10 HEALTH MYTHS BUSTED!

MYTH 1 You can’t get sunburn when the weather is cloudy

At least 90% of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can pass through clouds, with white fluffy clouds letting through more harmful rays than grey ones. Check the UV index before going outside – if it’s three or more, you’ll be at risk of sunburn, so take care. Use sunscreen (at least SPF15) and cover up between 11am and 3pm when UV rays are at their strongest. That said, you do need some sun exposure when you’re not wearing sunscreen in order to make vitamin D. According to the British Association of Dermatologists, when it comes to sun exposure, little and often is best, and the more skin that’s exposed, the greater the chance of making sufficient vitamin D before you burn.

MYTH 2 You shouldn’t swim on a full stomach

As a child, I wasn’t allowed to swim within an hour after eating, in case I developed muscle cramps and drowned. This felt like good advice after tucking into one of my gran’s Cornish pasties, as blood is diverted away from the muscles to the gut to digest a heavy meal. Despite this warning, there is no scientific evidence to support it. If you want to swim after eating, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t, as long as you feel up to it.

MYTH 3 Sea water helps heal wounds faster

Salt water was used by the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks to cleanse wounds, and sterile saline is still used to irrigate lacerations in hospitals today. However, the key word is ‘sterile’ – one thing that sea water is not! By all means, use sterile saline to rinse wounds, but don’t use sea water as it may contain bacteria, microscopic plankton and, often, sewage and other pollutants. Sea water can also introduce sand into a cut, which can cause irritation to worsen infection and delay healing.

MYTH 4 You can catch a cold through air conditioning

Many people believe that being in an air-conditioned environment can increase their chances of actually contracting a cold. But being exposed to cold air in itself will not cause a cold – in fact, breathing cooler air may help to reduce symptoms. That said, if you’re in a closed environment and breathing recycled air, for example, on a plane, you are more likely to catch a cold virus if someone else on the plane is infected. This is partly because the air on a plane has low humidity, which dries out the nose. One study found that colds are 100 times more likely to be transmitted on a plane than during normal daily life on the ground.

MYTH 5 You should drink eight glasses of water a day

The amount of water you need varies depending on several factors, including your weight and your daily fluid losses, which average two to three litres per day. When partaking in vigorous exercise, you can lose twice this amount, especially in hot weather. If you become dehydrated, you can feel tired and have headaches. Dehydration also increases the thickness of the blood, which can increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Urine colour is a useful way of checking how hydrated you are – aim for a pale, straw-like colour. Always carry water with you when it’s hot.➺

MYTH 6 Alcohol is bad for your health

This is true if you drink to excess but, like many things in life, moderation is key. Drinking a sensible amount of alcohol can even have beneficial effects on your health. The latest evidence – from 18 studies of over 214,000 people – suggests that those who drink an average of 12g of alcohol per day (around one small glass of wine) are 25% less likely to have coronary artery disease compared with non-drinkers. But this must be balanced against the harmful effects of excess alcohol. Official guidelines recommend that it’s safest for men and women to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week, spread over three days or more.

MYTH 7 10,000 steps a day is the minimum for fitness

If you have an activity tracker, it probably rewards you with a flashing message when you reach 10,000 steps each day. This is a great target to aim for, as it’s equivalent to around five miles, but this number originally came from a 1960s Japanese pedometer called Manpokei, which roughly translates as ‘10,000 steps meter’. As the average Brit walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day, even aiming for 5,000 is a good start, and you can increase your exercise level as you get fitter. Official advice for adults aged 19-64 is to exercise for at least 150 minutes per week at moderate aerobic intensity, such as fast walking.

MYTH 8 Eating garlic keeps mosquitoes at bay

Garlic is secreted into sweat and some say this will disguise your natural odour to discourage biting critters. While it may work for vampires, it doesn’t work for mozzies – believe me, I’ve tried. Researchers have now compared the effects of garlic with a placebo in brave volunteers exposed to laboratory-reared, parasite-free mosquitoes. No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of the number of mosquito bites. If you’re travelling to a region where mosquitoes are known to spread parasites or viruses, follow the insect bite avoidance advice at fitfortravel.nhs.uk.

MYTH 9 You need less sleep during summer

We tend to sleep for fewer hours during the summer months as a result of longer daylight hours and reduced secretion of melatonin – the body’s sleep-inducing hormone. You may also get less sleep in hot weather due to tossing and turning in a stuffy bedroom. But getting less sleep is not the same as needing less sleep. Everyone is different and if you wake feeling refreshed, you are getting sufficient sleep. If you consistently wake feeling groggy and tired, it’s worth seeking medical advice as there may be an underlying, treatable cause, such as sleep apnoea.

MYTH 10 Hot weather sweats out toxins

You have around three million tiny sweat glands that secrete a thin, salty fluid designed to evaporate and cool the body. Saunas and steam baths encourage perspiration, but compared to your liver, kidneys, and even your lungs, the sweat glands form an insignificant part of the body’s detoxification system. According to toxicologists, less than 1% of toxic metals are secreted through sweat. Excess sweating can lead to dehydration and loss of important minerals, such as magnesium, so don’t overdo it.