According to a new study, even doctors fall prey to common medical misconceptions. Here's the straight story on everything from postmortem hair growth to Halloween candy hazards.
Comment: the normal consumption of water per day about 7 glasses of water, at least half of them water and the others between tea /coffee/juices or milk. On the other hand, people known stone formers are advised to increase their oral fluid intake to 2.5 litres per day specially in hot weather.
Comment: the normal consumption of water per day about 7 glasses of water, at least half of them water and the others between tea /coffee/juices or milk. On the other hand, people known stone formers are advised to increase their oral fluid intake to 2.5 litres per day specially in hot weather.
Comment: RE: WATER IS GOOD...Juice...with all the processed, colored, sugar packed beverages on the market these days, our immune systems are taking a beating. A healthy lifestyle doesn't require all of the products we have access to these days. Regular consumption of water instead of all of the socially acceptable, but unhealthy, options that are out there will find a person much healthier in the long run.
Comment: Re: WATER IS GOOD: Pop...with the carbonation and caffeine ...the link between osteoporosis and caffeinated sodas isn't clear, but caffeine may interfere with calcium absorption and its diuretic effect may increase mineral loss. In addition, the phosphoric acid in soda may contribute to bone loss by changing the acid balance in your blood. If you do drink caffeinated soda, it's important to get adequate calcium and vitamin D from other sources in your diet or from supplements.
Comment: Re: WATER IS GOOD: Milk really isn't the healthiest beverage...not as healthy as most of us are taught to believe. Doesn't anyone find it odd that we as a species are the only ones who drink milk after we are weaned as babies? ...and then it's cows milk...cow's that have been given antibiotics and hormones, unless you're choosing organic milk. Asthmatics especially would benefit from drinking more water and cutting out dairy all together.
Comment: I think the paragraph about water is irresponsible and misleading. There is so much that water can do for you that any other beverage cannot. WATER IS GOOD. 8 cups of water a day is a healthy lifestyle choice.
Comment: Please give me more information on the myth about drinking water because I am a firm believer in drinking half your body weight in ounces and losing weight and feeling better!
~M
Comment: Lesson to be learned: Don't trust the 'soundbite' bits of advice that doctors and grandmas give you. Their advice may work in a precise situation (that you may never experience again in your lifetime.), but it'll never work every time for everyone. QUESTION EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE. Do your own research, and USE COMMON SENCE. I have no doubt that millions of people only use a small part of their brain. Our government (and the UN) wants it that way. They take money from big corporations (who have stolen it from you) and none of them give a rip about you. Don't believe that the government ever will protect you; not from disease, not from death. As long as they're paid-off by corps, individuals are disposable. A good example is what they want to do with the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). NoNAIS.org can tell you all about it.
Comment: Some of these are quite commical when you're coming from a non-medical health background....Especially when they still are or have been espoused by the medical community and NOW are espoused as myths!
Dr Dave, fat2trim.com
Comment: I want to dispel another myth right now--I am a 10 year user of Methadone at extremely low doses for pain control--which I continue to have in controllable amounts in spite of the narcoltic that I have never changed the dosage amount in the ten years I have taken it.... It continues to work for me, and sometimes when I forget to take it, like I did last month (I forgot to take about a third of it)--I never got any withdrawal symptoms of any sort. I DID have increased pain without it--and ended up in my doctor's office with elevated blood pressure and pulse where he gave me injection of a non-steroidal antiflammatory that worked very well. Orally these do not control the pain, however. So you see, IF you are taking it for pain--you get neither addiction NOR habituation from it. This medication allows me to be a productive and creative memver of society. So THERE all you who do not see that pain control is an important and necessary part of the medical regime.
Comment: Point number 7 is incorrect. When I was a child in the late 60's and early 70's there were many instances in my home town of Battle Creek, Michigan, where strangers had embedded needles, razor blades and broken glass in fruit that was given away on Halloween. There were even more cases of people injecting soft candies with LSD, Heroin and Hash Hish. Kids I knew personally were victims of this insanity. That is when hospitals in Michigan began offering to x-ray Halloween candy. They still discover dozens of instances every year in Michigan.
Comment: Point number 7 is incorrect. when I was a child in the late 60's and early 70's there were many instances in my home town of Battle Creek, Michigan, where strangers had embedded needles, razor blades and broken glass in fruit that was passed on Halloween. There were even more cases of people injecting soft candies with LSD, Heroin and Hash Hish. Kids I knew personally were victims of this insanity. That is when hospitals in Michigan began offering to x-ray Halloween candy. They still discover dozens of instances every year in Michigan.
Comment: Water usage: While we talk about excess drinking, the actual recent (15 years ago) study relies on output rather than intake. This study (sorry can't remember the details of who/where) states that if you have clear urine at least once a day you are good irrespective of your intake,
Comment: Using 10% of our brains: This is more of a laziness aspect than physical usage. It's like your computer CPU which barely clocks 100%. Watching TV most of the time is equal to using 1% of your brain. And we all know how much we do that. Even while at work we refuse to use our brain and rely on tools around us, calculators, computers, you name it. Yes we use less of our brains because we are just lazy to exercise it.
Comment: Cell phone: Like most studies the crucial details of what the 1.2% is has been carefully omitted.
Comment: Shaved hair DOES grow back faster and coarser. If you are bold enough you need to try shaving a place you have never. The leg is not the best place to test this. Try you abdomen area for example.
Comment: another USDA myth they want you to believe in order to get NAIS a reality is that we need NAIS to stop/prevent/find all those mad cows out there.
mad cow disease is not transmissable. One mad cow can be in a herd and the others will never get it unless they eat that mad cow's brain and spinal cord.
Mad cow takes years to develop. Once cow parts are no longer fed to cows, the disease will die out. There have been, what, less than a dozen mad cow cases in the US and those came from Canada or south of the border.
Then when a certain beef producer said they wanted to test all carcasses for mad cow, the USDA would not let them. "Then everybody would have to do that and that would cost too much" But then the USDA lied to the American livestock owner by saying NAIS was needed to stop mad cow.
Comment: If the NAIS comes to be a fact, there will be fewer local or small farms that can afford to raise healthy livestock If people would take the time to look into how beef and other livestock are raised or finished in commercial factory farms,, they would understand where the problem really lays. Mad Cow is an excuse for needing NAIS. Contamination in slaughter houses is where the problem really lies.
Comment: here is another health myth that the USDA promoting NAIS (animal id) would like you believe (nonais.org)
avian flu is not a pandemic.....out of 6 billion on the planet less than 300 people have died worldwide. the birds that have died have been those in close contact with one another such as in factory farming. Thousands in the US die from regular flu alone. Tell me which one you think is a worse threat.
BUT the avian flu might mutate into a bad strain. Yes, any virus can. it can even mutate into a harmelss strain.
But the USDA wants to use scare tactics into making you think we need to track every last critter in the US. Does not matter your choice to healthy pasture raised meats will be gone. Big ag wants all the marbles.
_Peoptote s and those whos d
Comment: Regarding cell phone interference: patient acuity in the hospital setting has dramatically increased in response to cost saving measures nation wide, ie patients in hospitals are really sick. The question I would pose is which 1% of medical devices are SAFELY interfered with during your loved one's hospital stay, and is the call to their neighbors friend from the hospital room necessary. I would pose the medical device most frequently interfered with is the hospital staff and far greater than 1%. And they of all people should be left to their business. So shut off your cell phone, comfort your loved one/friend, and prepare your questions and comments pertinent to their care for the medical staff. Call your friends and family when you go home or go to lunch.
Comment: Portions of this article are worse than the "misconceptions". Misconceptions are based on un-scientific conclusions. Please do not rebut these with un-scientific conclusions of your own. Carroll's "opinion" is as an-scientifc as they come. Please do not subtitute one persons opinion for facts.
Comment: A Very Good Article.
Comment: Thanks for your published article about some medical misconceptions, i hope you can publish more related articles in your future issues.
Comment: The New Silver Solution Kills Viruses on Contact,such as MRSA and many more .www.automaticbuilder.com/pdyer/silver
Comment: You most certainly CAN catch a cold if you are using a cell phone in a cold hospital x-ray room without a hat and a coat on while waiting for your Halloween cany to be examined, if you haven't had 8 glasses of water that day. So when you read the dosage information on that bottle of Tylenol, make sure that the lights are all on!
Comment: You most certainly CAN catch a cold if you are using a cell phone in a cold hospital x-ray room without a hat and a coat on while waiting for your Halloween cany to be examined, if you haven't had 8 glasses of water that day. So when you read the dosage information on that bottle of Tylenol, make sure that the lights are all on!
Comment: I can agree with most of the article except that for WATER. Significant medical research shows that failure to maintain adequate hydration of the cells (via pure water) is at fault for many medical problems. One of the major times of Heart Attack is first thing in the morning before a person has taken in water to dilute the blood. Look wider than the first article. Check out all the research. There is more likelihood of dying from insufficient water than from excessive water..
hhw
Comment: I follow all the comments except the one on WATER. SIGNIFICANT medical research has shown that the failure to re-hydrate with pure water is at fault for many medical conditions. Better get your facts straight.
hhw
Comment: yes.. failure to re-hydrate with water is a fault for many medical conditions.. As so for the opposite means. To much hydration causes problems to..
Comment: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight: As any other activity.. If done on occasion this will not cause harm to your eyes.. Done repeatedly it will. Working bent over, your back hurts but once you straighten up your fine.. Do it ever day for weeks on end your going to have back problems???
Using cell phones in hospitals is dangerous. HAAA,,, here is the thing people.. Not all Cell phone are built a like.. There are a few out there.
. That will interfere electric devises.. Test this yourself.. Have a nextel? Sit next to your radio plugged in at home.. Or a computer speaker.. Have some one call you.. You will hear the noise.. Now take some one that has just had a pace maker put in.. what do you think that phone is ???might??? do to their already stressed heart when the pace maker ???may or may not??? pick up the signal.
Fingernails and hair grow after death. Fingernails and Hair ???do not???. However it does take the body a while to ???realize??? it has passed on.
There are things that go on with this.. Which will give the appearance of hair or nails growing but we really don???t need to discuss that..
We use only 10 percent of our brains. As stated in the article our brains are always at work??? enough said on this one. How much of it you use is up to you.
You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. You should always drink water.. And people with Kidney problems should drink more than most. You can however drink to much water.. Just as to much of anything is not good for you. People have died from to much water, many football players have had to sit out a game or play. After drinking way to much water then going out in the field. This also happens a lot in the military. In moderation people.
. Shaved hair grows back faster and coarser. Shave hair does not grow back faster or thicker.. If it does it wasn???t from shaving it.. It was from treatments, or Vitamins, diet some time sickness.
