Common health myths BUSTED!

We’re constantly exposed to empty promises, false treatments and wacky therapies, so it can be difficult to know what’s legit and what’s not.

Taking five popular medical beliefs, we look at sorting the fact from the fiction.

‘THE FLU VACCINE GAVE ME THE FLU’

Flu vaccines given by injection can’t give you influenza because they don’t contain any live virus. It’s the same with coronavirus vaccines – they can’t give you COVID.

But it’s common to feel tired and achy after having an immunisation – because the vaccine has encountered your immune system and kicked it into action.

‘SUPPLEMENTS BOOST MY IMMUNE SYSTEM’

If your immune system is normal, you can’t boost it any further – adding more oil to a well-oiled machine won’t make it go any faster.

‘I HAVE ADRENAL FATIGUE’

When your adrenal glands aren’t working, your doctor might perform some blood tests and diagnose you with Addison’s disease.

This can be serious and needs to be managed by an endocrinologist.

’Adrenal fatigue’, on the other hand, is a made-up condition. It’s basically a sciencey-sounding way to say you’re feeling stressed.

‘MY BODY NEEDS A DETOX’

‘Detox’ is mainly used as a marketing term to encompass a variety of concoctions that you can buy from your health food shop, pharmacy shelves or online.

They’re commonly used to lose weight, but weight lost through diarrhoea, diuretics and dehydration is rarely healthy and never permanent.

‘IT’S TIME FOR MY COLONIC IRRIGATION’

Digested food doesn’t build up in your colon so it doesn’t need to be rinsed out with a hose.

Colonic irrigations might appear credible if they are conducted by someone who’s wearing a white coat, but this doesn’t mean it’s healthy or safe to have one.

Every colonic cleanse you have runs the risk of causing a bowel perforation and needing major abdominal surgery.