Top 20 health myths
#1: Eating carrots improves your eyesight.
Truth: Though carrots contain a high concentration of vitamin A, essential for healthy eyesight (vitamin A defficiency can cause blindness), an extra helping on your plate won’t give you X-ray vision. In fact the origin of the various sight-improving attributes of the humble carrot is generally credited to a campaign of misinformation carried out by the British Government during the World War II. British intelligence didn’t want the Germans to know that they were using radar to detect bombing raids so they spread the rumour that they were feeding their pilots carrots in order to improve their vision. Trouble is the campaign was so successful people still believe it even today! Of course all things are relative - if you start off with a vitamin A deficiency, eating more carrots will of course improve your vision.
#2: Eating bread crusts makes your hair go curly.
Truth: Is having curly hair a good thing? Rumour-mongering parents certainly think so - generations have attempted to persuade their children eating crusts will encourage a healthy-looking mop. In fact there’s no medical evidence to suggest eating bread crusts makes your hair go curly, though there may be other health benefits that aren’t so well known. The browning of the crust may produce more healthy antioxidants, which in turn help prevent the body absorbing harmful oxidising agents in the atmosphere such as ozone.
#3: Using sun lotion protects you from skin cancer.
Truth: The problem with using suntan lotions is that it can lull you into a false sense of security. The fact is whether you are wearing sun lotion or not, you should still ration the amount of time you spend relaxing by the pool. Remember - suntan lotions are not total blocks: They still allow some UV through. And though you are protected from burning, the genetic changes in your skin that occur after exposure to the sun will still be there. Don’t forget to cover up and wear a hat. You should also wear sunscreen in the UK between April and October, not just when you are somewhere hot on holiday.
#4: You can get cancer from barbecued food.
Truth: There’s a persistent feeling these days that anything enjoyable must be bad for our health. So many things seem to be banned that we don’t know where to turn, so when someone tells us that the burnt crust of barbecued food contains carcinogens, who are we to argue? But while it’s true that the heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) contained in the blackened edges of barbecue food are carcinogenic, there has been no evidence produced which links barbecued food to cancer. Perhaps this is because you would never eat enough charred food to cause the DNA damage that is central to cancer development. Also, you can reduce the carcinogens by 99 per cent by marinating the food before you grill it. It is thought this might be because typical marinade ingredients - tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and citrus juice - are high in cancer-fighting compounds. Interestingly, grilled vegetables have no cancer risk.
#5: A lump in your breast means you have breast cancer.
Truth: About 80 per cent of breast lumps are benign (non-cancerous). Sometimes there can be cysts, nipple discharges and calcification (calcium salt deposits in breast tissues) resulting from injury or bruising, hormonal changes or infection. However, should you find a lump you must contact a health professional straight away - catching cancer early significantly increases the chances of recovery.
#6: Low fat diets are a healthy way of losing weight.
Truth: Adoption of low-fat diets is widespread among those keen to lose weight and look great but unilaterally cutting out all fat from your diet can actually damage your health. Very low fat or no fat diets don’t provide enough energy for healthy growth and some research suggests that the rash of low fat, high carbohydrate regimes pursued by many weight watchers over the past few years may actually be responsible for an increase in insulin resistance. Exercise combined with a balanced diet is more likely to reap rewards in the long run.
#7: Bananas are fattening.
Truth: They are actually low in fat. There is only half a gram of fat and 95 calories in a banana. Not only that but they are packed with potassium, come in their own packaging, are clean and very handy as a snack!
#8: It’s OK to skip breakfast.
Truth: Breakfast is a very important meal. When we’re sleeping, we are also ‘fasting’ for an average of about eight hours, so it’s essential to ‘break’ this fast. Although people who skip breakfast catch up on their energy requirements later in the day, they’re unlikely to get all the vitamins and minerals that a simple breakfast can provide. Try porridge with honey for a wholesome but filling meal.
#9: Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis.
Truth: It’s irritating and sounds excrutiating, but unfortunately you can no longer rely on the story that too much cracking causes arthritis to stop the person sitting next to you from doing it. No medical studies have been conducted that confirm a link between cracking your knuckles and the crippling pain induced by arthritis, but there are other scare stories you can rely on. According to one study the ligament stretching that occurs among regular knuckle-crackers can cause swollen hands and weaken the grip.
#10: People are overweight because they have slow metabolisms.
Truth: It’s a common complaint among the clinicially obese but studies show you can’t use a slow metabolism as an explanation for weight gain. Of course, there may be other physical reasons for weighing in over the odds, but recent studies revealed fat people have faster metabolisms and burn off more energy than slimmer people simply to keep their bodies going.
#11: Abdominal work results in a six-pack.
“Abdominal work will not change the way your stomach looks,” Greer said. “It will make your abs stronger, which is important, but only lowering overall body fat will change the aesthetics of your midsection.”