Tainted candy from strangers is a Halloween threat. This one I don???t even know how this gets mixed up with Doctors. This one im not to up on.. I???ve never seen any ???real??? studies on it.. There definitely has been poisoning of candy.. And as stated in most cases it???s a family member or a close friend of the family..
Comment: I'm curious now, the cianide in the pixy stix, is this a situation that Metro was involved with or just our local news reporting rumors. Seriously, I don't know, and would like to know the facts, ( I love facts) Laura Las Vegas
Comment: Wow. We just love to live in fear don't we? Razor blades in candy, a cell phone killed my best friend, and water sends my mom to her death. While I'm sure all of these accounts really happened and were heart-wrenching, I bet that they are few and far between incidents. The word of the day needs to be Balance! However, I have come to believe with all of my cynical heart that Americans will never, as a whole, understand or acknowledge what that word actually means. So be aware, take pre-cautions, question everything, but please don't live in fear. Live in Balance.
P.S. visit www.dictionary.com if you can't remember how to define our word of the day! : )
Comment: Some of the questions and comments about the accuracy of the article are very interesting. I also feel that "reputable" publications publishing things as factual and true, that have not been proven, is reckless and gives us more reasons to question what things that are reported to the public. The are too many people who blindly accept information from so-called respectable sources (magazines, doctors, police, etc.) and these same people base important lifestyle and/or life altering decisions based off of misinformation and even worse, disinformation.
The most amusing myth (and the one that got more comments than it deserved) is the one about nail and hair growth on dead people. My comment... who cares...they're dead. Also the myth about halloween treats (which I thoroughly dispute) is the one that seemed to get the most comments. However, most of the comments disagreeing with the statement only refer to foreign objects in the treats and not poison. But the misdirection of those comments still does not give the statement any more credibility. Overall it was entertaining and enlightening to see the similarities and differences in the opinions.
Comment: People are in the hospital because they are ill and usually in pain. Common courtesy dictates not yakking loudly away on cell phones so the patients can have some peace and quiet. Hospitals are noisy enough as it is.
Comment: I think there is a big misuderstanding In regard to usign 10 oercebt of our brains. The concept refers to the use of the capacity of our brain, rather to its components. Failure to identify non-functioning parts of the brain, does not mean that we are using all our brain capacity. It is like saying that driving at 10 miles per hour uses all the capacity of our car (with a capacity of 100 miles per our), or that we are using a small part of our computer capacity (that most of us do), because all parts of their parts are running.
Alex Apostolou
Comment: that's exactly what i was going to say. i am a hypnotherapist and work with people every day who learn to utilize more of their minds' capabilities to create amazing changes in their bodies and their lives. most people are greatly underutilizing their mental capacities (mostly because we're not taught how to use it more effectively). it's like using a supercomputer to just create word documents or send email!
Comment: Any woman brave enough to try it will realize that the "shaving myth" really is a myth. A couple of years ago I decided to go a couple of months without shaving. While I'll never do it again (it really looks gross under your arms) it did prove to me that the hair eventually becomes smooth and soft.
Comment: the myths discussed here are very true and factual. Reasons or justification gven against these myths are very sciectific and easy to understand logic. thanks dkdwivedi@yahoo.co.in
Comment: You sound like you need a bridge.........Have I got a deal for you!
Comment: Analog cell phones (no longer used) have the potential to interfere with cardiac telemetry units. The digital phones do not cause this interference and can be used safely. In Alabama hospital have allowed cell phone use for at least 4 years.
Comment: As for the cell phone in hospitals- The older analog phones that are no longer in use could potentially have interfered with telemetry from cardiac monitors on hospital floor beds. The new digital phones do not have a signal that can cause this problem. Cell phones are no longer banned in my hospital and have been allowed for at least 4 years. I don't know what types of phones they use in Maryland, Delaware or Virginia, but in Alabama cell phones are allowed.
Comment: In regards to the second argument "Using cellphones in hospitals is dangerous"; if there is 1.2% chance of medical interference due to cell phoe use in the hospital, it makes good sense to ban all cellphone use. What do the doctors tell families of patients who died during an operation because someone used a cell phone, which caused a machine in use to shut down. I'm a big fan of 0% medical interference.
Comment: In regards to the second argument "Using cellphones in hospitals is dangerous"; if there is 1.2% chance of medical interference due to cell phoe use in the hospital, it makes good sense to ban all cellphone use. What do the doctors tell families of patients who died during an operation because someone used a cell phone, which caused a machine in use to shut down. I'm a big fan of 0% medical interference.
Comment: Wow...people enjoy living in fear don't they. You can't believe everything you see on TV or hear on the radio. Or even everything you read. If you research the stories about "scary" Halloween things you will see that 99% of all incidents were family related. Chemotherapy is slightly different then waxing or shaving or cutting your hair. As for the 1.2% or patients who are in "danger"...the cell did not put their lives at risk. The cell phones had a 1.2% effect on some of the equipment in the ER. That's less interference then the static electricity created by the clothes you wear when walking down the hospital corridor.
Comment: There have been several comments about diabetes.....this is what the Mayo Clinic says on diabetes and it's cause....
Glucose is a main source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and other tissues. Glucose comes from two major sources: the food you eat and your liver. During digestion, sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. Normally, sugar then enters cells with the help of insulin.
The hormone insulin comes from the pancreas, a gland located just behind the stomach. When you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream. As insulin circulates, it acts like a key by unlocking microscopic doors that allow sugar to enter your cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. As your blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion of insulin from your pancreas.
