It's one thing when grandmothers on a bench recommend breathing over boiled potatoes for a runny nose or sore throat, quite another is a doctor who prescribes mustard plasters for a cold or advises to urinate on a burn for quick healing. Despite the fact that we have 200% trust in people in white coats, doctors often demonstrate ignorance. We have compiled the most popular medical misconceptions that some doctors still believe in, and we hope that there are very few of them left.
Myth: you can't wet a Mantoux sample
Until the 1970s, there was no Mantoux test, but Pirquet's test. The doctor made small scratches on his arm, on which tuberculin was applied. Any water procedures could wash off a special substance and distort the results of Pirquet's test, so it really was impossible to wet it. Today, the Pirquet test was replaced by the Mantoux test, now tuberculin is injected into the middle part of the forearm from the inside intradermally, that is, any contact with water is excluded.
Despite the fact that the Mantoux test has been taken for more than a decade, it was only in 2018 that the country's chief phthisiatrician, Irina Vasilyeva, officially allowed it to be wet.
Myth: there are hypoallergenic breeds of cats and dogs
Scientifically proven fact - allergy to cats occurs twice as often as to dogs, and is observed in two out of a hundred people. But this does not mean at all that dogs are safer from the point of view of allergies. The main allergen in both tailed beasts is the specific protein Can F1, which is produced by the animal's skin glands. Moreover, this irritant can be found on the wool, urine, feces and saliva of a cat or dog. So the hypoallergenicity of bald cats is a marketing ploy of breeders.
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In 2011, scientists from Stanford conducted a study in which they analyzed air samples from 78 homes with supposedly hypoallergenic dog breeds and from 65 homes with other dogs. Of course, no difference in allergen levels was found. Moreover, an interesting pattern emerged: the Can F1 protein is produced more actively in long-haired animals than in short-haired ones.
Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser, and darker
In a clinical study dating back to 1928, hair growth on shaved areas of the human body was compared to growth on unshaven areas. The newly grown hair was not darker or thicker and did not grow faster. Later studies have confirmed this. Here's the thing: When hair first appears after shaving, it grows with a blunt edge on top. The blunt edge wears out over time, so it may appear to be thicker than it actually is. Hair that is just emerging can also be darker because it has not had time to fade in the sun. And another interesting fact: the beard and other hairline in blondes grows much faster than in dark-haired ones.
Myth: Reading in dim light damages your eyesight
Researchers have yet to find any evidence that reading in low light causes permanent eye damage. Reduce visual acuity, cause eye fatigue - yes. But all these symptoms disappear after rest.
This should also include another popular myth, which some ophthalmologists still wield - displays of computers, phones and tablets do not have any effect on visual acuity. Moreover, no direct connection has been found between working at a computer and progressive myopia. An important clarification: the same brightness of the image source and the environment is important for the eyes, and what is the same source - a display or a book - does not really matter.
By the way, carrots and blueberries will not give you an eagle-eyed acuity. In fact, blueberries contain a lot of vitamins B, PP and C, carotene and other trace elements that are necessary for our retina. But to help your eyes, you need to consume at least two kilograms of this berry per day. The same applies to carrots. We do not know how effective it will be for your vision, but you will definitely clear your intestines.
Myth: you need to drink two liters of water a day
Drinking water is useful and necessary, but it must be done wisely. If you drink a lot of water on an empty stomach, then it is not absorbed and passes through the drain. In 2015, scientists from Oxford conducted a study that compared the effects on the body's water balance of various drinks, from cola to special solutions. The worst way to maintain water balance was … water! Tea, full-fat milk, and fruit juices were the best. By the way, cola is also more effective at quenching thirst. It's very simple: these drinks contain special compounds that promote the absorption of liquid, and there is nothing in water except water.
If you are a fan of a healthy lifestyle and constantly drink plain water between meals, then from the point of view of the body, this is absolutely the same as pouring the contents of a bottle straight into the toilet. For everyone else, it is recommended to listen to their own body. Feeling thirsty is the best signal to replenish water supplies.
Myth: Late Dinner Promotes Fullness
Remember once and for all - for weight loss, it is important to adjust not the time of eating, but its quantity, that is, the daily calorie intake is important. It doesn't matter to your body what you ate fried chicken and potatoes at night: all this will be assimilated in the same way as in the morning or at lunch. Today, there is a heap of scientific papers on this topic, but researchers from the Massachusetts Institute in the USA decided to approach the stereotype of night binge eating from a different angle. They studied the relationship between meal time and total calorie intake in 59 people. It is noteworthy that people who ate closer to the night, consumed more calories per day than those who did not eat after 6 pm. That is, night eaters tend to overeat.
Another study has confirmed this fact. People who ate late at night consumed about 500 more calories per day than those who limited their intake to the daytime. Over time, the average night eater has added another 4.5 kilograms. In other words, to reiterate for the hundredth time, you won't gain weight by simply eating late, but in line with your daily calorie needs.
And more about food abstinence for the sake of a slim figure. In a state of hunger, the level of cortisol rises, which literally eats up muscle and does not touch fat. The meaning of this weight loss? Isn't it easier to let the digestive system work and saturate the blood with the amino acids necessary to nourish skeletal and smooth muscles, while preserving precious muscles?
Sasha Epstein
