Debunking The Myths | The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

Nigerians tend to attribute a lot of naturally occurring events to other unrelated events because we proudly are culture- and religion-centered people.

Sometimes, these myths are associated with similar activities and other times, it is outright false knowledge. Let’s review a few myths!!!

Will eating carrots improve your eyesight?
Although carrots are rich in antioxidants and possess a large amount of beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A that the eyeball uses for vision in low-light situations, it doesn’t necessarily improve the power of vision.

Will the heart stop when you sneeze?
Not true! Electrical signals that control the heart rate aren’t influenced by the physiology from a sneeze

Staying long under the sun or eating too much stew causes malaria?
Malaria is caused only by the infected bit of a female anopheles mosquito bearing the Plasmodium parasite.

Do I need to take vitamin supplements daily to stay healthy?
Pharmaceuticals make billions yearly from this endeavour. For a healthy individual, when you eat balanced diet meals regularly there is no need for supplements as your body will synthesize what it needs from the food taken in. Taking supplements without eating nutritious meals will yield no good results. Hence eat well.

Snoring out loudly is a disease of the rich?
Well, snoring out loudly is a function of the physiology of the throat. It can happen to individuals of any social class. It happens when the tissues in the throat relax so much that they obstruct the airway leading to more vibrations. Thus, the narrower the airway, the more force required to get air out and the louder the snore. It is a common and harmless condition that can be fixed by improved sleep positions and lifestyle changes. Do consult your doctor should you experience headaches or uncomfortable symptoms.

Does turning on the TV before sleep marks a good way to relax and initiate sleep?
The TV emits bright blue light, which the brain interprets as a cue to start up your day, and the body by extension. Listening to music at a low volume is a calm way to initiate sleep.

Will taking alcohol before sleep aid in a good sleep session?
Although taking light amounts of alcohol will relax the nerves and initiate sleep, it, however, inhibits rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a period of sleep when most dreams happen, which is about a quarter of the entire sleep session. So, when the alcohol has been metabolised by the body after an hour, the REM sleep session returns and alters the sleep pattern in general. Hence alcohol isn’t great a sleep enabler.

Are all calories equal?
Not really, there are calorie-dense meals like cake, example a 100-calorie cake meal when eaten digests quickly, spiking blood glucose levels and when it drops, the individuals crave more for the energy-quick meal, which can significantly lead to weight gain and nutritionally dense meals like bananas wherein 100 calorie (a serving of medium ripe banana) nourishes you with fibre, protein, potassium and other essential minerals.

Should I cut out fat from my diet?
The body needs dietary fat for biological metabolisms. The body absorbs fat-soluble nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K. Also cholesterol is the source of essential hormones like oestrogen and testosterone. Fat deficiency can cause hair loss, dry skin and weaker immune systems.

Should I take homemade juices instead of beverage drinks?
Although beverage drinks are highly sweetened, which can prove harmful over time, taking juice is great, however, the absence of fibre can be a downturn since it affects the gut health. You are advised to eat whole fruits.

All you need to lose weight is determination.
It is untrue that we all can lose weight that easily if we want. As humans, our rate of metabolism (body cells breakdown and build up) differs greatly. Furthermore, several factors are responsible for our body weight such as genetic makeup, family history, predilection for food and health status.