Your liver acts as a glucose storage and manufacturing center. When your insulin levels are low ??? when you haven't eaten in a while, for example ??? your liver releases the stored glucose to keep your glucose level within a normal range.
In type 1 diabetes, your immune system ??? which normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses ??? attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This leaves you with little or no insulin. Instead of being transported into your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream.
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Genetics may play a role. Exposure to certain viruses may serve as a trigger as well.
In type 2 diabetes, this process works improperly. Instead of moving into your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream. This occurs when your pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or your cells become resistant to the action of insulin. Exactly why this happens is uncertain, although excess fat ??? especially abdominal fat ??? and inactivity seem to be important factors.
Comment: like most things in life, you have to take articles with a grain of salt.....not all of the words in this article are true, however some are. think for yourself!!! science does not know everything, look how often science changes procedures, methods, conclusions, etc.....drink water, it is good for your body!!!
Comment: This is what the Mayo clinic says about diabetes and it's cause....
Glucose is a main source of energy for the cells that make up your muscles and other tissues. Glucose comes from two major sources: the food you eat and your liver. During digestion, sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. Normally, sugar then enters cells with the help of insulin.
The hormone insulin comes from the pancreas, a gland located just behind the stomach. When you eat, your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream. As insulin circulates, it acts like a key by unlocking microscopic doors that allow sugar to enter your cells. Insulin lowers the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. As your blood sugar level drops, so does the secretion of insulin from your pancreas.
Your liver acts as a glucose storage and manufacturing center. When your insulin levels are low ??? when you haven't eaten in a while, for example ??? your liver releases the stored glucose to keep your glucose level within a normal range.
In type 1 diabetes, your immune system ??? which normally fights harmful bacteria or viruses ??? attacks and destroys the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. This leaves you with little or no insulin. Instead of being transported into your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream.
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Genetics may play a role. Exposure to certain viruses may serve as a trigger as well.
In type 2 diabetes, this process works improperly. Instead of moving into your cells, sugar builds up in your bloodstream. This occurs when your pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or your cells become resistant to the action of insulin. Exactly why this happens is uncertain, although excess fat ??? especially abdominal fat ??? and inactivity seem to be important factors.
Comment: Not exactly a myth, lnj36. Do some research, and thank you Granny.
Comment: Wow! FIrstly I would like to point out that most myths have at least a modicum of fact as basis, and have just grown into whoppers along the way. As for the water issue, our bodies do need to stay hydrated, and water is the obvious choice. Yes, we receive liquid nourishment from other sources, and yes, 8 glasses is excessive and vague at the same time. But - bottom line, we need water to stay healthy. It is a healthier way to get the liquid nourisment we need. Period.
On the Halloween candy myth - it is not unheard of that someone might put a sharp object in a child's candy. When you look at the horrible people that do horrible things to children every day, it is not inconceivable. Do I personally know of a child that has had a sharp object in their Halloween candy? NO. Did I check my kids, neices and nephew every year? Yes. I also monitor whose house they go in, etc. Being aware is a good thing.
We all know about cell phone interference and most have experienced it in some manner. It isn't a stretch to think that they might interfer with the odd piece of equipment. While it might not happen everyday, it is bettter to err on the side of caution than to be responsible for someone's ventilator randomly shutting off!!
People are always debunking urban myths, and for every debunking there is someone else who can prove it fact. Is there a boogie man? We say no, but tell that to the little girl who saw him crawl in her bed every night for two years. Point is, these myths are based on someone's knowledge, experience, etc. To say that straining your eyesight will make you go blind may be an exaggeration, but straining your eyes is bad for your eyes and will produce headaches, and in the long run, poorer vision. I agree with several posters regarding the author and Newsweek for printing an article that -while true as written - causes more misconceptions than it clears up. Perhaps this "fluff" piece should have been advertised as such, and not in such a reputable news magazine. And - for those that think that something beind debunked or disproved in SNOPES makes it fact. Try belching (or Passing gas) in front of a lit lighter and see what happens. Silly girl at work did it last week because "IT IS JUST A MYTH" and ended up with no eyebrows ( and a verbal reprimand from supervisor for playing with lighter at work).
Comment: Reading in dim light in FACT does create vision problems as the pupil does not constrict and provide increased depth of field and therefore, less stress on the individual's accommodative (focusing) system. "Going Blind" is a catch phrase that non-ophthalmic practitioners may throw around inadvisably, but if you continue to read inthe dacrk or in dim light you will wear down your accommodative system before its' time.
Carl A. Boeck, O.D.
Santee, CA
Comment: Thanks for providing some professional input to back up what I have found from experience.
Comment: I have lived in Las Vegas since my childhood. I also remember the Halloween tainted candy as really happening here also. It goes to show that even this article has myths. Thats why I never became a writer because I would of never gotten a single article written for fear of not writing the truth.
Comment: I can remember trick-or-treating BEFORE it was dangerous, we had to stop when some einsteins started inserting razor blades, needles and glass shards into apples. And yes, there were photos and documented news reports.
Comment: I'm sorry, but this article is ridiculous...as a physician, I know of no credible doctors who believe these statement...maybe you should do a survey of actual physicians before making much a dumb blanket statement.
Comment: I have lived in Las Vegas since my childhood. I also remember the Halloween tainted candy as really happening here also. It goes to show that even this article has myths. Thats why I never became a writer because I would of never gotten a single article written for fear of not writing the truth.
