Brits wanting to get healthier may be putting themselves at risk by following incorrect advice
With the surge in people taking health advice from social media, AXA Health Insurance has investigated just how much misinformation is being disseminated and, crucially, being acted upon. It discovered that three out of four people wrongly believe in five or more health myths. The study found that a majority of people, approximately 54%, mistakenly think they need to consume two litres of water every day to maintain good health.
However, experts say this simply isn’t true. While this is an initial guideline, along with the six to eight cups recommendation, there’s no precise amount of water everyone should be drinking as the quantity your body needs varies from person to person. Factors such as age, weather, health conditions and even gender can influence how much water you should consume each day.
Drinking too little can lead to dehydration, while drinking too much, although rare, can cause a range of cognitive issues like confusion and headaches due to increased pressure on the brain. For a rough estimate of how much water your body actually requires, the University of Missouri System suggests drinking half your body weight in ounces.
For instance, under this system, a person weighing 200lbs should consume 100 ounces, or 2.8 litres, of water daily. Similarly, around one in five respondents incorrectly believe that achieving 10,000 steps every day is necessary for good health.
While walking generally promotes health, the exact number of steps required for optimal health varies depending on individual body and physical needs. The study also examined the common myth that “eggs are bad for your health”.
Almost half (44%) of UK adults were convinced that this popular breakfast item had detrimental effects on their health. This isn’t entirely baseless as eggs do have high cholesterol content, but the benefits of their substantial protein content far outweigh this.
A third of respondents in the study erroneously believe that drinking cranberry juice can cure a urinary tract infection, despite there being no scientific evidence to support this. Furthermore, nearly a quarter of Brits still adhere to the old wives’ tale of waiting half an hour after eating before going for a swim.
This is another myth with no scientific backing, despite being a staple warning in many people’s childhoods. The origin of this misconception is unclear, though some suggest it first appeared in a Boy Scout handbook in 1908.
Nearly one in five adults still hold the belief that shaving hair will cause it to grow back thicker, despite this having no impact on the hair’s follicle or growth cycle. Additionally, some misconceptions are hindering Brits from improving their health, with 68% unaware that a common spice, ginger, can alleviate nausea and vomiting.