Health and Wellness

Myths about your health have been around forever. Don’t be fooled by the cliché myths of the medical world. This article will find the truth in five popular beliefs. Read on for details about misleading myths regarding health habits.

Health and wellness myths are passed down from generation to generation or recreated from time to time, but the truth is, health and wellness myths are here to stay. These myths have been heard so many times, that people just assume they are true. Health and wellness myths come from many different sources. Some have roots in old English, while other health and wellness myths are from newspaper articles blown out of proportion.

Some of the health and wellness myths are scientifically correct and have been used for generations. This article will identify a few of the health and wellness myths and describe what is really true and what isn’t.

Every day, an apple keeps the doctor away.

This phrase comes from an Old English line: “Ate an apfel/avore gwain bed/makes the doctor/beg his bread.” Apples are not miracle cures, but health and wellness studies in the late eighties in Japan suggest that people who ate at least three apples on a daily basis were less likely to develop high blood pressure.

Apples contain boron, a trace mineral that increases calcium absorption, which may be a factor in preventing osteoporosis. Apples also contain fiber, which can help lower cholesterol.

Vitamin C makes a cure go away.

There has been significant health and wellness research done in the past to see if Vitamin C could stop colds. Health and wellness studies state that while vitamin C is somewhat beneficial in treating cold symptoms, there is no solid health and wellness research that states that Vitamin C actually cures a cold. Taking Vitamin C did however, assist with cold relief, and patients who took Vitamin C got well slightly faster than those who did not, but only a tenth of a day quicker.

Eating Spicy foods will give you nightmares.

Health and wellness experts agree that eating spicy food before bedtime does not cause nightmares, but due to discomfort associated with spicy food, people may become more restless. Also, spicy food that is consumed when drinking alcohol can increase dream intensity during the last part of the night. Peppers stimulate gastric acid in the stomach, which can also contribute to having a restless sleep. Milk may calm those dreams. It’s a source of tryptophan, an amino acid that helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that makes a person feel sleepy.

Swallowed gum takes seven years to digest.

This health and wellness myth is truly that, a myth; it is an old health and wellness wives tale. Gum is not digestible and because it is a form of fiber, it passes directly through the body. The stickiness is irrelevant.

Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis.

While cracking your knuckles can be annoying to others and can weaken your grip, there is no health and wellness research that proves it causes arthritis. There is no evidence that cracking your knuckles inflames the joints and leads to arthritis. The cracking causes the bones to pull apart, forming a gas bubble and breaking the adhesive seal in the joint.

These are just a few of the health and wellness myths that are out there. If you have a question about a myth you may have heard, talk to your doctor for the correct information.