Comment: My brother died of poisonous halloween candy given him by a stranger. He may have lived, but phone inteference at the hospital caused some problems with the equipment. At first we were not sure how he died, but later we exhuned him to find his hair and nails were very long and sure enough he'd died of the poison. If he had only used more than 10% of his brain he'd been more careful. I now want to make sure I live long so I am drinking my 8 glasses of water daily and preventing early onset eyestrain by keeping lots of lights on in my room.
Comment: TrueHawk,
Good one. You got them all except whether his hair grew back courser after shaving,
Comment: Marvelous!
Comment: Thank God this list is out there for all to see, I'm so sick of people arguing with me about things that seem so ridiculous, but they believe it because their elders swear by it, come on people lets start having some common sense. Look, I love my granny too but when she says things like, "you can't go in the pool for a half hour, cause you just ate, I'm like Grandma Please! SLASH!!! Laura Las Vegas, NV
Comment: Not a total myth, Dear. Do some research and thank you Granny.
Comment: Some of this is not true, I don't care what they say. I've researched the water intoxication theory through several medical reports, and it would take an astronomical amount of water to cause such a condition. Furthermore, you really do need to drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. Think about it...the water you get in other forms is not pure water. Your body needs the pure water in order to keep it flushed and free of contaminants. Every doctor, fitness trainer and medical person I have ever talked to or read comments from has pointed out that pure water is the only way to keep the body flushed of harmful elements. To suggest that getting water from caffeinated drinks, such as coffee, is as good for us as pure water is absurd.
Comment: My aunt had cancer and lost all of her hair after chemotheraphy . When her hair started growing back it was a different texture. It was soft, silky and smooth, unlike before.
Can you explain this?
Comment: snarkle,
I know someone who had chemotherapy and lost his gray hair, which grew back as brown.
Comment: They started inspecting Holloween candy because broken glass and razor blades were supposedly found in fruit handed out several years ago. They then started offering x-ray at hospitals just to be safe. So people trying to keep their children safe would throw out everything but wrapped candy no more pop corn balls and fun things like that because it may not be safe.
Comment: Many items listed in the "myths" are not "myths" but are true... It's nonsense to think in the entire USA no one has ever poisoned by a stranger on Halloween. Also, all Doctors recommend 8 glasses of water a day bcause we should be drinking water and NOT soda, juice, etc. Yes, some people get the fluids other ways, but that is not the way it should be. Doctor's are not saying take 8 glasses of water and 3 bottles of soda and 2 beers/wine every day. Of course, that would be too much fluid.
Comment: It's interesting that there have been comments about every item except the one about how the hair grows back. Oops, now there has been one.
Comment: I wish some notice would be given to the idea that babies can catch strep throat: another medical myth strongly believed by doctors: my first daughter caught strep throat at only 7 months, and they only tested her because I pushed. They simply didn't believe anything was wrong with her, and were astonished when the test came back positive. With my second daughter, she was four months when she caught strep throat, from my older daughter, who once again had it at 23 months. Again, I had to push to get her tested, and again, they were absolutely astonished to see a positive result on a test they thought was a waste of time.
A thoguth on the water myth: overconsumption of water needs to be addressed, particularly within military channels. When I was in boot camp in the Navy, we had no less than three instances of people sent to medcal, only to find out they had consumed so much water they were sick. The military pushes hard on water, says you can never consume too much, and will even force you to down two or three full canteens (about 16oz a piece) in one sitting. We were expected to drink 8 to 12 canteens of water a day, or more on the "rigorous" days. For those who say it's necessary because boot camp is an "intensely physical environment" think again: in days past it was, now they run three or four times a week, and go to classes and training the rest. Does that really warrant that type of water consumption?
Comment: well I will say that, when my uncle was exhumed, because a mistake at the cemetery, my relatives could not resist to open the casket, his hair was long and his fingernails too.
now i remember when he was buried , his hair was clean cut and nice
myth or no myth I saw it....
Comment: I have a newspaper article with a picture of my policeman father from the Goshen News (Indiana) back in the 70's, holding an apple with razor blades stuck inside. It's been going on for a long time.
Comment: What I would like to know is what is a nutritionalist.
Comment: This article is pointing at medical practitioners who think that the"myths" are "fact". You are simply proving the point. If you want to sway people into believing, then submit some facts with documents and studies preformed to back it up.
Comment: When I try to access "Top Photo Galleries" for your sites on the 4 on pg.8in this week's Nwsweek I cannot access them. How come?
Comment: re: Medical Resources Intl
This article is pointing at medical practitioners who think that the"myths" are "fact". You are simply proving the point. If you want to sway people into believing, then submit some facts with documents and studies preformed to back it up.
Comment: I have a newspaper article and picture of my policeman father from the Goshen News (Indiana) back in the 70's, holding an apple with razor blades in it.
Comment: The Myth of Hair Growth and Fingernail Growth probably is the result of not knowing exactly the time of death.
In some cases of Death in days past, some appeared dead and yet they were really still alive, rather shallow heart beat and comatose, yet they were really alive.
Even today we read about an individual having been declared Dead and whild awaiting either Autopsy or Embalming the so called Stiff got Loose and awoke to Startle all around.
