With the rise in people following social media advice related to their health, AXA Health Insurance delved into just how much misinformation is being spread and, more importantly, being followed. It found that three in four people incorrectly believe in five or more health myths.
The majority of people, around 54% in the study, wrongfully believe they have to guzzle down two litres of water every day to be healthy. But that just simply isn’t the case, according to experts.
While this is an initial baseline, alongside the six to eight cups recommendation, there is no exact amount of water every person should be drinking as the amount your body requires differs from person to person. Age, weather, health conditions and even gender can increase or decrease how much water you should have each day.
Drinking too little can cause dehydration while drinking too much, although it is rare to overhydrate, can cause a range of cognitive issues like confusion and headaches due to increasing pressure on the brain. For a rough idea on how much water your body needs, the University of Missouri System recommends drinking half your body weight in ounces.
For example, someone who weighs 200lbs with this system should have 100 ounces, or 2.8 litres, of water a day. Another mistakenly believed myth the study uncovered is that “eggs are bad for your health.
Similarly, around one in five respondents wrongly believe you have to hit your 10,000 steps goal every day to be healthy. Although walking is good for your health in generally, the exact amount of steps you need to be healthy depends on your individual body and physical needs
44% of UK adults were convinced this popular breakfast item had detrimental effects on their health. This isn’t entirely unfounded as eggs do have a high cholesterol content, but the benefits of the staggering amount of protein it has well outweighs this.
A third of respondents in the study wrongly think drinking cranberry juice can cure a urinary tract infection despite this having no scientific evidence. Additionally, nearly a quarter of Brits are still waiting half and hour after eating before going for a swim.
This is another myth with no scientific evidence, despite being a staple warning in most people’s childhoods. The misconception is so deep-rooted it’s not entirely clear where it started but some suggest it was first conjured up in a Boy Scout handbook in 1908.
Almost one in 5 adults still believe that shaving hair will make it grow back thicker, it doesn’t actually have any effect on the hair’s follicle or growth cycle. Some myths are also preventing Brits from making themselves healthy as 68% didn’t know a common spice, ginger, can ease nausea and vomiting.