Tuesday, 5 September 2017

[www.keralites.net] Health myths debunked...

 

Health myths debunked!
DAILY MIRROR


 

Is wine really good for you? Does cooking rob food of nutrients? There's so much conflicting health information out there -we sort fact from fiction

The ever-changing advice on everything from booze to red meat and skin cancer leaves 80 per cent of women baffled, a new study says. In our daily lives, we're left more and more confused by a growing list of recommendations about how to stay healthy.

From the health value of milk and the risks or benefits associated with drinking a daily glass of wine to how many hours of sleep you really need each night and how much sunlight is safe, we've separated the truth from the hype.

Is a daily glass of booze good for you?
There was controversy when the suggested new -and much stricter -alcohol guidelines were announced recently. The implied message was that drinking any amount of alcohol had a health risk.

Previously, women were advised to drink no more than 2­3 units a day and men no more than 3­4. However, the new rules state that both men and women should drink no more than 14 units each week -equivalent to a bottle and a half of wine. And pregnant women should avoid alcohol completely as there's no safe level of alcohol to drink when expecting.

This lowered weekly limit marked the first booze recommendation change for 21 years, with experts explaining they were due to increasing evidence of a link between alcohol and cancer.

The UK's Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies said she thought about the raised risk of breast cancer every time she reached for a glass of wine -referring to a growing body of research linking even small amounts of booze to breast cancer.

The bottom line:
There are health risks with drinking any amount of alcohol, but a glass of wine a night is probably only as risky as driving to work every day. When it comes to breast cancer, the research shows that drinking one glass of wine per day causes about three extra women out of every 100 to develop breast cancer -that's 14 out of 100 women, rather than the 11 out of 100. So it's up to you to decide if that's a risk worth taking.

Is milk unhealthy?
The trend for cutting out dairy and `going vegan' has led to a sharp decline in milk consumption in the UK over the past five years as more people opt for `healthy' alternatives such as soya or almond milk.

Yet all the evidence shows that milk is a nutritious food -and an important part of our diet. It's packed with calcium which is vital for healthy bones and you don't even have to stick to the skimmed variety if you prefer a creamier taste.


"Evidence suggests that on balance, whole milk could actually be a better choice," explains nutritionist Linda Foster. "Not only does it contain around 4% fat -which makes it officially a low-fat food --it's far more nutritious because the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K are found in the cream." Plus, there's evidence it could help your overall diet. One study by Cardiff University found full-fat milk helped slimmers burn off more calories.

The bottom line:
Milk is a healthy choice, unless you're intolerant or really can't stand the taste. And if you do cut it out, you need to ensure you're getting replacement calcium in your diet by eating plenty of dark green veg and whole sardines.

The eight-glasses rule:
The commonly touted figure is eight glasses per day and is the amount still recommended by Public Health England. But despite numerous claims that we need this much water for healthy skin and kidneys, a recent review by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania found not a single study to back up this figure. "In fact, most people, especially those in mild climates who aren't doing excessive exercise, need far less and actually get a lot of what they need from tea, coffee and the food they eat," says Linda Foster. "Excessive amounts of water can be dangerous, even fatal, by overdiluting the body's sodium levels."

The bottom line:
Drink when you're thirsty -or if your pee is very dark as this can be a sign you're dehydrated and need more water.

Eight hours of sleep?
When it comes to sleep, eight has long been the magic number, with research suggesting that regularly getting less can put you at greater risk of health conditions including obesity and heart disease. However, sleeping more than nine hours a night has also been associated with an increase in depression and dementia. "Everyone has different sleep requirements -some needing as little as four hours and others up to 10," explains sleep expert Dr Guy Meadows. "A good night's sleep is one where you wake up feeling well rested and refreshed, irrespective of how many hours you've had." The bottom line:
Don't sweat the numbers -aim to improve the quality, not the quantity, of sleep you get.

Does cooking rob food of nutrients?
Raw food enthusiasts claim that cooking veggies kills all the goodness they contain, but studies have found that while this may destroy some Vitamin C, it actually boosts your uptake of the disease-fighting nutrients known as antioxidants.

One study found peppers, carrots, mushrooms, spinach and cabbage all provided more antioxidants when cooked than when eaten raw. "Cooking actually breaks down a vegetable's thick cell walls, making it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients they contain," explains Linda.

The bottom line:
Unless you love them tough to crunch, lightly cook your veggies. And add a splash of oil or butter because fat has been found to further boost your body's absorption of nutrients.

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Posted by: Kakdi Raita <kakdiriata@gmail.com>
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