Comment: I agree with doc Pearce about this article, the water issue in peticular. By even making the suggestion that you could get your recommended water amount through your daily soda intake is irresponsible and naive. I wish that MSN would take a moral stand and start releasing articles which are actually helpfull to the populus. Dr Pearce comment about people sayinging they have diabetes in the family and using that as an explanation for their condition instead of their sugar intake is dead on. So many people today dont even consider that what their eating or drinking is tainted with all sorts of artificial ingredients. These ingredients, in peticullar the sugars in soda, are a direct link to diabetes. The FDA wouldn't say that of course, they would never hear the end of it from the the food lobby in washington. You would never hear the FDA say that there is a cure for diabetes, and that people have been cured. No, theres too much opposition from the drug companies and their lobbiests in washington to keep that under wraps. Too much money to be made. We as american are being spoon fed crap in every way figuratively and metaphoriclly. MSN furthers this disinformation by pandering to their big money interests and printing half truth articles like the one we're discussing. I think today im going to change my home page from MSN to something else. Oh and by the way, MSNBC...Chrs Mathews is a right wing tool, it's so obvious its disgusting.
Comment: Wow... why don't you tell us how you REALLY feel..
Comment: Doc Pearce clearly you are not really a doctor. Diabetes is caused by numerous problems...However, sugar is not necessarily one of them. I have studied this extensively because their is a strong family history on my side and I worried about my children. I carefully curtailed sugars as they grew up. I ensured that starches were complex and high in fiber. I restricted even great amounts of juices, but freely allowed milk. I was careful to instill an understanding that they should drink plenty of water, and when they were little, I gave them four to six glasses (8 oz or more each) in addition to their milk. Even as babies, I gave them extra bottles of water. My doctor told me I was being so careful that I was frightening my children. Well, 2 developed diabetes anyway. However, I am obese, a sugar junkie, and would rather go without than drink water, it tastes obcene (unless you purchase bottled, which is prohibitively expensive); yet I have no symptoms of even developing diabetes. My sugar has been stable at 110-118 every six month doctor check since I was 25 and began putting on so much weight. That was 31 years ago.
However, my husband, who has NO family history and rarely eats sweets (although he does like breads) developed diabetes at 41. This article is not suggesting that you not dirnk water, but my doctor said that consuming more that 3 quarts of fluid (unless an athlete of constant training) is excess and if more than half of that is water, it could destabilize the electrolites by over-flushing the body's systems. People need to know that everything, EVERYTHING, even liquids and water ishould be consumed in moderation. That is 8 (8oz) glasses of fluid (at least half of which is water) and no more than one soda per day is moderate and HEALTHY!!! Your comments simply show that you also have preconceived and some-what unfounded myths. My weight problem is not caused by food (although it certainly doesn't help) but by a damaged and hyper-vigilant adrenal gland, which in turn stimulates my thyroid and other glands, some of which make me feel hungry even though I have completed a full and (for most people) satifying meal. Don't try and pretend to be a doctor when you clearly arn't!!!
Comment: Well, as a medical practitioner, I have to say that some of these so-called "myths" are NOT so, There HAVE been documented cases of tampered-with halloween candy given by sociopaths...and not only poisons, but high potency laxatives (same thing to a child), glass shards, metal fragments and razor blades.
As for eye strain, it is not the length of time you are reading, but the pattern of repeated stess that ends up eamaging eyes, decreasing accomodation and leading to myupitiv stress.
Just as being in the cold does not automatically make you sick, it DOES suppress your immune system at a time when you are going to be prone to pick up something you otherwise would not...thus it is a major contributing factor...and most parents know that getting too cold facilitates ear pain, contracting the eustachian tube, increasing mucoidsecretions...an medial otitis waiting to happen.
Nails and hair, because of their composition, do grow for a few days. Not significantly, but the cells do get pushed from the cuticle and follicle after the rest of the ystem has shut down. So that is not entirely unture, either.
As far as the water issue, kidney function is vital to good health balance. Caffeine is a diuretic and does not support intra/intercellular water levels. Sugary concoctions (sodas, etc) are also detrimental to the system and are not counted in the water needs on a daily basis. The best way to keep one's sytem healthy and functioning at an optimal state is to keep the system flushing out toxins and providing poure water (not filled with heavy metals such as our tap water).
I'm not sure who wrote this article, but they are either under-informed or falsely claiming expertise where none exists.
Comment: I personally agree with the Halloween candy. We never hear of kids being poisoned by candy, yet every year parents worry that their children will be harmed in some way. They just need to take a deep breath and calm down.
Comment: Concerning the "water debate": Fluid and electrolyte balance calculations indicate a base minimum of 3 litres of fluid per 24 hour period as the MAINTENANCE fluid input required to service the body's needs. 3 Litres equates to not eight, but twelve(12) of the 250 ml drinking glasses in common use. The estimated requirement of 8 glasses of fluid, be it water or otherwise, most likely takes into account the fact that some water is indeed contained in the other foods we consume; but it is misleading to suggest that all our fluid requirements can be met by the routine quantities of water-containing foods, sodas and other miscellaneous drinks imbibed by chance during a typical day. I believe it is necessary to vet the "facts" being posted about medical issues by non-medical personnel on the internet, because even worse than a layman taking a doctor's misinformed medical opinion as fact is a layman taking ANOTHER LAYMAN's misinformed opinion as gospel. A word to the wise
Comment: aqjh2, your comments are very wise in on the whole, but I don't see where the article ever said that eight glasses of water caused water intoxication. What it said was that 8 glasses on top of juice, numerous sodas, coffee, milk and all the water contained in foods we eat was excessive and great excess could cause water intoxication. I restricted juice and sodas were not allowed in my home, but milk was never restricted. I had one boy who would drink a gallon every day if you let him (and often did.) I never tried to get him to drink additional water (although I did try and get him to replace a few glasses of milk with glasses of water because Ihalf believd the myth) as I knew that too much liquid was as unhealthy as too little (although too little is far more common. What the author was trying to say, if people bothered to analyze anything anymore, was that MODERATION is the KEY!!! a mixture of milk, juice, soda (preferably little of this because sugar and carbonation are not real healthy for us) plus water to equal 8- 8oz glasses of liquid a day (on top of the moisture in foods we eat) is about right for most people. Athletes need more, young children need less, workers in the need a little more, workers in airconditioned offices made not need as much. MODERATION IS THE KEY!!! And being aware of our cunsumption is the answer!!!