Many individuals who are concerned with physical exercise have a six-pack at the top of the priority list, however, no number of crunches will achieve this desired goal.
“I recommend dietary improvement for clients who desire a six-pack,” Phillips said. “They are always surprised when I tell them that crunches will not achieve aesthetically-ideal abs.”
#12: Eating late at night increases weight-gain.
“The reason people typically lose weight when they cut out foods late at night is only because they are taking in fewer calories within a 24-hour period,” Greer said. “If they had cut out lunch, the results would be the same — assuming lunch was equivalent to the late night snack, in caloric content.”
Many individuals will not eat carbohydrates after a specific time, believing that the nutrient will not be utilized later in the day. Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for the brain, as well as various systems in the body.
“We need to get away from the notion that carbohydrates are used only for physical activity,” Greer said.
The simplest tool to manage dietary intake is to increase awareness of intake versus expenditure. Weight is determined by calories in and calories out.
#13: Lifting heavy weights is the best way to gain muscle.
Many myths revolve around the concept of muscular gain.
“Training each muscle group with variety and proper form is more effective towards optimal muscle gain,” Phillips said.
Heavy lifting is classified as a range of six or less repetitions for any given exercise.
“Training heavy can result in injury and unnecessary stress on the body that can easily be avoided,” Phillips said. “A proper repetition range would be between eight and 12.”
Establishing goals and a game plan can help when seeking positive results.
#14: Fat makes people fat.
Contrary to what is often perceived, weight gain results from excessive caloric intake of any nutrient.
“Eating too much of anything makes you overweight,” Greer said. “Since fat is more calorie dense than carbohydrates or protein, it is easier to overeat it.”
Compared to four calories per gram found in carbohydrate and protein, fat yields over double the amount of the other macronutrients with nine calories per gram. Dietary fat should be included in any balanced diet. A healthy body demands an intake of all three macronutrients. By eliminating any one of them, adverse physical, mental and emotional health effects will occur.
Some sources of dietary fat are healthier than others.
“Fat intake should be from primarily unsaturated fat sources, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and fish,” Greer said.
The body relies on fat for a number of functions, including cell structure and metabolism, and does not perform as efficiently without it.
#15: Training everyday for extended periods of time will achieve better results.
In reality, overtraining can be detrimental to one’s wellness.
“Muscle hypertrophy occurs outside the gym,” personal trainer Jason Phillips said. “Adequate rest time is imperative for muscular development.”
Muscle hypertrophy refers to an increase in muscle cell size. Minimal rest time for working the same body part is 48 hours.
“It is important to listen to your body,” Phillips said. “If you notice continuous fatigue, chances are you are overtraining and need a day of rest.”
Symptoms of overtraining include poor sport performance, decreased motor coordination, force production, and immune, hormonal, mood and sleep disturbances.
#16: Sun Causes Skin Cancer.
Experts and the media bombard us about the “dangers” of the sun. This is one of the most inaccurate myths that persist among most Americans. Unfortunately, this myth has contributed to massive amounts of disease and illness in our society because we ALL need sunshine to stay healthy.
Can sun exposure cause skin cancer? Absolutely. However, appropriate sunlight actually prevents cancer. Exposure to the sun provides many benefits such as promoting the formation of vitamin D. We also have strong evidence that sunlight is protective against MS and colon, ovarian and breast cancers.
This does not mean that we should all go out and get as much sun as we want–you must exercise caution. At the beginning of the season, go out gradually and limit your exposure to perhaps as little as 10 minutes a day. Progressively increase your time in the sun so that in a few weeks, you will be able to have normal sun exposure with little risk of skin cancer.
Remember to never get burned, that is the key.
Using sunscreen is not a good way to limit your sun exposure; in fact, sunscreen is one of the LAST things you want to put on your body, and sunblock does not stop skin cancer. Sunscreen is a toxic chemical that can cause problems in your system and increase your risk of disease.
A far more logical solution would be to creatively use your clothing to block the sun’s rays during your build-up time.
Additionally, consuming many whole vegetables will increase antioxidant levels in the body, which will provide protection against any sun-induced radiation damage.
If you are interested in preventing disease by way of the sun, I cannot urge you strongly enough to read the book that I am calling one of the most important health books of all-time, The Healing Sun by Dr. Richard Hobday.
If you have been brainwashed by conventional medical wisdom into fearing the sun, this book will help you see the light about the value of proper sun exposure. Without question it is the single most important book on health I have read in a long time.
#17: Milk Does a Body Good.
Commercial pasteurized milk is not a health food and should be avoided. It is primarily the pasteurization process, combined with the source of largely unhealthy cows, that is the problem. When milk is pasteurized the structure of the milk proteins changes (denaturization) into something far less than healthy.
Then, of course there is the issue of the hormones, antibiotics and pesticides and the fact that nearly all commercial dairy cows are raised on grains, not grass, like they were designed to. This will change the composition of the fats, especially the CLA content.
