Is health just a matter of science? For millennia, humans have searched for the way to live a life of perfect health. Here are seven of the biggest myths about health, debunked.
Mythbusters #1: Health
Is health just a matter of science? For millennia, humans have searched for the way to live a life of perfect health. Here are seven of the biggest myths about health, debunked.
Myth risks
"Roll up! Come and buy the most efficaciousAnother word for effective. remedy known to mankind!" cried the smartly dressed salesman. "My snake-oil linimentA medical liquid that is rubbed on the skin. It is not to be confused with lineament, which means a distinctive shape or feature. will cure any pain. Headache, toothache, lumbagoA pain in the lower back. - whatever ails you. Buy a bottle now!"
Clark Stanley travelled around 19th Century America selling useless medicine. His "snake-oil" was in fact a mixture of mineral oil, red pepper and turpentine. And he made a fortune from it.
People have always been gullible Easily fooled. when it comes to health. Some myths have survived for centuries. These are just seven, old and new.
1. Fever glitch "Starve a fever, feed a cold" is a well-known saying. In fact you should keep eating as well as you can if you are feverish.
2. Wet-hair scare Going out in chilly weather with wet hair does not lead to a cold. A cold is a virus caught from another person. But it is a good idea to wear a hat if your hair is wet, to prevent hypothermiaA dangerous drop in body temperature caused by exposure to cold..
3. Spot rot To test the belief that chocolate gives you acne, researchers studied 65 teenagers. Some of them were given bars containing 10 times the normal amount of cocoa The most important ingredient in chocolate., and others bars with no cocoa at all. There was no noticeable increase in acne in either group.
4. Bathroom doom Toilet seats are often seen as a source of disease. In fact they are normally quite clean: you are more likely to pick up germs from the door handle.
5. H2O no-no Huge amounts of bottled water are bought by people who think it is healthier. But in developed countries tap water is usually fine.
6. Joint point Cracking your knuckles does not lead to arthritis, as some people believe. But it can weaken your grip and make your hands swell.
7. Cracking snack Egg yolks are said to be bad for you because they contain cholesterol which causes heart disease. But some types of cholesterolA type of blood fat produced by the liver. are good for you, including the one in egg yolks, HDLShort for high-density lipoprotein..
Is health just a matter of science?
Yes: Medicine has made enormous strides in the past century, and continues to do so. We can rely on doctors to cure most diseases, or at least dramatically reduce the suffering they cause.
No: Health is largely a matter of common sense: we can avoid many problems simply through rational behaviour. But health is also about how you feel, and sometimes following old advice can be a source of comfort.
Or... Science is a relative term. Doctors in past centuries believed that they were treating diseases in a highly scientific manner, but we now know that many of their methods were completely wrong.
Keywords
Efficacious - Another word for effective.
Liniment - A medical liquid that is rubbed on the skin. It is not to be confused with lineament, which means a distinctive shape or feature.
Lumbago - A pain in the lower back.
Gullible - Easily fooled.
Hypothermia - A dangerous drop in body temperature caused by exposure to cold.
Cocoa - The most important ingredient in chocolate.
Cholesterol - A type of blood fat produced by the liver.
HDL - Short for high-density lipoprotein.
Mythbusters #1: Health
Glossary
Efficacious - Another word for effective.
Liniment - A medical liquid that is rubbed on the skin. It is not to be confused with lineament, which means a distinctive shape or feature.
Lumbago - A pain in the lower back.
Gullible - Easily fooled.
Hypothermia - A dangerous drop in body temperature caused by exposure to cold.
Cocoa - The most important ingredient in chocolate.
Cholesterol - A type of blood fat produced by the liver.
HDL - Short for high-density lipoprotein.