Not as healthy as you might think...
MICHELE O’CONNOR does some medical myth-busting
EW research is turning some traditional health advice on its head. Read on to see what you may have been doing wrong all these years.
AIMING FOR 10,000 STEPS
APPARENTLY this well-known target was a marketing ploy by a Japanese pedometer manufacturer in 1965.
Experts now say 15,000 steps a day (equivalent to a seven-and-a-half mile hike) are required to gain the maximum health boost – only if the pace is brisk.
SLEEPING IN AT THE WEEKEND
AS LUXURIOUS as a few extra hours feels on a weekend, it can just disrupt your sleep routine, says Nectar Sleep lifestyle and wellness expert Erin Berman.
“The science behind this comes from a phenomenon called social jet lag. Your circadian rhythms, which dictate need for sleep, become misaligned with sleep you’re actually getting.
“Effects can mimic sleep deprivation and can lead to weight gain, reduced mental performance and chronic illness.”
DRINKING PROSECCO TO CUT CALORIES
IT’S one of the most diet-friendly alcoholic drinks but prosecco delivers carbonation, sweetness and alcohol, which can put your teeth at risk, leading to sensitivity and enamel erosion.
OPTING FOR VEGETABLE CRISPS
THOSE packets of beetroot, carrot, parsnip and sweet potato crisps sound more virtuous than ready salted but are usually sweetened with sugar, honey, molasses or maple syrup, say experts.
One study of 15 vegetable crisp brands found 13 had at least 50% sugar and fat.
CUTTING OUT CARBS
WHILE avoiding processed carbs (white flour and white sugar) can be a good idea, our bodies need fibre from wholegrains and vegetables for efficient digestion and beneficial gut bacteria, says Dr Sally Norton, NHS consultant, weight-loss surgeon and creator of lifestyle website vavistalife. com.
“Try switching white bread, rice and pasta for wholegrain varieties.”
JUICING TO DETOX
“YOUR liver is capable of detoxing and you’re far better off getting vitamins from whole fruit and veg – along with the fibre and other nutrients lost in the juicing process,” says Dr Norton.
Gastroenterologists also warn that because some people are unable to digest sugars in fruit and veg, which hit the gut faster if they are liquidised, they can develop abdominal pain, diarrhoea and bloating.
CRANBERRY JUICE TO HELP A URINE INFECTION
A STUDY in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) claims cranberries have no impact on cystitis or urinary tract infections.
Tracking 185 women in nursing homes, with an average age of 86, they found no difference in urine tests every two months between those taking daily cranberry capsules (containing the equivalent proanthocyanidins of a pint of juice) and those taking a placebo.
INHALING STEAM TO HELP SINUSES
THE popular practice of breathing in the steam from a bowl of recently boiled water has little or no effect on bunged-up sinuses, say scientists from the University of Southampton. Antibiotics were also ineffective.
In fact, only those who performed nasal irrigation – cleaning out the nose with a salt-water solution – showed any improvement.
DRINKING DIET DRINKS
THEY are full of artificial ingredients and flavourings, high in sodium and offer no nutritional benefit.
Research also suggests fans of diet drinks eat more after drinking them – perhaps because they get a taste for sweetness. Paracetamol can work just as well as painkillers labelled ‘extra’
MOUTHWASH AFTER BRUSHING
MILLIONS of us believe we’re doing the right thing by swishing with water and using a mouthwash after brushing, says Dr Bill Schaeffer, dental surgeon at The Implant Centre Hove.
Strong mouthwash with alcohol can irritate the inside of your mouth and has a “drying” effect causing bad breath.
Dr Schaeffer says: “Cleaning teeth correctly should mean bacteria has been brushed away.”
TAKING STRONG PAINKILLERS TO NIP HEADACHES IN THE BUD
“COMPOUND analgesics with codeine – painkillers labelled ‘Extra’ – aren’t any better than simple ones, like aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen,” says Professor Anne MacGregor, Harley Street headache Specialist (annemacgregor. com).
“In fact, they can worsen symptoms and can be addictive.”
SPORTS DRINKS AFTER EXERCISE
THEY’RE marketed to replace vitamins and minerals lost in sweat but, with up to 150 calories a bottle, sports drinks can add calories.
Unless you’re exercising for more than 90 minutes or training for an endurance event, water is all you need says Linia Patel, British Dietetic Association’s sports dietitian.
COOKING WITH OLIVE OIL
ALTHOUGH great as a salad dressing and for drizzling over food, when olive oil is heated to smoking point, it releases chemicals called lipid peroxides.
When eaten, these can react with proteins and DNA in ways believed to increase the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Try switching to rapeseed or coconut oil which don’t smoke or burn.
ALWAYS SEEING THE SAME GP
WHILE we may think seeing a doctor who knows your history is beneficial, patients who see the same GP are more likely to have cancer symptoms missed, says a study in the British Journal of General Practice.
It found if doctors know patients well, they could mistake signs for ongoing problems or depression.
TAKING STATINS IF YOU’RE ELDERLY
STATINS can prevent heart attacks in older people – but side effects of muscle weakness and ‘brain fog’ may outweigh benefits, warn US researchers.
Professor Michelle Odden, of Stanford University, who led the study, said: “Physical and cognitive independence are important to older adults. Both are so impactful a small increase in risk may not be worth the gains in cardiovascular health.”
HAVING A HEALTH MOT
HEALTH MoTs for the over-40s (the NHS Health Check Programme) are ineffective and waste £450m a year, say researchers.
Experts in the Journal of Public Health calculated the checks miss up to half of patients who go on to suffer a heart attack or stroke, and can cause harm through false reassurances.
They said money could be better spent on obesity which would save more lives.
RUNNING A HOT BATH BEFORE BED
REDUCING core body temperature helps us to sleep so a hot bath before bed isn’t conducive to dropping off, says Dr Guy Meadows, clinical director of The Sleep School.
Timetable yours at least 90 minutes before bed and run it warm, never hot, he says.
Having a cool bedroom, about 16˚C or 17˚C, can reduce body temperature and enhance sleep.
USING EAR WAX REMOVER
THERE’S no evidence that eardrops with glycerol and urea hydrogen peroxide to help loosen and dissolve wax work any better than putting water in your ear, says a study by the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group.
Scientists concluded saline or water seems to be as effective as over-the-counter products.
EATING TUNA FOR OMEGA 3
A SURVEY of 1,000 people by leading supplement brand Healthspan found almost two-thirds of us believe canned tuna to be a good omega 3 source. Due to the canning, however, much is lost.
For every 100g, you get 271mg of omega 3 compared to 2,250mg in the same amount of fresh salmon.