Between all of the conflicting information out there that comes from televised news broadcasts, newspapers, magazines and online articles, determining what is good and what is bad for our health can become an extremely difficult task.
Some of these myths are so engrained in our society that even some medical professionals themselves fall victim to these false beliefs, which doesn’t bode well for our health. Here are the most common health myths many of us still believe which have been debunked by science.
1-Low Fat Diets Are Good for the Heart
Heart disease is one of the biggest contributors to an early death, and is naturally something we should all be concerned about. A belief emerged that saturated fats were the main culprit here as some studies pointed the finger in their direction. This in turn lead companies to start producing products with less saturated fat, which many people believe is a better alternative as far as their heart health is concerned.
This is not only untrue, but can potentially be harmful in instances where an individual will cut fats completely out of their diet. Fats are necessary as they contain vitamins we need, are used in the production of hormones, and can actually benefit heart health in some respects depending on the type of fat.
Another problem with switching to low-fat or non-fat products is that these fats are not only removed but are replaced with sugars. Excess sugar consumption has the potential to be more harmful to our heart and cardiovascular system than these saturated fats do, so be aware of the additional sugar added to many of the products you eat.
2-You Need to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day
Hydration is important in helping us to function optimally as far as our cognitive ability, energy levels, and virtually every other bodily process is concerned. This requires a decent amount of water as the vast majority of our bodies consist of this substance, but like anything else too much water can be a bad thing.
We need to remember that not only are we getting water from drinking water itself, but also from the food we eat and other beverages we consume. This can add up fast, to the point where the vast majority of people don’t need 8 glasses of water a day to stay fully hydrated. If you’re unsure how much water you need to drink during the day, just use thirst as your guide.
3-Erectile Dysfunction is All Mental
While erectile dysfunction can be caused by feeling depressed or feelings of anxiety, this cause is extremely rare. More often than not erectile dysfunction has some physical causal link such as damage to the blood vessels, nerves or in the spongy tissue of the penis itself.
Our habits can contribute to the disease as well such as eating a diet high in cholesterol, being overweight, or smoking. Erectile dysfunction is best treated through natural supplementation, which will restore a man’s ability to function without adversely affecting his health further.
4-Vaccines Cause Autism
This myth has been perpetuated based on one study which has been proven to be inaccurate time and time again. Not only was the data proven to be false, but the person responsible for the study has lost his medical license. This myth typically comes along with the belief that vaccines also contain toxic artificial dyes, food coloring, and even mercury.
There is no causal link between any type of vaccinations and autism, and the majority of other artificial ingredients have been removed from them as well. You average fast food meal has more artificial dyes than your average vaccination, so that should be no reason to deter you from getting vaccinated given the enormous benefit in doing so.
5-Getting a Tan Protects Your Skin
Another extremely common belief many people have is that getting a tan can give your skin some protection from the sun. It is very common for people to head to the tanning salon before going on a tropical vacation to do just that, however doing so isn’t going to offer you any extra protection against the sun.
Tanning of the skin is the first indication that the body gives us when our cells are becoming damaged from ultraviolet rays, and offers little to no additional protection from sun damage. Tanning also causes early aging of the skin in terms of wrinkling, sagging, and other problems to the skin that results from damage.
6-Cracking Your Bones Causes Arthritis
The origin of this myth is rather simple, as the noise made from the cracking of our joints sounds like the bones themselves are cracking. This cracking sound is actually the release of gasses found in between our joints as they are reset.
No studies have shown that cracking your joints will lead to arthritis, as the disease is caused by the degradation of the cartilage in our joints. This is a problem mainly revolving around the use of our joints and age itself, so keep cracking your knuckles if you enjoy doing so.
7-Being Skinny Means You’re Healthy
With so many of us falling into the category of being overweight or obese, those of us who are skinny seem to be healthier just on appearance alone. While being skinny is good in that the body isn’t stressed from extra weight, if you are skinny but still eat a poor diet it can be disastrous for your health.
Eating a diet that consists of pizza, fast food, soda and other junk food while maintaining a good weight doesn’t mean that you’re healthy. These types of foods are very bad for our health especially in regards to the cardiovascular system, and you may be clogging your arteries without being aware of it.
Eating junk food is moderation is fine, however having a diet that primarily consists of these foods is going to cause you health problems down the line whether you are skinny or not.