Comment: A woman in Sacramento, CA died of water intoxication earlier this year, because of a radio contest, so I don't think that the author was exaggerating all that much. Also, in regard to soda as a source of water, there's always diet soda which can be drunk "in a pinch," so to speak. Lastly, I've worked in medical offices for the past 25 years and, believe me, the best doctors have earned the right to have big egos, they're that good at what they do.
Comment: I personally know a Marine who had water intoxication, or hyponutremia. He was very close to death, and without treatment, would not have survived. This happened in the 120+ degree heat of Kuwait.
Comment: The Halloween candy is mostly urban legend. As a trauma nurse I have researced this topic. Until Nov 1st of this year I had never seen documented caes of razors or poisoning of Halleween candy, (with the exception of relatives in nasty divorce cases and aone or two insurance as noted by jscohn2002. ) The one and only case that I have seen, (and may have been an attention stunt by a 15 yo.) occurred in Mineola Fla. twoo onths ago. With all the media attention, it was bound to be copy-catted eventually. The boy was David Mahon. Still a frightening possibility, but lss robably than being hit by lightening. And no one has ever been injured. Skulldugger7 states he was given a popcorn ball with Alum. Anybody who has eaten alum knows it is a VERY sour taste. It is non toxic, and is used in pickling frequently. Are you telling me you didn't notice? We did have a case in Texas here of three boys placing marijuana laced brownies in a teachers lounge as a prank. They were arrested and charged. Any other cases I would love a link to a REPUTABLE sourse. I've never found any others.
Timothy O'Bryan of Houston, Texas actually did die in 1974 after eating a Pixie Stick laced with cyanide on Halloween night. Which is true, but the kicker is that investigators determined that the candy was poisoned by O'Bryan's own father, who, unbelievable as it seems, hoped to collect on a life insurance policy he had taken out on his son.
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Comment: I agree the idea is very unlikely, but one incident in the late seventies was well documented. It did start out that a family member was to blame. The father wanted to collect on a life insurance policy and poisoned his son's halloween candy, problem was he poisoned the other candy and gave it out so he could claim tainted candy. No other children were killed but reports have several ill. This mad was executed in 1984-5. But hey, what a way for terrorists to start!!! I suggest that parents still use caution and check their children's candy...I mean what can it hurt? google the "Pixie-stick killer" to read about Ronald O'brians horrific crime!
Comment: The popcorn was heavily salted with cheddar cheese flavoring. To this day, I can't eat cheddar cheese.
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Comment: Water intoxication. Are you serious? Do you have any idea how much water you'd have to consume to reach water intoxication? And although you do not need 8 glasses of water per day to stay hydrated (unless you workout intensely, which most of you do not. Who needs to? There's always a pill or a surgery to fix what you neglect), the water does help to flush the body of toxins, which would come in handy if soda and coffee are your sources of hydration. Now you wouldn't want to tell people to drink 8 glasses of water over 8 cans of pop would you. It's better that they are lethargic, obese, and most likely diabetic (oh diabetes runs in my family. It's not the 200 pounds of sugar I consume per year). If you need help writing an article that might actually be helpful, let me know. Dr. Pearce
Comment: Doc Pearce: I wanted to send my thanks and support in regards to the statement made about people with diabetes and their denial as to where the diabetes really came from. I loved the 200 pounds of sugar comment, your sarcasm was spot on. Keep it up.
Comment: The author is a bit exaggerated in his water intoxication leading to death. Takes quite a bit of water to do that, and 8 glasses will not. I would like to see the scientific evidence proving how much water is in our food, etc. Considering a large majority of people are walking around dehydrated, it's always a good thing to drink more water!
Comment: The author is a bit exaggerated in his water intoxication leading to death. Takes quite a bit of water to do that, and 8 glasses will not. I would like to see the scientific evidence proving how much water is in our food, etc. Considering a large majority of people are walking around dehydrated, it's always a good thing to drink more water!
Comment: The author is a bit exaggerated in his water intoxication leading to death. Takes quite a bit of water to do that, and 8 glasses will not. I would like to see the scientific evidence proving how much water is in our food, etc. Considering a large majority of people are walking around dehydrated, it's always a good thing to drink more water!
Comment: Wow. Water intoxication. Are you serious? Do you have any idea how much water you would have to drink to even get close to water intoxication? And you don't need 8 glasses of water per day to stay hydrated (unless you exercise intensely which most of you don't) but it does help to flush the system of toxins. Lastly I wouldn't let soda be my source of water unless I want to develop diabetes, be very lethargic, and become obese. Dr. Pearce
Comment: They missed the biggest myth of all, the belief that eating foods with cholesterol in them will increase the level of cholesterol in your blood. The big problem with this view is that the human body cannot absorb sterol lipid (the type of fat that cholesterol is) as a sterol lipid. The body totally breaks it down first so it can absorb something. All of the cholesterol in your blood was created inside your body.
