HEALTH Health hits and myths

With so many bugs doing the rounds at this time of year, you’ve probably heard someone use the old adage “starve a fever, feed a cold”, or a friend saying that they’re feeling a bit “under the weather”.

But do these popular sayings have any truth to them? James Moore investigates some popular expressions to discover if they’re backed by the boffins or nothing more than old wives’ tales.

Starve a fever, feed a cold

You might not have much of an appetite if you’ve got the flu, but not eating properly doesn’t help fight off a virus. Experts at Vicks say: “Your body needs proper nutrition at all times, but especially during cold and flu season.”

The Salk Institute in the US found that eating normally can actually help your body fight off infection.

Verdict: MYTH Under the weather

Why are colds more common in winter? A study by Northeastern University, US, suggests plummeting temperatures suppress the immune response in our noses, making it easier for us to contract viruses. Statistically, it has been shown that cold weather also comes with a higher risk of rising blood pressure and heart attacks, while changes in atmospheric pressure can trigger headaches too. Verdict: TRUE

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Packed with vitamin C to boost your immune system and other nutrients such as flavonoids, eating apples regularly is linked to a lower cancer risk, but there’s no connection between eating them daily and fewer visits to the GP.

Verdict: MYTH

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise

The idea that being up with the larks could boost your health was first suggested by one of America’s founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. More recently, scientists in the US have found that night owls were 10 per cent more likely to die early than “larks”. Interestingly, another study found reaction time and grip strength were faster in those who rise with the sun. Verdict: TRUE

Breakfast like a king

The jury’s out when it comes to following this old adage for weight loss. Some Israeli researchers found that eating a big breakfast led to participants losing more than twice as much fat as those who didn’t, but University of Aberdeen scientists found that the time you eat doesn’t make much difference to calories used.

Verdict: MAYBE

A little bit of what you fancy does you good

Celebs like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson are fans of occasional cheat days from a diet and fitness regime. Studies suggest they can actually stimulate fat-loss hormones, while a study in the Journal Of Consumer Psychology found people who used them were actually more likely to stick to their health goals.

Verdict: TRUE

Laughter is the best medicine

When we chuckle, our brains release feelgood chemicals and the levels of stress hormones reduce. This isn’t just good for our mood. Scientists have linked laughter to reducing heart disease risk, strokes and boosting our immune cells too. A Norwegian study even found that those who laughed a lot lived longer.

Verdict: TRUE

I can feel it in my bones

Many people with arthritis report that their joint pain gets worse in bad weather (72 per cent according to one survey). But the jury is out on why this might be the case. An Australian-based study found no evidence that cold is a trigger either.

Verdict: MAYBE Eat your crusts

A German study found that levels of an antioxidant linked to fighting cancer, called pronyl-lysine, was eight times higher in the crusts of loaves than in the middle thanks to the baking process. And it certainly helps reduce food waste too.

Verdict: TRUE

No pain, no gain

You don’t have to bust a gut in the gymevery day to get healthy. The NHS says that exercise once or twice a week can reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke – that’s 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week or 150 minutes of moderate activity.