the form of urine.

Myth no 2: Stress can turn your hair gray.

Fact- Although this is a popular perception it’s not really true. Stress can age you prematurely by attacking healthy cells, and increasing the amount of stress hormones that are released but it cannot really affect the color of your hair. Most melanocytes or hair pigment producing cells stop producing hair color or melanin according to genetics.

Myth no 3: Reading in poor light can damage your eye sight

Fact- This is again not very true. Reading in dim light can strain your eyes and you may tend to squint to read well and that may give you a headache. This may make you feel like your eye sight is affected but a good nights sleep will get rid of all that.

Myth no 4: Too much coffee is bad for you

Fact- Too much of anything can be bad for you. But coffee taken in moderation is absolutely fine. It has several important phytochemicals that can act as antioxidants and protect against cell damage. Coffee can boost your energy levels and can also stimulate your mind but it cannot affect your heart and it does not aggravate heart disease. Two or three cups of coffee prepared with normal strength coffee is fine for any individual but if you start feeling anxiety, have a racing heart beat and sweating palms then its time for you to cut back on your intake.

Myth no 5: Feed a cold and starve a fever.

Fact- Colds and fevers persist for five to ten days depending on the virus that caused the infection. Most of the time both colds and fevers don’t really require any treatment. But you will have to fill up on fluids to reduce the congestion you feel when you have a cold. The mucus present in the nose and chest thins out with a higher water intake. Water is essential although chicken soup is great too.

Myth no 6: Eggs can raise your cholesterol levels.

Fact- in the 1960s, there was a common myth that eggs could increase your heart disease risk. But eggs are found to have only 1.6 gms of fat and offer health benefits of lean protein, vitamins A and D and are cheap too. As a result, eggs are fine but they should not be combined with other foods that can boost your cholesterol levels.

Myth no 7: Get wet and drink cold water and you will get a cold.

Fact- Chilled water cannot give you a cold as it cannot damage your immune system or affect the body’s immune system.

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