Adage concern
JAMES MOORE CHECKS WHETHER POPULAR HEALTH SAYINGS ARE LEADING US ASTRAY WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH
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”.
But do these sayings have any truth to them? We look at some popular expressions to discover if they’re rooted in scientific reality or whether they’re simply 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.
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% 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
Eat breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper
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 the time you eat doesn’t make a 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 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
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 gym every 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.
Verdict: Myth