Cholesterol is needed inside your body. The body uses it to form other things that are needed such as many hormones. The build-up inside some people???s blood vessels is a last-ditch response of your body to try and help repair inflammation in your blood vessels.
Yes, some people eat too much of various things. But that is not the issue that I???m pointing out here.
Oh, did you know that most ???doctors??? have only had a 30 minute lecture on nutrition. And you want me to ???trust??? doctors completely, other than getting another opinion from another ???doctor????
Comment: EatRightNow, WOW, you have no idea what you're talking about! I can assure you that doctors get more than a 30 minute lecture on Nutrition. I'm pre-med at Metropolitan State College of Denver, and am required to take exactly 5!!! in depth nutrition classes before I can even move onto my core studies!!
Comment: So, EatRightNow, what is the correct answer to concerns about high blood cholesterol levels versus the food we consume? Should we not worry about fat consumption? What is the most likely cause of inflammed blood vessels, and how to correct that problem before a stenosed vessel is the result?
Comment: Your last "myth" is very misleading at best, and I would call it just plain wrong. In 1974 Ronald O''Brien of Pasadena Texas handed out cyanide-laced Pixie Sticks (Remeber those?. This event drove them off the market.) to a number of children. Although O'Brien's son was the only fatality, the fact remains that the other children were definitely at risk from tampered Halloween candy.
Comment: Opps - correct spelling is O'Bryan. Looks like I need to check my facts better as well.
Comment: To h3nurse: I was so glad my family had cellphones while my father was dying from cancer. We were able to call all of our family members and my dad's close friends so that everyone could come say goodbye. It's not crass to have cellphones in hospitals; it's a modern convenience that I'm sure many people wish they could have had when they lost loved ones years ago.
Comment: i agree, there is no reason for cell phones to be banned for reasons of interferance with equipment. However, our hospital does ban them because most people do not have the sense to be curteous. They don't just make calls to inform, but they receive calls (noisy, jarring ringtones, or music only they could like) which disturb patients. I was in Florida this past June, my husband had surgery for a pace maker (the hospital their didn't ban cells.) The teen visiting her father in the next room, received 5 calls in two hours and would let it ring and ring (I suspect so she could here the RAP song she had as her ringtone.) The last call was at 1045 pm, and a kind nurse (or perhaps there had been others complaining) told the girl to either shut it off, or leave. the girl complained and griped (I am being polite with my language) until I threatened to shove it down her throat. She left (probably because I was so over-wrote by the unexpected heart problems and emergency surgery, that I meant what I told her- I would have loved an exuse to destroy that phone- although I would not have actually harmed her....just the **** phone.!!!) Please be curteous to others...hospitals are full of the ill who do not continuous disturbances. Of course, I wanted to strangle the nurses, who stopped every 16 minutes to disturn my husband with BP and temp and questions, and, and , and!!!
Comment: I'm sorry your relative died of cancer, but are you willing to put other people at risk of death for a "modern convienence? I really hope not. That is very selfish on your part. I don't know of a hospital in the country that doesn't have phones in the patients room or a phone near by that you can use. People like you have caused others death and serious harm in hospitals. A very good friend and patient of mine died at a hospital because a cell phone made a monitor miss read a heart beat. She got the wrong drug and died due to your "modern convienence".
Comment: tferran - First of all, it's "nutritionist" not "nutritionalist". Second, like Atlanta Doctor pointed out, these are myths that are held even by doctors, but are just that: myths, which are fictitious. Third, what's this about a child in Orlando finding a piece of candy with a razor blade in it? Sounds like another urban legend (those are fictitious as well) and unless you can produce a news account of it from a reliable source, I don't believe it. Fourth, looks to me like the writer did their research since they were using sources that have been published in the British Medical Journal as well as studies from prestigious medical institutions (like the Mayo Clinic). And, finally, do you really think this writer should be fired? Good grief.
I, for one, welcome this article. One of my pet peeves is the rampant belief in what we call "old wives' tales" or urban legends.
Comment: I think this writer is very amusing. We are trained to think all of these ideas are fact. However, through my studies I have also come across very similar arguments. It is scientifically proven that there is no need for 8 glasses of water a day.; but if you would like to detox your body the best way to do that is to drink water. The author is not a idiot, just ready to hear a lot of heat from people who are trained one way of thinking. kudos to the author...
Comment: Boy, aren't doctors idiots for believing these myths? It just goes to show you that you can waste ten years of your life in school and still not know a thing. What a waste of your life! Morons.
Comment: I think Skulldugger7 is being sarcastic, and jorge did not understand. Doctors are human, and I have had disappointments in my Kaiser doctors in not diagnosing quickly, e.g., taking two years to diagnose broken cartildge in my sinus area, longer to diagnose gall bladder stones, but their training lead to good treatment eventually. To me, the bottom line is that if you own a body, you need to learn about your body, and not leave it totally up to doctors, who try to do their best but are only human.
Comment: That's MR Skulldugger7 to you, DogLover . . .
Comment: I think Skulldugger is being sarcastic.
Comment: No, they are human. Opinions like yours make me wonder about your capacity to absorb knowledge
