Popular beliefs about health and beauty have always been passed on from one generation to another. However, not all of them are true. Some of these beliefs do not have any scientific explanation and are purely health myths. Since you have probably heard it from your mom, aunt or grandma, you immediately assumed that it was true. Nevertheless, when it comes to health, be careful about what you hear (or even read). Always know the truth and rationale behind every belief.
1. You need to drink eight glasses of water every day.
How much water or fluid you need to take everyday actually depends on your weight, temperature of the environment and physical activity. It may be less than eight glasses per day or more. A quick way to determine your required daily fluid intake would be to use the following formula:
Daily fluid requirement = Body weight (lbs) x 0.5
8
= no. of cups required per day
Some online hydration calculator would even include environment conditions and duration of exercise per day.
2. Skipping meals to help you lose weight.
Skipping meals is absolutely a wrong way to lose weight. Instead of making you lose a few pounds, skipping a meal would put your body into a preservation mode where it would conserve as many calories as it could. This would slow down your metabolic rate, which results in weight gain.
3. Special hair products can cure split ends.
Truth be told, the only remedy for split ends is to trim it. Hair repair creams and shampoos may claim to help cure split ends, but they only put a special coating in your hair to prevent further hair damage. If you have existing split ends, these products will not cure them.
4. You do not need sunscreen during cloudy days and winter.
Even if the sun does not shine brightly, our skin is still exposed to UV rays. During winter time, the weather may be cold, but the earth is actually closer to the sun. You may not feel the scorching heat of the sun, but harmful UV rays still exist.
5. Reading in dim light can cause eye damage.
Remember that back in the days, when electricity was not yet discovered, people read, write and even sew in dim lighting. If there was truth to this, then all the people during pre-electricity days should have sustained damage to their eyes. Dim lighting, however, can cause eye strain.
The same is true with sitting close to the television screen and using computers. The glare can lead to eye strain and too much staring can cause eye fatigue. However, there is no evidence pointing to eye damage during these instances.
Nowadays, businesses and organizations can lead us to believe what they want to believe, all for the sake of profit. It is easier to convince people since the Internet and media can be powerful tools. However, always be wise when choosing what to believe or not. If it does not feel right, then do your research.
Photo credit: Neurologica Blog