I believe Sally Fallon of the Weston Price Foundation says it best:
Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.
Calves fed pasteurized milk die before maturity.
Raw milk sours naturally, but pasteurized milk turns putrid and processors must remove slime and pus from pasteurized milk by a process of centrifugal clarification. Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk. The practice of heating milk to kill germs was instituted in the 20s to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods.
But times have changed and modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and inspection methods make pasteurization absolutely unnecessary for public protection. Clean raw milk from certified healthy cows is available commercially in several states and may be bought directly from the farm in many more. By executive order, it is forbidden to transport raw milk across state lines.
This is particularly sad because milk is one of the healthiest foods available prior to its being pasteurized.
So, there is a major distinction needed in the prevalent belief that milk is good for you–it should be RAW milk, as raw milk does provide many outstanding health benefits.
With that said, I am happy to announce that I have found a truly superior source of “real” organic raw dairy: Organic Pastures Dairy Company. Never processed, never pasteurized and never homogenized, these raw dairy products are high in antioxidants, vitamins (including B-12), all 22 essential amino acids, natural enzymes, natural probiotics and good fatty acids. Also, none of the individually named cows are ever given antibiotics, hormones or GMOs–and only pasture, natural grains, and approved organic homeopathic methods are used to feed and care for the cows.
#18: Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease.
Contrary to what you hear on the news, it is not the saturated fat in the foods we eat that is causing all of this heart disease, but rather, and far more, it is the excess carbohydrates from our starch- and sugar-laden diet that is making people fat and unhealthy, and leading to epidemic levels of a host of diseases such as diabetes and later, heart disease. Trans fats are another major contributing factor.
The reason why many people have not succeeded with the original diet-heart hypothesis that says a low-fat, high-carb diet is the best diet for the heart is likely explained by metabolic typing. We each have one of three nutritional types and each suits people to a different type of diet. Some people will benefit from a “high”-carb program that is two-thirds carbs as vegetables–while others need to follow a diet that is higher in protein to function optimally.
I do believe that we are slowly getting away from the old diet-heart hypothesis, however. The trend now is to place less emphasis on total cholesterol and more on other cardiac risk factors such as:
* Omega-3 fats
* Blood pressure
* Systemic inflammation indicators like C-reactive protein (CRP)
* Insulin levels
* Oxidative stress
* Homocysteine
#19: Low-Fat Diets are Healthy.
Your body cannot function properly without adequate amounts of fat–it influences everything from blood clotting to vitamin absorption to brain function. As such, there are many dangers associated with a low-fat diet such as:
* Raises bad (LDL) cholesterol
* Won’t prevent prostate cancer
* Can increase risk of injury
* Increases triglycerides
* May increase risk of stroke
* Worsens heartburn
* Denies children essential nutrients
However, the major reason why low-fat diets are harmful is that most people replace the fats with grains and sugars. If vegetables were substituted instead, as I detail in my new book, then it is far less likely that there would be a problem.
Also, many people have adopted low-fat diets as a way to lower their cholesterol. Not only are low-fat diets not the key to lowering cholesterol–as mentioned above they may actually raise bad cholesterol–but low cholesterol does not necessarily imply good health. For instance, low cholesterol is linked to many problems including aggressive behavior, depression, suicide and stroke.
It’s important to note that lower fat diets may be beneficial for some, especially those with carbohydrate metabolic types, but all of us need some beneficial fats in our diet to stay healthy and fat phobia and exclusion of all fats is a prescription for disaster.
#20: Fish is Good for You.
Sadly, as fish would otherwise be one of the healthiest meats on the planet since it is packed with the incredibly beneficial omega-3 fats, fish (and shellfish) easily accumulate high levels of chemical residues from the water they live in. Residues in fish can be as much as 9 million times the amount found in the water!
Due to the massive pollution of the environment by coal-fired utility plants–they release 40 TONS, or 80,000 pounds, of mercury into the air each year–and other sources, this once healthy food has now been rendered largely unfit for human consumption. Some of the contaminants found in fish flesh include:
* Mercury
* PCBs
* Radioactive substances like strontium
* Toxic metals such as cadmium, lead, chromium and arsenic
There are some viable alternative options for obtaining the nutritious benefits of fish, such as regularly consuming high-quality purified fish oil like the Carlson’s brand of fish oil, and enjoying the absolutely delicious Vital Choice Alaskan wild red salmon, I discovered through independent lab-testing my team coordinated, to be mercury- and PCB-free and safe.
Very small fish like anchovies and sardines are also likely OK to eat, as they are small enough to have minimal contamination.
Aside from these alternatives, most all fish is contaminated–this includes fish in supermarkets and restaurants, whether farm-raised or ocean-caught. If you cannot confirm, via lab testing, that the fish you are eating is not filled with toxins–don’t eat it! Mercury and PCBs are not something to play around with, and they can really sabotage your future health.