Debunking the biggest health myths of 2008
"Calories eaten late at night are more likely to be stored as fat."
"Sugar causes hyperactivity in kids."
"You lose most body heat through your head."
These are just some of the myths debunked by Rachel C Vreeman and Aaron E Carroll in this article in this week's British Medical Journal. (Myth-debunking has become an annual tradition for Vreeman and Carroll, who published a similar list last December.)
"Both physicians and non-physicians sometimes believe things about our bodies that just are not true. As a reminder of the need to apply scientific investigation to conventional wisdom, we previously discussed the evidence disputing seven commonly held medical myths."
For this year's article, Vreeman and Carroll assembled a list of widely-held notions and then searched the medical literature for evidence to either support or disprove them.
Among their findings:
- Poinsettias are not toxic.
- Sugar does not change the behavior of kids with ADHD (although it changes parents' perception of their behavior).
- Any uncovered part of the body loses heat and will reduce the core body temperature proportionally.
And, good news for New Year's eve revelers:
- Studies found no link at all between eating at night and weight gain. People gain weight because they take in more calories overall than they burn up.
For the whole story, see Festive Medical Myths, in the British Medical Journal.
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Posted by: The Restless Office | Jan 13, 2009 6:00:03 AM
The claim that sugar does not cause hyperactivity is both right and wrong. Sugar on its own does not cause hyperactivity. But sugar stimulates insulin which is an anabolic hormone. And any factors in the blood that are a cause of hyperactivity when the sugar is consumed may be catalysed or enhanced by that insulin surge which then carries them into the cells. However, the article does not venture to explain what the factors are that cause hyperactivity - it merely exonerates sugar on its own. Until the factors that cause hyperactivity are firmly established and then tested with sugar, giving sugar a sweet face may be misleading.
Posted by: Trish | Jan 13, 2009 10:10:49 AM
My comment is in referrence to "sugar causes hyperactivity".
Today's children do not consume sugar in the way it was originally intended to be eaten. Pure sugar, in moderate quantities, never caused behavior issues that I am aware of. In that respect, I tend to agree with the myth buster: Sugar does not cause hyperactivity.
The problem is that children consume large quantities of sugar in various altered forms, or in combination with other processed foods. A teaspoon of sugar sprinkled on top of rolled oats is likely to be far healthier than a typical processed cereal ladened with 30-50% sugar, high fructose corn syrup, msg, maltodextrin and a host of other chemicals that the average person can't even pronounce! Then we have the "healthier" sugar-free sweetened foods that are filled with nutr-sweet, splenda, equal or other so called sugar derived substitutes! What people don't realize is that most non food chemicals act as excitotixins once they enter the body, litterally killing cells by exciting them to death!!! (Read "EXCITOTOXINS: THE TASTE THAT KILLS" by DR. Russell L. Blaylock).
It's no wonder that sugar is blamed for a child's hyperactivity... Parents and professionals observe a child's altered behavior following his breakfast of pop tarts, chocolate coverd donoughts or even commercial cereal. All are filled with artificial colorings, processed flour and sugars, to name a few. Let's not forget that the empty carbs break down into sugar as well. The added bonus of "vitamins" hardly count for anything since most are
artificially derived. Candy, soda, "fruit" drinks...you get the picture... how can a child who consumes sugar in such ridiculous quantities, particularly after it's been processed and thrown in the mix of other non food chemicals, be expected to remain calm and focused????
I'm a grandmother as well as a Spec Ed teacher. I grew up sprinkling sugar on my oatmeal and even my Cherrios. I even sprinkled sugar on buttered bread and sliced banannas in milk. We all did. But we never had attention issues... especially ones that warrented us to be controlled by drugs such as Rittilan!
Like most things, in moderation, sugar is not the soul cause of our children's deteriorating health and behaviors. We need to rethink what we are allowing to pollute their minds and bodies!!!!
Posted by: Fredd | Feb 11, 2009 3:53:51 PM
Nature's Diet provides information to help live a healthier, happier, longer life! The guide list vitamin and minerals, then gives a descprition of deficiency in the body( ex.Vitamin B5-Useful for stress, adrenal glands and adrenal hormones, removing toxins Deficiency:Allergies, asthma, hair loss, fatigue). Then guides goes on to list herbs and foods that will provide the necessary nutrients for the body (Herbs:Alfalfa, Parsley, Foods:Whole wheat peas, beans, green leafy vegatables)The guide also provides healthy recipes and foods and ingredients to avoid. Good Luck. Welcome to an healthier more energy filled life!
