When it comes to health, there are all sorts of old wives’ tales and misconceptions floating around out there. Even some common “health tips” amount to really bad advice, too.
Of course, this stems from how anecdotal evidence and medical studies are presented by the media and word of mouth. Claims are often exaggerated, sometimes oversimplified, and can be misleading, and correlation can be misrepresented as causation. This can, in turn, lead to folks doling out erroneous advice.
Here are a few health myths, often disguised as health tips, that you absolutely shouldn’t buy into.
Unless you’re prepping for a colonoscopy, there’s absolutely no reason to get a colonic. Many of the purported health benefits are completely unproven, and there are potential side effects, too.
Colon cleanses can lead to tears in one’s rectum, infections, an electrolyte imbalance, and dehydration. It can cause nausea, stomach cramping, and other uncomfortable conditions. And, again, there’s no evidence that the procedure does anything beneficial for you.
This is one of the oldest health myths we’ve heard, yet some folks can’t even get the saying right. Regardless, this centuries-old adage is flawed in many ways, regardless of how it’s phrased. You shouldn’t starve a fever or a cold.
It’s believed that the maxim stems from the idea that fasting could remedy a fever. The notion was that food helps warm up the body and abstaining from food does the opposite. But denying yourself nutrients won’t help your fever at all. Conversely, undernourishment makes it much more difficult for you to recover.
Your immune system needs energy in order to fight infection. So, regardless of whether you have a fever or not, you should definitely have that bowl of chicken soup.
For decades, we’ve been taught that fat is bad and that we should avoid it. However, not all fat is bad – in fact, it’s actually important to our diet. It’s necessary for vitamin absorption, the building of cell membranes, blood clotting, and more.
There are, of course, different types of fat. Trans fats should be avoided; however, many unsaturated fats are quite good for your health.
