[Lifestyle] Chocolate doesn’t cause acne – but carrots do help you see in the dark: the best and worst health myths and wisdom

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True or false: cheese gives you bad dreams and oysters are aphrodisiacs? We investigate good, bad and mad health advice

Tracey Ramsden

Chicken soup helps cure colds and flu

TRUE “When you’ve got a cold, the best thing you can eat is a hearty, nutritious soup,” says Rhiannon Lambert, a nutritionist and the author of Re-Nourish: A Simple Way to Eat Well. “Chicken contains vitamin B12, plus other antioxidants and vitamins which support the immune system and aid digestion. It’s also rich in protein, which is good for cellular repair. Adding more veg also increases the vitamins and minerals that are needed to aid recovery.”

 

Chocolate causes acne

FALSE “The skin is your largest organ and has its own microbiome – its own bacteria – so the better you eat, the better your skin,” says Lambert. “Small amounts of chocolate won’t hugely impact skin health but chocolate with less sugar and dairy is better. More important for skin health is hydration – you should drink a minimum of 1.5-2 litres (6-8 glasses) of water a day. Coffee is a diuretic, but the amount of fluid you take in outweighs what you lose in urine. Tea is also fine, but avoid drinking it with a meal, because tannins in tea block iron absorption.” (Iron deficiency can lead to symptoms such as itchy skin.)

 

 

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

FALSE “It’s untrue but it may keep you away from the pharmacy,” says Dr Hazel Wallace, nutritionist and author of The Female Factor. “One study looked at healthcare practices of daily apple eaters and found they used fewer prescription medications. This had more to do with them being healthier overall – apple eaters also had higher educational levels and were less likely to smoke – than specifically with eating apples. However, since apples are nutritious, one a day is not a bad idea.”

 

Going out with wet hair gives you a cold

FALSE “If wet hair makes you shivery, it’s an inflammatory response, so you probably already have a viral infection brewing,” says Punam Krishan, a GP and author of How To Be a Doctor and Other Life-Saving Jobs. “But if you’re otherwise healthy, you won’t catch a cold. Lack of sleep and stress affect your immune system, leaving you susceptible, but you only catch colds from other people, particularly in cold weather. Viruses and bacteria spread easily when we’re huddled indoors with no ventilation.”

 

 

[https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/29/20-health-advice-myths-investigate]