Medical Myths

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Medical Myths

_http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_f-n_2/Health_sys-medical_myths.ht

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(http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_f-n_2/Health_sys-medical_myths.html)

The truth? Do the things that feel good, and you may live longer!

When making the choices needed to optimize health, it is critical to have

accurate information. Otherwise, our diet and lifestyle sacrifices, for

which we sometimes give up things we enjoy, may kill us instead of helping.

Because of this, I would like to look at common, and simply wrong, medical

myths about things we avoid for our health, and then let’s look at what

the science really shows. Along the way, you may find you get to enjoy your

pleasures again — guilt free!

Let's examine 6 medical myths, along with my **bust** for each of them!

Medical Myth 1 — Skinny People Live Longer

What the science shows: _Excess Pounds, but Not Too Many, May Lead to

Longer Life_ (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/health/26weight.html?_r=2 & em)

Being overweight won’t kill you — it may even help you live longer.

That’s

the latest from a study that analyzed data on 11,326 Canadian adults ages

25 and older who were followed over a 12-year period. The report,

published online last week in the journal Obesity, found that, overall, people

who

were overweight but not obese were actually less likely to die than people

of normal weight. By contrast, people who were underweight were more likely

to die than those of average weight. Their risk of dying was 73% higher

than that of normal weight people, while the risk of dying for those who were

overweight was 17% lower than for people of normal weight. The finding adds

to a simmering scientific controversy over the optimal weight for adults.

Medical Myth 2 — Salt is Bad for You

That myth has been well busted. Repeated studies show that people with

higher salt intakes live longer.

Medical Myth 3 — Oily Food is Bad for You

This depends on the kind of fat. Trans fats (added to many processed foods

— especially margarine, which was touted as more **heart healthy** than

butter) is a major killer. Butter is much healthier.

_Fish oil_

(http://www.endfatigue.com/store/products/supplements/arctic-omega-gel-cap/) is

especially healthy. Fish oil deficiency is the 6th leading

cause of death in the U.S.

_Omega-3_

(http://www.endfatigue.com/store/products/supplements/arctic-omega-gel-cap/)

deficiency is the sixth biggest killer of Americans and more

deadly than excess trans fat intake, according to a new study. The Harvard

University researchers looked at 12 dietary, lifestyle and metabolic risk

factors such as tobacco smoking and high blood pressure and used a

mathematical model to determine how many fatalities could have been prevented

if

better practices had been observed. The study, jointly funded by the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Association of Schools

of Public Health, drew on 2005 data from the U.S. National Health Center for

Health Statistics. They determined that there were 72,000-96,000

preventable deaths each year due to omega-3 deficiency, compared to

63,000-97,000

for high trans fat intake.

Reference

_Omega-3 deficiency causes 96,000 US deaths per year, say researchers_

(http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Omega-3-deficiency-causes-96-000-U

S-deaths-per-year-say-researchers/?c=XMafEqHjAcVcFI6tzfzQcg== & utm_source=new

sletter_daily & utm_medium=email & utm_campaign=Newsletter+Daily)

Medical Myth 4 — Eggs Raise Cholesterol and are Bad for You

Over 6 studies (at my last count) showed that eating 6 eggs a day for 6

weeks had so significant effect on cholesterol levels. Meanwhile, eggs are

the best (most complete) protein source available — short of being a cannibal

and eating other people!

Medical Myth 5 — Chocolate is Bad

Dark chocolate has been shown to be high in antioxidants and offers

numerous health benefits. Simply enjoy it in moderation.

Medical Myth 6 (the Most Deadly Myth) — Avoid Sunshine

This especially dangerous piece of medical mal-advice is causing an

epidemic of vitamin D deficiency, and is estimated to be causing 85,000 excess

cancer deaths a year in the U.S. Vitamin D deficiency also contributes to

obesity (see _Adequate Vitamin D Levels May Aid Weight Loss in Obese Patients_

(http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_t-z/Weight-vitamin_d_aids_weight_

loss.html) ), and numerous other medical problems (see _Vitamin D Could

Save Your Life!_

(http://www.endfatigue.com/health_articles_t-z/Vitamin_d-could_save_your_life.ht\

ml) ). The proper advice? Avoid sunburn, not sunshine!

The Overriding Fallacy?

The great fallacy is that things that make you feel good are bad for you.

I suspect it is quite the opposite, and that these are the things that are

GOOD for you! Listen to your body, and see how you feel overall with

different pleasures. If they leave you feeling better overall long term, I

suspect that odds are they are beneficial. I trust what our body and feelings

tell us much more than the busted myths put out by our usually well meaning,

but our often wrong, medical system.