Excellent news for women over the age of 50 hit the headlines today – clinical evidence that one alcoholic drink a day can help keep women over the age of 50 not only happy, but healthy well into old age.
In a study obviously based on the idea of a little of what you fancy does you good, US researchers from the Harvard University School of Public Health in Boston studied 14,000 nurses from 1976 onwards and found that women over the age of 50 who treated themselves to one alcoholic drink daily for between five and seven days a week enjoyed a healthier old age than those who abstained or drank heavily.
For everyone else, however, it’s back to an apple a day. But how much good does that apple really do? Here are 10 widely believed health claims - are they truth or myth?
1. An apple a day keeps the doctor away – Not a myth: not only might an apple keep the doctor away, but also the dentist and the diet sheet. Apples contain vitamin C and flavonoids, both of which can boost immune system. Flavonoids have an antioxidant effect and protect against heart disease. Phenols in apples also reduce bad cholesterol and boost good cholesterol. Apples are an excellent source of fibre and also exercise the mouth and keep gums healthy, as well as encouraging a good flow of saliva for sweet breath. Oh, and apples are low in calories – around 80-90 calories for a medium-sized apple and all that fibre will fill you up, whether they are eaten raw or cooked.
2. Carrots help you see in the dark – Semi-myth: carrots are a rich source of beta-carotene and Vitamin A, which helps protect eyesight, but it is unlikely carrots would improve night vision. Beta-carotene also gives carrots their orange colour. Too much beta-carotene can have adverse effects, however, and people who drink excessive amounts of carrot juice have been known to develop an orange tinge to their skin. Beta-carotene can also help asthma symptoms and may help prevent all sorts of illnesses, from headaches to cancer.
3. Chicken soup can help cure a cold or flu – Not a complete myth: scientists adding chicken soup to inflammatory cells called neurophils found that the soup limited their ability to spread out. Chicken also contains chemicals that boost feelings of wellbeing, so drinking chicken soup may certainly improve your mood if you are feeling unwell with flu or cold symptoms. Any hot liquid will help soothe a sore throat and make you feel warm – and the steam may help unblock your nose if you drink it from a mug. Chicken soup will also provide calories and nutrients, including protein, iron and vitamins from other ingredients, such as mushrooms or carrots.
4. Chocolate is bad for you – Semi-myth depending on how much you eat: chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which acts on the brain to boost happy feelings similar to those experienced when you fall in love. Chocolate also contains caffeine and provides a short-term energy boost, but the ‘high’ can be followed by a ‘low’, which is why chocolate can become addictive. Dark chocolate – at least 70% cocoa – contains flavonoids and can help improve the heath of your arteries by improving blood flow. Chocolate also contains some iron.
5. Women can’t get pregnant if they have sex standing up – Myth, Myth, Myth: sperm are highly competitive and energetic little swimmers and even the forces of gravity will not prevent them from going the extra mile to reach their destination – an egg just waiting to be fertilised by them. Use a condom.
6. Some people are immune to the HIV virus –Not a myth: researchers have found that some people who come into contact with the HIV virus have immunity to it. Scientists have suggested immunity may be genetic, or some individuals with HIV immunity may have descended from survivors of Bubonic plague and this might have helped improve their immune systems – but, as ever, use a condom.
7. Being overweight is all down to genes – Not completely a myth: obviously genes play a large part in physical traits inherited, but eating habits learned as a child may actually be more to blame for being overweight. Some people may inherit a slower metabolism, however – or a tendency to store fat on particular areas of their body.
8. Women with big feet give birth more easily – Old wives’ tale, but not totally a myth: women whose feet are larger than normal in relation to their overall size might have an easier delivery, as their pelvic area may be broader – hence the expression child-bearing hips. Mothers who take a size five shoe or larger traditionally are thought to have a pelvis wide enough to deliver a baby. However, every delivery is unique and to date the phrase ‘child-bearing feet’ has not entered into common usage.
9. Men who wear tight underpants may become infertile – Not a myth: research into men who wear tight cycling shorts has found that the combination of close-fitting sportswear and close and prolonged contact with a bicycle saddle may actually carry a risk of reduced fertility because of the heat generated. Couples seeking fertility treatment are often advised that the male should wear loose-fitting underwear to regulate the temperature of sperm – sperm like to be a few degrees cooler than average body heat.
10. Red wine is good for your arteries – Not a myth: red wine contains resveratrol from grape skins, which has an antioxidant effect and improves blood flow. Red wine is a component of the Mediterranean diet and a glass of red wine a day may well keep the doctor away – especially if you are a sophisticated lady over the age of 50, as we now know.
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