True or false: You don’t need eight glasses of water every day

True or false: You don’t need eight glasses of water every day
LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/SHUTTERSTOCK

TRUE! There’s no scientific evidence that eight is the magic number. You might need more or less than that, depending on factors such as climate and body size. To make sure you are getting enough, just drink water throughout the day.

Advertisement

True or false: Sitting up straight can be bad for your back

True or false: Sitting up straight can be bad for your back
MILA SUPINSKAYA GLASHCHENKO/SHUTTERSTOCK

TRUE! “Hunching can certainly be bad for your back. But the opposite is true, too,” says Dr Neel Anand, a professor of orthopaedic surgery. “Sitting up straight for too long without a break can also cause strain.” When you’re sitting, keep your lower back supported and your legs uncrossed with your knees at a 90-degree angle, and get up to stretch every half hour or so.

True or false: People with dark skin can’t get skin cancer

True or false: People with dark skin can’t get skin cancer
MIMAGEPHOTOGRAPHY/SHUTTERSTOCK

FALSE! Dark skin is less likely to burn, but it isn’t immune to harmful UV rays and the damage they cause. People of all skin types need to use sunscreen.

True or false: If you don’t have a bulls-eye rash, you don’t have Lyme disease

True or false: If you don’t have a bulls-eye rash, you don’t have Lyme disease
ANASTASIAKOPA/SHUTTERSTOCK

FALSE! About 20 to 30 per cent of people with Lyme disease will never develop that classic rash. Other symptoms to watch for include fever, headache, achy muscles, and swollen lymph nodes and joints.

True or false: You need less sleep as you get older

True or false: You need less sleep as you get older
ALENA OZEROVA/SHUTTERSTOCK

FALSE! Older adults often sleep less as a result of chronic conditions that are more common with age as well as the medications used to treat them. But that doesn’t mean they require less sleep. While sleep needs vary from person to person, doctors recommend most adults get at least seven hours of sleep for optimal health.

True or false: Bar soap is covered in germs

True or false: Bar soap is covered in germs
Shutterstock

FALSE! You might transfer germs to the soap while you scrub up, but they won’t last long enough to spread. The most rigorous study on the subject, published in 1965, found that bacteria on a bar of soap die within minutes and are not transmitted to the next person to use the soap.

However, these surprising items are probably dirtier than your toilet seat.

True or false: Probiotics can help ease diarrhoea

True or false: Probiotics can help ease diarrhoea
PIXEL-SHOT/SHUTTERSTOCK

TRUE! While studies haven’t pinned down which “good” bacteria, yeast strains, and doses are most helpful against diarrhoea, the research is promising. There’s evidence that probiotics can prevent or reduce diarrhoea associated with antibiotics and can ease symptoms in people with irritable bowel syndrome. Other potential benefits include weight loss, cold prevention, and protection from tooth decay, though the studies aren’t conclusive.

True or false: Holding in a sneeze is unhealthy

True or false: Holding in a sneeze is unhealthy
STOCKFOUR/SHUTTERSTOCK

TRUE! As your body gets ready to sneeze, pressure builds in your lungs. When your body tries to push the air out, it needs somewhere to go—and if you’re pinching your nose and mouth, it could be rerouted to the ears. In rare cases, sending the sneeze in that direction can lead to damage such as ruptured eardrums.

While you may have already known about holding in a sneeze, you probably didn’t know that these 10 surprising habits are actually unhealthy.

True or false: You can get the flu more than once a season

True or false: You can get the flu more than once a season
SILVER WINGS SS/SHUTTERSTOCK

TRUE! Every year, there’s more than one flu strain circulating. Getting sick from (or being vaccinated against) one of them won’t protect you or your loved ones from the other strains. That’s why it’s important to take everyday preventive actions during flu season: covering your nose and mouth with a tissue while coughing or sneezing, and washing your hands often with soap and water.

True or false: Depression is incurable

True or false: Depression is incurable
TOYSF400/SHUTTERSTOCK

FALSE! “Recovery from depression is not only possible; it’s actually likely when people receive the specific kind and amount of help that they need,” says Mark Henick, a mental health advocate. “When you combine medication with psychological therapy as well as social supports like housing, employment, and engagement, that’s the gold standard for recovery.”

Never miss a deal again - sign up now!

Connect with us: